Apotheon

I highly recommend this game because its a great game, being a dude who has beat this game twice once on the PS4 and now on the PC and planning on finishing on Olympian difficulty. The art style of the game is like ancient Greek pottery. The story is excellent, and you also learn about Greek mythology throughout the game. The combat system is relatively simple. The game play itself is good, the battles are fun, each weapon in the game is unique to Greece. Just know that Apotheon is a really good game and I highly recommend this side scrolling adventure RPG.

I played this on Deck, so I can't speak for PC.
This is not a metroidvania. None of the powerups enable new exploration or gameplay, they unlock abilities, but it doesn't really change how you play, so be prepared to use the same weapons the same way. You get powerups by beating the bosses, and the bosses are necessary to progress. It is a brawler platformer, and one where the physics are bad, the auto-aim is bad, the UX is bad, the pacing is bad, and the balance is bad.
Rush the game on the default difficulty so you can play on the new-game difficulty for a decent (but still low) challenge. Even then, most bosses can be beaten by just drinking an invincibility potion and spamming your attack. Only the final assault, and final boss fight present a challenge. The true "final" fight is trash and should never have been left in the game.
Over all it's bad gameplay supported by a nice environment and some casual fun. There is enough variety to keep it interesting. Check it out if you like platformers, and try to keep a mindset where you consider the jankiness part of its charm.
You can 100% it in one playthrough other than the achievement for beating Olympian difficulty
I think the price is justified if you are a completionist - you'll definitely get a good $/hr

I had this game in my Steam library for many years and finally decided to check it out. It is a fun game, with some good mechanics. Nothing that feels like it hasn't been done before but this game does it all well with a very unique art style. I enjoyed playing it and I am sure others would too.

Apotheon is one of those rare games that instantly grabs your attention with its bold, striking visual style. From the first moment, it feels like stepping inside a living Greek vase: sharp black silhouettes set against vibrant oranges and reds, each scene carefully crafted and full of mythic energy. It’s beautiful, but Apotheon is much more than just a visual treat.

The gameplay combines classic 2D platforming with a metroidvania twist. Controls are generally solid, though occasionally a bit slippery, which can make precise jumps frustrating. Combat feels weighty and satisfying, requiring careful timing for attacks and blocks instead of just button mashing. Exploring Mount Olympus, fighting mythological creatures and slowly uncovering the story of a mortal challenging the gods is exciting, but be warned, the difficulty can spike suddenly, turning a fun battle into a frustrating grind.

What really makes Apotheon stand out is its story. It dives deep into Greek mythology, exploring the tension between humans and gods in a way that feels both personal and epic. The narrative is compelling and you truly feel like a hero defying destiny. That said, pacing can falter at times, and some of the environments start to blend together during long stretches of exploration.

Despite these flaws, Apotheon is unforgettable. It’s ambitious, daring and unique; it's an artistic experiment that succeeds more often than it stumbles. For anyone who loves mythology, challenging combat, or just games that look unlike anything else, it’s worth playing. Expect some frustration along the way, but the reward is a great experience.

I picked up Apotheon mostly because the art looked cool, but I ended up liking how it actually plays. Combat feels heavy and kind of unforgiving at first. You cannot just swing nonstop. Stamina runs out fast and enemies hit hard, so fights take some patience.
Exploring Olympus is fun, though I definitely got lost more than once since a lot of areas look similar. The boss fights were the best part for me. Each god felt different and beating them felt like I earned it, not like the game handed it to me.
The story is pretty light and stays in the background, which worked for me. Overall it is a tough but satisfying game with a really unique look, especially if you like slower, more thoughtful action games.

I accidentally saw the game on Steam and decided to take it. The game is about how the gods abandoned us and we need to kill them/defeat their servants. The main feature of the game is that it is made in the form of frescoes and it is very cool. Alas, there was a bug with textures when I passed the Hephaestus level, but this did not affect my overall rating, because the bug disappeared when I simply re-entered his house)
My rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Play it. It's just perfect.

The artstyle, the music, and most importantly - combat are all top-notch.

I've played on the Olympian difficulty, which adds some combat tweaks to make it more difficult, such as incoming damage cancelling your current attack. Since the game gives you a roll ability plus the fact that all attacks need to be timed equals that it's just basically Dark Soul's combat, but in 2d, and surprisingly, that works quite well.

Now, for the thing that surprised me the most: all, and I mean, ALL characters are voiced. The voice acting is very good and it genuenly feels like theese are characters and not people just reading the lines.

Now, the gameplay: you will be slaying bosses like it's Cuphead, and they're all actually pretty great: each has a unique style of fighting, unique attacks (duh), and most importantly, new mechanics. For example,
a fight with SPOILER ALERT! Artemis involves her turning you into a deer to hunt you down, and you must dodge her arrows to activate 5 altars, after which the roles flip and then you must hunt her down instead, while she tries to activate the altars, and it's super fun. And every fight is unique like that, add this to the fact that every area you visit introduces a new gimmic, and you get a unique and fun gameplay that I do not think I've encountered in other metroidvanias.

So, if you like greek mythology and dark souls combat or just looking to have something to play on evenings, this is the game for you.