Developer Supergiant Games is known for creating titles with rich narrative and challenging themes. One of Hades’ great successes is the seamless integration of these elements into a roguelite structure. Through a seemingly limitless series of character interactions and story advances, Hades continues his storytelling over many hours of repetitive runs as you lead your character from one attempt to escape from hell to another. Along with weapon and character upgrades, new insights into history are among the most satisfying rewards. But that also means you’ll be excited to see how these threads of action resolve. To do this, you should prepare yourself a particularly long road.
Zagreus is the son of the mighty Hades, who rules the realm of the dead with a barely controlled anger that can only be achieved through his insistence on complete control. He’s the definition of a haughty father, and Zagreus’ desire to set up his own business feels as much like a family drama as a retelling of a familiar mythology. His search for a mother he never knew puts him in touch with a who’s who of Olympus and ancient Greece, including Zeus, Athena, Achilles and Medusa. The ever-changing dynamics between these characters are great fun, from the sibling rivalry among the Olympics to reconnecting old flames like Orpheus and Eurydice, and I like the way story tidbits move between action sequences and during those crawls sneak in.
Each attempt to escape includes a series of isometric arena battles that attack an impressive number of enemies in falls that require precision and careful observation. The battle is fast-paced and challenging, and suggests stylish action games like Devil May Cry rather than the isometric RPGs as they might look at first glance. The feeling of adrenaline is always high, but there is also the chance that encounters will turn into frantic button presses as you spam every available attack to bring enemies down before they can unleash their worst counterattacks.
New weapons are unlocked regularly that can dramatically change your play style, from the precision of the heart-seeking bow to the angry melee dominance of the twin fists of Malphon. The most impressive design feat is that even the same weapon inevitably feels different with every run, as god-gifted boons modify and improve individual weapons, spells, and other skills. When I got into the rhythm of flowing from one death to my next attempt, I was always curious to see how my approach could change.
Among the many well-known names, Zagreus met the good-natured Sisyphus, who endlessly pushes a boulder up a hill that he will never climb without complaining about his task. It’s a fair allegory in favor of the broader game that got me engaged thanks to its slow drop of character improvement and fiction, but in a path that felt increasingly sisyphic as the game progressed. I’ve spent dozens of hours browsing the various storylines and tracking upgrades. It’s pleasant, but as the hours went on, my interest in the same sequence of chambers became less and less. I longed for a recap, even though the game required more attempts to escape. Even after “winning”, this test still takes hours to complete.
The story spans too many hours of play to keep the excitement going, but there is absolutely an abundance of content to be discovered along the way. Hades is a massive game with a wealth of additional content to soothe even the toughest of engagements. A “God Mode” offers a gradual increase in damage resistance after each death and brings victory within reach even for those who limit their abilities. Risk takers, on the other hand, looking for more rewards may eventually find a way to increase the difficulty. Alternative boss fights, new weapon aspects, hidden storylines and much more invite the player to get lost in the potential of Hades. These variations and additional options bring the game to life long after the standard completion attempts have worn off.
Even serious dedication does not guarantee the completion of the story without many hours of investment, and only the most dedicated players will see the full spread of what Hades has to offer. But Supergiant’s latest work is a beautiful and thoughtful take on Greek mythology that turns these ancient stories upside down and turns them into commentaries on modern relationships. The high octane action gameplay may drag you to Hell for the first time, but I suspect you will stick around to learn more about this eccentric and fascinating family.
