Hercules is one of the best-known heroes of all time, and the character who originated in Greek mythology has inspired numerous other heroes over the ages. One of the classic games for the first PlayStation was Disney’s Hercules, which was originally released in 1997. The game divided opinion, but it was successful in sales due to its recognizability. There have been other Greek-themed games for consoles since then that have gone down well with audiences, so a reboot of Hercules could be met with widespread approval.
One of the Most Famous Heroes of All Time
Most people will have heard of Hercules, as his stories have been passed on down through the ages. He initially appeared in Greek mythology as the son of Zeus and was known to the Greeks as Heracles. It was the Romans who began to refer to the hero as Hercules. It was this name that stuck and is more commonly known.
Regardless of which name he was referred to as the stories of Hercules remain fairly consistent through numerous different cultures. Every source stated that he was the strongest human ever to have lived and the greatest of all the heroes. The tales of his adventures and the 12 labours stayed pretty much the same in Greek and Roman mythology. This is why the stories have been able to remain popular to this day.
Highly Prevalent in Popular Culture
Hercules has been highly prevalent in mainstream culture over the years, and he has also served as inspiration for other popular books, films, and television series.
In terms of adaptations of the hero himself, there have been more than 37 films. A lot of these were released in Italy in the 1950s and 1960s. The most recent offering was from Brett Ratner in 2014, and it starred Dwayne Johnson as the muscular monster slayer.
Hercules has also appeared in six television series and more than fourteen video games. One of 888casino’s front page offerings is Hercules, highlighting its popularity. The site is known for its no deposit bonus, which allows players to play with £88 and no code required. Lots of players choose to take advantage of this, as it gives them free playing money to test out the site. Most casino offerings can be played on mobile too, as this site explains. Hercules has appeared in another recent game as well. In 2019, the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey DLC, The Fate of Atlantis: The Torment of Hades, featured a boss fight in which players had to take on Hercules. This Ubisoft game was hugely popular and served as a reminder of how well-received Greek legends are in the game world.
Original Considered a PlayStation Classic
A lot of classic games on earlier versions of the PlayStation have been rebooted over the years, and there are already some coming to the PS5. One example of this is the new Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake from Ubisoft. There is a lot of excitement surrounding this game, which suggests that audiences could also be open to a reboot of Hercules.
The PlayStation game, Disney’s Hercules, was based on the 1997 film from the famous animation company. It was released as an accompaniment to the silver screen offering and served as a way to boost the overall franchise. As with many film-based games of the era, the title from Eurocom followed the plot of the movie. Players had to complete various tasks and challenges before eventually coming up against Hades, the god of the underworld.
The game received mixed reviews from critics, some of which were hugely positive. The negative reviews were mainly down to the fact that some people thought that the developers hadn’t taken advantage of the advanced graphics of the modern console. Instead, it was more in line with the 16-bit Disney titles that had come before it. If a developer decided to reboot this offering, they may have to bring it up to date with modern graphics and gameplay. Alternatively, they could draw on players’ nostalgia and keep the classic format.
A New Game Could Cover a Much Greater Area
Instead of doing a reboot of the original game, an ambitious developer could opt to create a brand new adventure. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey showed what was possible, and the world of ancient Greece looked spectacular in the Ubisoft offering. Players who enjoyed that game would no doubt be keen on a return to those lands in a brand new adventure.
An open-world offering centring on Hercules could be huge, as the character was known to travel far and wide when completing his challenges. The source material would provide more than enough inspiration for missions to include within the game as well.
In addition to the twelve labours, there is a lot of potential for side quests along the way. For example, it is said that Hercules saved Prometheus from his terrible torture by killing the eagle that had devoured the titan’s liver daily. Hercules also sacked Troy well before the Trojan War, and this could be an interesting side plot in a game about his life.
With Hercules being such an iconic and much-loved character, a new game featuring him could be an instant hit. Developers could decide to reboot the PlayStation classic or go for a brand new adventure that makes use of the advanced graphics available now. The latter would probably be the best way to do the hero justice.
