Theos: Cities of Myth is a city-building game that aims to capture the essence of the classic Impressions Games titles from the early 2000s. As a fan of the genre, I was immediately intrigued by the prospect of a spiritual successor to the likes of Caesar III, Pharaoh, and Zeus: Master of Olympus. The game's premise is simple: build a thriving city based on Greek mythology, with all the familiar mechanics of managing resources, constructing buildings, and guiding the development of your settlement. But is Theos a worthy addition to the city-building genre, or does it fall short of the classics it aims to emulate?
In my opinion, Theos shows promise, but it also has some significant shortcomings. The game's core mechanics, such as managing supply chains and guiding walker routes, are familiar and enjoyable. However, the early build I played lacked polish, with awkward interface elements and inconsistent logic in the walker routing system. This made the micromanagement aspect feel more like a burden than a feature.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Theos is its attempt to capture the art style of the original Impressions Games. While the graphics are simple and isometric, they do a decent job of evoking the warmth and vibrancy of Greek mythology. However, the NPCs feel out of place, with a disconnect between the art style and the characters. This is a common criticism of Triskell's Pharaoh remaster, and it's unfortunate that the studio hasn't addressed this issue in Theos.
Despite these issues, I still had fun playing Theos. The game's core mechanics are solid, and the Greek mythology theme is a refreshing change from the typical medieval or futuristic settings. Theos is not a groundbreaking title, but it is a comforting revisit of a beloved formula. It's a game that will appeal to fans of the genre, even if it doesn't quite live up to the standards set by the classics it aims to emulate.
In conclusion, Theos: Cities of Myth is a game that shows promise, but it also has some significant shortcomings. While the core mechanics are solid, the early build I played lacked polish and had awkward interface elements. The art style is decent, but the NPCs feel out of place. Nonetheless, I still had fun playing Theos, and it's a game that will appeal to fans of the genre. It's a comforting revisit of a beloved formula, and it's worth checking out when it releases on PC later this year.
