Welcome kindred reader, rest your weary bones and let me regale you of the strange tale of the Greek historian and cartographer, Argonus, son of the shipbuilder Argus and a friend to the hero Jason. Mind you, ‘tis a tale of hope and sorrow, rife with magic, mysteries, Monsters and Gods alike, reminiscent of the extraordinary tales of Jason and the Golden Fleece that yours truly had read as a child. Though the stories now linger at the back of my mind like visions of a distant dream, the adventures of Argonus to which I bore witness in all its grandeur, has etched itself onto my very memory. And therefore, I present it to you – Argonus and the Gods of Stone.

Story & Setting

The tale begins with our hero awakening from a slumber to a goddess’ benevolent words, only to find himself lost on strange shores of an uncharted isle. Gazing around, he finds that the Argo had run aground in shallow waters, its hull shredded and floorboards splintered by sharp rocks. ‘Tis the work of the damned sirens, Argonus discerns, only to be petrified by the dreadful scene that greets him next. There on the lukewarm sand stand his stalwart companions, their flesh turned to stone, fear and anguish beaming from their ashen eyes. As if that wasn’t enough evidence of the Gods’ wrath, towering nearly two hundred men high, the mighty Talos crosses path, wading in the waters of the Aegean Sea enthralled by the sirens’ song.

By the Gods, what in the devilry is this! Argonus exclaims in bewilderment. Thoughts race his mind as he gazes around for answers, only to find dozens of lifelike statutes – residents of the isle who had suffered the same fate as his shipmates. Whatever bewitchment had befallen this unknown land hadn’t discriminated between men and women, adults and children. After picking himself up, he saunters forward and ‘tis not long before magic enshrouds him when fair Athena herself appears, pulling him into a thicket in the nick of time as the Gorgon sisters slither past creating more stone effigies out of the terrified men in their wake. Athena then proceeds with grief to explain the blight that had taken untold lives on the isle in which she might have played a part and as redemption, she will help him abate it.

But even after being burdened by such a perilous task, Argonus’ heart is filled with an inextinguishable hope when she says that many of his companions still breathe for she had seen them with her own eyes and in exchange for staving off the blight, she will build him a ship and a safe passage home. And thus sets out Argonus on a quest anew, traversing the sodded lands on sandaled feet to unravel the mysteries of the isle and put an end to the blight that threatens to bring down the world to its knees.

Gameplay and Mechanics

Argonus and the Gods of Stone is an immersive walking simulator/puzzler though I would reckon, not for the daft of minds for the puzzles in this game are as tough as a gryphon’s resolve. But once you get a glimpse of what to come, you will feel nothing but mere swiftness in your weary fingers as you wield your battle-hardened mouse and keyboard to bridge one thing to another, reasonably relating what should follow therein. Heed my words, dear reader, you will need to pay attention to what the visages on screen speak because there are neither objective markers nor any journal to guide you. ‘Tis your brain that you need to evoke to solve the myriad puzzles in order to proceed forth. And solve you will for the trials that Argonus will face will not just be that of Athena but also of Poseidon, Hades, Hera and several other Gods, each with their own burdens to placate.

Despite the narrative being scripted, you have the privilege to forge your own order of solving the puzzles to complete a particular objective. Objects you acquire in one location are often required in another, either in the ones you’ve trodden past or the ones yet to come. But then again, what is a puzzler if not for a little backtracking and what is an adventure if not for the bliss you relish as you unlock paths that you couldn’t on your first arrival. ‘Tis the beatitude you will experience, akin to that of a prudent philosopher daubing in science, once you clear an objective to tread further in your unsullied quest across linear roads that will take you from coasts to glades to mountains and mazes, often making you cross paths with unearthly creatures of tall tales.

Visuals and Performance 

Argonus and the Gods of Stone rightfully pays homage to the fantasy motion paintings of the ’60s and 70s, a parchment filled with love to the legendary Ray Harryhausen’s handiwork of the yesteryear, drawing inspirations from his beast design and character models. The loading screens are yet of another splendour, depicting breathtaking artworks with snippets of Argonus’ past life in the form of simple texts, though they are too quick to fade out before your eyes can transgress. The map scroll that Argonus carries, where he charts his paths and draws all that he witnesses on the isle, is akin to the tales depicted on the temple mosaics but scrawled and colored in real-time as he transcribes his banter with the Gods and the great deeds he accomplishes.

To complement the immersion, Argonus and the Gods of Stone has been imbued with a vintage filter, something you will prefer to use since the game is a tad besmirched on the side of visuals, marred by downgraded textures even at paramount configurations, with unjustified bloom in ample and animations dour enough to sore the eyes. Adding woe to it is the dreadful optimization that roils the hardware like Hephaestus’ furnace with only the ambient winds acting as a respite in the face of a fistful of frame-rates. Even when I had the neoteric graphics driver installed, I had to pray to Hera for better performance.

 Music & Sound

Dynamic, atmospheric music appearing to resonate out of Orpheus’ lyre, soothe Argonus’ ears in his travels. Composed by Rich Douglas, the transitions from one track to another determined by where our hero’s feet land are as smooth as fair Europa’s skin and as magnificent as the tales of the mighty Hercules. But the most impressive thing by far is the impeccable narration by Betsy Brantley, famed for her role in Princess Bride and Who framed Roger Rabbit?, the lip and soul of this epic adventure that would make any explorer or narrator rot in their cots with envy. Her very words have etched themselves into a 3.5-hour long audiobook spanning across five chapters that describe of moments and feelings of Argonus absent in the game otherwise. This is part of the Argonautica Bundle comprising of the OST and a 20-page Concept Art by Nabatse Zitro.

VERDICT

So, fair reader, we reach the end of this bard’s tale. Would you kindly let this weary storyteller’s tongue to rest for ’tis dusk and I’ve been bickering for so long? Now if you ponder whether Argonus and the Gods of Stone is worth reminiscing, I would silently nod but utter nigh. For this tale once heard, is seldom replayable, but the experience it offers is a gold mine per se. Forthwith I bestow this choice upon your broad shoulders, shall you buy it or shall you not. Fare thee well, my friend, fare thee well.