After the passable Achilles: Legends Untoldnow we are offered something that resembles a known method: take an action game and offer a variation in mode survivor. And so, here it is Achilles: Survivorwhose demo version, recently launched on Steam, unfortunately does not come close to the title it seeks to emulate.
Developed and published by Dark Point Games, the same studio responsible for the action game launching in Early Access in 2022, Achilles Survivor uses the graphic engine of the first, but also certain fantastic monsters, monsters that will have to be decimated by the hundreds.
To help us in this quest, this demo allows us to step into the shoes of three different characters, each with their own particular attacks and powers. And to respect the codes of the genre, killing enemies will allow us to accumulate experience points which, in turn, will give the opportunity to improve our skills, or even develop new ones.
At the end of the game, whether we kill the big bad guy at the end of the level or not – each match only lasts 11 minutes, for the moment – the accumulated gold coins are transformed into obols which are used to improve our metaprogression , that is, permanent abilities, such as better attack, more health points, more luck points, etc.
Just play for a few minutes Achilles: Survivorin fact, to realize that this game seems to imitate another title: Deep Rock Galactic: Survivordeveloped by Funday Games. Everything seems to be there: the same skill improvement systems, the same levels of unlocking additional weapons… And if imitation is the best form of flattery, there are always limits.
Especially since unlike its predecessor, Achilles: Survivor is neither well designed, nor centered around mechanics like exploration and side quests, and even less attached to an excellent franchise that continues to gain fans.
Worse still, unlike Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, Achilles certainly does not have the finesse necessary for this type of game. As proof: this imprecision about the moments when the enemies are likely to hit us, including the total absence of sound signal, or even shout, as our bearded dwarves.
There will also be a tendency to get stuck in certain elements of the decor, without it being possible, on occasion, to know exactly whether a place is passable or not. And since damage can accumulate very quickly, a game can end in just a few seconds due to a wrong move.
Poorly put together, without truly original game mechanics – with the exception of the slightly shaky construction of buildings –, and clumsily incorporating aspects of a game that is much more efficient and of better quality, Achilles: Survivoreven in demo version, frankly borders on a waste of time. To avoid.
Achilles: Survivor
Developer and publisher: Dark Point Games
Platform: Windows (tested on Steam)
Game not available in French
