Why? Short version: This game has it all.
It has thrilling combat with varied strategies and a plethora of combat tools and unique enemies.
It has an exciting cast of character, with some of the best voice acting I've heard in a video game.
It has an easy-to-follow, but heartfelt story that you uncover through interesting dialogues throughout the campaign.
The protagonist is witty, enjoyable, and designed with strong motivations - his VA is fantastic and he exudes heart.
The atmosphere is thick and interesting and varied worlds, visually exciting vistas, and a real sense of place.
The music is just...
... chef's kiss.
It looks beautiful. The world. The character art. The menus. The world hub. The environments. And it runs fantastic at a locked 720p and relatively consistent 60fps on Switch handheld. I can't wait to pick this up on PC, too, when Cross-saves hit.
The challenge and the pacing is top-notch.
***
I hate using the world "flawless." Sometimes flaws can be subjective - and in our hobby, video games, subjectivity is a heavy source of our appreciation or disdain for any particular title. But, Hades does it's damnest to get as close to a universal acceptance as flawless as I've seen from many games the last several years. It's truly a release that fires on all cylinders - and I struggle to point out any detractions from my experience. Let me list out a few that I think are fair, if admittedly very nitpicky:
- Some of the item descriptions or menu systems can feel a bit unintuitive or difficult to understand. Text is small.
- The framerate dipped below 60fps on Switch handheld a handful of times during my playthrough, usually during the heaviest fights
- The last area of the game is a bit cramped, and reduces the player's ability to leverage the game's great maneuverability
- On that note, the last area presents a new mechanic that can be a bit frustrating IMO, and depends a bit too heavily on random chance
- A few more enemy types after your first completed run would be nice (though maybe they're coming, this game surprises)
... that's it? That's my entire list of complaints after putting 20 hours into a game I got for $20 at release.
This game is SPECIAL. My best friend and I have an especially strong affliction toward games that feel designed to pursue a single vision, rather than "design by comittee" or "built for focus groups." And that's a broad stroke statement, that I'm sure we unfairly apply to countless "labors of love," but that sweeping statement allows us to easily categorize games based on a feeling. Hades has that vision. It feels like the result of a focused pursuit, but built with love and passion - that gives me an experience I haven't had before. Maybe something similar, but nothing like this.
Hades, to explain simply, is a Rogue-lite: you make several attempts at escaping the underworld, facing randomized environments and foes, growing your strength, as difficulty progresses... only to typically lose a fight and reset everything back to the beginning. But with one key difference - and this succinct statement I've read a few times explains it best:
"In Hades, death still = progress."
Are you like me? Do you have a full-time job? A family? Other hobbies? Are you exhausted? Do you have very finite time for video games? And as such, might the typical rogue-like/lite experience be a bit daunting? Do you look at such games... maybe even play them... and after a 40 minute run ending in failure ask yourself "did I just waste my time playing this?"
Sure, maybe you get better over time. But if I only have an hour, I'd like to show something for my efforts. And Hades gives that to you. While yes, you will die (a lot), the game does give you certain materials/exp that you can effectively "cash in" between runs for permanent upgrades. Significant increases in health, drastic improvements to damage output, different weapons, etc. Factor in the randomly assorted upgrades or "boons" you'll uncover in each run (though losing upon death), and after just a few attempts, you'll quickly find yourself in a rhythm of improving, but also uncovering unique synergies between all the tools at your disposal. A run that may feel worthless at first, has room to become something grand just a few minutes later. And while yes, there is absolutely an element of RNG - something I typically don't care for - Hades gives you so many tools and a fair bit of influence and a great deal of opportunity to pivot a build mid-run, that I always felt I was influencing my runs. Sure, luck is great. But skill and thought is always enough.
I love this game.
I don't typically care for the genre. While the art is beautiful, I won't pretend the environment's and "another Greek mythology" game weren't a bit off-putting. The constant commentary of "challenge" sounded daunting... I don't want to get mad over and over. But I played it for about 1hr my first night, and couldn't stop thinking about it. A ~week or so later, I finally escaped/"won" on attempt 30, though about five of those were runs that I intentionally cut short. 25-35 attempts and about 15-20 hours seems to be the general (general) time it takes to get your first "win," though there is MUCH MUCH more to uncover.
Way more story. All fully voiced, of course. More challenges. More things to discover. New synergies between upgrades and items. And of course, the "Real ending," though I'll probably slow down as I try for that.
This game is something special. Truly something great. Bastion and Transitor and Pyre are good games. Great games. But this is next level.
If you even have a fleeting interest in giving it a shot, I'd encourage you to do so. Maybe the challenge will push you away (though I feel the pacing and ramp of difficulty is pretty much perfection). Maybe the characters will feel like B-tier versions of your favorite Greek Gods (but I see them, now, as THE definitive interpretations). Maybe it just isn't your type of game at all (but trust me, it wasn't mine). But if you've ever bought a game you didn't beat and could get over it, I'd implore you to take a risk on this $25 title.
Good luck on your escape!
It has thrilling combat with varied strategies and a plethora of combat tools and unique enemies.
It has an exciting cast of character, with some of the best voice acting I've heard in a video game.
It has an easy-to-follow, but heartfelt story that you uncover through interesting dialogues throughout the campaign.
The protagonist is witty, enjoyable, and designed with strong motivations - his VA is fantastic and he exudes heart.
The atmosphere is thick and interesting and varied worlds, visually exciting vistas, and a real sense of place.
The music is just...
... chef's kiss.
It looks beautiful. The world. The character art. The menus. The world hub. The environments. And it runs fantastic at a locked 720p and relatively consistent 60fps on Switch handheld. I can't wait to pick this up on PC, too, when Cross-saves hit.
The challenge and the pacing is top-notch.
***
I hate using the world "flawless." Sometimes flaws can be subjective - and in our hobby, video games, subjectivity is a heavy source of our appreciation or disdain for any particular title. But, Hades does it's damnest to get as close to a universal acceptance as flawless as I've seen from many games the last several years. It's truly a release that fires on all cylinders - and I struggle to point out any detractions from my experience. Let me list out a few that I think are fair, if admittedly very nitpicky:
- Some of the item descriptions or menu systems can feel a bit unintuitive or difficult to understand. Text is small.
- The framerate dipped below 60fps on Switch handheld a handful of times during my playthrough, usually during the heaviest fights
- The last area of the game is a bit cramped, and reduces the player's ability to leverage the game's great maneuverability
- On that note, the last area presents a new mechanic that can be a bit frustrating IMO, and depends a bit too heavily on random chance
- A few more enemy types after your first completed run would be nice (though maybe they're coming, this game surprises)
... that's it? That's my entire list of complaints after putting 20 hours into a game I got for $20 at release.
This game is SPECIAL. My best friend and I have an especially strong affliction toward games that feel designed to pursue a single vision, rather than "design by comittee" or "built for focus groups." And that's a broad stroke statement, that I'm sure we unfairly apply to countless "labors of love," but that sweeping statement allows us to easily categorize games based on a feeling. Hades has that vision. It feels like the result of a focused pursuit, but built with love and passion - that gives me an experience I haven't had before. Maybe something similar, but nothing like this.
Hades, to explain simply, is a Rogue-lite: you make several attempts at escaping the underworld, facing randomized environments and foes, growing your strength, as difficulty progresses... only to typically lose a fight and reset everything back to the beginning. But with one key difference - and this succinct statement I've read a few times explains it best:
"In Hades, death still = progress."
Are you like me? Do you have a full-time job? A family? Other hobbies? Are you exhausted? Do you have very finite time for video games? And as such, might the typical rogue-like/lite experience be a bit daunting? Do you look at such games... maybe even play them... and after a 40 minute run ending in failure ask yourself "did I just waste my time playing this?"
Sure, maybe you get better over time. But if I only have an hour, I'd like to show something for my efforts. And Hades gives that to you. While yes, you will die (a lot), the game does give you certain materials/exp that you can effectively "cash in" between runs for permanent upgrades. Significant increases in health, drastic improvements to damage output, different weapons, etc. Factor in the randomly assorted upgrades or "boons" you'll uncover in each run (though losing upon death), and after just a few attempts, you'll quickly find yourself in a rhythm of improving, but also uncovering unique synergies between all the tools at your disposal. A run that may feel worthless at first, has room to become something grand just a few minutes later. And while yes, there is absolutely an element of RNG - something I typically don't care for - Hades gives you so many tools and a fair bit of influence and a great deal of opportunity to pivot a build mid-run, that I always felt I was influencing my runs. Sure, luck is great. But skill and thought is always enough.
I love this game.
I don't typically care for the genre. While the art is beautiful, I won't pretend the environment's and "another Greek mythology" game weren't a bit off-putting. The constant commentary of "challenge" sounded daunting... I don't want to get mad over and over. But I played it for about 1hr my first night, and couldn't stop thinking about it. A ~week or so later, I finally escaped/"won" on attempt 30, though about five of those were runs that I intentionally cut short. 25-35 attempts and about 15-20 hours seems to be the general (general) time it takes to get your first "win," though there is MUCH MUCH more to uncover.
Way more story. All fully voiced, of course. More challenges. More things to discover. New synergies between upgrades and items. And of course, the "Real ending," though I'll probably slow down as I try for that.
This game is something special. Truly something great. Bastion and Transitor and Pyre are good games. Great games. But this is next level.
If you even have a fleeting interest in giving it a shot, I'd encourage you to do so. Maybe the challenge will push you away (though I feel the pacing and ramp of difficulty is pretty much perfection). Maybe the characters will feel like B-tier versions of your favorite Greek Gods (but I see them, now, as THE definitive interpretations). Maybe it just isn't your type of game at all (but trust me, it wasn't mine). But if you've ever bought a game you didn't beat and could get over it, I'd implore you to take a risk on this $25 title.
Good luck on your escape!
