finally
a supergiant game with gameplay
It's pretty good, with good writing and presentation as expected of a Supergiant title. Gameplay is pretty fun, but get's a little old once you've played with all the weapons (though you can purchase modifiers to spice things up).
Probably one of the most content packed early access games right now, this could be the final version and I'd be satisfied
Edit: reached the ending
I quite like this game. It remains the Supergiant game with the best gameplay by far, and the official release fixed some things that I didn't like in the Early Access. Roguelike and story go hand in hand in Hades, and make a very good symbiosis. The game still looks great and the designs are beautiful, characters are likeable, and writing is still great.
Still, one gripe I have with it is how repetitive everything is. And yes, I am aware that this is how roguelikes function, but Hades' gameplay isn't interesting enough to warrant every run pretty much being the same. The most interesting gameplay change are some pacts and the hidden aspects but that's about it. After that, you'll see every boon, every boss, every enemy ad infinitum because there's just not any variety whatsoever.
Another problem with the gameplay is how meddlesome it is when wanting to experience the story, since you can only talk again with the characters after every escape attempt, which take about 30 min.. But, as I expressed, the gameplay just ends up feeling repetitive, so unless you're doing suicide runs to unlock more of the stories (since the God mode doesn't really help at all), you'll probably be burnt out by the time you have all the sidequests on you. At times, most of the stories (even the main one) just didn't hook my interest enough to warrant doing another escape attempt.
Still, I can't say this is a bad game cus it's really not at all. This is a huge step forward for Supergiant, and I'm really glad they're getting this much attention. Very hyped for their next game, now that Hades demonstrates they can pull off gameplay.
a supergiant game with gameplay
It's pretty good, with good writing and presentation as expected of a Supergiant title. Gameplay is pretty fun, but get's a little old once you've played with all the weapons (though you can purchase modifiers to spice things up).
Probably one of the most content packed early access games right now, this could be the final version and I'd be satisfied
Edit: reached the ending
I quite like this game. It remains the Supergiant game with the best gameplay by far, and the official release fixed some things that I didn't like in the Early Access. Roguelike and story go hand in hand in Hades, and make a very good symbiosis. The game still looks great and the designs are beautiful, characters are likeable, and writing is still great.
Still, one gripe I have with it is how repetitive everything is. And yes, I am aware that this is how roguelikes function, but Hades' gameplay isn't interesting enough to warrant every run pretty much being the same. The most interesting gameplay change are some pacts and the hidden aspects but that's about it. After that, you'll see every boon, every boss, every enemy ad infinitum because there's just not any variety whatsoever.
Another problem with the gameplay is how meddlesome it is when wanting to experience the story, since you can only talk again with the characters after every escape attempt, which take about 30 min.. But, as I expressed, the gameplay just ends up feeling repetitive, so unless you're doing suicide runs to unlock more of the stories (since the God mode doesn't really help at all), you'll probably be burnt out by the time you have all the sidequests on you. At times, most of the stories (even the main one) just didn't hook my interest enough to warrant doing another escape attempt.
Still, I can't say this is a bad game cus it's really not at all. This is a huge step forward for Supergiant, and I'm really glad they're getting this much attention. Very hyped for their next game, now that Hades demonstrates they can pull off gameplay.
I'm not at all a fan of these roguelike type of games but this game... Damn. Finally able to complete a run in this game is just a surge of pure dopamine. With that being said even if you're not a fan of these types of games, still give this a try. I did and let me tell you that I did NOT regret this decision.
I started this game on the Nintendo Switch but due to unfortunate circumstances I had to start a new game on the PC but that didn't stop me from enjoying this amazing game.
Note: fave bow aspect + poseidon. Was super lucker with RNG too since I needed the special boon to push away foes
NOTE FOR NEW GAME (Probs when I pkat EU ver):
-the moment you get the legendary poseidon fishing boon, SELL IT!! For the trophy hehe
-Go for the Skelly prizes on the 10th clear so that it skips Hades
I started this game on the Nintendo Switch but due to unfortunate circumstances I had to start a new game on the PC but that didn't stop me from enjoying this amazing game.
Note: fave bow aspect + poseidon. Was super lucker with RNG too since I needed the special boon to push away foes
NOTE FOR NEW GAME (Probs when I pkat EU ver):
-the moment you get the legendary poseidon fishing boon, SELL IT!! For the trophy hehe
-Go for the Skelly prizes on the 10th clear so that it skips Hades
Over the past month or so, Hades has easily become my favorite roguelike game, taking Binding of Isaac's spot at the top. There's so much to love about it. Gameplay and story working together is the best thing this medium has to offer to me, and Hades is one of those games I get to play only once or twice a year that really hits that specific spot. The execution didn't shatter my expectations of the medium like other games that weave story and gameplay together, but it was very solid. I enjoyed coming back to the house of Hades after every frustrating death and talking to all the side characters. Win or lose, every run progresses the story in some way, and I gotta give it to Supergiant for making me want to jump right back into another run after a disappointing death with that kind of progression, because it's really hard to pull off in this genre.
This might be the only game I've ever played where I've enjoyed using every single weapon and upgrade at my disposal. The six weapons you unlock throughout the game are all very different from each other and every single one is satisfying to use. There are some I preferred to others, but with a challenge-increasing mechanic that unlocks after your first successful run, Hades tries it's best to incentivize using the other weapons, and it works.
The upgrades you get in and outside of runs are good fun too. You have standard stuff you can upgrade back at home, and then you have the boons given to you by the Olympians that go away after you die. slowly figuring out your favorite build is never tiring, and because you never get the exact same stuff two runs in a row, you're always being forced to experiment with new boons and abilities. There's so much more I could talk about but I'm going to leave it here. Personally, I wouldn't have picked this as my GOTY last year even as someone who didn't play The Last of Us Part 2, the widely-agreed contender. But I definitely understand why people do. This game is definitely worth your time and money, and another addition to the slowly growing library of fantastic indie games.
Every character in this game is hot.
This might be the only game I've ever played where I've enjoyed using every single weapon and upgrade at my disposal. The six weapons you unlock throughout the game are all very different from each other and every single one is satisfying to use. There are some I preferred to others, but with a challenge-increasing mechanic that unlocks after your first successful run, Hades tries it's best to incentivize using the other weapons, and it works.
The upgrades you get in and outside of runs are good fun too. You have standard stuff you can upgrade back at home, and then you have the boons given to you by the Olympians that go away after you die. slowly figuring out your favorite build is never tiring, and because you never get the exact same stuff two runs in a row, you're always being forced to experiment with new boons and abilities. There's so much more I could talk about but I'm going to leave it here. Personally, I wouldn't have picked this as my GOTY last year even as someone who didn't play The Last of Us Part 2, the widely-agreed contender. But I definitely understand why people do. This game is definitely worth your time and money, and another addition to the slowly growing library of fantastic indie games.
Every character in this game is hot.
Very fun gameplay but one of the most insufferable stories I've ever endured. I had to mute the voice acting entirely because the actor playing Zag delivers the worst british accent I've ever witnessed.
Great game to play on mute, ignore the dumb as fuck YA novel story.
Great game to play on mute, ignore the dumb as fuck YA novel story.
Fucking masterpiece. Nuff said.
One of my favorite games of all time, and this is coming from someone that's not too into roguelikes. It's super accessible, stylish and all-around addicting.
Not my type of game. Anyone cares to tell me why I cant find it in me to put it down? The prospect of terminating Thanatos in bed perchance has some bearing on it. Some games have strange ways to call us single in every language known to man...
I swear they have an infinite amount of dialogue in this hoe. If it didnt hit so hard with great voice acting you'd think it's AI-generated. Except Papyrus he did tend to repeat himself.. Am I telling on myself for the amount of times I bent him? Yeah. As a Fire Emblem player I also speak for everyone when I express my disappointment at the lack of cousin hook-up in this game it is truly a missed opportunity for some morally bankrupt decisions frfr.
Bow gameplay is iconic. I think I did best with the shield. It's very fun to use that one.
I swear they have an infinite amount of dialogue in this hoe. If it didnt hit so hard with great voice acting you'd think it's AI-generated. Except Papyrus he did tend to repeat himself.. Am I telling on myself for the amount of times I bent him? Yeah. As a Fire Emblem player I also speak for everyone when I express my disappointment at the lack of cousin hook-up in this game it is truly a missed opportunity for some morally bankrupt decisions frfr.
Bow gameplay is iconic. I think I did best with the shield. It's very fun to use that one.
Hades was my first experience with any sort of rougelike/rougelite game. To be brief, I think it's a masterpiece on all levels, and a title that could stand the tests of time if it were stacked against games made 20 years down the road.
The long story is that it does everything right.
The art direction? God damn. You could run through the Underworld 1000 times and still notice things about each level that are beautiful. From the trinkets in Zagreus' chambers, to the backgrounds of the stages. Even the gods are created with such care that you can't imagine seeing them any other way. One bit I always came back to way the team's use of color theory. I find it difficult to think of another game that can use such an amalgamation of colors to create such a cohesive setting for a game. It's not often you find so many colors being used while them all complementing each other, especially with how vivid the hues are. Even before the game came out, the studio had a trailer released with some beautiful animation at the forefront. Spencer Wan of Grackle spearheading it with boards and two colossi, Chengxi Huang and Weilin Zhang blessing us with their action-packed animation work. Long before I would ever play the game, its art and world drew me in. I'm only sad I never experienced it sooner.
The characters have their own idiosyncrasies and pull from Greek history is tasteful ways. Apparently all the gods were British too, so that's fun. I never felt like any character was a different version of another. An added layer to this is that you could walk into a chamber and be so excited to be greeted by a certain god, or disappointed with the options of another. The dice-roll of the chambers is fun from both a power-up and character interaction stance.
One more run...one more run...one more run. As I said, I was completely unfamiliar with the rougelike formula before playing Hades. I felt myself going through a rollercoaster of emotions as I obtain ideal power ups for most of my run, then slowly become humbled when the tail-end of my attempt is soiled by the worst boons I've ever seen. Even so, hacking and slashing my way through the underworld never presented a dull moment. The challenge was there as well. I struggled quite a bit at first until I started to fully understand how to combine boons and certain blessings. That's the beauty of the game, though, yeah? Playing it enough to understand what combinations make you more powerful or provide you with the optimal advantage against whatever enemies give you the most trouble. I loved how it eases you into the game and doesn't bombard you with every facet at first. I think that would dissuade many new players. The game is considerably challenging as well. I know that's part of the formula, and escaping the underworld should be no easy feat, but it's hard to recommend Hades to someone who doesn't have the tenacity to stick it out until they understand the mechanics.
I also think the sound effects and music are worth mentioning because they further pull you into each interaction. They range from relaxing harp(?) work to a raging cacophony of guitar shredding. It seems like most of the music gets its backbone from strings, which I found nice. Darren Korb was the lead composer and blew it out of the water. The intro song alone is burned into my eardrums. It's one of the tracks that calls forth all the memories of the game with a single riff.
As was the Labyrinth of Ancient Greece, Hades is a meandering game that forces the player to battle the powers of gods, heroes of old, and many other wretches of myth along the way. It's a game I'd have no problem replaying down the line, and I'm deeply excited for its sequel.
The long story is that it does everything right.
The art direction? God damn. You could run through the Underworld 1000 times and still notice things about each level that are beautiful. From the trinkets in Zagreus' chambers, to the backgrounds of the stages. Even the gods are created with such care that you can't imagine seeing them any other way. One bit I always came back to way the team's use of color theory. I find it difficult to think of another game that can use such an amalgamation of colors to create such a cohesive setting for a game. It's not often you find so many colors being used while them all complementing each other, especially with how vivid the hues are. Even before the game came out, the studio had a trailer released with some beautiful animation at the forefront. Spencer Wan of Grackle spearheading it with boards and two colossi, Chengxi Huang and Weilin Zhang blessing us with their action-packed animation work. Long before I would ever play the game, its art and world drew me in. I'm only sad I never experienced it sooner.
The characters have their own idiosyncrasies and pull from Greek history is tasteful ways. Apparently all the gods were British too, so that's fun. I never felt like any character was a different version of another. An added layer to this is that you could walk into a chamber and be so excited to be greeted by a certain god, or disappointed with the options of another. The dice-roll of the chambers is fun from both a power-up and character interaction stance.
One more run...one more run...one more run. As I said, I was completely unfamiliar with the rougelike formula before playing Hades. I felt myself going through a rollercoaster of emotions as I obtain ideal power ups for most of my run, then slowly become humbled when the tail-end of my attempt is soiled by the worst boons I've ever seen. Even so, hacking and slashing my way through the underworld never presented a dull moment. The challenge was there as well. I struggled quite a bit at first until I started to fully understand how to combine boons and certain blessings. That's the beauty of the game, though, yeah? Playing it enough to understand what combinations make you more powerful or provide you with the optimal advantage against whatever enemies give you the most trouble. I loved how it eases you into the game and doesn't bombard you with every facet at first. I think that would dissuade many new players. The game is considerably challenging as well. I know that's part of the formula, and escaping the underworld should be no easy feat, but it's hard to recommend Hades to someone who doesn't have the tenacity to stick it out until they understand the mechanics.
I also think the sound effects and music are worth mentioning because they further pull you into each interaction. They range from relaxing harp(?) work to a raging cacophony of guitar shredding. It seems like most of the music gets its backbone from strings, which I found nice. Darren Korb was the lead composer and blew it out of the water. The intro song alone is burned into my eardrums. It's one of the tracks that calls forth all the memories of the game with a single riff.
As was the Labyrinth of Ancient Greece, Hades is a meandering game that forces the player to battle the powers of gods, heroes of old, and many other wretches of myth along the way. It's a game I'd have no problem replaying down the line, and I'm deeply excited for its sequel.
Nigga I am not beating this game 9 more times.
This review contains spoilers
A really engaging action game, with some fun character writing, burdened by a deeply regressive and heteronormative plot. Really the ultimate "brain go brrr" game.
I want Meg to choke me until my neck snaps
A roguelite masterpiece made by a tiny team that somehow manages to master the art of doing everything exceedingly well. Hades has high-speed, deeply fun gameplay that encourages both mechanical skill and strategic planning; an engaging, expanding story with unexpected twists; meaningful, progressing relationships with genuinely interesting characters; stunning, bold art; and music that you'll continue to listen to for months after your final run.
Out of my favorite roguelites, I think of Hades as being not only the best, but also the most accessible for players who are strangers to the genre or "bad" at games. This is because Hades' excellent narrative and relationship development are woven in between each run, cushioning the blow of failure. Who has the time to feel bad about dying when it means you get to revisit old friends, experience an expanding storyline, flirt with demigods, poke fun at your dad, and pet Cerberus? Because of this and its tight, addictive core mechanics, Hades is one of very few games I genuinely enjoyed sucking at long enough to, eventually, become genuinely good at.
(As a side note, I'd recommend playing with a keyboard and mouse if you want precision, or a controller if you want speed. I don't think one is clearly "better" than the other.)
Out of my favorite roguelites, I think of Hades as being not only the best, but also the most accessible for players who are strangers to the genre or "bad" at games. This is because Hades' excellent narrative and relationship development are woven in between each run, cushioning the blow of failure. Who has the time to feel bad about dying when it means you get to revisit old friends, experience an expanding storyline, flirt with demigods, poke fun at your dad, and pet Cerberus? Because of this and its tight, addictive core mechanics, Hades is one of very few games I genuinely enjoyed sucking at long enough to, eventually, become genuinely good at.
(As a side note, I'd recommend playing with a keyboard and mouse if you want precision, or a controller if you want speed. I don't think one is clearly "better" than the other.)
Hades é o primeiro rogue like que eu tive vontade e capacidade de terminar (obrigada, modo de assistência!).
A mistura de um gameplay gostoso demais de jogar junto com os elementos de histórias e coisas pra desbloquear foi o que me manteve jogando. Depois de conseguir escapar do inferno uma vez, foi a história que me manteve motivada a tentar as 10 finalizações e ver os créditos. E valeu a pena.
É um jogo com muitos personagens carismáticos e com uma quantidade absurda de diálogos para descobrir. O jeito que os diálogos mudam com as suas ações ou com a arma que você está usando é muito legal. São muitos detalhes, é um jogo impressionante por ter tantas minúcias.
Mas, devo dizer que o jogo só engrenou comigo quando eu finalmente aceitei que eu não era capaz de zerar por conta própria e liguei o modo de assistência. Isso impediu que eu ficasse frustrada com a repetição do jogo e com a minha falta de progresso e me deixou apreciar melhor as coisas que ele faz bem. Acho o modo de assistência dele muito bem pensado, porque ele vai te deixando progressivamente mais resistente aos danos, cada vez que você morre. Então é como se o jogo ajustasse a dificuldade para um nível que eu daria conta, sem ficar fácil demais ou sentir que eu estava "roubando".
Eu queria terminar algumas quests de personagens secundários, mas fiquei com preguiça de tudo o que tem que fazer. Por enquanto vou me dar por satisfeita onde eu cheguei, mas talvez volte a jogar num futuro, sem pressa, e com o tempo conclua as pendências que eu gostaria de completar. Mesmo porque é gostoso de jogar e um ótimo jogo de podcast. O pós game dele também abre desafios, existem armas que eu não usei muito pra testar que mudam o gameplay. É um jogo quase infinito se você quiser.
É isso, um jogo repleto de carisma, com personagens legais e uma história interessante o suficiente pra te manter jogando. Gostei demais.
Ah, não posso deixar de falar da trilha sonora, que pra variar, é maravilhosa. Super Giant sempre acerta nisso. Toda vez que eu encontrava a Euridice eu parava um pouco pra ouvi-la cantar. A música dos créditos por si só é uma recompensa valiosa por terminar o jogo 10 vezes, linda demais.
A mistura de um gameplay gostoso demais de jogar junto com os elementos de histórias e coisas pra desbloquear foi o que me manteve jogando. Depois de conseguir escapar do inferno uma vez, foi a história que me manteve motivada a tentar as 10 finalizações e ver os créditos. E valeu a pena.
É um jogo com muitos personagens carismáticos e com uma quantidade absurda de diálogos para descobrir. O jeito que os diálogos mudam com as suas ações ou com a arma que você está usando é muito legal. São muitos detalhes, é um jogo impressionante por ter tantas minúcias.
Mas, devo dizer que o jogo só engrenou comigo quando eu finalmente aceitei que eu não era capaz de zerar por conta própria e liguei o modo de assistência. Isso impediu que eu ficasse frustrada com a repetição do jogo e com a minha falta de progresso e me deixou apreciar melhor as coisas que ele faz bem. Acho o modo de assistência dele muito bem pensado, porque ele vai te deixando progressivamente mais resistente aos danos, cada vez que você morre. Então é como se o jogo ajustasse a dificuldade para um nível que eu daria conta, sem ficar fácil demais ou sentir que eu estava "roubando".
Eu queria terminar algumas quests de personagens secundários, mas fiquei com preguiça de tudo o que tem que fazer. Por enquanto vou me dar por satisfeita onde eu cheguei, mas talvez volte a jogar num futuro, sem pressa, e com o tempo conclua as pendências que eu gostaria de completar. Mesmo porque é gostoso de jogar e um ótimo jogo de podcast. O pós game dele também abre desafios, existem armas que eu não usei muito pra testar que mudam o gameplay. É um jogo quase infinito se você quiser.
É isso, um jogo repleto de carisma, com personagens legais e uma história interessante o suficiente pra te manter jogando. Gostei demais.
Ah, não posso deixar de falar da trilha sonora, que pra variar, é maravilhosa. Super Giant sempre acerta nisso. Toda vez que eu encontrava a Euridice eu parava um pouco pra ouvi-la cantar. A música dos créditos por si só é uma recompensa valiosa por terminar o jogo 10 vezes, linda demais.
i did it,,, holy fuck i actually did it..
this is one of the most fun games ive ever played and it genuinely is a gift that keeps on giving (shout out to holly <3 u prolly dont use backloggd much but still)
The gameplay genuinely is such crack that even after i finally beat it... finally put the nail in the coffin.. i kept going
I kept going and unlocking and combing this game but i dont think ill be going for completion or something like that. just a genuinely really fucking good time
I like the voice acting, seeing new info unfold with the story is always delightful... i guess the only downside i even ever see anyone seem to think is that people that commonly play roguelikes/roguelites think its on the much easier side of things but man Fuuuuuuuuuck that, this is the first time i got addicted to a roguelike/roguelite (despite receiving this as a gift almost 3 years ago now)
Also this game is refreshing bc it reminds me "oh yeah haha im bi i forgot"
final thoughts:
this is almost a perfect game honestly and makes me want to check out supergiant's other shit, not goin on my top 5 but definitely one of the best games ive beat this year so far
If anyone is reading this that shelved the game or dropped it because they thought they werent good enough
If my ass can do it you can fuckin do it
I put about 34 to 35 escape attempts total into the game as a whole and idk if thats really good or not but
you can do it
i believe
dionysus, meg, alecto(if she stops being a bitch to meg),aphrodite,,,, <3
danny devito GIF: I get it now...
this is one of the most fun games ive ever played and it genuinely is a gift that keeps on giving (shout out to holly <3 u prolly dont use backloggd much but still)
The gameplay genuinely is such crack that even after i finally beat it... finally put the nail in the coffin.. i kept going
I kept going and unlocking and combing this game but i dont think ill be going for completion or something like that. just a genuinely really fucking good time
I like the voice acting, seeing new info unfold with the story is always delightful... i guess the only downside i even ever see anyone seem to think is that people that commonly play roguelikes/roguelites think its on the much easier side of things but man Fuuuuuuuuuck that, this is the first time i got addicted to a roguelike/roguelite (despite receiving this as a gift almost 3 years ago now)
Also this game is refreshing bc it reminds me "oh yeah haha im bi i forgot"
final thoughts:
this is almost a perfect game honestly and makes me want to check out supergiant's other shit, not goin on my top 5 but definitely one of the best games ive beat this year so far
If anyone is reading this that shelved the game or dropped it because they thought they werent good enough
If my ass can do it you can fuckin do it
I put about 34 to 35 escape attempts total into the game as a whole and idk if thats really good or not but
you can do it
i believe
dionysus, meg, alecto(if she stops being a bitch to meg),aphrodite,,,, <3
danny devito GIF: I get it now...
informative and engaging crash course on ancient Greek firearms
I'm nowhere near close to finishing this shit but yknow its fun! Got a simple but fun gameplay loop. Characters are neat too but I care more about the gameplay than them for the most part. Maybe it'll get more engaging later on, iunno for now. I'll probably give it a higher score when i finish it.
Also as a certified homosexual™, I dont find any of these guys hot. Am I supposed to find them hot? Cuz they're not hot. Dionysus maybe? The rest of these are either just anime boys, women, or like a skeleton.
also every time these greek gods call me "mate" it immediately breaks my immersion like why is this funny death man australian
Also as a certified homosexual™, I dont find any of these guys hot. Am I supposed to find them hot? Cuz they're not hot. Dionysus maybe? The rest of these are either just anime boys, women, or like a skeleton.
also every time these greek gods call me "mate" it immediately breaks my immersion like why is this funny death man australian
Genius meta use of a roguelike mechanic:
If you don't beat the game in 20 hours your Steam save file will corrupt (maybe even twice 🤣🤣🤣) and you'll have to start from scratch.
If you don't beat the game in 20 hours your Steam save file will corrupt (maybe even twice 🤣🤣🤣) and you'll have to start from scratch.
Feels a bit like the ultimate apotheosis of the modern roguelike: after over a decade of refinement within the genre, the balance between randomness & strategy, repetition & meta-progression, have finally been perfectly calibrated to their optimum state. This is the game's greatest strength. But it may also be its greatest weakness. Despite coming back to it day after day, I can't help but feel there's something... empty about Hades. Once you finally defeat your dad and breach the underworld for the first time, unlocking an array of self-imposed handicaps for ever-greater rewards, the Skinnerbox skeleton really begins to peek through more and more.
I'm still in the throws of my addiction to this game, so I imagine I'll be playing it a while longer. But the magic has already started to fade.
(Minus half a star for the insufferable Whedon-esque quips, and for paying homage to Morte of Planescape: Torment infamy, the bane of my existence.)
I'm still in the throws of my addiction to this game, so I imagine I'll be playing it a while longer. But the magic has already started to fade.
(Minus half a star for the insufferable Whedon-esque quips, and for paying homage to Morte of Planescape: Torment infamy, the bane of my existence.)
I want to commit unspeakable acts to Dusa
One of the first games I've played where I genuinely want to know how the designers pulled it off - to see "under the hood", if you will. Nothing short of meticulously designed, the game at first feels somewhat forbidding, especially the bosses, until you realise that every action you take gets you closer to reaching the end goal.
Was I getting better, or were the earlier bosses tuned to become slightly easier after a certain number of runs?
This game gave me one of the most satisfying feelings of progression, where I inched closer to the end goal each run. Somewhat Dark Soulsian, after your first few runs you swear that the wall is just too damn high, but then the game plays so smoothly and strengthens you so subtly, that by the time you reach the wall again, you find that you've already smashed through it.
Also the writing rules and the art design is...cough....godly.
Was I getting better, or were the earlier bosses tuned to become slightly easier after a certain number of runs?
This game gave me one of the most satisfying feelings of progression, where I inched closer to the end goal each run. Somewhat Dark Soulsian, after your first few runs you swear that the wall is just too damn high, but then the game plays so smoothly and strengthens you so subtly, that by the time you reach the wall again, you find that you've already smashed through it.
Also the writing rules and the art design is...cough....godly.
Antes de jogar Hades eu sempre me perguntava a razão do game ter tantos elogios. Por mais que eu adore jogos roguelike, não é tão fácil encontrar um que seja relevante na gameplay, na direção artistica, audivisual e ainda entregue uma
história inteligente e envolvente. Pois Hades tem tudo isso, acrescentado de um charme especial.
A gameplay é fluída e muito precisa, trazendo vários combinações de armas e bençãos, criando builds interessantes para executar as runs.
A direção artística e audiovisual é impecável. O visual cartunesco ficou muito bom no game, e todos os cenários, itens, personagens, são muito bem desenhados e detalhados.
Por fim, a história é muito envolvente, justifica o roguelike de uma forma gênial. Os NPCs também são todos muito caristmáticos e densos, com grandes histórias e relaçõs para serem construídas com o player.
Um único ponto negativo, na minha opinião, é que em certas runs a aleatoriedade das bençãos é muito alta, tornando as builds disfuncionais e frustrando um pouco, mas essa situação acontece rarissímas vezes.
história inteligente e envolvente. Pois Hades tem tudo isso, acrescentado de um charme especial.
A gameplay é fluída e muito precisa, trazendo vários combinações de armas e bençãos, criando builds interessantes para executar as runs.
A direção artística e audiovisual é impecável. O visual cartunesco ficou muito bom no game, e todos os cenários, itens, personagens, são muito bem desenhados e detalhados.
Por fim, a história é muito envolvente, justifica o roguelike de uma forma gênial. Os NPCs também são todos muito caristmáticos e densos, com grandes histórias e relaçõs para serem construídas com o player.
Um único ponto negativo, na minha opinião, é que em certas runs a aleatoriedade das bençãos é muito alta, tornando as builds disfuncionais e frustrando um pouco, mas essa situação acontece rarissímas vezes.
Zag being in a poly relationship with his stepbrother, his dom-top bestie, and the maid who is just a floating head is very 2023 coded (no I can not explain this opinion.)
This review contains spoilers
Demorei mais do que devia pra zerar esse jogo e definitivamente muito mais pra fazer a review, mas ela veio! Depois de muita enrolação, confesso. 😸
Hades foi e é uma das experiências mais divertidas e frustrantes que eu já tive num jogo. Não acho que ele seja completamente RNG (mesmo que seja o objetivo, é um rogue-lite), já que no final, com praticamente qualquer build você consegue terminar a tentativa de fuga mas, confesso que vez ou outra eu fiquei meio puta de só pegar benção que eu não gosto (cof cof Afrodite e Dionísio).
Mas mesmo esse jogo sendo repetitivo e pra muita gente enjoativo, acho que ele tem muito mais pontos fortes e altos do que negativos. Eu acho sensacional a arte desse jogo e a reimaginação que eles trouxeram com os Deuses do Olimpo, mesmo que se pareçam com os que você já viu em qualquer outra mídia, eu acho que eles são tão bem detalhados, gosto muito das cores vívidas deles e como você consegue ver a singularidade de cada não só no desenho, mas também nas dublagens que são sensacionais e as interações que eles tem com o Zagreus, principalmente as do Poseidon e do Hermes que são minhas favoritas.
Gosto muito também da relação que é lenta, mas bem trabalhada do Zagreus com o Hades, como que depois da Perséfone voltar, ele passa a ser mais aberto, honesto com Zagreus. E Deus me perdoe por lembrar do Kratos toda vez que o Hades fala boy, é inevitável.
Artisticamente falando, acho que tudo nesse jogo é lindo demais, Elísio pra mim é de longe a região do submundo mais linda, mas não tira o charme de Tártaro. A cabaninha da Perséfone também é a coisa mais linda, fora as músicas que acompanham cada região, os bosses, tudo é artisticamente muuiito lindinho e caprichado.
Enfim, Hades é definitivamente um daqueles jogos que você vai morrer umas cinco vezes de primeira, vencer uma, perder mais dez tentativas e continuar porque é viciante. E é bom demais, puta que pariu.
Inclusive Elísio > Tártaro > Abismo > Asfódelo.
Hades foi e é uma das experiências mais divertidas e frustrantes que eu já tive num jogo. Não acho que ele seja completamente RNG (mesmo que seja o objetivo, é um rogue-lite), já que no final, com praticamente qualquer build você consegue terminar a tentativa de fuga mas, confesso que vez ou outra eu fiquei meio puta de só pegar benção que eu não gosto (cof cof Afrodite e Dionísio).
Mas mesmo esse jogo sendo repetitivo e pra muita gente enjoativo, acho que ele tem muito mais pontos fortes e altos do que negativos. Eu acho sensacional a arte desse jogo e a reimaginação que eles trouxeram com os Deuses do Olimpo, mesmo que se pareçam com os que você já viu em qualquer outra mídia, eu acho que eles são tão bem detalhados, gosto muito das cores vívidas deles e como você consegue ver a singularidade de cada não só no desenho, mas também nas dublagens que são sensacionais e as interações que eles tem com o Zagreus, principalmente as do Poseidon e do Hermes que são minhas favoritas.
Gosto muito também da relação que é lenta, mas bem trabalhada do Zagreus com o Hades, como que depois da Perséfone voltar, ele passa a ser mais aberto, honesto com Zagreus. E Deus me perdoe por lembrar do Kratos toda vez que o Hades fala boy, é inevitável.
Artisticamente falando, acho que tudo nesse jogo é lindo demais, Elísio pra mim é de longe a região do submundo mais linda, mas não tira o charme de Tártaro. A cabaninha da Perséfone também é a coisa mais linda, fora as músicas que acompanham cada região, os bosses, tudo é artisticamente muuiito lindinho e caprichado.
Enfim, Hades é definitivamente um daqueles jogos que você vai morrer umas cinco vezes de primeira, vencer uma, perder mais dez tentativas e continuar porque é viciante. E é bom demais, puta que pariu.
Inclusive Elísio > Tártaro > Abismo > Asfódelo.
Necesito jugar el resto del contenido jugable, pero el main game la verdad me pareció piola. El ritmo de juego es increíblemente lento eso si, y sigue pecando de ese problema que tienen todos los roguelikes de que existen powerups super rotos que te facilitan demasiado la partida, a tal punto que al final intentas buscar esos items nomás para acelerar el pacing.
This is what the evolution of the roguelike genre looks like. The characters are interesting, the gameplay is mechanically deep and frantic, and the story tugs on a few heartstrings at certain moments
Hades is Supergiants biggest hit and what truly brought them into the limelight and showed the whole world just how talented the team at Supergiant Games is. This game is easily the best gameplay wise from SG, and is one of the best roguelikes I've ever played. Before I get into gameplay, I'll talk about the rest of the game. The music in this game is one of the best parts. While I think the vocal tracks don't hold as much weight as they do in Bastion or Transistor, they are still wonderful songs. But when it comes to battle tracks or otherwise, Hades is the best SG has ever done. The battle themes are almost akin to Bastion in terms of instruments, but also adds rock elements. Themes like The Hard Way and House of Hades and Through Asphodel, the game has no shortage of songs that get your heart going. As for narrative, Hades has brilliant characters through and through, and the voice acting for each one is superb. This game really benefits from being a roguelike as it allows for so many character interactions that flesh out the world and characters more. As for gameplay, putting it simply, it's great. I love the weapons and the different aspects for each one, and the abilities being built around the different gods is honestly brilliant. Would recommend to anyone. Can't wait for Hades 2.
The epitome of charisma.
Hades is a game I've felt bad about not playing extensively for a long time, since it was sitting in my library for over 2 years with only a couple hours of playtime. I'm now 20+ hours deep and completely understand the appeal and praise, its truly an addicting experience.
I have never seen such a good looking game in my life, this shit might be the peak of art direction for what I've played so far - nothing I can think of can match. Many artists I admire have worked on this project, Jen Zee's illustration work is just perfection. The shape and colour design she utilised to mold the game's identity reflects and enhances the tone of the world and environments, the wonderful voice acting performances, and the visual identities for character designs alongside their associated boons/abilities. These choices in visual design bleed throughout the others' work in Joanne Tran's backgrounds and Weilin Zhang + Spencer Wan's trailer animations. The game is truly something that stands at the top of my list for visuals.
The score is nuts, the mix of modernized rock with crazy electric guitar riffs and the strumming of acoustics in the theme of Mediterranean folk really fit with the aesthetics of the game. I especially love how dynamic it feels while playing, it never feels like the music abruptly cuts off at an awkward time and instead transitions smoothly throughout each room of the level, increasing or decreasing the amount of instrumentation depending on the encounter difficulty.
Writing isn't something I can talk about in its entirety, but based on what I've played so far its above average with some creative concepts for the mythical Olympian gods, the way it focuses on a more personal aspect between Zagreus and this cast is a refreshing perspective, and I feel like I can connect with the characters and their stories more than I initially expected because they feel like real people with past relationships. I'm still getting story content, new dialogue and character interactions even after completing the main objective which is something I really appreciate.
Gameplay loop is so satisfying, the flawless character and effects animations really help with the feeling of shitting on everything in the room and wanting to do it over and over. The RNG aspect (that comes with this genre) of finding different boons throughout your runs was not something I thought I'd end up enjoying so much, the immense satisfaction I feel when getting all the things I want is a big part of why I want to jump back into the game as soon as I close it.
Anyway game is amazing and after some more play time this might go in the top 5, not sure but its peak so im excited for the sequel :)
Hades is a game I've felt bad about not playing extensively for a long time, since it was sitting in my library for over 2 years with only a couple hours of playtime. I'm now 20+ hours deep and completely understand the appeal and praise, its truly an addicting experience.
I have never seen such a good looking game in my life, this shit might be the peak of art direction for what I've played so far - nothing I can think of can match. Many artists I admire have worked on this project, Jen Zee's illustration work is just perfection. The shape and colour design she utilised to mold the game's identity reflects and enhances the tone of the world and environments, the wonderful voice acting performances, and the visual identities for character designs alongside their associated boons/abilities. These choices in visual design bleed throughout the others' work in Joanne Tran's backgrounds and Weilin Zhang + Spencer Wan's trailer animations. The game is truly something that stands at the top of my list for visuals.
The score is nuts, the mix of modernized rock with crazy electric guitar riffs and the strumming of acoustics in the theme of Mediterranean folk really fit with the aesthetics of the game. I especially love how dynamic it feels while playing, it never feels like the music abruptly cuts off at an awkward time and instead transitions smoothly throughout each room of the level, increasing or decreasing the amount of instrumentation depending on the encounter difficulty.
Writing isn't something I can talk about in its entirety, but based on what I've played so far its above average with some creative concepts for the mythical Olympian gods, the way it focuses on a more personal aspect between Zagreus and this cast is a refreshing perspective, and I feel like I can connect with the characters and their stories more than I initially expected because they feel like real people with past relationships. I'm still getting story content, new dialogue and character interactions even after completing the main objective which is something I really appreciate.
Gameplay loop is so satisfying, the flawless character and effects animations really help with the feeling of shitting on everything in the room and wanting to do it over and over. The RNG aspect (that comes with this genre) of finding different boons throughout your runs was not something I thought I'd end up enjoying so much, the immense satisfaction I feel when getting all the things I want is a big part of why I want to jump back into the game as soon as I close it.
Anyway game is amazing and after some more play time this might go in the top 5, not sure but its peak so im excited for the sequel :)
I hate rogue-likes as a genre mainly because a recurring theme that keeps cropping up for me when it comes to them is that I always feel like I'd actually really enjoy them if they were just more standard action/strategy games. Hades is a perfect example of this.
Hades feels like it could have been a really cool action game if it was traditionally non-procedural level based akin to Bastion; (Which seriously seems like it will be the only Supergiant game I will ever like) instead Hades is one huge, long, tedious, slog of a grind. The whole game is stretched out to its breaking point in both gameplay and narrative. As I said if this was a more standard story-driven action game I would probably love it. The core combat is solid and for a while I really was having fun and even had “a one more run” feeling; but the slog really sets in once the difficulty starts spiking. Like Hades himself is just such a brick wall that I didn’t really want to bother trying anymore, especially because Theseus and the Minotaur are hard enough as is. You need to grind so much if you’re going to want to stay alive and even then I didn’t really feel like I was actually getting any stronger. Even when I was getting as many boons from the Olympians as I could to make some decent builds I would still get destroyed. The game does have a God Mode that progressively gives you more permanent resistance the more you die but I just wasn't having fun anymore to even bother just easy modeing it. The game doesn’t have much variety either which also really makes me feel that this game shouldn’t have been a rogue-like at all. The story is also dragged the hell out by locking character interactions out through a collectible that you got to grind for and also that you can only really talk to characters once a run. Which is a real shame because the cast has their charms and if this game’s narrative was structured in a more straightforward game it would have been all the better for it. I seriously want to play a version of Hades where it wasn’t a rogue-like, I can’t stress this enough.
I’ve heard that this game was a good rogue-lite for people who don’t like rogue-lites and for that I completely disagree, if you don’t like the genre this game probably won’t change your mind at all. I wanted to like this game, I really did, but ultimately I’m glad I family shared my friends copy.
Hades feels like it could have been a really cool action game if it was traditionally non-procedural level based akin to Bastion; (Which seriously seems like it will be the only Supergiant game I will ever like) instead Hades is one huge, long, tedious, slog of a grind. The whole game is stretched out to its breaking point in both gameplay and narrative. As I said if this was a more standard story-driven action game I would probably love it. The core combat is solid and for a while I really was having fun and even had “a one more run” feeling; but the slog really sets in once the difficulty starts spiking. Like Hades himself is just such a brick wall that I didn’t really want to bother trying anymore, especially because Theseus and the Minotaur are hard enough as is. You need to grind so much if you’re going to want to stay alive and even then I didn’t really feel like I was actually getting any stronger. Even when I was getting as many boons from the Olympians as I could to make some decent builds I would still get destroyed. The game does have a God Mode that progressively gives you more permanent resistance the more you die but I just wasn't having fun anymore to even bother just easy modeing it. The game doesn’t have much variety either which also really makes me feel that this game shouldn’t have been a rogue-like at all. The story is also dragged the hell out by locking character interactions out through a collectible that you got to grind for and also that you can only really talk to characters once a run. Which is a real shame because the cast has their charms and if this game’s narrative was structured in a more straightforward game it would have been all the better for it. I seriously want to play a version of Hades where it wasn’t a rogue-like, I can’t stress this enough.
I’ve heard that this game was a good rogue-lite for people who don’t like rogue-lites and for that I completely disagree, if you don’t like the genre this game probably won’t change your mind at all. I wanted to like this game, I really did, but ultimately I’m glad I family shared my friends copy.
Status: Completed 100%
Date: 04.14.2021 / Play Time: 105 hours
The Rogue-lite genre perfected.
I know “perfect” is a pretty bold word to use when describing a game, but Hades gets pretty close to it. Don’t get me wrong, it has some stuff in it that I would absolutely change, but I truly think Supergiant Games have absolutely perfected the Rogue-lite formula with Hades.
I think one of the trickiest things in Rogue-likes/-lites is making your runs feel worthwhile - making loss not feel like an enormous setback, because in many Rogue games, it is. The story of Hades is built around your repeated runs in such a way that makes it feel like every single run builds on the story, even when you die. Win or lose, some aspect of the story moves forward. Yes, you do need to successfully escape a few times to roll credits. Beyond that, however, most progression with upgrades, characters, side-quests, etc can happen regardless of whether you make it out or not… provided RNG is on your side and you happen to trigger a conversation or find a boon needed for a quest.
Which leads me to my only complaint about the game - randomness. RNG playing into which boons you find in a run is fine - it forces you to adapt and make the best of what you’re given. However, I don’t like RNG when progression is locked behind it because you can’t find a specific boon or you can’t get a conversation with a certain character to trigger. I spent countless hours looking for a very specific boon to finish my last side quest. That said, even during that frustrating hunt, I didn’t stop playing because the core gameplay is a dang blast.
I also need to give a huge shout-out for how well Hades includes LGBTQ themes in extremely normal ways that are unfortunately not found very often in video games.
The cast of characters in this game is phenomenal. One of my favorite ensembles in a while. I was eager to continue doing runs not only because the gameplay was fun, but I wanted to keep seeing everything the characters had to say. And after 105 hours across a total of 96 escape attempts (73 of which were successful), I was still hearing new dialogue when I finally finished the game.
I could speak at length about how much fun I had thinking of cool builds and trying to create them, the wonderful cast of characters, or the excellent hook of collecting resources to upgrade your gear or hub. But honestly this review is already getting a little long. Go play Hades.
+ Perfect attempt/die/repeat gameplay loop with meaningful upgrades
+ Amazing cast of characters with great voice acting
+ Supergiant’s typical gorgeous visuals
+ Great soundtrack
+ Good LGBTQ representation
+ Good accessibility/difficulty options
- RNG impacting story progression
Date: 04.14.2021 / Play Time: 105 hours
The Rogue-lite genre perfected.
I know “perfect” is a pretty bold word to use when describing a game, but Hades gets pretty close to it. Don’t get me wrong, it has some stuff in it that I would absolutely change, but I truly think Supergiant Games have absolutely perfected the Rogue-lite formula with Hades.
I think one of the trickiest things in Rogue-likes/-lites is making your runs feel worthwhile - making loss not feel like an enormous setback, because in many Rogue games, it is. The story of Hades is built around your repeated runs in such a way that makes it feel like every single run builds on the story, even when you die. Win or lose, some aspect of the story moves forward. Yes, you do need to successfully escape a few times to roll credits. Beyond that, however, most progression with upgrades, characters, side-quests, etc can happen regardless of whether you make it out or not… provided RNG is on your side and you happen to trigger a conversation or find a boon needed for a quest.
Which leads me to my only complaint about the game - randomness. RNG playing into which boons you find in a run is fine - it forces you to adapt and make the best of what you’re given. However, I don’t like RNG when progression is locked behind it because you can’t find a specific boon or you can’t get a conversation with a certain character to trigger. I spent countless hours looking for a very specific boon to finish my last side quest. That said, even during that frustrating hunt, I didn’t stop playing because the core gameplay is a dang blast.
I also need to give a huge shout-out for how well Hades includes LGBTQ themes in extremely normal ways that are unfortunately not found very often in video games.
The cast of characters in this game is phenomenal. One of my favorite ensembles in a while. I was eager to continue doing runs not only because the gameplay was fun, but I wanted to keep seeing everything the characters had to say. And after 105 hours across a total of 96 escape attempts (73 of which were successful), I was still hearing new dialogue when I finally finished the game.
I could speak at length about how much fun I had thinking of cool builds and trying to create them, the wonderful cast of characters, or the excellent hook of collecting resources to upgrade your gear or hub. But honestly this review is already getting a little long. Go play Hades.
+ Perfect attempt/die/repeat gameplay loop with meaningful upgrades
+ Amazing cast of characters with great voice acting
+ Supergiant’s typical gorgeous visuals
+ Great soundtrack
+ Good LGBTQ representation
+ Good accessibility/difficulty options
- RNG impacting story progression
game is pretty good but im bad at it