Numen - Q. & A. @ RPGDot

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.