Good action-roguelite with solid combat, great build variety, and charming characters, but it doesn't respect the player's time at all.

It artificially prolongs its runtime by drip-feeding exposition as slowly as possible while making the player grind through 40 (!!!) tiers of difficulties. Endlessly running through the same 4 biomes got tedious long before I maxed out my upgrades or finished all of the story arcs.

Hades wants the longevity of games like Enter the Gungeon and Binding of Isaac but it doesn't enough content to really compete. This might change in a future update, but it seems that Supergiant wants to move on to new projects.

My final point is more of a nitpick, but Hades isn't as unique or experimental as the previous Supergiant games. It's unfair to expect innovation from all of their games (especially when their most innovative game wasn't too popular), but I still wish they took a few more risks with their worldbuilding and game design.

While I enjoyed Hades, I would have enjoyed it even more if it was half as long.

Roguelikes aren’t much my thing since I find losing all the progress you make in a run to be more frustrating than anything, and Hades isn’t really different about that. But it definitely takes an interesting spin on the formula with how it integrates into its story, along with just being a very well polished game.

I really love the art direction and how vibrant the environments are. The character designs are also fantastic, all the gods look dope and really bring the style to life. The music and voice acting’s great too.

It’s definitely not easy, it took me a lot of tries to get through the bosses and reach the end. And after completing a full run there’s even more difficult modifiers you can add for replays. Combat’s based around 6 weapons and a variety of boons that give skills and upgrades to help get through, and it’s really fun when you start putting together builds for your playstyle. I ended up sticking with the shield.

It did start to get a bit tiring the more runs I did, but dying a lot is expected and always lead to new dialogue from the characters, more skills opening up, and better upgrades that slowly make you stronger and more prepared for the next time. So it’s definitely the type of game that’s hard to put down since you’ll want to keep trying over and over.

Finally got back into Hades after a few years and goddamn it is peak. What I love most about it is the great amount of variety in the builds of the weapons. Every single time I thought I was done with one, the game pulls out a combination of abilities and perks that suddenly made it my favourite. This would happen over and over so in the end I really can’t pick a favourite.

Apart from the awesome combat, Hades also manages to tell a good story with a plethora of fun characters with their own little tales, excellent designs and flawless voice acting that make the world super compelling.

The soundtrack is of course fantastic but it gets pretty repetitive for my liking, I would’ve appreciated a bit more variation during the runs. Same goes with the enemies, they mix it up here and there but not enough. I know this is what rogue likes are, but it did end up bothering me, especially with a few boring enemy types like the flying rock dudes and the rat bastards in the final stage. The last two bosses also do not change their move sets like the first two, which is a bit disappointing. I feel that would make sense for narrative purposes aswell.

All in all, these are pretty minor nitpicks in an otherwise brilliantly built game. After the first escape, I didn’t mind having to “finish” the game 9 more times because the runs become easier but remain fun at the same time due to the ever evolving combat system, and the story slowly coming to a resolution that I was dying to see. No pun intended.

An amazing Rougelite experience with an amazing cast of characters that will have you coming back just to see how many interactions there are. There's hours upon hours of voiced dialogue here, incentivizing playing more to see what characters will say next! The gameplay is also really solid and addicting on its own, with plenty of ways to reward the player, whether they succeed in escaping or not.

If you buy this game, make sure it's the PS5 version, if only because the devs put haptic feedback in for when you pet Cerberus. What a glorious game.

Never played a roguelike before. Never played a Supergiant Games... game before (though i was aware of their work). But people were saying this was an EASY game of the year. So i was like huh what exactly is this game that i never heard of before and that it's winning everyone over. So i bit the bullet and bought it to see what it was all about. Aaaaand i didn't get it. It was frustrating to reach so close to the surface only to die to stupid face theseus and get sent all the way back. So i wrote off the game as "not for me" and moved one. Fast forward to a year and a half later i'm basically a changed man, an "i played dead cells and liked it" type of man. So I get this random itch to play it again. I mean, it's been rotting in my Steam for so long so might as well. I started a new file and it all just... made SENSE. I actually understood what the structure was and what progression looked like. I was finally making progress and enjoying the characters, story, music, everything. This game taught me to give games second chances because it might actually work out in the end.

This game embodies a mixture of fun combat and a compelling narrative. Mixing a roguelite game style with a good story can be tough, but Supergiant knocked it out of the park with this one. Hades mixed a style of constantly changing level layouts and upgrades with a narrative about escaping Hell through the help of the Olympian gods. I was able to stay engaged to the story despite the countless hours of battling and collecting treasures thanks to the gorgeous art style and great voice performances for the characters. My main playstyle is on mobility mixed with high damage but the game has so many weapons, boons, and upgrades that anyone who even remotely enjoys the hack and slash genre can find something they like here. This game gets my highest recommendations.

That there was such a focus on thematic art direction and narrative meant I actually cared to see this Roguelite through to the end, multiple times. Shocked and stunned beyond all belief that an entry in this genre can actually look pretty, and not just be a dozen repeating mud tilesets.
For a game about systems compounding into "always-unique" runs, I still found myself rolling my thumb across the face buttons and dashing to victory regardless. Eventually grew weary of having to dungeon run for 20~ minutes before I saw some new dialogue, but it was nice affirming Medusa while it lasted. Such a sprawling and reactive script is obviously very impressive, I certainly hope loamlikes everywhere take the hint.

I had a whole review written out and it accidentally got deleted. At first that just took the wind out of my sails, but I think if I want to be true to the game I need to get up and go back out there again. Push bouldy back up, yknow?

One thing that keeps popping back up in my mind is that Hades fills a similar role as something like 12 Angry Men, where much of the appeal lies in the player's awe at the sheer perfectionism on display. Every single element is placed exactly where it needs to be to accomplish what the game set out to do. Hades is a game of masters joining together to prove their mastery together by creating a game which displays such prowess in every element of game development that you can't help but love it. It will continue to top GOAT lists for a very long time not from innovation or historical importance, but because of a sort of generalized high quality which seeps into each and every piece of this experience.

That's not to say that Hades is a dry vehicle for showcasing technical skill, though. No, the game is built with so much love and care for the really touchy thematic territory it explores. Abuse, and the politics and emotions of forgiveness, endless cycles and finding joy within them (is there any wonder you befriend Sisyphus so quickly?) are the bigger ones, but that's far from all there is. Supergiant's work here is just oozing with things to say and delicate issues to explore. I chose to write this review at the credits, and I know that there is quite a bit left to do, so I won't make any statements too concrete about these since there's a good chance I haven't seen large amounts of the relevant material. I do find myself wondering if its views on forgiveness and moving on suggest an outlook which is too dismissive of those who cut off toxic and abusive family, but I find so much textual evidence going in very different directions that I'm not fully sure how to sort that out. Needless to say, I believe that the hearts of the writers are in the right place, I only wonder if they stumble here.

Other than that, it echoes Dark Souls, Gurren Lagann, and even "The Myth of Sisyphus" with probably the most important principle I've taken from art and used in my own life. This thought is the secret thread that connects nearly everything that resonates with me, so I just want to end lingering on it:

Life is found in hot blooded defiance against the inevitable.

-

Played on Linux using Proton.

É difícil falar de Hades com a verdadeira emoção que você tem ao jogar. Mesmo após mais de 100 horas em um único save, eu ainda continuo sendo tentado pelas forças desse jogo, me convidando para realizar mais algumas tentativas de escapar desse reino de punição eterna. E esse talvez seja o maior mérito dessa obra, criar essa afeição pela sua experiência. Alinhado de belíssimos visuais, um combate rápido e responsivo, uma trilha sonora que alterna entra o melancólico e o caótico e, principalmente, uma história familiar cativante, Hades conseguiu criar momentos inteiramente gratificantes num gênero onde raiva e frustração sempre reinaram. Mesmo as minhas mortes mais dolorosas se transformavam em mais conhecimento sobre cada uma dessas histórias, além de trazer bastante aprendizado e mais itens para me ajudar numa próxima tentativa, alimentando esse ciclo eterno de fugas. Tendo tudo isso em mente, minha única tristeza fica pelo fato de eu ter demorado tanto para finalmente me afundar nesse profundo Reino do Hades. Pela quantidade de vezes que me mandaram ir pro inferno, eu deveria ter jogado bem antes...

I stopped playing this at the 10 hour mark after becoming bored with the repetition, and even after a break I have no desire to come back to it.

Hades makes a strong first impression with its high quality art and voice acting, but the gameplay has neither the variety nor the systemic depth to justify being a roguelike. You are simply grinding through the same levels, same enemies, same bosses - over and over and over - just to get drip-fed a little bit of story or horny dialogue.

Ultimately, the roguelike structure only serves to obnoxiously pad out the game's length. It takes a short, entertaining button-masher and stretches it out to a lengthy, gossamer-thin grindfest. I can put up with a lot of things in games, but I just can't abide boredom.

Annnnd with that I have to be done.

I got to the "actual" endgame content IYKYK. I think I've exhausted myself of the game for a minute. I really enjoyed it, but I need a break.

Nevertheless, this game is the best roguelike that I've played in my life so far. I loved how dying wasn't a bad part, but a necessary part of building and deepening relationships. At this point of the game, I was happy to see that "nectar" was much easier to get and finally able to deepen more relationships. This was fun to get more dialogue options open, and still hear so many lines. It is baffling how much voice over lines they did.

Another thing that made me love this game, it ran perfectly on my phone. They optimized it so well for my experience on an iPhone 12 Pro Max that I am incredibly grateful for Supergiant Games.

The combat rocks and the Pacts of Punishment are phenomenal. I loved hearing the different lines about which pacts effected the different bosses. Especially when different pacts are turned on and then back off. They went so deep with the dialogue.

I'm taking the day to decide if I'm just going to YouTube all of the story beats or eventually play the game again.

I highly recommend this game. It's so good.

I sort of think of this game as the video game equivalent to the movie Parasite, this little indie that spread around pretty much through word of mouth alone, got to stand toe to toe with the big AAA releases come awards season. It’s an incredibly polished title with a lot of challenge, a lot of personality, and a lot of unique, innovative ideas. My only gripe is that boons from certain characters are blatantly better than others depending on your weapon and, with the keepsake system basically letting you choose which characters are in rotation, it can lead to runs feeling a bit homogenous. Otherwise, a terrific game, my score goes back and forth between an 8/10 and a 9/10 depending on my mood.

A very fun rogue-lite that I would play more often if it didn't absolutely aggravate the Hell out of my carpal tunnel syndrome.

While the game gives you grindable upgrades to boost your abilities, it still took me a good handful of hours to finally secure my first W. The main fun to be had here is blending synergies together to concoct the flashiest thing you've ever seen, with some absolutely melting bosses and others straight up fizzling out. There are definitely some boons that I prefer more than others, but most boons provide some sort of boost to your build.

While death can be mentally destructive to the psyche, you're given free reign to build up some relationships with the other characters who will help you later down the line. The artwork is beautiful, the voice acting is top tier, and the music fucking rips throughout. The later levels are gargantuan difficult, but once I started to win a little more often, it's like my confidence took a steroid and I was able to have a much easier time afterwards.

I just wish the main bosses that guarded each transition to the next place would have a little more range or versatility. It gets a little old killing the same bosses every run, especially when you've had the same variant of them a few times in a row.

I have yet to technically see the credits, but the story is captivating enough to keep trying.

Countless members of the gaming community have sung Hades' praises; everything that could possibly be said about it has been said. Yet, I find it impossible not to contribute with a review of my own.
Very, very rarely does something I play feel so perfectly put together. Although there's fairly basic gameplay at its core, it's the way that Hades builds upon that simplicity - and the game's general presentation - that allow it to be totally unique and fresh. Everything is given thought, down to the littlest detail - and that extends to every aspect, from writing to mechanics.
Even after playing it nearly every day for a month straight, I find myself eager to jump back in again and again. There's always something to strive for, some goal to motivate you. Whether it's building your relationships with characters, maxing out a keepsake, fulfilling a prophecy, or simply clearing the game as fast as possible; no matter what you prefer to focus on, there's going to be a near-endless amount of tasks for you to complete, and each feels just as important as the last.

SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 5.5/5
Audio: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Gameplay: 5/5
Worldbuilding: 5/5
Overall game score: 5/5

IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Visuals:
As Zagreus attempts to flee his prison of a home, he must travel through multiple stages of hell. From the dim, stone-built rooms of Tartarus, to the grassy plains of Asphodel, where battle-hungry heroes reside. Each setting is ripe with its own style; the multitude of enemies and constantly-rearranging rooms are just two of the things that will keep your playthroughs from getting stale.
Possibly the best part of Hades as a whole is the outstanding character design. Every single member of the cast are absolutely lovely to look at, each a unique take on a - quite literally - ancient concept. Eurydice's afro-like hair, formed by a tree sprouting from her head. Zeus' beard of clouds. Charon's coin chain laid across his shoulders. Orpheus' harp, carved with elegant faces.
And then there's the telling details, too. Nyx adorns three tiny skulls with red eyes, nearly identical to the faces that Chaos wraps themself in. Hypnos wears a soft, quilt-like robe, which I'm sure keeps him comfortable during naps. Dusa's snake shares her blush. And all of these amazing tidbits are relayed through breathtakingly gorgeous 2D portraits, maybe the best ones ever created.
Besides that, I specifically want to call to attention the designs' color usages. Take Meg, for example. She is prominently blue and gold, but a bright pink highlights her lips, the edges of her wings, and her whip. Not only does it make the art pop even more, but it gives insight into her 'lover/rival' dynamic with Zagreus, adorning the parts of her that bring both pleasure and pain.
Then there's Chaos. Their body is entirely white, allowing both the red flowers and eyes emerging from them to stand out all the more. It resembles that of a 'blank slate' that creation is springing out of - a perfect look for the maker of all existence.
Lastly, I'll point out Asterius. Pink highlights him as well, drawing attention to his horns and axe - but most importantly, his gloves. They're gloves which Theseus also wears, the only pink in his design. It calls attention to the bond they share, the surprising way Asterius has affected Theseus, a man usually entirely focused on himself.
There are a million other parts of Hades' visuals I could talk about. The beautiful looks for each weapon aspect you can unlock, the gorgeous lighting, the fantastic 3D models... pretty much every conceivable part of Hades' art design is perfect. It's an endless well of fascination.
Overall, 5.5/5.

Audio:
To go along with the wonderful-looking characters, there is some of the most charming and appealing voice acting I've ever heard, period. Everyone's VA perfectly matches their personality, each having a totally unique tone and delivery to make them stand out. Zeus' booms like thunder, showing off his confidence and self-important attitude. Zagreus talks calmly and self-assuredly, even in the face of danger. Aphrodite allures with her cheeriness and flirtatiousness.
Of course, there's also the absolutely gorgeous soundtrack. It's without a doubt one of the best in the medium. Each piece is a symphony of modern and ancient instruments, incorporating both harp and electric guitar alike. They're hauntingly beautiful, filling every inch of the underworld with a life of its own. Orpheus' and Eurydice's pieces in particular deserve a mention. They both have heavenly voices.
And whenever an electric guitar kicks in, I go berserk. No boss music has ever hit me as hard as Hades' second form. I still get hyped up every single time.
Overall, 5/5.

Story:
Hades' narrative focuses on Zagreus, the prince of the Underworld, as he attempts to flee his father's domain to find his birth mother. He is aided on his journey by Olympian relatives, whom have only just found out about his existence - but they are unaware of his real quest, believing his ultimate goal is to reach THEM. As a result, Zagreus quickly finds himself caught between the contempt of Hades, and the blind idolization of the gods he's not yet met.
The dysfunction of this family is made apparent at every turn, with lies, deceit, and tension. Though the Olympians present themselves as prideful and aware, there is no shortage of drama to fuel family in-fighting; for as often as they like to chastise mortals for their flaws, the gods often sink to the same levels.
That's not to say they're unlikable. On the contrary, many of them are very charming. Artemis' introverted nature sets her apart from the others, letting her intelligence and skill shine through. Dionysus' fun party persona and easygoing nature are always sure to be a good time. Athena undoubtedly lives up to her title, bringing wisdom and strategy to every interaction. Hades does a fantastic job of portraying flawed characters whom you still bond with - and a big part of that is the writing.
Each bit of dialogue is entertaining. It provides constant insight into the cast, their perspective, or the world. Most everyone speak as bombastically or as slyly as gods would, yet the interactions remain natural and always flow well.
The real crux of the story, though, are the characters' relationships with one another. Zagreus and Hades' was strained long before the game started, and now is put fully to the test by his escape attempts. Zagreus and his mother have only just met, and their devoted love combined with the learning they must do about each others' histories is very heartwarming. The complicated backgrounds of the Olympians, which bleeds into Zagreus' life unexpectedly, add high stakes and drama. These setups lead to some surprisingly emotional and impactful moments, which are further complimented by the voice acting and music that accompany them.
You'd think a game as combat-focused as Hades would put the story in the backseat, but it never does. The constant stream of quips and observations from the gods during runs keep things flowing - and each visit to the house of Hades provides ample interactions to satiate you until your next return.
But most importantly, at the game's core, there's a simple, heart-touching story about family and the bonds they share, wrapped up in a cacoon of Greek mythology. It's simply lovely to explore.
Overall, 5/5.

Gameplay:
Hades' combat is built on fairly basic hack-and-slash/roguelite elements - but these are made exceptionally special by the multiple methods of customization at your disposal.
First and foremost, there are the many ancient weapons to wield; and besides all of them having their own unique 'feel' in combat, they each have four forms to choose from (which provide their own specific upgrades.) So if one weapon doesn't suit you, there are many more for you to choose from - or you can even find a new form of the former that you click with better.
Then, there are the 'keepsakes' you can earn. You do so by building relationships with the cast; each character will give you a totally personalized item in exchange for a nectar you give them. These keepsakes provide further bonuses, with the chance given to equip a new one at the beginning of a run and after clearing each level. Bonuses can range from extra starting gold to resisting a few hits from bosses.
There's plenty more I could discuss. Take the mirror of night, which allows you to spend currency earned on runs to upgrade and gain new stats; each slot has two separate stats for you to choose between. And the cthonic companions, which have 'charges' you can use to get aid from your friends in big fights. But, most importantly, there are the gods themselves.
Nine in total, each Olympian sports totally unique upgrades for your abilities, ones that are telling of their personalities and domains - from Artemis' criticals to Dionysus' hangovers. There are many other skills to gain from them too, such as Athena replenishing a 'life' and increasing the health it gives you. And although you can slightly sway things in one direction or another with keepsakes, which gods help you on a certain run is almost entirely random; you're never going to get the same combinations twice.
Meaning, no two runs will ever be the same. There are literally infinite combinations of possible playstyles to explore. And if things DO get too easy or stagnant for you, you may increase a run's difficulty through the 'pact of punishment'. This pact provides you with over a dozen ways of making the next run harder - while also giving the chance to earn additional rewards if you've beaten the final boss with the weapon you're using.
Now, all of that being said, let's briefly talk about the most important non-combat mechanic. This is, of course, building relationships. Not only does doing so unlock the aforementioned keepsakes and cthonic companions, but it also allows you to learn more of their backstories and personalities (which is totally worth it. Again, Hades' writing is amazing.) Although it's a very simple loop - earn nectar and ambrosia, give it to someone, read some new dialogue - it's very rewarding in its own way.
I can safely say that even after playing so much of Hades in such a short amount of time, I still find the mechanics totally appealing. Every few days, I'll feel myself craving the combat and character interactions all over again - and it's hard to resist the siren's call. Truly, this game is a constant source of entertainment. That's why I know I'll be coming back, even after I'm done writing this review.
Overall, 5/5.

Worldbuilding:
Amongst the gods is a rich lore of bitter pasts and complicated relationships. The Olympians struggle to fully connect with each other, let alone their brother and nephew in the Underworld. This divine family is held together by threads - threads of which you, Zagreus, are tasked to tighten.
Of course, doing so wouldn't mean nearly as much if the characters weren't so diverse, charming, and complex. Each one of them have their own takes about going-ons in the game, providing entertaining dialogue and an ever-evolving view of the world around you.
Those are, ultimately, the two things that lay at the heart of Hades' worldbuilding - the dialogue and the relationships. As you progress, you will uncover more and more of this massively-shared history. Best of all, it's perfectly paced to keep time with the gameplay - you'll be left constantly wanting more, while never feeling unrewarded.
Overall, 5/5.

Overall game score: 5/5 [5.1/5]. Hades is endlessly fun, beautifully presented, and filled to the brim with love. The amount of quality content you get for 20 dollars is ridiculous. So, if you haven't played this game yet, please do.

having won a run in hades a few times now, i unfortunately have to report that the game is good. but it also isn't completely to my tastes and has issues. probably the most off-putting thing about this, as someone who's played a good share of roguelikes, is how it bucks genre conventions. some of this is good, but the majority of it is bad.

what i personally like about roguelikes and roguelites is the way that it's an entire game experience condensed into around an hour or so. of course, there will be unlockables, secret ending and paths, etc. but the main appeal of the genre for me has always been the ability to bend it to your will, acquired through many runs and much gained knowledge about the game and its systems. it allows you to have total god runs while also eeking out close victories, and it provides a sense of mastery over time that can't be easily found in other genres.

hades is.. not that. it's not so much knowledge about systems that will win you runs (at least at first, i'm still new to the game), but upgrades to zagreus that will persist across runs. this is fine, but it feels antithetical to what i enjoy about the genre. i don't mind new abilities or items that you can get in runs, or new paths and bosses and stuff, but to have your character be quantitatively better (vs. something like isaac where a character will gain a heart or new starting item through an unlock) just isn't very interesting to me. especially when the upgrades just, increase your max health, or your casts. it doesn't make me feel like i'm mastering the game, just that i'm getting more powerful.

the design philosophy of consistency across runs isn't entirely bad though. the narrative framework of hades is really quite interesting, especially for a genre that is usually (and understandably) light on story elements. i won't spoil anything but i really like how this is accomplished. it's nothing mindblowing but it does a lot to help the game along

spent most of this review complaining but the game is honestly very fun.. closing thoughts: the shield fucking sucks

The complete entry for the Heart-Seeking Bow, otherwise known as the Coronacht, contains this excerpt: "Hera since abandoned her once-warlike ways..." The reason you employ an editor is to catch redundancies like this before you hit print. No need to tell us "once-warlike" if you've already signaled she has since abandoned her ways. Any time I see a stylistic error like this I instantly drop the video game. The last one I completed was, oddly, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. The absurd glitches and the content of the story aside the writers had a keen eye for cadence, flow, and economy of prose.

Everything about this game is phenomenal. The great art and aesthetic, amazing music, and truly great characters with some of the best voice work I've seen in a video game. The gameplay is also some of the best I've played, with every powerup and upgrade blending into a great playstyle, with nothing feeling truly weak. No enemy or boss felt truly unfair or aggravating, making every loss seem like your fault you can correct. The story is also great, being something that could only be truly realized through the medium of video games, with an ending that made me tear up after finishing that first run.
A must play for anyone even remotely into rougelikes.