While I can't help but admire Terry Cavanagh's commitment to his concept, Super Hexagon is more compelling to watch than to play. The visuals have a unique hypnotic beauty, and you can even close your eyes and get lost in Chipzel's urgent, ever-evolving soundtrack. But as an arcade-style challenge, Super Hexagon doesn't keep me coming back for more. Its simplicity is its greatest strength and weakness. The paradox follows: Super Hexagon would be less remarkable if it were more complex, yet I find myself wanting more of a reason to stay engaged as a player outside of getting used to the game's patterns to arrive at a sense of accomplishment. Being a mere spectator allows me to focus on Cavanagh's artistic conviction as well as relish the interplay between Chipzel's music, the pulsing shapes, and the constant string of narrowly avoided collisions; playing Super Hexagon leads me to question its long-term experiential appeal.

Plateaus hard before jumping down a canyon into dear-god-let-it-end ville.

The first couple of hours of playing this were euphoric in nature for me. Having my statistical analysis tested strongly in order to figure out each of the dice's main systems in their first episodes was an incredible feeling. A lot of understanding probability and working strategies accordingly in ways that constantly felt interesting and engaging. Witch is the biggest highlight of ridiculous balancing-act, but Thief shenanigans and Inventor cost-analysis is worth mentioning too.

But then after the first couple hours wear off, and then you play the same game again six times over, it falls real flat on its face. It loads a lot of its most interesting parts in the "figuring out" of core systems, because the roguelite itself has very little variety both in enemies and builds past the first go around. Other than maybe Witch, none of these should've gotten more than two episodes tops. Arguably you could see these as "Ascension"-tier playthroughs, but the game is very easy to finish the first episode on your first go. I like it being that forgiving, but it's not super challenging. And when all your additional playthroughs are the same solutions but with a couple more barriers in the way that makes you work around some generally fringe stuff, it loses its luster. Even with its charming presentation and witty humor.

It's a REALLY damn good cake to bite into, just excellent icing and first layer. But after the first couple slices that shit's getting put in the fridge where it never gets touched again until you throw it out.

Easily in the top 5 most overrated games of all time. The only reason Hades doesn't deserve the lowest rating is the impeccable presentation from Supergiant Games. As with the developer's other work, it's easy to get sucked into Hades because of how good it looks and sounds. This time, the studio marries its distinguished production style with a business plan based on appealing to the lowest common denominator.

Hades' familiar, repetitive action has gotten a pass from critics and fans thanks to the game's shrewd psychological manipulation. The fast leveling provides a reliable dopamine rush, and the upgrade preview icons flatter and tempt players by letting them know the progress that lies just a room away. The actual combat and upgrading are unoriginal and unchallenging. Using the logic I learned from the Diablo series and its many followers, I developed tactics (after a mere handful of failed runs) that allowed me to dominate most rooms and defeat Hades on my first attempt. The game evokes hell while being formulaic and welcoming, offering an onion that you can always peel. The perfect recipe for ego-stroked addiction.

And the story doesn't live up to the hype. It's all cliched juvenilia about flipping the bird to daddy and running to mommy for wise words and protection and having funny conversations with friends after you get a boo boo. Hades exploits the infantilized gaming market like a shameless pimp. Game of the Year? More like Trick of the Year.

how did Elliot Page and Willem fucking Dafoe get casted in this? did someone have dirt on them? they're both extremely talented, it just doesn't seem right to have them in a game like this. feel very bad for Elliot in particular, David 'crying in the courtroom' Cage went above his usual level of creepy to a more disturbing extreme with him. he infamously got a collection of Elliot's childhood photos and made secret fully-detailed nude models of Elliot against his consent, which is an incredibly fucked up perverted nasty thing to do even for david cage standards - and he's a GAME DIRECTOR who is FRENCH. all for a redbox original DVD movie for PS3.