Game: Athenian Rhapsody
Genre: RPG, Puzzle, Action, Indie
System: Nintendo Switch (also available for Steam (Windows), PS4, PS5 & Xbox)
Developers | Publishers: Nico Papalia | Top Hat Studios
Age Rating: US E 10+ | EU 7+
Price: US $14.99 | UK £13.49 | EU € 14,99
Release Date: May 14th, 2024
A review code was used, with many thanks to Press Engine.
Athenian Rhapsody wears its inspirations on its sleeve, from Undertale to Wario World, creating a lively, pixelated world where anything can happen and probably will. From its opening moments, the game is irreverent to the point of toilet humor, but without stepping past the line of happy childhood grotesqueries. The result is surprisingly complex and delightful, but its style of combat and its reflexive difficulty are going to be worth discussing for some gamers. Let’s dig in and talk about what makes this game stand out next to its peers.
Athenian Rhapsody’s Classical Inspirations
Athenian Rhapsody is upfront about its inspirations in its sale copy, noting obvious Undertale influence and Cooking Mama/Wario-Ware style combat options. But in some rare humility, developer Nico Papalia doesn’t remark on the most obvious inspiration of all, and that might be the right move on their part because the classic Nintendo cult RPG Earthbound is a hard game to live up to.
Rhapsody’s homage to the Mother franchise is clear in its aesthetic and its sense of humor. As colorful and detailed as the game’s pixel backgrounds are, its choice of main character sprites would feel right at home as one of Ness’ neighbors. And the game’s sense of humor? That’s a bang-on throwback to Earthbound’s mix of sly humor and a nine-year-old’s fart gags. It’s a style of humor that’s very much a your mileage may vary situation, but in my time with the game, it never devolved into the mean-spirited or outright gross.
Its up-front references to other franchises, however, deserve a little looking at. Undertale is a modern classic, and the way it asked players to battle or befriend its foes became important to the story. Athenian Rhapsody suggests the same sort of impact is possible here, although I’m going to have to confess that I have not yet made it to the endgame due to a strictly-me issue that we’ll get to shortly. That said, I’m very impressed with the groundwork it lays for future playthroughs. And, like Undertale, that choice to return is definitely the goal for players who fall in love with this oddity.
Athenian Rhapsody Nails Its Controls Straight Out the Gate
Playing a new indie game on the Nintendo Switch is always an exercise in bracing yourself for at least some difficulty. It can be hard for new developers to make sure lag issues are fixed before going live or that all the button inputs are as responsive as you want. Athenian Rhapsody, however, offers a clean, professional experience right away, and the developers have my immediate respect for that. The controls are quick and intuitive, and the game runs great on a console that’s reaching the far edge of its capability.
As you play, you’ll mostly be exploring a few screens worth of JRPG-style maps at a time. Littered with NPCs and quick but easily noticed enemies, it’s easy to figure out where you’re going and how to get there. Along the way, you won’t have any difficulty navigating menus for the handful of items you can carry at one time, which is a resource-strangling total of twenty, with a storage option available on occasion.
Combat is a mix of turn-based and mini-game, as enemies patiently wait for you to decide what to do. Engaging with them instead of simply attacking will still prompt the enemy’s unique mini-game but with the addition of weird and funny dialogues that combine both that Earthbound and Undertale flair.
Athenian Rhapsody’s Combat is Tough But Fair
It’s hard to categorize Athenian Rhapsody’s combat as anything other than the overused ‘tough but fair’ appellation that haunts Soulsbourne style games, but it is accurate in this case. Each enemy and boss, too, have gimmicks for how they’ll attack you. Some are as simple as your character dodging a giant flying hand, and some are a few seconds of bullet hell. Others pull in wilder elements, from Dr. Mario-style puzzles to rhythm game inputs. It’s all uniquely weird, and it’s often quite difficult.
You’ll need to be at least moderately proficient in a lot of different little gimmicks to progress in Athenian Rhapsody, and if your skills aren’t what they used to be, a Chill option in the menu will give you a little wiggle room. That said, all it does is give you a chunky invulnerability window each time you get nicked during combat. With smart resource management, that will probably be enough to get you through, so long as you’re willing to keep practising your techniques. If not, you’ll be facing a clear-cut game over screen, and that might be tough for gamers with disability issues.
It’s a modern point of controversy with games that ask you to meet it on its level of difficulty, and it’s always worth some discussion and introspection. Although I see room for, say, an extra accessibility option that could slow down enemy attacks just a little, I’m also aware that some games would prefer its players try to challenge themselves instead. So, just be alert to the fact that this game is genuinely pretty hard sometimes, and if you have iffy reflexes or attention span issues (hello, my beloved ADHD), you will have a tough time the further you travel into Athenian Rhapsody’s wild world.
I’ve failed to get past some mid-game stages, but I’m also going to be upfront with you that that’s on me and an attention span whittled down by a lot of real-world stuff. But I intend to get back to the game, post-review and on my own time because I’m quite impressed with what it’s trying to do.
Conclusion
Athenian Rhapsody, under the gassy gags and quirky NPCs, is a love letter to cult classics and indie games from our childhoods to today. Its mini-games are so diverse that it’s hard to get bored with any one aspect of the experience, and the sheer cheerful weirdness of it all will give you a smile even if you’re butting through some tougher patches. Because of that cheerfulness, it’s easy to give the tough spots a second chance, and a little dedication will help you enjoy the game, too.
It’s hard to sum up what’s going on in the game’s world, but once you’re playing, it’s easy to simply ride it along while you’re meeting bizarre new friends. And, although I haven’t gotten that far yet, it’s clear that there really is an Undertale-style complexity in place to give you a reason to revisit. All in all, it’s quite an achievement from a new indie developer, and I can’t help but admire how polished and cohesively quirky it all is. Athenian Rhapsody may not be your kind of thing, but with a free demo available, it’s worth it to at least give this game a try.
Final Verdict: I Like It A Lot
Do you like our content? Support LadiesGamers on Patreon!
Check out our Tiers and Benefits and join us.