One of the numerous indie games coming to PlayStation 4 is Apotheon, an action sidescroller from Alien Trap Games. Over on the PlayStation Blog, the indie studio shed some light on the game which was created in the visage of ancient Greek pottery.
"The 2D perspective, the awesome narrative and setting possibilities, heroes fighting monsters and magical goat-men with no pants…" explained designer Jesse McGibney. "All we really had to do was figure out how to make the art on those pots move around and make it into an interesting game."
And with the help of Sony, they did. Combat in Apotheon draws mainly from the studio's background as multiplayer FPS gamers, says McGibney. Instead of a list of moves and combos, Apotheon offers a set of basic actions — you can move, jump, attack, block, roll and throw. They key is mastering timing, positioning, and reading your opponent's movements. Once you learn when to use these base abilities you can form your own tactics, and this is where the game will open up.
"Jumping, rolling, and parcouring, untouchable all around the map while showering your foes with exploding arrows. Shooting the chain off a hanging lamp and sending the burning oil to ignite whoever’s unfortunate enough to be standing below. Shield bashing your opponent in the face because he got inside your speartip range with his axe, sending him reeling across the room, then chucking the aforementioned spear into his chest and watching him cartwheel down a flight of stairs in a fountain of artfully-styled gore. It’s all very satisfying, in a classical way," McGibney states.
Weapons in Apotheon will act as ammo in first person shooters. Swords will break, spears will snap and shields will shatter. To keep up with this, you'll have to explore, loot, shop, and craft new items. Apotheon is light on the RPG elements, so there's no stat leveling or ability trees.
Apotheon is due out for PS4 later this year.
