Game Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10+)
Game Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo DS, DSi
Release Date: January 18, 2010
Buy this at: Amazon for $27.99

I am the casual gamer in the house. The term casual gamer means various things to various people. What it means to me is that I watch Dom play console games all the time and I have fun doing it. When it comes to my own gameplay experiences though I feel more comfortable working with computer games and Nintendo DSi style handheld games. That being said, I vary in the type of games that I like to play. I love the Mario series, but have never really made an attempt to pick up Zelda. In all honesty, I have never really ventured too far into the RPG realm.

It’s no surprise to anyone that knows me that Glory of Heracles would be the one game to get me involved in playing an RPG. I have always been enamored with all things Ancient Greece, so this game was made for someone like me (though other people should like it, too). This particular series is one that is already established and quite popular in Japan. Nintendo chose Heracles (Hercules had this been an Ancient Roman series) to be the first US title and though none of the subsequent titles have been announced yet, I am hoping that this is just one of many that have the ability to be released here.

The story for the Glory of Heracles is pretty simple. You play as the character Heracles (though you can control his group during battles and concerning weapons and magic decisions). When the game begins Heracles has lost his memory. Despite not knowing who he is, he pairs with another immortal and together they learn that he is Heracles, the Ancient Greek hero who is also the son of Zeus. This leads to the decision to head to Mount Olympus, so that he can get some answers about what is going on!

The story is fairly lighthearted, which is not to be expected in a game with Gods and Ancient Greece, but that is really part of its charm. Originally, one might assume that E 10+ would not be an appropriate age for this type of game. However, with the lightness of the story, the battles and RPG aspects are what parents would need to worry about. Keeping that in mind this should be fine for a mature ten year old, though I wouldn’t go younger than that and I would keep an eye on the game and your child’s reaction to it (as I would any young child playing a game).

Enjoyment/Fun Factor:

If you have never played an RPG like Glory of Heracles you will not need to worry because every major action comes with a tutorial before you perform it and there is a help button to help you out if you’ve forgotten what to do. As far as battles go you also can automate the entire process by using the auto button. This lets the game system pick weapons, magic, or skills that each person uses during the battle. I avoided auto for the most part, except to try it out, but it’s nice to know that the feature is available, should I want to use it.

At the heart of Glory of Heracles you have a battle game. You fight your way to Mount Olympus. In the beginning, through the first two big bosses, you might get the impression that the game is going to be easy. It’s true that it is easy, especially in these areas, but I think it’s easier in the first two sections because you’re getting a chance to learn the game and become comfortable with the setup.

You travel through towns and cities as well as through forest land. On your way you encounter fairies and people that help you along your way. The overly religious crowd may not like the idea of having to stop at temples and pray to various Gods to learn specific skills that will be bestowed upon you for use in battle. I didn’t have a problem with this and most people will be just fine with it, but it’s worth noting.

In battle you can use magic, skills, or weapons and all your options are fairly easy to figure out. If a specific magic spell or skill affects one of the creatures you’re battling in a positive or negative way you will learn about it on your screen. If it’s not going to affect them you can switch to another method before locking in your selection. You pick battle plans for all of your team and then they fight it out, one action and one defensive action per person in your entourage per turn. Skills advance as you go along and you are able to pick up different spells and weapons that help you in battle, too.

You will notice treasure chests as you wander through the various areas. A tap of the stylus on the lid will open the box and put the items inside of your inventory. Likewise, you can pick up other items that you find on the ground if they will be of use to you in some way. All in all, it’s a simple concept and while it’s easier than it could be, it does offer a few different challenges, which makes this game worth playing.

Replayability:

The great thing about Glory of Heracles for people that feel they aren’t competent gamers is that you can work the majority of the game using the stylus. When you lead Heracles through the forest and the various cities and areas you can make him walk by moving the stylus along the map. You just drag it ahead of him to make him run and keep it closer if you want him to walk. When its battle time you tap the option you want, whether it be auto or you choose to set up the battle on your own.

If you are feeling lazy, auto battling makes things quick and easy. It’s also a nice option when you’re just not sure what you’re doing. Of course, with the pace of the game you should do fine with or without auto. If you are not big into the touch screen you can use the control pad to work the game in the same way that you would have on any of the older non-touch screen systems.

Ease of Use:

The truth of the matter is that most handheld games suffer when it comes to visual quality. The graphics appear to be 2D style and while acceptable they fall on the side of generic at times. For example, when you go into most buildings it looks as if tables, chairs, and other interior designs have been pasted in to each place. This doesn’t make the game bad, but it is one of the poorer designed portions of the game. It would have been nice to see more diversity here. However, on the positive side the colors are good and the graphic detail (in terms of lack of error) is also quite impressive.

In future titles I would love to see the game developers play around more with the areas and switch things up a bit. Still, for what is here, I was never upset with the graphics. Diversity certainly would have added to the game, but the lack of it didn’t hurt it either. The best part is definitely battle mode, which produces explosions and other magic attacks that make watching and playing a small visual treat!

Visual:

Most games have typical game music. Battles produce the most exciting sounds and when you’re not battling there is generally music that plays throughout all of your actions. This is fine when you start playing, but it gets old rather quickly. The music here isn’t so bad, though I admittedly tuned it out and didn’t notice a lot of it after a while of playing.

The dialogue is always easy to hear, the music is typical of an RPG and the bangs and booms of battle only increase the exciting parts of the game. All in all, it’s typical handheld RPG music. It’s by no means comparable to a console game, but for a DSi game it works just fine.

Audio:

As I do not have a disability I just have to go off of common sense here. What I can say, before anything, is that you will have to have enough mobility to at least hold a Nintendo handheld, otherwise Glory of Heracles is not an option. If you can hold a handheld you have the ability to use the stylus or the control pad, so people of varying hand strengths can pick their options. Obviously, this game is not going to be for everyone, but if you are able to work a handheld game system you should not have any problem playing Glory of Heracles.

I initially requested to review this game by Nintendo because I love Ancient Greece. I was not familiar with RPGs and never thought I would like them. Still, I wanted to give this RPG a try. I am very glad that I decided to take the plunge. Glory of Heracles is a fun game that takes the time to walk you through all of the steps necessary to succeed. I never felt lost as everything was explained as simply as possible. While portions of the game felt a little too easy, challenges were present that make the game worth playing from beginning to end. If you like RPGs you should check Glory of Heracles. If you are not familiar with this style of game, but are curious, this is also a good choice to wet your feet with the genre. Glory of Heracles comes highly recommended!

Overall Rating:

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