Mythargia (PC) Review

This is supposed to be a "2D side scrolling retro adventure," and it's definitely all that… but at the same time it isn't. Yes, there is some side-scrolling to be done. The protagonist, a journalist who is trying to discover what happened in the titular island, can move from left to right, climb over ledges, and jump over obstacles like bear traps. Occasionally. There's not exactly much need for the platforming on offer. It's far from challenging, and as such feels like an afterthought. A mechanic that was included just to be included. The 'adventure' part of the equation is very simplistic as well. There are almost no puzzles to speak of, apart from some near the end, as most of the time you just walk around, gather clues, and talk with people.

There is a small survival horror aspect included as well. The hero can get hurt (or die) by falling over high ledges, stepping on the bear traps, or confronting some monsters. Don't expect any meaningful challenge. This fills your backpack with bandages, but you won't be needing them that much. As for the monsters, they go down with the use of your flashlight's UV module. A 'Press A to Win' kind of situation. In reality, this should be viewed as a visual novel. It's a narrative-driven experience, where you just happen to be able to move a character around, rather than watching the portraits of two people talking to each other like in a typical visual novel.

The main meat here is the story and atmosphere, not the actual gameplay. You are basically following the trail of destruction left by a research about a drug for battle fatigue, but the closer you get to the truth(?) the more you realise that there's more than a little science going on here. Apparitions appear in front of your eyes, and a hellish, alternate dimension occasionally blends with the real world, letting the main character talk to dead people and learn more about the island's mysteries and horrors.

So, is it good? Frankly, the answer is: yes. It is good. Just good, though. Nothing spectacular. It's an ok tale of mystery, with a slight Lovecraftian vibe. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why the experience never really becomes as engrossing or exciting as it should be, but it's surely not the tiny, two-three hour-long length. Maybe it is because of the writing, which is decent, but nothing more than that. It doesn't help that the horror aspect is quite weak. The enemies go down super easily, health items are abundant, and the flashlight is almost useless, as you can actually see what's up ahead. Even the "other" realm is nothing that creepy. The pixel art becomes twice as pretty there, due to the use of more vibrant colours, but as a whole, meh….

It's important to note that this mainly revolves around gathering bits of info, in the form of notes and photos, in order to write an article. An interesting idea, but the execution is, again, somewhat lacking. Firstly, finding said info is not a matter of exploration, as the points where clues are hidden are marked with an icon when you walk over them, and since this isn't a 3D adventure, it's hard to miss most of them.

In order to finish the game, you need to write the article by "creating" a theory. The more bits of info you have, the more theories become available, and this in essence lets you pick an ending. As a whole, Mythargia will please those who want to kill an evening with a nice dark tale of mystery. The retro visuals are very nice (the hi-def portraits are totally out of place here), the music is moody and melancholic, and the gameplay is made with casual gamers in mind. It could be better by simply involving the player more, or having a better-told story, but as a whole, it's fine. Nothing more, nothing less.