Hades – based on real myths (pic: Supergiant Games)
A reader explores his love of world folklore and how video games like Hades and God Of War are keeping ancient myths relevant for the modern age.
It was the precise moment when, on my 47th attempt, Elden Ring’s Godskin Duo handed me back my rear on a veritable platter that I decided this was the moment to call it quits.
Elden Ring is a good game – a great game, in fact – but its difficulty had been on the edge of reason for some time. Now, with precisely zero sleep pots in my inventory, and the knowledge that the flower needed to craft them had a mere 2% spawn rate, I knew myself and the game were ready to part ways.
So, after 150 hours of exploring The Lands Between, I needed a new project. Something fresh. Innovative. Bold. Inventive. And… well, short.
Full disclosure Bramble: The Mountain King – the indie title on Games Pass I came across and the subject of this article – is only one of these. And the clue to which is in the fact I finished it in just three afternoons.
I don’t think GameCentral has reviewed Bramble. And to be fair, I don’t blame them. Moody, Limbo-inspired platformers with floaty physics and half-baked puzzles are ubiquitous in the indie scene. And as much as I enjoy the likes of Journey and Flower, which play more like sensory experiences than traditional games, it’s not exactly the genre that gets my juices flowing.
One thing said juices do flow for, however, is a good story.
But not just any story, dear reader. I love the cannon of ancient stories. Myths. Folklore. Legends. From Germanic fairy stories to the fables of the bickering Norse gods. I love the primordial tales that have survived the centuries and are indelibly woven into our culture, our values, and even our language (if you ever wondered where Thor pops up in English, look no further than Thursday!).
And it’s on this front that Bramble sank its thorny briers into me.
The game is based on the stories and monsters that appear in Scandinavian folklore. The protagonist, Olle, is searching for his lost sister and on his journey encounters a host of Nordic nasties: Naeken, a devilish, Pied Piper-esque water spirit who uses music to tempt children to their deaths; Lyktgubbe, a lantern-wielding trickster who targets lost travellers; and of course Skogsra, a beautiful tree demon who leads men into the forest to be seduced.
Honestly, none of these encounters in the game’s five hours play particularly well. And although the graphics are lush and the soundtrack has its moments (including a banging rendition of In Hall of the Mountain King) it’s how the game depicts these freakish fiends, plucked from the annals Scandinavian mythology, that kept me hooked.
Bramble isn’t alone. From God Of War to indie darling Hades, gaming has a rich history of drawing on our mythological tradition. More than any other game, Bramble put me in mind of 2014’s Never Alone: an underrated puzzle platformer that explores Iñupiat history, folklore, and traditions (and was created with input from native Alaskans).
Again, gameplay wise, it’s below par. But the game wears its heart on its sleeve, taking such fervent joy in immersing you in a new culture, it’s hard not to admire it.
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Games, just as movies, books, and art, are all part of the cultural tapestry keeping alive our legends. Admittedly, God Of War may not quite be Homer’s Iliad in artistic merit, but the fact that games still use these ancient heroes, monsters, and gods as a springboard to new stories proves the old tales are still relevant to us today – making games a wonderful entry point into our own storied past.
So I say, give Bramble a try. Google the fables and fantasies you come across; let yourself tumble down any mythological rabbit holes that takes your fancy. Immerse yourself in the stories that have weathered the ages. And most of all, prove wrong the haters that call games a waste of time.
Now, if you don’t mind me, I’m going to my luck against the Godskin Duo just one more time…
By reader Nick Beaumont
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A reader explores his love of world folklore and how video games like Hades and God Of War are keeping ancient myths relevant for the modern age.
