Odyssey: The Search for Ulysses

About the Game

Odyssey: The Search for Ulysses is a 2000 adventure game developed by French studio In Utero and published by Cryo Interactive in Europe. It was first released in France on June 7, 2000, while the English-language editions followed in 2001. In North America, the game was published by DreamCatcher Interactive.

The story is a loose adaptation of Homer's Odyssey. Ten years have passed since the end of the Trojan War, but Ulysses has still not returned to Ithaca. Penelope, having received no news of her husband, decides to send someone to search for him. The player takes the role of Heritias, Ulysses' childhood friend, who has fallen into disgrace and sees the mission as an opportunity to restore his position.

The search begins in Troy, the last place where Ulysses was known to have been seen. From there, Heritias travels through various locations in the mythological world, following his friend's trail and attempting to discover what happened to him.

During his journey, the protagonist encounters several familiar figures from Greek mythology. Poseidon is one of the main opposing forces, while Zeus, Cerberus, the Cyclops, and the Gorgon also appear. The gods are not merely background characters; their actions directly affect the course of Heritias' journey.

Poseidon in particular attempts to prevent Heritias from completing his mission, while Athena can act as a supporting force. The search for Ulysses therefore develops into a broader conflict involving the protagonist, the gods, and the supernatural forces attempting to influence his journey.

Gameplay focuses primarily on exploration, interaction, and puzzle solving. Players move through three-dimensional environments, examine objects, collect clues, and interact with characters encountered during the journey. Progress requires understanding the mechanisms of each location and using objects and information appropriately.

The game uses Cryo Interactive's Cryogen engine. Characters move in real time through pre-rendered three-dimensional environments, combining the visual style of adventure games of the period with real-time 3D characters.

The adventure takes place in a world strongly based on ancient Greek mythology. Troy, the Olympian gods, mythical monsters, and legendary journeys create a setting closely associated with the Homeric tradition. Although the game takes considerable liberties with the original epic, its central premise—the search for the missing Ulysses after the Trojan War—remains directly connected to the Odyssey.