7 great games to play if you enjoyed Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey
Topics: List, Features, TV And Film, Assassin's Creed, Hades, God Of War
Featured Image Credit: Universal Pictures
Topics: List, Features, TV And Film, Assassin's Creed, Hades, God Of War
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is out now in cinemas, and audiences are enjoying the filmmaker’s own unique take on Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem.
Chronicling Odysseus’ perilous journey home after the Trojan War and his encounters with various legendary beings, the film has set a global box office record with a $51 million opening on its first day in cinemas, with predictions of $257.8 million for the weekend.
For gamers who are either massive Greek history buffs, or who have become interested in the subject following their viewing of The Odyssey, there are several video games worth checking out that we would list as “recommended reading”.
Here are seven video games that are worth playing if you enjoyed Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Although it’s set a few centuries later than when Homer’s Odyssey was supposedly composed, pretty much the obvious answer here is Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
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Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s Peloponnesian War setting, blending Ancient Greek mythology with historical fact, makes it an excellent game to play for those interested in this setting after a viewing of The Odyssey.
While much of the game concerns real historical events and politics that occurred in Greece during 5th century BC, mythical figures such as the Cyclops, Circe, and Medusa appear as characters and foes in the game. While it also ties into the greater Assassin's Creed mythos, the story and content itself is also largely standalone, meaning you can enjoy it without needing to play the 10 games that precede it.
Another game depicting Greek mythology, the original God of War and its sequels depicted a hyper-violent and more fantastical approach to portraying the gods of Olympus.
While the series has become more popular under its more recent titles which shifts the focus onto Norse mythology, the original Greek trilogy is still worth playing for their excellent storytelling and blockbuster appeal. The games are currently being remade for the PlayStation 5, though a release date has not been set yet.
Created by the same team at Ubisoft which worked on Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a similar game which embraces the more fantastical side of Greek mythology, telling an original story using characters and settings taken from these ancient texts.
The game features several references to the Odyssey, including an appearance by Odysseus himself, and is worth a play if you want to play something which touches on these storytelling elements.
Apotheon is a 2D action game with an art style resembling Ancient Greek pottery canvas, mimicking the terracotta clay, crackled glaze, and warm finishes of classical Greek amphorae and vases of the time.
It features excerpts from real Greek texts, including the Iliad, and features a story in which your character climbs Mount Olympus to take up arms against the gods.
Hades is a roguelike where you play as the son of Hades who attempts to escape from the Underworld to reach Mount Olympus, using gifts bestowed upon him from other Olympians to aid in his quest.
Hades is ruthlessly compelling due to its short, run-focused playstyle. The gameplay forces you to be aggressive, with the challenge compelling you to continue getting better at the game as you feel rewarded for your efforts. And aside from that, the characters which each represent classic Greek myths are also a delight to encounter.
There's also a sequel which came out last year, it's great.
The 2008 game Rise of the Argonauts is a reinterpretation of the myth of Jason, who along with the Argonauts search for the Golden Fleece which has the power to reverse events that have already occurred (another story which you might be familiar from the stop-motion masterpiece that is 1963's Jason and the Argonauts).
Rise of the Argonauts is an action RPG that definitely takes some liberties with the original myth, but remains a somewhat serviceable game that is enjoyable enough to play even in 2026. The novelty of its source material twisted into something new is arguably its greatest strength, while the gameplay feels a little dated even by late 2000s standards.
Age of Mythology, either the original or its 2024 remake, takes elements from several ancient mythologies. Aside from Greek legends, the game also touches on Egyptian, Norse, and Chinese mythology.
Although the mix of different historical legends can be a little jarring for anyone wanting a pure Greek mythological theme in the same vein as The Odyssey, players can simply play skirmish maps with the Greek pantheon to get that pure Homeric vibe.
Historically a PC game, Age of Mythology was made available on consoles when the remake was released, coming to Xbox Series X/S in 2024, and PlayStation 5 last year.
