GameBanshee has a review of Cinemax' Numen, the hack'n'slasher released some time back. There's a fair bit of criticism but the game can be picked up for $2-ish on sale, which makes it more palatable. On using skills:

The mechanics of the game are also a little bit strange.  Each class gets a handful of skills they can learn, and your god can also teach you some skills, but sort of annoyingly skills have a double cost, both in energy and stamina.  Energy is basically the same as what you see in other games (where it's sometimes called mana), but the idea behind stamina is unique to Numen.  Your stamina total determines how quickly you regenerate health, and if you run out of stamina, then you stop regenerating altogether.  The annoying part is that the only way to replenish your stamina is to rest at a campfire, but you only find one or two campfires per map, and every time you rest, enemies respawn.  So the only way to really make progress in the game is to avoid your skills as much as possible, which makes the frequent battles sort of tedious, since you mostly just click on an enemy once to initiate the battle and then twiddle your thumbs for a while until it's over.  I've never played an action RPG before where the developer tried so hard to make the game less fun to play.

Numen hasn't exactly garnered stellar reviews but it's hard to go wrong for $2...

You don't see many reviews of Numen but a new one has popped up at Gaming Nexus.  It's fairly positive despite some clear shortcomings, with the reviewer saying the team clearly had ideas they couldn't fully flesh out:

The most glaring issue with Numen: Contest of Heroes is the pacing.  I would argue that one of the best parts of an RPG is leveling up.  Who doesn’t love playing as a character, watching them grow stronger and being able to finally use that uber weapon you’ve been holding on to for four levels?  That joy is lessened when you blow through an entire level after defeating a handful of enemies.  It was most obvious in the final dungeon where I gained 12 levels in less than 10 minutes.  Despite the wonderful array of abilities in the game, I ended up missing out on using many of them simply because I would gain too many levels before making it back to civilization. 

The promised demo for Numen is now available on Steam, allowing you to sample Cinemax' Ancient Greek flavoured hack'n'slasher.

Some dev responses on the Steam forums (and noticed by Gamer's Hell) says a Numen sequel or expansion is unlikely but a demo is on the way:

Yes, there will definitely be an English demo for Numen. We are working on it (it won't be difficult, because there is already a Czech demo out there), but no release date has been set for it yet.

Catching up on a couple of items I missed during the week.  Czech action/RPG Numen was quietly released on Impulse a couple of weeks ago.  The current user rating is 4/5 (no idea how many votes) and you can grab it for 29.99.

Thanks, John!

Edit: thanks to several readers for pointing out Numen is Czech, not Russian.

Gaming Nexus posts an interview with Aleš Ulm, the lead designer for a game that's rather dropped off the radar in the last year, Akella's  Numen: Contest of Heroes.  The interview is short but covers all the basics and has several screenshots as well.

Could you talk about how the combat in the game works?
The combat is not hack’n’slash like in Diablo or Titan Quest. It’s more like offline World of Warcraft. There are over 80 unique abilities in the game - many of them are very specific and have to be used in special ways to maximize their potential. The player has to inspect his opponents and pick his fights.

Can you talk about some of the RPG elements in the game? Are you using the traditional elements or are you changing things up a bit?
The character you play has a basic set of common stats such as intellect, strength or dexterity. As you level up you those are raised automatically but you also get several points to allocate as you see fit. By using weapons or spells you get more proficient at it – if, for example, you keep casting fire spells, your fire magic skill will go up and when it’s high enough it can trigger Fire magic mastery which gives you additional bonuses.

Akella has released a new video for Cinemax's mythologically themed action rpg, Numen:Contest of Heroes. You can pick up the footage of combat and gameplay at GamersHell and File Front.

Akella have opened the official website for the action RPG Numen. After about 5 months of no news, this might be the start of hearing more of this game.

Akella has added three new screenshots showing some combat sequences for their mythologically-inspired action rpg, Numen: Contest of Heroes. You can view a strange blue figure getting a critical hit in here.

Somehow missed this at the time, but last week Akella posted six assorted monster screenshots for their upcoming action rpg  from developer Cinemax, Numen:Contest of Heroes. You can view them here. 

Akella's official website has posted a short article featuring some landscape screens for the mythologically-inspired action rpg from Cinemax, Numen:Contest of Heroes. Here's a snip:

What can we do to create a world that would feel like ancient Greece? This was the main question we tried to answer when creating Numen’s  landscapes.

Greece consists of both the northern mainland and a large number of small to large islands. All together there are about 3000 of them. Because islands are spread out over a very large area of the Mediterranean sea, they are very diverse. That makes them a great game environment...

These are the exotic places we hope will make the players believe they are navigating through ancient Greece, and give them a visual of what ancient Greece may have actually been like.

Worthplaying has added 5 new screenshots to their gallery for Akella's and Cinemax's mythologically-inspired action RPG, Numen:Contest of Heroes. You can view them here, and also at Akella's official Russian site. 

Akella's official Russian site for Cinemax's  mythologically themed action RPG, Numen:Contest of Heroes has been updated with a few new screenshots. You can view them here. 

Strategy Informer has a short Q & A  up with an unnamed spokesperson from Cinemax on their action rpg in development, Numen. Here's their take on the name and the game's focus on the gods of mythology:

Andy Alderson[SI]: 'Numen' is defined as a deity inhabiting a place or object. How does this relate to the concept of the game?

CINEMAX: In Numen, the element of omnipotent deities is a core game feature. The gods watch you everywhere you go, everything you do is judged by them. The story revolves around an object possessing magical power, so strong that it is feared by the Gods themselves. All this made us choose this name.

Andy Alderson: In Numen, the player is allied with a particular god. Can the player choose their god? What are the differences between the gods? Do Numen's deities accurately reflect their counterparts in Greek mythology?

CINEMAX: When you start playing the game your character is a child. The way you play the game shifts you towards a group of three gods (out of nine gods available in the game - so there are three of those groups). Those three are similar in a way – for example Apollo, Hermes and Artemis have all strong connection with nature and their followers use bows as their primary weapon.

Based on your progress you can later in the game select one of those three gods you wish to follow. From that moment on your god will grant you special abilities. Those abilities are based on the god’s nature – Zeus can teach you how to create lightning and thunder, a follower of Poseidon has strong connection with water, those who worship Hades receive help from the realm of the undead and so on.

Akella's gallery for Cinemax's mythologically-based  action rpg Numen posts 5 new screenshots focusing on some of the monsters and adversaries in the game. You can check them out here. 

RPGVault posts their latest look at the mythogically-inspired action rpg from Cinemax and Akella, Numen:Contest of Heroes, focusing this time on sidequests and NPC interaction. ( I couldn't take writing that name one more time without wondering what the heck it meant, so I looked it up, and a numen is defined as a "divine power or spirit; a deity, esp. one presiding locally or believed to inhabit a particular object.")

Moving on with my vocabulary increased, here's a snip on NPCs:

When we designed NPCs in Numen, we tried to keep in mind several key goals. We wanted each one to have his or her place in the world, and to have a believable background story and/or motives. We wanted for as many of them as possible to be more than just common soldier or villagers so that when you get to, for example, a coastal settlement in Lybia, you are likely to meet individuals such as a lighthouse keeper who is grieving loss of her brother, a rude and greedy mayor, a cheeky and bold thief, and a proud native desert guide. We are trying hard to have NPCs that are interesting and memorable.

UK site AvidGamer  posts a short, bare bones Q & A with the dev team for Cinemax's and Akella's mythologically themed action rpg, Numen:Contest of Heroes. Here's a snip:

What influences have you drawn upon, games? Myths? Literature?

When we populated the world of Numen with monsters we certainly used a lot of reference. There are numerous books and other resources on mythical beasts, heroes and gods. But we also did want to bring something new and fresh to the game. What’s the point of exploring if you already know all the monsters you are likely to face? So we decided to introduce, along with the things you’d expect from a game set in this era, also some unique monsters, spells and features.

What would you saw Numen’s unique pulling point is?

When you explore the game world you see and feel that you are not alone. You meet the other heroes who may have gotten there before you. They may be after the same specific item or NPC or have chosen some other path to victory and so after meeting them you just part your ways. We also believe that the interaction with player’s god is a quite interesting feature. If you find ways to please your god, you will be granted unique spells and abilities. If not, you will have to do without them.

RPGVault posts the third installment in their developer previews of Cinemax' mythological action rpg Numen, this one with Ales Ulm, Lead Designer. It focuses on the character attribute and skill systems of the game:

You start as a child who is not predisposed to any style of fighting - magic, melee or ranged. There are several mentors on your island, each of which can teach you his way of fighting. This gives your hero the opportunity to learn various basic combat abilities. It's up to you which one you prefer.

As you use those abilities, you slowly shift towards one of the basic classes, which are the warrior, mage and hunter; the last is also something of a bard. When you finally leave your island you, by your own actions, have already decided which class you are going to play for the rest of the game. Within each basic one, there are three sub-classes. As you might expect, they all grant various unique capabilities.

On the skill system:

Then, there are skills. Every ability or even basic attack you perform relies on one. When you strike at an enemy with a sword, you're using your mastery of that weapon type. If your hunter plays a defensive tune, he'll be employing his knowledge of the lyre. Your skills rise when you use them, but only to a certain degree for every level that your hero advances... Once you gain a new level though, you can train some more.

Four new screens from Numen are up at Worthplaying.

RPG Vault's second Peek at Numen looks at moving through the gameworld:

Most of the gameplay unfolds in a typical Mediterranean countryside. The player will experience this slightly arid area with clear blue skies and sea as the game begins - during his or her childhood on the island of Leros. Enabling you to see quite a long way through the hot clear air has proved to be quite a challenge, though. Having the fog start close to you (or the camera) and basicaly turning off everything you can't see anymore is a great way to make a game run well even on slower computers. Without this, however, you have to put much more effort into optimization if you want to achieve a good frame rate.

The new Akella website  posts a link to a short interview at RPGDot with Ales Ulm, lead designer on their mythologically-themed action rpg developed by Cinemax, Numen:Contest of Heroes. Here they ask about the meaning of the subtitle:

Could you tell us a little about the storyline of the game as revealed by the subtitle "Contest of Heroes"? Will we be actively meeting and fighting the other eight heroes in the game? The storyline does seem an important part of the game; will there be many quests and even puzzles to keep player's interest?

It is the story that drives the game; it is one of the strongest points of Numen. It unfolds around disappearance of a very dangerous and powerful item, feared by the gods themselves. It proves to be stolen. Nine of the gods, who don’t trust each other, find nine heroes, train them and send them to find the item. Not only can they control each other’s progress by sending mere mortals but the whole event turns into prestigious contest showing whose follower is stronger, faster and smarter.

The interaction with the other eight heroes is indeed an important aspect of the game...You will encounter the other heroes under many circumstances as you travel the world of Numen. They may be in dire need of help – will you help them or take advantage of their situation? They may offer to cooperate with you for a short while – will you accept that or are you truly a lone wolf? They may simply mind their own business and ignore you. There is no direct fighting among the heroes except for the duels and tournaments held in the Arena.

As for the quests, there are many of them (both mainline and side quests) and some of them are quite unique. 

Akella's new website has added a few additional screenshots from the bestiary for their mythologically themed action rpg being developed by Cinemax, Numen: Contest of Heroes.

You can see the full gallery here.

Half a dozen screens from Akella's mythological action/RPG Numen are on offer at Worthplaying.

RPG Vault has their first Peek at Numen, with Lead Designer Ales Ulm writing about classes and gods:

With Numen we were pretty sure what class choices we would give the player right from the start. We needed a strong warrior, a dexterous archer and a wise mage. It was partly because the story itself needed those three common archetypes. In our game, the Olympian gods are locked in never-ending argument about which of the three is better. Based on their preferences, the nine deities we have included are separated into three groups.

But even though there are three gods in each of the groups, they are far from being identical. For example, among those who prefer mages, two are Zeus and Poseidon. Their respective heroes can use a common set of spells and abilities that is accessible to every mage; followers of either one can cast common fireballs or use basic healing spells. However, each character has something more - talents or abilities that can only be granted by his or her chosen Olympian.

Hooked Gamers has posted an interview with the developers of Numen, Cinemax and Akella's upcoming action rpg set in a mythogical world. The article gives an overview of various game elements:

HG: You draw a lot of the story from the Greek mythology. How true, in your opinion, have you been to this material and did you, for example, have to ”modify” any of the gods in order for them to fit the world that you created in Numen?

There are some things you just have to respect when you draw from the Greek mythology. Ares will always be the bloodthirsty and brutal god; Hades is a dark and shady figure and so on. We didn’t modify any gods to serve our needs better. The backstory is based exactly on what they allegedly were.

HG: RPGs have traditionally had several different character classes or professions to choose from. What made you decide to stay with only three – the warrior, the hunter and the mage?

The fact that there are just three basic classes that a player can choose from comes mainly from the backstory – it’s actually a test to show who’s better – quicker and more dexterous, stronger or wiser. But being one of those classes doesn’t determine fully the character’s potential. Each class is divided into three “subclasses” so if, for example, you play a mage, you can choose whether you’ll do more damage, have strong healing abilities or play tricks with minds of your enemies.

Some of the differences:

HG: Could you describe the qualities in Numen that will make it stand out from the competition and make it a worthy purchase for the gamers?

It’s definitely the concept of other heroes around you trying to win the “race”. You will get to know some of them, see them rise and fall – even by your own hand. Then there’s the storyline which we believe is quite intriguing with enough surprises and twists to keep the player immersed. Also it’s really rewarding to see some of the changes in the game’s world that come as results of your own actions.

There’s also more to the game than just fighting. You’ll search for clues, solve riddles, and dig up treasures...
 

Akella has posted some updated screenshots for developer Cinemax' mythologically inspired action rpg Numen, scheduled for release in Q3 of 2008. You can view them in the gallery  at the official site.

Hooked Gamers has what seems to be a hands-off preview of Akella's mythological action/RPG, Numen:

The background story of Numen is relatively simple: the Greek gods lose an artifact and recovering this artifact becomes a sort of a competition between the gods, each of whom backs up their own champion in the race. Similar petty strifes between gods and their champions are pretty common in Greek and Roman mythology, so it can be said that such a story is a pretty plausible, and even welcome, starting point for the game.

Akella has kicked up thirteen screens and five pieces of art from Numen.

RPG Vault is the first site we've seen with an interview on Cinemax' and Akella's mythological action/RPG (ever notice things come in threes?  Titan Quest, Loki...) titled Numen:

Jonric: Since you mentioned the story element, would you care to tell us about it? Without spoiling it, can you tell us the general substance?

Ales Ulm: We believe the storyline to be one of the strongest points of Numen. The backstory itself, however, is quite simple. A very dangerous and powerful item, feared by the gods themselves, is stolen. Nine of them, paranoid and not trusting each other, each find a hero, train them, and send them to find the item. Not only can they control each other's progress by sending mere mortals, but the whole event turns into prestigious contest to show whose follower is stronger, faster and smarter.

What makes the storyline really interesting is interaction among the heroes, the fact that only one of them can be a winner in the end, and that the search for the item is far from being easy and linear.

Akella has a couple of screens and a trailer (44Mb) for their action/RPG, Numen.

Eight screens from Akella's recently announced mythological action/RPG Numen can be found at AtomicGamer.

You may recall a recent Polish interview revealing Akella's Numen - a mythologically themed action/RPG they have in development.  The official press release has now been sent out and apparently the game will impress even "captious" players - I'm not quite sure who they are, but, hey - now there's a game just for you. 

Akella company and Cinemax studio have announced joint development of game Numen. This project is made in action/RPG genre and it provides the whole row of differences from competitive products that will amaze even the most captious player with wonderful graphics, absolutely new elements of gameplay, advanced battle system. Playing Numen you’ll become a Hero who has enduring body and strong will-power and who travels in world of Greek mythology, becomes stronger with every quest!

The action of game takes place in à marvelous world of antique Greece where mythical creatures, legendary warriors and ambitious Gods came alive.

A lot of villages and countrysides that are spreaded at wide seasides and stony plains are full of hostile and peaceful inhabitants. Some of them have interesting and exciting quests for you!

All your movements are being watched by immortal Olympians. Immortal but not impassive. They have an argue about who can be named the most powerful among them. And Gods have decided that each of them must train one human hero. Who’s hero would turn to be the strongest – will become a winner!

After you choose one of 3 classes, your character (magician, warrior, hunter) you should select your own God who becomes your patron. Divine tutor are different in bonuses, talents and capabilities which you can get from them. Game style, quests and secret locations are also various for each character. Your hero must conduct religious rites and learn rituals.

Also you can find your rivals during the game at special arenas. Sometimes you can gather a group with other Heros to pass through difficult quests.

Numen will give you an opportunity to fight against dangerous enemies like Cerberus, Medusa Gorgone, Haron, Cyclop, centaurs, Nubians…

You should have to arm oneself good enough to win! You can buy the best weapon at auctions.

Keep waiting for news from Olympus!

Key Features:

    - Numen is a third-person RPG that will plunge the player deep into the amazing world of Greek mythology, the realm of almighty gods, brave heroes, fabulous creatures and great deeds.
    - Featuring an engaging storyline, the game takes the player on a path from a weak, naive youth to a legendary hero who fights in the name of his or her chosen deity.
    - There is a devoted hero for each of the gods, but in the end, only one will prevail.
    - Variety of weapons and combo moves to use and master

An interview with Akella at Polish site gry.o2.pl has revealed a new hack-n-slash action/RPG titled Numen from developers that have worked on Daemonica and Inquisitor.  The game has a mythological theme and is set in the Mediterranean so comparisons with Titan Quest seem obvious, although Akella point out why they think their combat is superior:

Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): How would you describe the gameplay of Numen and what are the team's main goals in creating this game?

Irina Semenova (Akella): When we designed Numen we wanted it to be different from the usual hack'n'slash Diablo clones. We wanted the player to become much more engaged in every fight he has. We want him to look for the best way to kill each unique enemy, to look for the weapons that hurt it more that the rest, to react to changes in its strategy, to counter it's attack with his own special talents and skills. With such a approach to the combat our gameplay is closer to what you can experience when fighting solo in World of Warcraft than, for example, in Titan's Quest. We also believe that every RPG has to have a really good and strong story that should be far more than just a way how to link together different game zones and quests.