1/2

After watching the ‘Clash of the Titans’ film on DVD, I was ready to jump into war of men and gods. The film, which seemed like a natural to transition into a game based has everything going for it, excellent lore, lots of action, and a big set-by-set design. Actually, if I wasn’t aware that it was a remake, I might have guessed the film borrowed the plot from a videogame... not mentioning any names… God of ---. Nevertheless, 'Clash of the Titans' is a massive name from the past, a largely produced film, and now a game. So, which one is our favourite, read on to find out.

'Clash of the Titans' is retelling of the myth of Perseus. This involves the gods Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades all mixed up in a war between men and gods. In an overview narration, the begging of the game you will be caught up on enough lore to kick start your endeavors. The basics of all the Olympian drama is that man has grown wary of the gods, and the gods need mans prayers for eternal life. This brings out a sub-plot that has Hades raising the deadly "Titian Killer" Kraken from it's grave to reek havoc on the humans, in the hopes they turn back to the gods restoring their immortality and mans faith. The twist, Perseus, hell bent on revenge (which I won’t spoil) vows to stand against the gods, finding out about his mysterious path and his own role in this modernizes tale of Greek mythology.

Loosely Translated - This is a Good Thing
In the translation from the film to the game, we see a few libraries in the adaptation. For instance we meet Perseus in the begging of the film being found at sea, raised by his parents as a fisherman, and put into action after the gods have been defiled and the citizens of Argos are attacked by the underworld demon-god Hades. In the game, your mother hands you a sword before you know it you will be battling the undead skeleton warriors and water spirits, no boat, no need for elongated drama. From this early point you can tell that Game Republic's tale will be a little different while remaining the same. At times the game will mirror the films production, and other times it will create its own side-tales while keeping the main narrative intact. unexpectedly this makes the game a more rewarding if you have seen the film because it feels fresh. I appreciated the developer putting their own spin on the tale, and to be honest some of the material in the game works better then the film. This is purely from a narrative standpoint, the digital representation of the action, actors, and deliver is a whole different deal.

His Sword is My Sword
After you are handed your sword, you will swiftly learn the ins-and-outs about the combat mechanics which are fairly straight forward, but deep enough to keep the combat interesting. Now lets be clear, ‘Clash of the Titans’ isn’t an AAA produced effort like the games it echos, still it is half-decent in its own right. I wouldn’t put the action up with titles like ‘God of War,’ or even ‘Dante’s Inferno,’ but it's not as bad as may have initially thought.

A few disciplines that contribute to the games depth and fun-factor is the 'sub-freeze' technique and a cool soul ripping technique called ‘soul-squeeze.’ Translated, fancy animated kills that reward the player with weapons or items, and an energy boost. These two powers will be used a lot and for the sub-freeze technique be prepared for some fast button presses. Like some RPGs, you will need to press a face button when the fast moving radical meets a stagnant one. Weapons that you amass through sub-freezing can also be upgraded with items you snag while battling your enemies. This power grows as you play the game along with your ‘soul-squeeze’ power, along with others that you gain in your travels.

Hey, it’s Bubo
The action all stems from a HUB system that will change as you work your way through the narrative. At first you will be in the Fishing Village on the island of Paxos then you will move into the city, and so on. HUBs provide a central location where you can accept new quests, save your game via Bubo (the mechanical owl) and activate challenge missions. **On a side Note, Bubo is the mechanical owl from the 1980’s film that was created by Hephaestus as an aid for Perseus. In the new film, he is thrown away as a funny cameo-- uh! So I am glad to see the bugger back, even in a minor role in the game edition.