Mob rule is taking over
Mythological Greece has been the setting or inspiration for countless games in the past. From Populous to God of War, the Greek pantheon of gods and goddesses have challenged gamers to overcome the odds and fight for the win. In Okhlos, the gods are taking it a step further. More specifically, Zeus stepped on an assembly of Greek philosophers and pissed them off.
Argentina-based developer Coffee Powered Machine is putting the power of mob rule in the hands of you, the player, so you can take back your thunder from the thunder god. Through pixelated ancient Greek cities you will lead your growing mob of villagers, warriors, slaves, and farm animals in a quest to fight the powers that be (and maybe destroy a bunch of buildings in the process). You will take your horde through eight different Greek stages, procedurally generated to avoid repetitious playthroughs.
Depending on which persons join your riotous crusade, the powers of the mob will differ as well. Slaves will carry any stat-boosting items you might find while soldiers will increase your mob’s attack power. Philosophers act as the lifeblood of your Gestalt gathering of unruly citizens. With each philosopher added to the mix, your rabble’s max size (and therefore its power) increases, allowing for more of everything else.
Further, at certain stations along the way, you can trade in your generic units for legendary characters out of Greek myths for extra bonuses. Champions like Heracles and Leonidas or great minds such as Socrates will bolster your ranks to overcome Spartan soldiers, priests of the various gods, and mythical beasts such as the minotaur.
So many angry Greeks…
Your mob also has its own power gauge that slowly builds as you rampage through marketplaces, residential districts, and Greek countryside. The more progress you’ve made in the gauge, the more destruction your mob can bring to the environment. Fill it completely and you’ll easily be toppling buildings, trees, and pretty much anything else that gets in your way.
Boss battles will be where it’s most important to exercise precise control over your horde, though. The gods and goddesses of Olympia have devastating attacks that will send your minions flying into oblivion if you’re not extra careful (I speak from experience). And if you run out of mob before the gods run out of health… well, it’s not pretty.
Okhlos development is currently wrapping up at the Coffee Powered Machine studio and the game will be published on Steam by Devolver Digital. It is scheduled for an April 2016 release on PC, Mac, and Linux.