Rise of the Argonauts Q&A: Putting the Action in Action RPG

In Rise of the Argonauts, the upcoming action role-playing game from Codemasters and Liquid Entertainment, weapons kill people. In fact, if you hit an enemy with a sword, says game director Ed Del Castillo, the enemy is probably going to die. It's this concept of lethality that looks to separate Rise of the Argonauts from traditional action RPGs that rely on more conventional and infinitely less gory hit point systems. When you strike an enemy, he'll physically take damage, and, oh yes, there will be blood. We sat down with Del Castillo to get the latest on Rise of the Argonauts. Here's what he had to say.

GameSpot: We think using Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece is a fascinating story premise. What story elements are you adding outside of Greek mythology that will fully flesh out the story arc of the game

Ed Del Castillo:: The motivation for Jason getting the fleece is different. In the myth, he's commanded to get it. In our game, he goes after it to resurrect his wife. As you can imagine, that creates a whole different take on the story. Video games don't typically focus on a hero's "insides"--what makes him tick. Jason's journey in our game is as much an internal epic of love and commitment as it is an action-packed RPG with really fun characters.

GS: We already know Jason and company will travel across different Greek kingdoms, like the island of Mycenae. What are some other locations we'll visit in Rise of the Argonauts? Is a trip to Atlantis on the itinerary?

ED: I'm keeping Atlantis in my back pocket for the future. What we have in mind there is enough for a whole game. We're planning to travel through the nations of Iolcus, Kythra, Delphi, and a few others.

GS: Rise of the Argonauts features one of the more, shall we say, aggressive combat systems in an RPG. Can you break down the concept of lethality and take us through a few of the more gruesome attacks? Is death-and-dismemberment insurance required or recommended?

ED: Simply put, for Rise we ripped out the traditional hit point systems found in most RPGs and replaced it with a more action game style of combat. That isn't to say that it's an action game. We still have much of the great character development, story, and choice that you have in other RPGs, but this is definitely our own take on them. I'm hoping action gamers see it as a game with more freedom than they are used to and that RPGs see it as a game with more cool fighting and less menu tedium.

Getting back to combat...It's lethal and HUD-less. Most combat is like chopping down trees, and I can't remember the last time I thought that was fun...ahhhh childhood. Anyways, we thought that the players might like a taste of something new, so we came up with something more lethal. Hitting stuff in our game has a tendency to kill it. If it doesn't die, it's usually because it blocked, dodged, parried, or is just damn tough. Tough things (like our hero) that don't die right away show the damage on their bodies rather than on a bar. There are lots of moves. You shouldn't expect as many as a dedicated action game because we're also an RPG, but there are enough to be effective. Other than that, I'd rather the players discovered the moves for themselves. Talking about them individually is kind of like opening the watch and looking at the gears.

PS. If you really can't live without the HUD, you can turn it on in the options.

GS: The lethality attacks seem to require a great deal of precision. Is there a targeting system that lets you aim your attacks for any part of an enemy's body, preferably an area not shielded by three-inch-thick plates of armor?

ED: Every enemy has his own set of responses to your attacks. A body-part targeting system would have slowed the combat down too much, so we chose a more action-integrated approach, which has you circumnavigating their defenses based on your attacks and moves.

GS: Each of these attacks depends upon what weapon you use as well as what fighting style you've adopted. Which weapons will we get to mash enemies with, and what different fighting styles will Jason employ? How are they different?

ED: Jason has the use of four weapons: the spear, mace, sword, and shield. Yes, you can attack with the shield. Jason adopts a different fighting style with each of the first three weapons, while the shield remains constant throughout.

GS: Is it a coincidence that Jason is a dead ringer for Gerard Butler of 300 fame?

ED: It is. Jason was running around in the game before 300 came out. Of course, after we saw the movie, the running joke for too long was, "This is Argooooooooo / Jasoooooooon / sword staaaaaaaaaaaaance / etc.!" It got so bad that most wouldn't get past "This" before something was thrown at them.

GS: We love how you refer to the Argonauts as "The X-Men of Greek mythology." Give us an overview of each of the Argonauts and how they interact with Jason.

ED: Oh, come on now. If I do that, what's left for the player to discover? I'll give up short descriptions: Jason--weapons master--brooding, serious--bent on returning his wife to life; Hercules--brawler/wrestler--gentle giant--Jason's best friend; Atalanta--archer--clever, sharp--loyal to Jason for helping her out of a jam; Achilles--master of the double-bladed spear--wisecracking, overconfident--he's here for the glory, plain and simple; Pan--long-lived satyr and wielder of powerful earth magic--invaluable source of lore and stories.

GS: As you gain the favor of the gods, you unlock special, divine attacks. Can you give us a few examples? How about the Aphrodite kiss of death?

ED: Maybe in the sequel. Time for another short list: Gates of Tartarus--any enemy knocked off their feet is sucked into a black vortex, where their soul is ripped from their body (a bloody mess); Rage of Ares--all attacks on enemies send them flying like big exploding sacks of blood (a bloody mess); Storm of Spears--for a period of time you can throw massively powerful spears as fast as you can press the button (also a bloody mess).

GS: There appears to be a great deal of replay value, as Jason can choose to be more of a follower to one of four Greek gods: Ares, Athena, Hermes, and Apollo. How will the game change as Jason chooses to follow each of the different gods?

ED: Largely its changes are evidenced in combat, although there are times where it affects the storyline. Different enemies are better and worse against Jason's different weapons. Since the gods are aligned to different weapons, the relative difficulty of any enemy in the game will vary depending on how you choose to advance. If you and I advance different skills, the fights that were easy for you will be hard for me and vice versa.

GS: If executed poorly, an action RPG becomes an oxymoron, incorporating elements from both genres but doing nothing particularly well. What are the major challenges for you as you seek to create a game that is packed with bloody combat and also offers a deep, story-driven experience?

ED: I think ARPG gets a bad rap. We really need to start looking at games as experiences rather than a set of features. That said, I think it's a question of focus. Some games try to do too much. With Rise we really are homing in on a tight experience, which we hope will please those who are looking for a less linear action game or a faster RPG.

GS: Finally, is there anything else you'd like to add about Rise of the Argonauts?

ED: Games are in a whole new era--one where they are looked upon as a whole rather than having their individual components dissected and scrutinized. This is a great time to be in the industry and a great time to put out an ambitious hybrid like Rise. In this world of sequels, I'm excited to give you something fresh.