Abathoris a retro-style action-arcade platforming game where players step into the shoes of up to four playable characters. Itlets players fight solo or team up with friends to help save Atlantis in a mixture of co-op and competitive gameplay as one of four action heroes: Crantor the Barbarian, Sais the Valkyrie, Kristias the Assassin, or Azaes the Warlock.Abathorhas a classic 2D pixel art style and a retro soundtrack that pays homage to classic arcade games of the ’80s and ’90s, including classic beat-em-ups likeGolden Axe.
There are manyvideo games based on ’80s movies, and video games inspired by ancient civilizations and mythology are always popular. In a recent interview, Game Rant spoke with one ofAbathor’s developers, Xavier Garay, about the four fighters, their influences, and their unique play styles and personalities. Garay also discussed some of the game’s main character design inspirations, including the role of Greek mythology with the game set in Atlantis and other influences like ’80s movie action heroes.
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Abathor’s Character Inspirations From Greek Mythology And ’80s Movies
Abathorhas many influences from gaming and other types of popular culture, but a lot of it came from the 1980s and 1990s, including video games, movies, and fantasy literature. All of this helped influence the character design and, as a result, theco-op gameplay. As Garay put it,
Yes, this is a game that is a homage to the ’80s and ’90s. People who have lived in these years will recognize a lot of details. For example, one character is a barbarian based onConan. The Valkyrie is based on many woman fighters of the ’80s in theConanmovies. The warlock is based on Eric of Melnibone, a character of dark fantasy literature.
Video games inspired by Greek mythologyoften prove popular, with many fans of games likeGod of Warappreciating the mythological lore behind the game. Garay also describedAbathor’s characters draw inspiration from their research into Greek mythology, like Atlantis and Plato’s writings. In fact, the game heavily draws from those two sources to create its setting, the names of the characters, and more. According to Garay,
The names are real. All the names are related to Atlantis. We have been doing this research in Plato writings and Crantor is one of the dialogues of Plato related to Atlantis. Sais is the Egyptian city where allegedly some documents of Atlantis were found, and the other two are also related to historical documents.
Abathor’s Character Gameplay, Personalities, And Special Abilities
InAbathor, players can choose their character according to their preferred play style and each character’s unique abilities, which ensure that each character ultimately plays differently.
We wanted to give each character a different experience of the game. So if you choose one of the four characters, you have a different experience. For example, Crantor the barbarian is like the typical all-around fighter. He’s strong, he can do everything okay. He has a dodge ability that can go through enemies and strike them from their backs.
Garay further explained how Kritiasassassin video game characteris “the quickest of all” and is the “most technical character.” In contrast, Sais, as the more defensive Valkyrie character, has “a magic shield that can parry almost all attacks,” and players can follow up with a counter-attack. Lastly, Azaes is a half-human, half-demon warlock who mixes “sorcery and sword to defeat his enemies” and has a unique Soul Absorption skill, enabling him to become “maybe the most powerful character.”
Many arcade games have amazing lore, and all four ofAbathor’s playable charactershave unique backstories and individual agendas. As Garay explained,
Each character has a driving motive in the game. For example, Crantor the barbarian is looking for revenge. Something has happened to him, and he’s looking for revenge. The Valkyrie has been expelled from Valhalla for something – you don’t know now, but you will guess while you run through the game. She has been expelled from Valhalla, and she wants to break back into Valhalla. Then the thief has some kind of mysterious secret related to his life and to his death, and you will have to guess what this is. And the warlock is half-demon. He has some story that people will discover through the game because he has sworn to destroy all demons.
The ability to team up with friends using a diverse character set with different skills and stories may appeal to fans of retro arcade hack-n-slash games and those who enjoy afighting video game with lore. However,Abathor’s emphasis on fun and quick gameplay may also appeal to anyone curious about stepping back in time and fighting their way through a modern-made, neo-retro platformer.
Abathoris currently in development.
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