Glory of Heracles III Retroview
Free-Falling for Fun
There exists a world that many RPGamers have never experienced, which involves exploring games never before released outside of Japan. Those who only played RPGs released on a specific console, or did not understand Japanese, missed out on quite a number of games. Thankfully, the internet alerted people to these hidden gems, and translators began working on making these games available to wider audiences. Glory of Heracles III is one of those games. It was never officially released outside of Japan, and the series itself only reached American audiences once through the DS title released in 2010. My time with the third entry in the Heracles series is mostly positive, with some minor setbacks that hamper the overall experience.
Glory of Heracles III is set in the mythological Heroic Age of ancient Greece, where demons and deities mingle with the mortals that occupy the lands. Shockingly, RPGs centered around Greek gods were not a common occurrence during the SNES era, allowing the Heracles series to run with the concept. Players take control of a silent protagonist who has no memories of his past. He wakes up in a remote village, only to fall into an unbelievably large hole and land in the Underworld, somehow unscathed. It turns out the protagonist and most of his traveling companions are immortal and can’t die. In fact, much of the game’s mechanics revolve around falling off high places, proving to the locals that they cannot die. The heroes can also jump off short ledges on the world map, which helps them navigate to the next destination: when in doubt, fall from a nearby cliff.
At the start of the game, the lone hero gets assistance in battles from an unlikely group of characters. Waves of pixies and Spartan soldiers will act like a second unit in battles for a set amount of time, or until their hit points reach zero. It’s fun to watch an army of nine pixies follow the hero around, if only for a short amount of time. One of the companions who joins carries with him a journal that notates recent events. The journal updates pretty much after every story segment. It is a nice addition that adds to the characters and acts as a good reminder if the player ever gets lost and is uncertain where to go next. There is also a Myth Handbook that provides brief descriptions of characters and locations as the player progresses through the story.
You don’t say?
The story of Glory of Heracles III revolves around the hero’s journey to regain their lost memories. The early parts of the game consist of helping citizens and royalty solve the region’s plaguing issues. There are rescue missions, stealth sections, mini-games, and even a few puzzles to solve during the hero’s adventure. Staying at inns can also trigger dream sequences that offer small glimpses of the character’s past, though they won’t make much sense initially. The story is slow to unravel at first, but once the Gods get involved and all the secrets are revealed, it picks up.
There are a few immortal characters that join the protagonist through his journey, and it is important to take these characters to the local Temple of the Gods so they can gain new abilities. Most locations have Temples dedicated to one particular member of the pantheon, and bathing in the magical waters of the temple grants characters new spells. The only character that does not get any benefits from this system is the titular Heracles, a magicless immortal who joins the group off and on during the adventure. A total of five party members eventually become playable.
The Underworld locales look a little bare bones.
Battles are turn-based, and the player can opt to control all party members or use the Trust system. There is a stat called Trust, which determines how much allies like the protagonist and, in turn, how smart their actions are in battle. There is also a mechanic in this game where if the player takes items from towns while party members are around, their Trust will lower. Unfortunately, this means searching towns for items is not suggested, though running away at least does not seem to have any effect on the Trust stat. For the most part, Glory of Heracles III is an easy game, with most battles being straightforward to complete. Early on, status effects can be a pain to manage, but most can be cured with items. There are only a handful of enemies where the difficulty ramps up.
Glory of Heracles III’s music has a distinct charm attached to it that is very reminiscent of what one might hear in a Dragon Quest game. The overworld and town songs are catchy and stand out in a positive fashion. The only issue is the lack of variety in tracks. Players will hear the same melodies throughout the game, at least up until reaching Mt. Olympus, where new themes are introduced.
Overall, Glory of Heracles III is a fun RPG to finally experience. There is a lot to love about the setting, music, and some of the zany concepts the game pulls off. Being a game created during the early lifespan of the Super Famicom, the limitations are evident. The graphics are barely above 8-bit status, and the battle system is simplistic in nature. It is fun to walk around ancient Greece and interact with Gods and other mythological creatures, and the story begins to pick up during the second half of the game. This game has tons of charm, and it definitely is something I plan to replay down the road.
Disclosure: This review is based off a fan translation and is purely comparing this game to other SNES RPGs
Setting is unique
Story is charming
Music is catchy
Pegasus mount!
Graphics are nothing special
Story takes awhile to get going
No western release
This looks like an interesting relic of the era. I haven’t tried it before, but I’ve heard the name. Thanks for the write-up. I’m going to add it to my backlog and give it a quick try to check it out.