WRATH OF THE GODS LUMINARIA 1994 +1Clk Windows 11 10 8 7 Vista XP Install

Actual Game

The Game
In this game players take on the role of the young generic Greek hero wandering among over a hundred sites to accomplish feats of legend (more or less), culminating in a forgivably anticlimactic battle in the labyrinth with the minotaur. The locations were photographed in Greece, and include many sacred sites. The sites are often edited for game purposes. For instance, you will find various views of various bits of the Acropolis showing up in various game locations.

The puzzles are an outstanding theme in this because instead of coming out of some designer's otherwise useless mind, they are taken from Greek myths. They are not exact recreations, but if you solve a puzzle in the game, you will know more about mythology, and vice versa. And if you have trouble, you can take advantage of the oracle. A built-in hint feature that should be universally required. Few adventure games, including this one, can be satisfactorily completed without it.

Wrath of the Gods is oriented toward young teens. It's rated 5th grade and up. That and the melodramatic acting seem appropriate for the Greek myths. Teens also stand to benefit most. To this inexperienced eye, it seems a very good teaching tool. Older players might prefer more depth to the information and fewer cute anachronisms, but these are not serious flaws. Though the info could be deeper, it has very respectable breadth: a good introduction to ancient Greek myth and culture. A student absorbing the info in this game should do well in even a high-school class. I enjoyed relearning many things I had forgotten and I learned quite a few new things, too.

I liked this game until I reached Knossos. There I fell in love with it. Outside of Crete, reconstructions of the ancient sites are rare and modest. Most ruins are left as ruins, though usually shot from their good side. These give a good impression what it would be like to be there now. I wanted to see more of what it was like then. In Crete, I got plenty of that. But the best surprise was reading the text that offered the latest archaeological interpretations. There was discussion of Paleolithic culture, the importance of the Goddess, the invasion of Indo-European patriarchy and the consequent mistreatment of women in Greek society, culture and myth.

Wrath of the Gods easily rises above its flaws. It is fun, and a great educational tool even for those familiar with Greek mythology.