Golden Axe: Beast Rider

Overview

Golden Axe: Beast Rider is an action-adventure game developed by US studio Secret Level and published by Sega. This game was released on October 14, 2008.  Beast Rider is a reinvention of the Golden Axe series which made its home console debut on the Sega Genesis. Unlike the original game which featured co-op play throughout, Beast Rider is a single-player game in which the player assumes the role of Tyris Flare, the amazon warrior of the original game.
 

Plot

The game's story is a retelling of the original game's conflict against the forces of Death Adder.  Early on in the game, Tyris' tribe is destroyed by Death Adder's army, leaving her as the last among her kind.  She meets up with the dwarf warrior Gilius Thunderhead, who presents her with pieces of the fabled Golden Axe, and is charged with the task of restoring the weapon to its full strength.

Gameplay

The gameplay is split into three parts: combat, magic, and beast riding. The battle system features swordplay similar to that found in other third-person action games, with the focus on fighting large groups of enemies, while a parry and evade system should add some depth. As well as featuring bloody combat and dismemberment , stringing together long combos allow players to initiate brutal cinematic kills.

To pilot a beast, Tyris must climb onto the creature and drive her sword into the creature's back as a makeshift method of control. Mountable beasts range from dragons to giant apes and most are based on creatures featured in the original game.