Hades

Rogue-like games are a genre I never previously enjoyed, but Hades is superb and has become one of my all-time favourites. Dying during a run in Hades never frustrates me because there are no downsides to it.

I have been playing video games for 45 years and have high standards. After nearly 400 Hades runs, I can honestly say that the artistic style, voice acting, design, gameplay, music and software testing are worthy of high praise.

P. S. If you play this on a PC boyo, do yourself a favour and use a programmable gaming mouse with a thumb button, or a compatible gamepad. The game is still excellent without one, but a programmable thumb button for the game's Special move is very helpful.

Roguelike games are just getting more and more popular. I've never really been a fan but the more of them I play, I'm starting to understand the appeal better. Hades isn't particularly easy game but it does do a few things to help the player. Getting to earn in game currency and xp allows you to upgrade your character and weapons gradually so while you start each attempt in stage 1, Zagreus is still getting stronger. This system more or less ensures that if you're patient enough, you'll beat the game in time. The satisfying nature of the combat also makes the repeated failure more palatable. You get to wield one of 6 different weapons (your choice which one) and you wield varying powers dependent on which of your family decides to help you (more on that later). It's not strategy based but depending on how you use your abilities, things can get easier. I enjoyed cutting through enemy after enemy in room after room despite the fact I had to do it again and again... and again...... and again.

Our protagonist while battling through the underworld is Hades' son Zagreus. He has recently learned that the Night Goddess Nyx is not his real mother. Couple this with his father's reluctance to talk about his real mother Persephone and their general animosity for each other, Zagreus resolves to journey to the surface world and meet her in person. This angers his father and he forbids it, so Zagreus must fight his way out through his father's goons (various different shades and agents with different offensive capabilities). Word reaches his relatives on Olympus and they're supportive of his efforts. They lend him their power as he tries to battle his way out. It's a simple story but what helps sell it and make it more interesting is the characters. Zagreus' extended family are all interesting and entertaining. The game also presents unique challenges based on which God is helping on that given run. The game is helped further by the fact that Zagreus is easy to like. He's very sarcastic and self-depreciating but he's highly motivated and pretty affable. You want to see him succeed and it makes his inevitable victory all the more satisfying when a chorus of Gods have been cheering him on the entire time. The characters are presented in a really unique manner (at least for Greek mythology, which has been done how many times now?) and while the premise isn't ironclad strong, its elevated by how it's paired with the characters and the world.

Hades is a product of Supergiant, an indie darling of the game industry. One of their consistent strengths are their mastery of visual and audio components in each of their games. Hades is no exception, the animation is way better than required for the roguelike genre and gives the game a sense style that keeps you engaged. The soundtrack is also fantastic, the game relies on an instrumental score but just like their previous work Pyre, its got a ton of depth and range. When you're heading into a tough room and the music shifts, it adds to the stakes and sharpens your focus. It's just one more area where they weren't satisfied to just give you good enough and I appreciated the effort.

Hades is a testament to Supergiant games and their enduring excellence. Pyre was/is amazing but it was admittedly more of a niche game (it still deserved a bigger following, check out my review for that game as well). Supergiant went more mainstream with Hades by choosing a more popular genre and they nailed it thoroughly. Supergiant not only delivered on a satisfying combat system that provides all the fun and enjoyable frustration of an elite roguelike game but they add on some gorgeous animation, a fantastic soundtrack, likeable characters and a decent story. This game is a polished gem and while it can be frustrating (I don't want to admit how many attempts it took to beat the game the first time), I loved it throughout. Hades requires some patience but if you've played similar games in the genre, you're going to recognize that's part of the appeal and how special this game is when compared against the average. I'd absolutely recommend this to any interested parties.

I was reluctant to check out Hades, because I'm not particularly into rogue-likes. I've tried Binding of Isaac, Enter the Gungeon, Don't Starve, Slay the Spire, Downwell, and Dead Cells, all of which I'd say are great games, but I honestly just didn't have the patience to see any of them through to the end. I never quite got that "okay, just one more run" feeling I've heard so many other people talk about until I tried Hades.

Hades is the ultimate game to convert those who don't typically click with rogue-likes. I literally could not stop playing it. I dropped 120 hours on it within 15 days. I typically wake up at 5 every morning to exercise. My earlier morning exercise made a sudden shift into extra Hades play sessions before work. I would bring my Switch to work to play during my lunch hours, but I suddenly found myself inadvertently taking extended lunches that I'd have to stay later at work to make up for. I'd look at the clock as my usual bed time approached, and think "my last run was only 22 minutes, I can definitely squeeze in just one more run."

For two full weeks, this game consumed me, and I loved every minute of it. As a side note, this game spurred me to begin reading up on a ton of Greek myth, which absolutely enhanced my understanding of the game's overall narrative, and many of the various character interactions. So I assume this game will be a delight for those who love Greek myth, since it did so much to enhance my appreciation of it.

An outstanding roguelike dungeon crawler that blends fast-paced combat with a compelling narrative. Not to mention the striking art style and dynamic soundtrack, which create a vibrant and immersive experience. The combat is fluid and responsive, with a wide variety of weapons and abilities that keep each run fresh and engaging. The progression system is well-balanced.

One of standout features of Hades is its storytelling. Through repeated attempts to escape, players uncover rich character interactions and backstories, making each run feel purposeful. The voice acting and dialogue are top-notch, adding depth to the mythological setting.

For those who don't know what this genre is, it's a roguelike. A roguelike is a game where you try to beat the game in one run (you can beat this game in 30-minutes but more than likely won't do it in your first try). The catch is, every time you die you get stronger and have a better chance of beating the game. I believe most people should beat this in about 20 - 30 runs but honestly, it kind of doesn't matter. The whole point of this game is to die repeatedly and while that doesn't sound like fun, this game created a formula that I feel other roguelikes have been trying to do for years. The story is surpisingly predictable and straight-forward but the characters, dialogue, music and voice-acting (what SuperGiant is known for) is top-notch. And yes, there is a tangible story you can follow in this game unlike most roguelikes.

In terms of roguelikes I've only played Returnal and this game. I believe this game was in early access for several years and I just beat it (in 2021) so the gameplay is incredibly balanced. It hits that sweet spot of difficulty where it's really difficult but not to the point of ridiculousness (like Souls games but...this is nothing like a Souls game). And just like Monster Hunter, whatever weapon you use truly doesn't matter; anything you choose you have an equal chance of taking out every boss; but I will say that the shield is overpowered but maybe that's just me. I also beat the last boss with the rail gun in case that's helpful.

I've played every SuperGiant game (except for Pyre) so I'm aware of the general art style and gameplay. This game has more gameplay varations than any other SuperGiant game I've ever played. I can only imagine how many permuatations of combat there are between what weapon and weapon aspect, passive item buffs, gameplay modifiers (for each run), weapon upgrades, boons including all of the accumulated progress upgrades overtime. You don't "level" but you do get stronger by buying character upgrades with "darkness" currency that you can spend after each run (after you either die or "beat" the game).

What takes this game to the next level are the positive and negative modifiers for end-game (or after you "beat" the game). You can both turn on modifiers to make the game more difficult but there's an added "god mode" so you passively get stronger every time you die. It's SUPER addicting as, by nature, the game raises the stakes for everytime you either beat the game or die on each run. The only downside is that the currencies you collect when you successfully get through stages of the game (which you keep no matter what) are not that interesting. I'm grinding through the game to buy furniture for the main character's bedroom...So even though the game is fun and addicting, there isn't too much motivation to keep going other than story tidbits from in-game characters you interact with.

Overall, the gameplay, gameplay progression, music, voice-acting, dialogue and really just addictiveness is polished to perfection. Not only did SuperGiant games create a great game, but they designed one that you'll potentially never want to stop playing long after the credits roll.