Achilles: Legends Untold News

The Spider Cave Update out now!

Welcome warriors!

It's now been about a year since the game was first released. We've made a lot of progress during that time and a big part of it is thanks to our players. Your commitment and feedback has allowed us to bring the game to new levels of quality, and we hope that it will continue to do so up until the full release, later this year.

And as we celebrate the game's anniversary in Early Access, we present you with The Spider Cave Update, introducing swarms of new features.

Before we dive in, we want to share a short trailer with you. Head on over to the link below to take a look at the epic new content!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Now that you’re familiar with the additions, let’s go over the highlights in more detail.

This update introduces a brand new location on the game’s map - the titular Spider Cave. Venture into the dark unknown, exploring each and every crevice while searching for untold loot in spider nests. New materials? Useful items? Certain death? Who knows what you might find here…

(WARNING: the Spiders don’t take too kindly to visitors.)

This is a feature that has been often requested by our players, so we got to work. This is the result: a brand new Save Slot system, complete with 3 separate slots for 3 separate simultaneous playthroughs of Achilles: Legends Untold. Each slot shows the location where you left off, game difficulty, your character’s level, and the day you last played.

Rather than using venom like their green counterparts, these Spiders prefer burning their prey with a gust of fire. Better bring some marshmallows!

The floral cast of the game has also been expanded. Biggest of all plants, this deadly creature spits explosive seeds, and could probably swallow Achilles in one bite. Keep your distance or become a bag of fertilizer!

Another useful new menu feature is the Tutorials Tab, accessible from the inventory menu. In this section, you can revisit every tutorial screen you’ve seen so far, thereby making it the Complete “Achilles: Legends Untold” Basic Movement And Essential Mechanics Knowledge Base™.

Here’s a full list of changes made in version 0.4.0 of Achilles: Legends Untold, a.k.a. “The Spider Cave Update”:

[h3]NEW:[/h3]

Added a new Cave map to explore (and perish while fighting spiders).
Added 2 new enemies - a bigger, stronger plant variant and fire spiders.
Introduced save slots - now you’re able to lead 3 separate playthroughs!
Introduced a game tutorials tab, accessible from the inventory menu.
Added 2 new GAIA (Group AI Action) actions to make Heretic enemies even more deadly.
Introduced controller vibrations.
Added deers running around in some locations.
Introduced new options: Gamma Correction & Anti-Aliasing Method Selection.

[h3]UPDATED:[/h3]

New and improved head and face for Achilles - that’s right, Achilles has a new look! Enjoy!
Improved the dismemberment system, so you can dominate enemies even more.
Many combat improvements, like the ability to interrupt blows (animation canceling) or a better axe experience.
Some balance improvements, especially considering status effects. For example, it’s now harder to extinguish the flames on a player.
Some clarity improvements, like additional descriptions in shrines.
Some items and status effects icon improvements.

[h3]FIXES:[/h3]

Slight overall game performance improvement.
Pressing the sprint button no longer prevents the player from hitting enemies during combos.
Camera now cannot move far away while changing the map.
The player can now be hit by Agamenmon’s special skills even when he’s standing higher.
Fire FX no longer appears above the ground.
Weapon upgrades increase weapon damage instantly, so there is no need to wait for the game to be reloaded.
Collisions on attacks have been improved, it should no longer happen that a blow does not hit even though the opponent was in range.
Target lock has been fixed for sprint attacks.
Many other minor bugs.

[h3]NOTICE[/h3]
We would like to update our players on the current status of our game's co-op feature. At the moment, there are issues with accessing it through the random session search. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and our team is working to get this issue resolved by the next update. In the meantime, users can still access the co-op feature through direct invites or by joining from a friend's list.

That’s all for this post. Remember that you can share your feedback with us either through the discussions tab in our Steam Community Hub or by visiting our Discord server!

Thank you for all of your support so far, and see you next time!

[h2]FOLLOW US[/h2]

Discord ► http://discord.gg/achilleslegendsuntold

Website ► https://achillesgame.com

Twitter ► https://twitter.com/DarkPointGames

Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/AchillesLegendsUntold

Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/achilleslegendsuntold/

YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/c/DarkPointGames

New Roadmap & Console Release Info

[h2]Hello Warriors![/h2]

We have some important news to share with you. Achilles: Legends Untold, our action RPG set in ancient Greece, will debut on all major platforms simultaneously.

We have been hard at work preparing for the game’s release on next-gen consoles as well as PS4 and Xbox One. With the goal of providing equal access to all players and ensuring that everyone can experience the new features and content, we have decided to postpone the full PC version of the game to Q3 2023, together with the console release. It will also allow us to polish all the content we plan to add, and it is a gargantuan task indeed - given how much we have in store!

Below, you'll find a brand new roadmap for Achilles: Legends Untold. On it, you can see our plans for the next few months, up until the full release in Q3 2023.

Given how in the past we added some features earlier than planned, we don’t want to give too much details right now, only general planned goals. We plan to release at least two major updates before the full version of the game is launched, which will include many new features. The nearest update to the game is coming in the next month! We shall give you more details right before its premiere.

Somewhere in summer will come the biggest story update yet - with a revisioned plot, new prologue in Troy and more features. The upcoming changes will require a reset of the saves, but thankfully it will be the last one (we’re about 99% sure). To sweeten the deal, we again shall provide the conversion of souls gathered previously, allowing you to keep the progress of your character.

Once the full release comes in full swing you will be able to enjoy new locations, bosses and minibosses, enemies, Steam achievements, an improved character development system, new & updated GAIA actions and many other items.

We’d also like to address the elephant in the room, which is: the co-op mode. We’re working on it! Our programmers wrestled with many different versions of it, testing which configuration is doable and satisfactory. We’ll reach the conclusion soon, and we can assure you there will be the co-op mode available in some form.

Until the game’s full release, you can expect regular updates that improve gameplay, including a refined combat system, controls, performance, stability, and game balance.

Quality combat system - an improved combat system provides smooth and dynamic gameplay, increasing realism and fun.
Controls - game control updates provide faster response and precision, resulting in smoother gameplay and better user experiences.
Performance - game performance improvements enhance the framerate and smoothness of the game, allowing players to enjoy uninterrupted high-quality gameplay.
Stability - thanks to continuous stability updates the game works more reliably, fixing bugs and crashes
Balance - regular game balance updates ensure that the game is well balanced, meaning that no character type is too strong or too weak, contributing to even better gameplay.

With the release postponed, our players gain more time to enjoy the early access phase, allowing them to have a real impact on the game’s development. We will continue to listen to your feedback to better tailor the game to your needs and expectations.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. We are excited to deliver the best possible gaming experience to all of our players!

Giveaway time again!

[h3]Welcome warriors, it’s giveaway time again!
[/h3]

Show off how sharp your wit is as well as your weapons. Let’s have some fun and get a nice gaming mouse from Xtrfy (€59 worth each!) in the process!

The rules go like this:

Pick one of the pictures below and write the best captions or dialogues you can.
Send us back the picture with texts inserted (via our Discord server, the “contest” channel) or just texts (only properly signed, ex. Picture 3, Achilles: “Good kitty!”)
You have till 7th of March to participate.

We’ll announce the lucky winners on 8th of March and contact them for their shipping info.

Good luck and have fun!

FOLLOW US
Discord ► http://discord.gg/achilleslegendsuntold
Website ► https://achillesgame.com
Twitter ► https://twitter.com/DarkPointGames
Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/AchillesLegendsUntold
Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/achilleslegendsuntold/
YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/c/DarkPointGames

Big Update 0.3.0

[h2]Hi everyone![/h2]

Today is the day - we’ve just released the 0.3.0 Update!

It’s our biggest update yet! If you haven’t seen the trailer for it, go and check it out now using the link below:
https://youtu.be/Gn4LwfC8l94
Now that you’re back, we’re going to take a closer look at the new features. We have a lot of exciting content to go over, so let’s begin!

Our original GAIA system got not only improved, but extended too! We’ve added a lot of new ways for the enemies to cooperate with each other and attack in surprising ways.
As a reminder - GAIA allows the AI to evaluate the situation dynamically and decide to take action by itself, so it can launch anywhere at any time.

New GAIA actions include Cyclops throwing explosive barrels (or even other enemies) at you, feasting on people to heal themselves, skeletons molding into one big enemy and more.

Update 0.3.0 introduces a lot of new enemies. While playing, you’ll encounter giant spiders slashing their claws, deadly plants spitting poison, mighty statues trying to crush you, and more!

Test your skill against these various new opponents and come out victorious! (or not…)

The game now has a brand new crafting system! Collect ingredients while exploring the world of Ancient Greece, and combine them into new items on the go, using previously found crafting recipes.

Make new grenades, weapon reinforcements or resistance strengtheners whenever you need to!

We’ve decided to liven up our map a bit. It’s now full of destructible wooden barrels, crates, vases, and other objects that you can smash right through.

Some of these can drop items, so pick up your weapon of choice and get every last one of them!

You now have a lot more freedom in the keybinding department. Keyboard and mouse players can now bind up to two keys to one option, allowing the hold & click functionality.

Gamepad players also get more choices in how they play now. We’ve added 2 new default control schemes and a 3rd one that’s customizable.

These additions will allow everyone to control Achilles exactly how they want to.

Apart from the usual performance improvements, Update 0.3.0 introduces two new optional technologies - AMD FSR 2 and NVIDIA DLSS - that you can turn on in the settings.

They both visibly increase the game’s framerate, making Achilles: Legends Untold run as smooth as ever!

As we were saying for a while now, with this update the saves are going to be reset. You can either stay on the previous version of the game (0.2.0) by choosing a different branch in the Steam settings (see more here), or continue to the new and updated content.

We have good news! We’ve managed to put together a system that converts your character level from your old save and gives you the appropriate amount of souls after you finish the tutorial. We hope it will make the transition easier for you, and gives you even more motivation to explore this new update.

NEW:

Added destructible objects - destroy them to find some resources.
Added the crafting system - collect and use resources to create items you need on the run.
Added new throwable items - introduced darts and mines, along with an update of grenades.
Added new enemies - test your skill against ginormous spiders, deadly plants, mighty statues, and mysterious Laestrygonians!
Added two new Dungeons, ready for exploration.
Added new GAIA (Group AI Actions) and improved the existing ones. Watch out for them!
Introduced remapping of gamepad controls, along with 2 ready-to-use presets.
Introduced FSR and DLSS technologies support.
Added new skill tree elements to unlock.
Introduced the possibility of multiple item usage. No more going through Fate items one by one!
Many other minor features and improvements...

UPDATED:

Improved teleportation with map usage - the map will now center on the selected Shrine for better orientation.
Many minor improvements of the combat system, forming a much better and smoother experience together.
A big update for all of the Basements/Cellars - now they are almost brand-new!
An update for the Shield Throw skill - now you can throw the shield by simply releasing the aim button.
Some attacks obtainable in the skill tree are now available from the start (e.g. sprint attack).
A major UI update and increase in clarity.
A major overhaul of the lions' and the wolves' movement system.

FIXES:

Lifted the 30 frames per second limit in coop challenge mode.
Highly improved overall game performance.
Improved gamepad support and experience.
Fixed various places where Achilles could get stuck, leave the playable area or clip through objects.
Interaction with one of the chests in Greece can no longer freeze the player.
Chests no longer appear closed after reloading the game.
Player can't lose his shield after throwing it at Cyclop.
Player can no longer start talking with Lysander while he is in combat.
Player can no longer prematurely see the chest near Menelaos, if he didn't do any quests before.
Castor now doesn’t stop attacking the player when he is near the wall.
Over 130 other bug fixes of lesser importance.

Behind the scenes design: Chimera (DevLog #5)

Hi everyone!

Earlier, you might have seen us use a graphic with a strange, 3-headed creature - either on our merch or social media posts. It's called a Chimera, and guess what? It's one of the bosses coming to Achilles: Legends Untold!

For this DevLog, we wanted to do something a little different. We're going to show you how this enemy came to be and reveal a bit about its design process.

It can be a very complicated thing! We're a small team that works closely together, either remotely or in the office, and that allows us to give each other constant feedback. While it can get frustrating, it's ultimately a quite rewarding experience, resulting in what you see on the screen.

As our game is based in Greek mythology, there's a lot of inspiration to draw from - this includes some well-known mythical characters, locations, and many beasts, with each one being scarier than its predecessor.

One that particularly catches the eye is a 3-headed creature we already mentioned - the Chimera. A big-sized mixture of three different animals - a lion, a goat, and a snake. Sounds fun already, right? So we got to work.

Designing the head itself had its challenges. It's like two heads melted together on one body! In the end, we decided on making the goat head a little more laid back and to the left of the lion one.

While creating the Chimera's body, we had to ask ourselves a lot of questions, like “How big do we want it to be?” or “What attacks will it have?”. Our artist had drawn up some concepts, so we could decide which direction to choose.

As you can see, the designs varied a lot. You might look at some of them and think "Wow! That one's great, why didn't they use it?" Well, there are reasons for that. For example, take a look at number 2 and number 6 - they have wings! While they might appear cool, we already knew we didn't want it to fly, so they'd just be a nuisance and they had to go. This way, we picked the features we liked and thought were appropriate, while discarding the ones we didn’t - this was the result:

We had the shape for the Chimera, but that’s not all. It also needed some colors!

Again, our artist prepared a few variations. We ended up with a mixture of red and brown for the body, with a blue and green serpent for the tail.

Then came the modeling. Our 3D artist did an amazing job while making the concepts into reality. The beast came out even more horrifying than we thought it would!

And now, the most important part - the gameplay.

A four-legged enemy is always tough to create, and making it a boss only complicates matters further. We want each of our bosses to have their own unique identity, so we're constantly tweaking, making new animations and giving them more special abilities.

The first problem in Chimera's case was its size. The first iteration was small, barely bigger than the average Lion or Wolf, which made it look quite underwhelming - especially when you consider the isometric perspective.

We definitely wanted it to appear big, scary and intimidating. But then we hit a new obstacle - an enemy of this size gets really clunky and is prone to abuse. When the Chimera was attacking with its paws, they couldn't be seen from some angles as its body and head was covering most of the animation. It created an unfair fight, as the player had trouble reading its movement, so of course it all had to be readjusted.

We are still looking for a perfectly balanced point and trying to get as close to it as possible. We want the boss to be challenging, but fair and enjoyable - as befits a good fight.

The Chimera will join the boss roster on the game’s full release. We'll be happy to answer any questions you might have in the comments, or on our Discord server - you can come chat with us! In the meantime, you can expect more DevLogs, where we'll get deep into other features of the game.

Hope you liked this format, and see you in the next one!

[h3]FOLLOW US[/h3]
Discord ► http://discord.gg/achilleslegendsuntold
Website ► https://achillesgame.com
Twitter ► https://twitter.com/DarkPointGames
Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/AchillesLegendsUntold
Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/achilleslegendsuntold/
YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/c/DarkPointGames

[h3]Did you know? [/h3]

In Greek mythology, the Chimera was “a bane to many men”, as it was killing cattle and devastating the country.

One day, the hero Bellerophon was tasked by the king of Lycia to slay the beast, as the ruler secretly hoped the renowned warrior would perish in battle. Although Bellerophon knew the fight would be a great risk, he “trusted in the signs of the gods”, as said in Homer’s Iliad, and marched into battle. He mounted his winged horse, Pegasus, and while riding on its back, he shot the Chimera down.

The term "chimera" since then has come to describe any mythical or fictional creature with parts taken from various animals and anything composed of very disparate parts, or perceived as wildly imaginative, implausible, or dazzling.