Rate top gamesHades is the perfected "rogue-lite" formula. Supergiant deftly weaves gameplay and story together, creating impactful moments narratively and mechanically.
There's so much to talk about here, but I want to focus on two things: how well it pulls off the rogue-lite formula, and how well it tells a story at the same time. If you're unfamiliar with rogue-lites, they're a genre of game where you have to clear the game in a single attempt while grabbing upgrades along the way. You likely won't win on your first try, but you'll learn something and be better prepared for the next attempt.
I've long held that Binding of Isaac is the peak of the rogue-lite genre for numerous reasons: variety, meaningful choices, and synergies. Hades has a healthy amount of variety between each run, but not so much that you're dying to RNG every time. Hades has freedom to choose your playstyle, with multiple choices both before and during each run that culminate in satisfying displays of your power. Hades also has powerful synergies between effects and upgrades, allowing for further experimenting and customization in each run. All of these aspects are compounded 6 unique weapons that each provide unique playstyles that you choose before each run.
Then there's story. The basic premise is that you must escape from the underworld, and each death has you taking the River Styx back to the depths of Tartarus. There's plenty of Greek mythos to immerse yourself into, but the important part is how they tie every aspect of a traditional rogue-like to these story elements. Upgrades are blessings from the Olympians; bosses are mythological figures payed by your father to keep you from reaching the surface, weapons are from epic tales, the memebers of Hades' court of the dead greet you with enthusiasm every time you die, and everyone has personality. There's thousands upon thousands of dialogue lines in the game, and it wasn't until 60+ hours in that I heard a single repeated line. Dialogue is similar to Bastion's narrator, commenting on your choices throughout each run, or your deaths from previous escape attempts.
If you're a fan of Supergiant's previous game, fast-paced action RPG's, rogue-lites, or even visual novels, Hades has something for you and is worth every penny of it's $25 price tag.
There's so much to talk about here, but I want to focus on two things: how well it pulls off the rogue-lite formula, and how well it tells a story at the same time. If you're unfamiliar with rogue-lites, they're a genre of game where you have to clear the game in a single attempt while grabbing upgrades along the way. You likely won't win on your first try, but you'll learn something and be better prepared for the next attempt.
I've long held that Binding of Isaac is the peak of the rogue-lite genre for numerous reasons: variety, meaningful choices, and synergies. Hades has a healthy amount of variety between each run, but not so much that you're dying to RNG every time. Hades has freedom to choose your playstyle, with multiple choices both before and during each run that culminate in satisfying displays of your power. Hades also has powerful synergies between effects and upgrades, allowing for further experimenting and customization in each run. All of these aspects are compounded 6 unique weapons that each provide unique playstyles that you choose before each run.
Then there's story. The basic premise is that you must escape from the underworld, and each death has you taking the River Styx back to the depths of Tartarus. There's plenty of Greek mythos to immerse yourself into, but the important part is how they tie every aspect of a traditional rogue-like to these story elements. Upgrades are blessings from the Olympians; bosses are mythological figures payed by your father to keep you from reaching the surface, weapons are from epic tales, the memebers of Hades' court of the dead greet you with enthusiasm every time you die, and everyone has personality. There's thousands upon thousands of dialogue lines in the game, and it wasn't until 60+ hours in that I heard a single repeated line. Dialogue is similar to Bastion's narrator, commenting on your choices throughout each run, or your deaths from previous escape attempts.
If you're a fan of Supergiant's previous game, fast-paced action RPG's, rogue-lites, or even visual novels, Hades has something for you and is worth every penny of it's $25 price tag.
Other reviews28
Best game I've played since breath of the wild. The fun factor is absolutely tops, art is crazy attractive, voice acting makes the game, and even though I die 100 times I want to do just one more run. Can't recommend enough!
«Blew my mind»
«Just one more turn»
This is truly a masterpiece. You can't go wrong with that beautiful game with such a cool story and gameplay. And oh my the audio.
This is probably the most 10/10 game I ever played.
Everything is quality. Visuals, sound design, gameplay, story, characters....Everything!
«Blew my mind»
«Can’t stop playing»
Once you start understanding the mechanics, you're hooked. Its a nice touch to keep the player engaged with the random drops for the boons and shop items and you gotta keep tweaking to put yourself in the best position. After running through the final three or four times, I lost interest. Was very fun though.