Line #74 VideoGame/Apotheon


1	[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d8b368e54c8178a8f6ba9b136bfbfd61.jpg]]
2	->''"As Humanity's last champion, you must pass through the land of the dead, infiltrate Mount Olympus, and end the Wrath of the Gods. With sword, shield and spear in hand, you will sneak, conspire, loot, and battle your way through majestic palaces and chthonic depths as you climb toward godhood."''
3	-->-- '''[[http://www.apotheongame.com/ AlienTrap]]''', Game description
4
5	''Apotheon'' is a 2D HackAndSlash with Platformer elements made by Alien Trap Games. It is heavily based on [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Mythology]], and its art style beautifully mimics the black-figure art style from the pottery of UsefulNotes/AncientGreece. If you are even moderately familiar with Ancient Greek art, you will find its representations are very similar to those of the original pieces, as their attention to detail seeps in the majestic representations that permeate the entire game's style. For those ''not'' familiar with Ancient Greek art, it means that [[ItsNotPornItsArt there is a healthy amount of penises and breasts]] to look forward to.
6
7	As the very name of the game suggests, your task is to ascend to godhood. This means that your character, Nikandreos, will join the likes of Hercules, The Roman Emperors, [[Art/TheApotheosisOfWashington George Washington]], and The UsefulNotes/FlyingSpaghettiMonster. This task is spurred by the decree of [[JerkassGods Zeus]], who gets tired of humanity's flaws and [[DisproportionateRetribution decides to end their lives]]. Nikandreos [[TheHero rises up to the challenge]] of stabbing the gods for their powers, or taking the powers of a host of deities for his own in order to challenge Zeus and save humanity.
8
9	Hera, Demeter, Hades, Ares, Hermes, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and a whole slew of mythological beasts and deities appear throughout the game to be convinced by Nikandreos to relinquish their powers to him for the good of humanity. And if not to him, then to whatever weapon he chooses to wield at the moment. Nikandreos is particularly poignant in getting the point across via a liberal application of [[StuffBlowingUp Blast Jars]], GreekFire, [[MultiMeleeMaster Xyphos, Sarrissa, Sagaris, or Clubs]]. As seen in the names of things and the narrative, the work is definitely [[ShownTheirWork deeply steeped in the knowledge of myths and Ancient Greece]] in general.
10
11	The game was released on Steam and the Playstation Network on February 3rd, 2015.
12	----
13	!!Provides Examples Of:
14
15	* ActionGirl: Artemis, as the Goddess of the Hunt, is the most renowned archer and eager to meet someone with enough skill to impress her.
16	* ActionAdventure: Combining puzzle elements and a fast paced combat mechanic, Apotheon easily fits in this genre
17	* AlphaBitch: Hera can definitely come off as this in many occasions.
18	* ArtGame: The specificity of its visual style could easily qualify it as thus, given how happy they are to keep to a thematic.
19	* ArtImitatesArt: The game's art style mimics "black figures" pottery from UsefulNotes/AncientGreece.
20	* ArmourIsUseless: [[AvertedTrope No, it's really not.]] [[spoiler:With the exception of the FinalBoss, who has more health than you despite the fact that he's [[FullFrontalAssault naked as a jaybird,]] while you're in full armour. This would be justified by Zeus being, [[PhysicalGod well, Zeus]] except for the fact that Nikandreos is a god too at that point. ]]
21	* AutoScrollingLevel: A few of them. All in Hades.
22	* AttackOfThe50ftWhatever: Several of the bosses are plus-sized, include Brontes, Poseidon, both Ephialtes and Otus and [[spoiler:Zeus in his final form]]
23	* AxCrazy: KILL FOR ARES. KILL! KILL FOR ARES!
24	* BigGood: Hera, [[ClingyJealousGirl of all people.]] [[spoiler:It's [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-Zagged]] throughout the game. It looks like she's betraying you when she sics the guards on you, but afterwards she reveals that she had to do that to deflect Zeus's suspicions. At the end of the game, you're powerful enough where you [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness can just leave her to rot as you hunt down Zeus, or gib her with his lightning in one hit.]] The latter even implies she was just using you the whole time, but you became too powerful for her to control.]]
25	%%* BigBad: Zeus, and for [[FinalSolution good reason.]]
26	* BlackoutBasement:
27	** Apollo's boss-fight is a variation. The room is dark, except for the glow provided by Apollo's fiery attacks.
28	** The Hades level is perpetually dark, and requires you to use the torch or another light-giving item to see your way forward.
29	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:All of humanity is killed, but so are the deities that would slay them. Nikandreos, having ascended to godhood, sets about recreating humanity from clay.]]
30	%%* BodyArmorAsHitpoints.
31	* BossBonanza: Ares's level, [[WarGod naturally]], has quite a few boss fights within it.
32	%%* BossBanter: Most of the gods... unsurprisingly.
33	* BloodKnight:
34	** Ares. He's one of the few gods looking forward to your fight instead of considering you as a particularly bothersome insect.
35	** Artemis too is looking for a worthy hunt.
36	* BoltOfDivineRetribution: Zeus wields these, of course. [[spoiler:And after you kill him, SO CAN YOU!]]
37	* BoomHeadshot:It's the only way to hurt the largest bosses.
38	* BornAsAnAdult: When mentioned in one of the background stones you can read, you read the myth of Pallas Athena being born, fully formed and armed, from…the forehead of Zeus.
39	%%* BrotherSisterIncest: Well it IS Greek Mythology.
40	* CatAndMouseBoss: Artemis. You get turned into a deer and must hit the four shrines in her stage before she kills you. If you succeed, it's her turn to get polymorphed and you get to fill her with as many arrows as you want.
41	* CivilWarcraft: Many of the gods disagree with the edict of Zeus, and either refuse to fight you, or are actually working subversively against him. [[spoiler:Hermes was already found out, and sent by Zeus to Tartarus. Instead of him, you only find his Caduceus.]]
42	* ClingyJealousGirl: Hera. But it is not as if she is without mercy, and Zeus really is a {{Jerkass}}, so it is not as if [[JerkassHasAPoint she is wholly wrong]]
43	* ContinuityNod: While climbing to confront Zeus, he narrates the “Five Ages of Man” as described by Hesiod, and locates you within the Iron Age. He is not a big fan of the Iron Age narrative.
44	* CoolCar: The Chariot of Apollo.
45	* CowardlyBoss: The Direwolf runs every few times you hit it.
46	* CreationMyth: The Greek one, of course. Mentioned several times throughout the game, and particularly when Prometheus Bound is read about.
47	* CurbStompBattle: The Gods deliver one to humanity. They remove the sun, plunging the world into darkness. Remove spring and crops, starving them, and remove the animals from the earth, to keep them from hunting. Then the earthquakes, floods, strategic assaults from supernatural soldiers and thunderbolts begin.
48	* {{Cyclops}}: Smaller ones act as enforcers for the heavenly armies, and Brontes, a 50ft cyclops makes an appearance as well.
49	* DarkAndTroubledPast: A lot of the gods. Hephaestus and Hera, Zeus and Apollo, Thetis and Hera, Aphrodite and Zeus... Consider how common it is for gods to be [[Main/{{Jerkass}} jerkasses]] to each other though and this is a given.
50	* DamageReduction: Armor and Potions can reduce the damage input you take. You find armor in chests.
51	* DeathByIrony: Artemis, goddess of the hunt, ends up being turned into a deer, hunted down and finally killed by Nikandreos.
52	* DragonAscendant: [[spoiler:A morally-inverted example, as Nikandreos become this to Hera by the end of the game.]]
53	--> '''Zeus''': I speak to your pawn, whose power has far outstripped your ability to wield him.
54	* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Nikandreos is an average mortal who ends up as the strongest of the gods.
55	* DivineParentage: [[NotMeThisTime And it's not Zeus' fault this time!]] [[spoiler:Quite the opposite actually: Hera bore Nikandreos specifically to kill Zeus. ]]
56	* DieChairDie: Chairs. Tables. Armoires. Food. Plants. They are all clearly envoys of the gods sent to destroy humanity and Nikandreos will have none of that
57	* DoomedHometown: It never stood a chance, really. Poor Dion.
58	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: They were never trying to be subtle at all, but truly, the Greek creativity shows in the many different ways they find to refer to genitalia.
59	* DugTooDeep: There is a cave in one of the Islands of Poseidon. There are monsters and chunks of gold inside it.
60	* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:Athena]] surrenders after you beat her trials, and even reconsiders her [[HumansAreBastards previous stance]] on humanity.
61	* GoForTheEye: Cyclops are vulnerable to this, naturally. It's the only way you can hurt Brontes.
62	* EndOfAnAge: Specifically, the Iron Age.
63	* EleventhHourSuperPower: Twice in quick succession. After defeating Zeus, [[spoiler:You get his thunderbolts and rampage your way through what's left of his army with them.]] After you return to Dion, you finally [[spoiler:Ascend to godhood in order to match Zeus in one final beatdown.]]
64	* EverybodyHatesHades: Averted, as it sticks to the roots. Hades barely even appears, and more importance is given to Persephone, his spouse, as you need her powers of spring to allow earth to grow food.
65	* EverybodysDeadDave: By the end of the game [[spoiler:humanity gets completely wiped out. Nikandreos ends up creating a new human being from clay.]]
66	* EyeScream: You must defeat the Cyclops by attacking their single eye.
67	* FantasyVideoGames: Between the chimeras, the gods, the witches and other mythological monsters, it is hard not to grasp the fantasy element of this game.
68	* FatherNeptune: He's here, and he hates your tiny mortal face.
69	* FantasticRacism: The gods and demigods look down upon humans. Poseidon is particularly vehement to the point of believing that Zeus should have wiped out humanity in the first place. Even [[BigGood Hera]] can't stop herself from referring to you as a lesser being!
70	* FinalBossPreview: As you ascend to the highest peak of Mount Olympus, Zeus pelts you with thunder and lightning.
71	* FlingALightIntoTheFuture: Thetis mentions that there are beings older and more powerful than the gods. She provides you a boat that will allow you to avoid being sunk easily into the sea by Poseidon.
72	* FiveSecondForeshadowing: During the part where you're escaping from the Vault of Evening, you can find some lore near the exit that talks about the Cyclopes. As soon as you enter the next room, you come face-to-face with one.
73	* ForcedTransformation: The myth of Actaeon [[spoiler:is recreated in the fight against Artemis. She turns Nikandreos into a stag, who is forced to flee from her until he manages to turn HER into a deer. The two are alternatively turned into prey and hunter several times, until Nikandreos manages to hunt down and kill the goddess of the Hunt.]]
74	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
75	** [[spoiler:The Myth of Athena says that Zeus swallows her mother, Metis, because it was prophesied that their spawn could topple him. In the end, it is the reflecting shield, enchanted by Athena, which allows you to defeat Zeus]]
76	** Zeus mentioned that humans were created out of clay. [[spoiler:At the end of the game Nikandreos forms a man out of clay and gives him life.]]
77	* ForgedByTheGods: Loads of things. Even Hephaestus appears, forging things. And his power allows you to better benefit from armor.
78	* FinalSolution: Zeus's goal, due to being disgusted with humanity's continued downfall. Poseidon agrees, and is angered he didn't do it sooner!
79	* FriendlyFireproof: You can summon allies with a few items, such as Bone Dust. They are immune to whatever damage you cause them.
80	* FullFrontalAssault: More than a few enemies will attack you in the nude. Given the art style it makes sense.
81	* FunPersonified: You just met Bacchus! IT IS TIME FOR A DRINKING CONTEST! [[spoiler:Of course, he does it so everyone else but Nikandreos is knocked out and he can have a safe chat with him]]
82	* GameplayAndStorySegregation: Averted. The game goes to length to explain how, and why a mere mortal can topple gods, and even best the God of War himself at fighting. [[spoiler:In the Iliad, the only mortal ever to wound Ares was Diomedes, whose spear was specifically enchanted by Athena with an ability to wound Gods. You fight Diomedes and collect his spear in order to be able to attack Ares in the first place]]
83	* GenreThrowback: The art style imitates the Greek Art pottery style of black figures, so the prominent colors are Orange and Black.
84	* GladiatorGames: Ares has these. Constantly. All the time. Ares likes fighting.
85	* {{Gotterdammerung}}: During his quest Nikandreos [[spoiler:ends up killing all the major gods and goddesses of the greek pantheon. At the end of the game the world is in ruin, humanity has been wiped out and the deities have been destroyed. Wandering in this desolation, Nikandreos finds some clay and rubble and form a new human being and gives it life, possibly signaling the rebirth of humanity in a world where the gods don't exist anymore.]]
86	* GuideDangIt: Although the game introduces hints in the background, many critics have described the game as having a “clunky” battle system.
87	* HaveYouSeenMyGod: Though mentioned briefly, The Titans make no appearance. Also for a game where revenge features prominently, the Furies shine for their absence.
88	* HeroOfAnotherStory: There are plenty of mentions of other heroes. Diomedes, for one, even appears. Diomedes is a very relevant hero on the siege of Troy.
89	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: It appears often. Returning the favor is the manner that allows you to defeat [[spoiler:Artemis, Zeus, Ares and convince Aphrodite to aid you.]]
90	%%* HoldTheLine:
91	%%** Your very first task. You awaken at your village, and it is being ravaged by pirates.
92	%%** You must do this later, again, after defeating the first set of gods. This time, your village is assaulted by soldiers sent by Ares. Not to mention the natural disasters.
93	* HornedHumanoid: The Minotaurs and, of course, the Satyrs.
94	* HubCity: The Olympus, which hosts The Agora.
95	%%* HumansAreBastards: Zeus constantly claims this.
96	* HumansAreSpecial: They can take out gods. Some deities even admire the heroes that have risen from humanity.
97	* HuntingTheMostDangerousGame: Artremis is motivated by this. If you win her BossFight, you indeed prove you are dangerous game.
98	* InstrumentOfMurder: The item that holds the power of Apollo is his lyre.
99	%%* InterspeciesRomance: The origin of the Minotaur.
100	* IdiosyncraticDifficultyLevels: Normal, Champion and Olympian difficulty.
101	%%* JerkassGods: Oh definitely. Many of them are! Chief among them Zeus, Poseidon and Apollo.
102	* JerkassHasAPoint: Zeus toward Hera. On one hand, he's a genocidal {{Jerkass God\|s}}, habitually cheats on her, and [[spoiler:has chained her up within his fortress at the end of the game.]] On the other hand her vengeance is quite excessive even by greek standards:
103	-->'''Zeus''': My cow-eyed queen may have set you loose on my siblings, my children... her children, her siblings... That she would sink to such depravity is unforgivable.
104	* KillItWithFire:
105	** GreekFire, Blast Jars, Oil Jars, and Torches all explode and provide natural lighting. Flailing bodies running around frantically count as natural lighting, by the way.
106	** Apollo is also a fan, as you will find to your cost in the BossFight.
107	* KillTheGod: Your mission statement, and quite a successful one considering that 5 (6 if you [[spoiler:kill Hera]]) deities fall by your hand by the end of the game. And that's just the major deities, not counting all the minor gods and monstrosities of divine origin.
108	%%* LaResistance: A small group of divine beings is suggested to be this.
109	%%* LethalLavaLand: One of the rivers of Hades, Phlegethon.
110	%%* LifeDrain: The Mantis Sword.
111	* LightIsNotGood: Apollo, deity of the light, is a prime example of {{Jerkass}}.
112	%%* TheLostWoods: The forest of Artemis
113	* LudicrousGibs: Despite being a 2d world, limbs do tend to gush a great amount of blood. Normal attacks also tend to divorce the limbs or the head from the rest of the body.
114	%%* MadnessMantra: Kill. KILL. KILL FOR ARES!
115	* MakeMyMonsterGrow: A mutual example. [[spoiler:Zeus grows to giant size for the final battle, and Nikandreos follows suit.]]
116	* MaleFrontalNudity: Appropriately for a work whose visual style is derived from Greek art, the game doesn't shy away from depicting fully nude male deities and giants – to say nothing of the [[GagPenis Satyrs]].
117	* MobileMaze: Athena's sanctuary is a series of constantly rotating chambers, making it tricky to jump from door to door.
118	* MirrorBoss: [[spoiler:Zeus's final form.]] Downplayed in that he has a spear while you have a sword, but you're otherwise equally matched [[spoiler:to the point of both being giant gods at this point]], with the victor decided by sword/spear-play alone.
119	* MsFanService: If you consider the art style sexy, then Aphrodite will not disappoint. The Nymphs also enjoy frolicking around naked. The FullFrontalAssault is not limited to males either.
120	* HeroicMime: Nikandreos seems to be out of words for all he has witnessed, for he never utters anything.
121	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Zeus. Ares. Artemis. Apollo. Poseidon.
122	* NeglectfulPrecursors: Poseidon, as well as other deities, were looking forward to screwing up humanity. Regardless of how much they enjoyed having sex with them.
123	* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Which would explain why everyone in this Greek place has an English accent.
124	* NudeNatureDance: The nymphs in the Forest of Artemis are completely nude and dance gracefully as they move.
125	* OurDragonsAreDifferent: The Chimera, which you fight in the realm of Artemis.
126	* OurZombiesAreDifferent: You make a visit to the realm of Hades, eventually. In here, the spirit of the dead walk around, craving the warmth they have not felt since they died. Touching them is... inadvisable.
127	* OffingTheOffspring: Hera by proxy to Ares, who is her son and dies by Nikandreos's hands. Zeus calls her out for this.
128	%%* ParentalIncest: And how.
129	* PassingTheTorch: Or rather, “prying the torch off their cold, dead hands”.
130	* PetTheDog: Not all of the gods are sympathetic to the death of all humans. [[spoiler:Hermes, Aphrodite, Dionysus and Demeter pity humanity, but for different reasons. Hephaestus appears largely indifferent.]]
131	* PendulumOfDeath: spinning pendulums make frequent appearances in both Ares and Athena's levels.
132	%%* {{Precursors}}: The Titans.
133	* PhysicalGod: The gods in the game are powerful beings that can sustain incredibly amount of damages that could easily kill a mortal. Despite this, they can still be killed. When they die, their bodies vanish in a puff of light-filled smoke.
134	* PuzzleBoss:
135	** Zeus: [[spoiler:first you need to use the lightning bolts dropped by his minions to damage him, then you have to reflect his own thunderbolts at him. Both methods temporarily make him vulnerable so you can attack him the standard way.]]
136	** Aphrodite: [[spoiler:she cannot be attacked, so you have to goad Eros into shooting her.]]
137	** Averted with Athena: In this case, it's more "Puzzles instead of a boss." The goddess says that “Your weapon is but an illusion of your strength”, and instead challenges your wit and alacrity by throwing you into her MobileMaze and challenging you to find her within it.
138	* RageAgainstTheHeavens: As can be seen in the game description.
139	* ReferenceOverdosed: Pretty much every character and creature you meet in-game has been mentioned in the works of Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus or any other famous author of the Ancient Greek literature.
140	* RiseToTheChallenge: Phlegeton is a river made of fire. You need to cross it. By climbing.
141	* RiversofBlood: Ares's domain has several, and you can even go swimming in one if you desire.
142	* RuleOfThree: All over the place. You visit Dion 3 times over the course of the game; you need to defeat 3 gods to get to the Acropolis, and then 3 more to access Zeus's throne. Furthermore, in each level you have 3 challenges to overcome before you can confront the relevant god. Averted in Hades, where there are 4 challenges/rivers to cross and no boss-fight afterwards as Persephone willing gives you her power.
143	* SideQuest: The game has a handful. Not all deities are directly assaulting humans, or their realms of influence cannot directly attack humans despite the edict of Zeus, hence you can go and find out what they are up to.
144	* SingleTargetSexuality: Apollo pursued Daphne, a water nymph. Her transformation into a laurel tree did not damper his enthusiasm.
145	* ShipshapeShipwreck: Justified in that the ship only sunk recently.
146	* SpoilerTitle: ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, the Greek-themed game
147	* SubtitlesAreSuperfluous: Averted. A good thing, too, as it helps you know how to spell those fancy god names!
148	* SuperNotDrowningSkills: Nikandreos will never drown and can, in fact, even fight tritons in water with ease for as long as you wish.
149	* SwampsAreEvil: The Swamp that hosts the Chimera, in the lands of Artemis.
150	%%* TempleOfDoom: The Temple of Poseidon
151	* TemptingFate: Zeus brags about his past victories before the final battle, and says he will not be killed by an inferior being. [[spoiler:Naturally, this is exactly the point when Nikandreos ascends to godhood. I guess Zeus got his last request.]]
152	%%* TennisBoss: Zeus, in the second half of the boss fight.
153	* TheTimeOfMyths: The various ages, partially the Age Of Heros as described by Hesiod.
154	* TheGreatFlood: After taking out the first set of gods, Poseidon unleashes his wrath, flooding the world by raising the level of the oceans.
155	%%* TheSiege: Nikandreos, on Olympus.
156	%%* TheFightingNarcissist: Apollo.
157	* TheMarvelousDeer: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceryneian_Hind The Golden Hind]] appears.
158	* TheUnfought: [[spoiler:Demeter and Athena]] are not fought, instead handing over their items willingly.
159	* TheDogBitesBack: Hera is sick of Zeus's dalliances, which drives her to empower Nikandreos to fight the gods.
160	* ThisIsUnforgivable: Zeus, to Hera, once he discovers her role in the other god's deaths.
161	* TookALevelInJerkass: Arguably, Nikandreos. [[spoiler:In the end, after taking the powers of every deity, he abandons Hera to be chained for eternity. Or he can also kill her. Even if she is quite a bitch, she DID allow humanity to not die. Perhaps she deserved more than death, or being chained for eternity.]]
162	* TorturedMonster: Those held in the realm of Ares, forced to fight for eternity, count.
163	* WomanScorned: Hera, naturally. Her desire for revenge is what kickstarts the plot of the game. [[spoiler:It's implied that Nikandros was born specifically so Hera could use him to destroy Olympus and get revenge on Zeus.]]
164	* WeaponizedCar: The chariot of Apollo. You do not want him to have access to it during his fight, so you have to destroy it before.
165	* WeirdSun: Twilight has embraced the earth since Apollo took the sun from the people.
166	* WelcomeToCorneria: {{NPC}} in-game dialog is limited, and even after you defeat Zeus, some of them will chide you, and tell you to “Just wait! Zeus will be rid of you anytime now!” On the other hand, [[FridgeBrilliance they may not know yet that Nikandreos has bested Zeus.]]
167	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thetis Thetis]], a very powerful goddess in her own right, makes an appearance and mentions there are other, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_primordial_deities#Other_genealogy_structures even more powerful Beings]] that lie in the background, paying close attention to the unfolding situation. We never learn what she meant by this.
168	%%* WildTeenParty: Bacchus, and the Satyrs, of course!
169	* WingedHumanoid: The guards of Olympus are winged humanoids. Eros is also a small, winged humanoid.
170	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Subverted early on; Hera seems to betray you, but she was only maintaining her cover in front of Zeus. Later on, ''you'' get to betray ''her'' instead!]]
171

Context VideoGame / Apotheon