Review of Immortals Fenyx Rising Switch: an elegant version of the Greek pantheon

Our Verdict

Immortals Fenyx Rising offers a world that you can’t help but explore, with some truly impressive dungeon design. The game’s only let down is its simple puzzles and painful menu navigation.

Olympos is empty, the Gods have fallen. All people in the realm of mortals have been turned to stone, with the exception of one. When our main character, Fenyx, returns from the sea after being shipwrecked on The Golden Isles, he discovers that their fellow warriors—all of whom are magnificent warriors—have become dead, frigid statues.

Later this week, Ubisoft's newest role-playing game will be available on the Ubisoft store. It takes players on an adventure to rescue the world from the destructive Titan Typhon and, above all, to free your disdainful crewmates, brave brother, and every other human being from their stone curse. Even while Fenyx Rising retells well-known stories and legends, such as those from Disney's animated musical Hercules from the 1990s and video games like Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Hades, it does it in a unique way.

From the outset, this spin is clear: Zeus travels to meet Prometheus, whom he bound to a mountain and cursed to have eagles eat his liver forever. But rather than being completely depressing, Zeus and the behemoth without a liver laugh around. This introduction serves to highlight Fenyx Rising's lighthearted interpretation of mythology.

The mismatched duo tells the narrative of Fenyx, and while at first I wasn't fond of their inside jokes and self-referential humor, I eventually warmed to their commentary—especially when you exit the tutorial and their appearances grow fewer and further between. For example, they could probably cut a couple jokes where the punchline is just Zeus' implied drinking, but there are some clever allusions for those who are familiar with the topic.

You start the game at the Clashing Rocks, a tiny area of the globe where you learn the ins and outs of fighting, climbing, and flying in order to save a stranger who seems to be the only other person still alive. In addition to a little problem solving, you'll discover a ton of mythology imparted upon you by Messrs. Zeus and Prometheus as you search for your weapons, which were all formerly owned by legendary heroes.

However, the game really shines when you are able to fully spread your wings and explore the remainder of the Golden Isles. You may go anywhere you choose to explore; the only thing stopping you are the formidable foes you encounter on your travels. I can still clearly recall my first Cyclops giving me a serious beating as I was frantically attempting to get to the chest it was guarding; now days, I can knock them out rather easily.

But overcoming adversaries isn't the only thing that gives one a feeling of success. With the help of Daidalos' flying mechanics, you may leap over cliffs and depend on him to take you in whatever direction you choose. You can also scale enormous monuments honoring the Gods, the top of which you can "synchronize" with your surroundings to clear that portion of the game. Please remember not to bring up Icarus's fate.

Not only is flying enjoyable, but you may also ask your reliable horse to carry you around the islands on foot. It will materialize magically underneath you when you hold X, and there's no other explanation needed except magic god horse.

Even though defeating a Cyclops with ease feels fantastic, the roleplaying mechanics are really simple. By completing tasks and eliminating adversaries, you may gather several currencies, each of which can be used to improve a certain statistic or talent. For example, you may increase your stamina by using Zeus' Lightning, and your health by using Ambrosia. You won't have to choose between currencies too often on your trip, so choosing what to invest in won't be difficult. Sure, you'll have to decide which talents to acquire first, but you won't have to specialize since you'll be able to unlock everything soon enough.

Simply completing the narrative tasks will allow you to gain considerable strength really quickly. But there's also a lot of enjoyment to be found in solving the many puzzles and side missions that dot the environment. While some are entertaining, the majority are really basic. Whether it's lifting a cabbage to a plinth or arranging components in the correct sequence to create a painting, the little work doesn't appear to be worth the benefits you get.

The main plot missions' fetch errands and assassinations are interspersed with puzzles, and it's these very God-sent objectives that ultimately provide the game's most amazing riddles and platforming, particularly when it comes time to take on a legendary monster. Though scattered around the map are little dungeons that serve as Tartaros gates, they are nothing compared to the vaults honoring Athena, Ares, Aphrodite, and Hephaistos. It is also evident that the best puzzles are reserved for these unique occasions, so they are both aesthetically pleasing and technically engaging. I mean, it would have been lovely to disperse some of that charm around the overworld as well.

Another complaint I had was with the menus; instead of scrolling through lists, you control a cursor with your joystick, which will surely enrage people on all systems when the game launches. In light of the amount of time console gamers spend selecting upgrades and weaponry, a more user-friendly menu interface is needed.

It would be remiss of me not to note the multitude of accessibility choices that players have at their disposal. Features like completely customizable controller remapping, menu narration, color blind options, and subtitles allow players who need a range of accessibility aids to experience the game just like everyone else.

You may fine-tune the difficulty levels to match your skill level and customize your experience at any moment. For instance, if you find a problem more difficult than a battle, you might make the puzzles tougher.

You'll hear a lot of Breath of the Wild analogies in the next few days, and those similarities have some validity. While movement, navigation, combat, and abilities have many similarities, Fenyx Rising never seems like it is imitating anything else. With enough flair and humor to distinguish it from other interpretations of Greek mythology, it presents a distinctive perspective on the role-playing game genre. It's a lighthearted game, and you should probably not take it too seriously either.

Accept the game for what it is: an enjoyable account of traditional mythology. Even once the game is over, I'm sure I'll be exploring more, facing more enemies, and solving more riddles. When the Myths of the Eastern Realm DLC drops, I'll be first in line. I'll be traveling with a new character to a place influenced by Chinese mythology, a path that western games haven't traveled too much.