Will Rock is a first-person shooter released in North America on June 9 and Europe on June 13, 2003. This first game, developed on the Saber 3D engine, by Saber Interactive and published by Ubisoft, did not receive huge media attention, but did polarize reviewers who ran the gamut with scores of 90s down to 20s, and some likened the title to a poorer version of Serious Sam.
In Rock, the player takes on the persona of the title character Willford Rockwell, an archeology student, who is faced with the aftermath of a fanatical group called the Olympian Restoration Army (ORA), who somehow have managed to bring back to life a host of mythological creatures from Ancient Greece, including Zeus, king of the Gods, who has abducted Will’s girlfriend Emma. Will is recruited by Prometheus, the Greek Titan of fire and craft, to destroy Zeus and his minions—and rescue his girlfriend.
There are ten levels in the single player and coop versions. Many reviewers noted the massive numbers of enemies. At some points in the game it is possible to be attacked by dozens of different types of enemies simultaneously, and some creatures, such as axe-throwing minotaurs, split into two more attackers when “killed”. Balancing this is the player’s arsenal; among the weapons at his disposal are acid, atomic and “Medusa” guns, and the more standard pistol, shotgun, crossbow, fireball thrower, minigun and grenades. A shovel is also included as a melee weapon.
