Athens 2004

About the Game

Athens 2004 is a sports video game created as the official video game of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, held in Athens in August 2004. Developed by British studio Eurocom Developments, it was initially released for PlayStation 2 and later ported to Windows.

The game aims to recreate the experience of competing as an athlete at the Olympic Games. Players can choose from 64 countries and compete in 25 events across eight different sports. These include athletics, swimming, artistic gymnastics, archery, shooting, weightlifting, and equestrian events.

Athletics forms one of the largest parts of the game, with events including the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m, hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault, shot put, discus, and javelin. The game also features the combined decathlon and heptathlon events.

Swimming includes 100-meter events in several disciplines, including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. The PlayStation 2 version also features artistic gymnastics and equestrian events, giving the game a broader representation of the Olympic program.

One of the game's most important features is its use of real Olympic venues in Athens. The developers recreated locations including the Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Aquatic Centre, the Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Centre, the Olympic Indoor Hall, the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre, and the historic Panathenaic Stadium. Architectural plans and photographic references were used to recreate the venues.

The Panathenaic Stadium, in particular, is one of the most recognizable locations featured in the game, serving as the venue for archery. As a result, Athens 2004 goes beyond simply using Athens in its title and incorporates real locations from the Olympic Games directly into its presentation and gameplay.

Gameplay follows the traditional mechanics of sports games of the period. Depending on the event, players must perform the appropriate movements, manage their athlete's speed and timing, and achieve the best possible performance. Different game modes range from practice and individual events to larger competitions and the combined decathlon and heptathlon.

The game also supports multiplayer for up to four players, allowing friends to compete against one another across different Olympic events. The combination of multiple national teams and a wide selection of sports allows players to experience something resembling an entire Olympic competition.

Athens 2004 Trailer