
As someone who’s a huge fan of Achilles mythology, souls-like games and needed more reasons to use my Nintendo Switch, I was very excited to be able to get my hands on Achilles: Legends Untold. Initially released in 2022, the game released by Dark Point Games SA came to Switch this January and tells the story of Achilles following his story through the battle of Troy where he’s meant to face his destiny.
Currently available on the Switch Store for £13.99 – is it worth adding to your Steam library? I’ve sunk a fair few hours (and ships) into the game to give you some insight.
Telling the Untold Legend one chapter at a time

Gameplay
The story of Achilles has been done so many times and very rarely can you find something that does it different. With Achilles: Legends Untold, the devs do a really good job of giving a bit more flesh to his bones. This made it easy to pick up and actually pay attention to the story.
Despite boasting about its souls-like combat, the combat itself doesn’t live up to the title. The game plays more like a hack-and-slash game than anything else. Whilst there is parrying, dodging and special attacks, I wouldn’t go as far as saying souls-like. It’s simply what you would expect from an RPG. It makes up for the hack-and-slash elements by offering you a decent range of weapon types that allow you to mould Achilles to your play style.

There was a little bit of stuttering as I played the game, particularly in the large open areas where there were enemies roaming around. I also found that the load screens sometimes took a while. I’m putting that down to the Switch being the Switch. It did occasionally reach a similar point to when you were waiting for the PS2 to hit its second intro screen though.
Levelling Up
I really enjoyed the approach to levelling up in Achilles: Legends Untold. The idea of using stars and unlocking constellations is a really unique take on the system, I feel, especially with the different attributes leading you towards different mythological figures. Instead of putting a point into a different list of attributes, you’re carving Achilles into the stars and into the legend he wants to become at the end of his story. I really appreciated the different ways that mythology was taken into account throughout the game.

Difficulty
There are four difficulty levels for Achilles: Legends Untold that range from enjoying the story to hating yourself. Achilles Must Die is the highest level of difficulty which includes a greater number of enemies with a higher aggression threshold and increased stamina usage. The game does suggest that you should have a really good understanding of the mechanics before playing at this level so maybe don’t choose it for your first attempt.
I played on Challenge which increased the number of enemies and the threat of archers. It wasn’t too bad but posed enough of a challenge that I felt like I was actually getting better at the game as I played.
Graphics & Audio
Achilles: Legends Untold hits the mark for what you can expect from a top-down game on a Switch. They’re decent but it feels like there’s a big open world where with not a lot to look at. Whilst enemy design does vary, it doesn’t feel like it varies massively for a while. Instead, you’re stuck fighting soldiers and skeletons which can blend in quite easily with the surroundings. When comparing it to what I’ve seen for other consoles, the graphics definitely feel dimmed down so the Switch can cope.
My biggest issue was the voice acting. The general sound design of the game was pretty good, with ambient sound effects and some decent background music. The voice acting, though, is all over the place. The pacing feels off, and sometimes, the delivery doesn’t fit the moment that the game is trying to create.

Longevity
Whilst Achilles: Legends Untold has a big open world, I didn’t feel the need to stray too far from the main path. There are a lot of worlds and there are a few side missions however they don’t add much to the overall game. I’ve sunk about 10 hours in, making sure to explore and not miss anything. I’ve still got some story to go. There’s plenty of opportunity for players to since 15+ hours into this game if they really wanted to. That being said, once the story is finished I wouldn’t pick it up again. That’s not to the discredit of the game but simply because this game can feel finished in one play-through.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Achilles: Legends Untold is a pretty decent game. Unfortunately, the Switch port does some injustices. The graphics aren’t the best and the longer-than-usual black loading screens leave little to be desired. I can’t blame the game devs for that but it does diminish the experience a little bit. As mentioned, the voice acting isn’t the greatest and can, at times, be off-putting. Aside from this, it’s a good game. I enjoyed the combat, despite it not being as souls-like as expected, and the devs did give an in-depth look into the Achilles story. As a game, I definitely recommend it to fans of RPGs and fans of mythology across all consoles, not just the Switch.
Check out the trailer for Achilles: Legends Untold below. Or, if you’re shopping around for games, you can check out our other Switch reviews here!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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