Retro Inspired
AGGELOS
New games that wish they were old
WHILE THE NAME AGGELOS MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR TO YOU, ITS STUNNING PIXEL ART AND BRIGHT AND CHEERFUL DESIGN SHOULD BE INSTANTLY RECOGNISABLE IF YOU GREW UP PL AYING CLASSIC CONSOLE GAMES. FRANÇOIS PEREZ EXPLAINS HOW THE PAST INSPIRED HIS ENTERTAINING ACTION ADVENTURE GAME
WORDS BY DARRAN JONES
Withso many games being made today by huge teams, it’s easy to forget there are many great releases out there that are lovingly crafted by just a handful of individuals. Aggelos is one such game, a delightfully constructed action adventure that’s largely the work of just one person – the rather talented François Perez, who not only programmed Aggelos but was also behind its design, music and graphics. Although as he tells us, he can’t take complete credit for his entertaining adventure. “Chris [Carson] did the porting [to consoles and Steam]” François says. “ He actually did a great job with the bad material that he had to work with [laughs].”
If you couldn’t have guessed by looking at the distinctive cartoony visuals, meticulously designed denizens and cute-looking characters, Aggelos has much in common with the Wonder Boy adventures that were crafted by Westone.
“Wonder Boy is my favourite series,” François confirms. “In fact, my first amateur creation was also a Wonder Boy fan game [Wonder Boy The Prophecy]. Initially, Aggelos was supposed to be inspired by Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link, but it ended up being between both games.” While it certainly leans on the likes of Zelda II and Wonder Boy, Aggelos is very much its own thing and certainly doesn’t feel like a cheap copycat. Things start off traditionally enough with you rescuing a damsel in distress, but you soon discover that there is much more at stake. Said damsel is actually a missing princess and when you reach Lumen Castle its king begs you to defeat a dark evil that threatens to overpower the peaceful kingdom.