Achilles: Legends Untold takes place in a colorful, verdant Greece where the hero battles other human warriors, otherworldly skeletons, and classic mythological creatures. Combat encounters in the game are often brutal and punishing, with players’ stamina meter depleting rapidly whenever they dodge, roll, or sprint.
Like other Souls-like games, the action in Achilles: Legends Untold favors patience and tracking enemies’ attack patterns. Here are some tips to help players survive and thrive in the game’s challenging combat.
Know the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses
Achilles: Legends Untold’s enemies come in all shapes and sizes, but archers tend to be the most annoying. They’ll stand back and spam normal shots that chip away at your health and stamina on block, often in groups.
To make sure you don’t run into them by surprise, take a moment to study the map and find their best route to you. Then, you can lure them into a corner or down a winding path that’s easier for you to take them out. This also helps you avoid having to deplete your stamina meter during combat encounters, as this can leave you vulnerable to lethal attacks.
Don’t be afraid to take down a single enemy
With an isometric perspective and challenging combat, Achilles: Legends Untold feels like a mix between Blizzard’s Diablo and Wolfgang Petersen’s 2004 star-studded Troy. However, Dark Point Games’ take on the tale of the immortal warrior is much more than a mere tribute.
Combat encounters in Achilles: Legends Untold deplete the player’s stamina meter at an alarming rate; a brief flurry of movement can leave the player with no stamina, leaving them vulnerable to enemies’ attacks. The best way to reduce this sting is by carefully tracking enemy movements and attempting to take them down when the opportunity presents itself.
The same goes for archers, who tend to shoot arrows from afar that chip away at both health and stamina on block. Avoid letting them surround you by drawing them away for a one-on-one encounter.
Beware of one-on-one encounters
Achilles: Legends Untold takes a step away from some of the fussier elements of dungeon-crawling. That doesn’t mean it removes them entirely though, rather it pays greater attention to the things that matter.
Combat, for example, leans heavily into Soulslike territory. You’ll want to approach enemies cautiously, track their attack patterns and look for an opportunity to pounce before they can react.
That said, attacks feel responsive enough and there’s a satisfying amount of variety to your arsenal. I do wish they felt a little more impactful, though. That would make combat a little less of a chore and a lot more fun.
Don’t let a group of enemies surround you
Achilles: Legends Untold is a isometric role-playing game with combat reminiscent of Dark Souls. While attacks feel responsive and hitboxes are well-defined, the animations suffer from a visual clunkiness, especially with heavy attacks.
It’s also easy to get surrounded by enemies, and they’re aggressive about it. While running away might be an option, doing so only delays the inevitable encounter. Besides, the game locks environmental interactions as soon as you become aware of an enemy around you. That means you won’t be able to open chests or climb ladders until you kill the enemies guarding them. This might be a good thing, but it also makes the experience frustrating.
Take advantage of Shrine of Hades
Achilles: Legends Untold features several shrines that players can stop at to recharge their energy and health. These can be particularly helpful when fighting enemies that are a pain to take down, especially if they’re able to re-engage attacks or use powerful abilities on multiple occasions.
While the game’s melee weapons pack in enough combat pep to take out most early enemy types, archers can be particularly lethal if left unchecked. Their slow attack animations can be hard to dodge, and their straight arrows can deal significant damage if they hit.
Players should also remember to use Hermes Boons when they have the opportunity. These upgrades offer a range of quality-of-life improvements and major increases in survivability.
Remember to heal yourself
Embark on an epic journey across ancient lands, facing hordes of mythical beasts and warriors. Obtain powerful artefacts and weapons forged by Hephaestus to take on the god of war Ares.
The game’s combat leans heavily into the Soulslike tradition. You’ll need to approach enemies carefully, tracking their attack patterns and finding an opening before attacking.
You also need to be mindful of your stamina. The blue gauge beneath your health and stamina represents Fury, which you use to execute shield skills. You can replenish this with regenerative potions, which are available throughout the world. But you should also try to take advantage of enemy drops, since many of them contain healing items.