Bisexual paradise
There's nothing I could say about this game that hasn't been said by a million others. Supergiant Games didn't just deliver another amazing title; they practically defined how to weave narrative into a roguelite. Roguelites are notoriously light on story, often relegating their narrative to background details and lore entries. Even games like 'Darkest Dungeon', which are more story-heavy, have to excise a lot of narrative depth to avoid repetition or potentially scrambling the plot points.
'Hades' is just built different, though. The game not only has a story (and an incredibly rich story at that) but fully intertwines it with the gameplay, creating one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences I've ever had with a game. The characters are all wonderfully realized and distinct, with gorgeous art and stellar voice acting. And the game has unique dialogue for practically every single thing that occurs in the game, be it from Zagreus, Hypnos, Hades, or one of the many Olympians you cross paths with. It's staggering just how much writing the game contains, all fully voice-acted.
The simple goal of escaping the underworld gains layers upon layers of depth as you progress, learning more about the world and the relationships between the characters. Zagreus has so many nuanced interactions with the countless entities he encounters, and it never feels like they're one-dimensional villains or heroes. Relationship building is arguably the strongest element of the game's writing. The romantic relationships are especially powerful, particularly the one between Zagreus and Thanatos.
But if there's one aspect of the writing that truly deserves its flowers, it's Hades himself. In all honesty, Hades is one of my favourite characters ever written. He could have easily been a bastard, saying horrifically cruel things and coming off like a one-dimensional villain. But his initial callousness and brutal comments come off more like a frustrated parent than a cruel monster. And as you interact with him more and more, the story reveals more of his vulnerabilities and humour, making him deeply compelling. He is still a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ parent and the game's antagonist, but the game gives him so much depth as it progresses, and I came to truly adore every interaction with him.
Setting the narrative aside, the gameplay is also stellar. It's an isometric hack-and-slash like Supergiant's other games, but they've clearly honed and refined their game design over time, landing upon a combat style that's flashy, impactful, and snappy as hell. And while the game could become repetitive through the same combat encounters occurring time and again, it manages to remain refreshing through the various alterations that can be made to one's playstyle: weapons (with multiple variants), permanent upgrades, boons, difficulty modifiers, and trinkets. It all neatly fits together to continuously shake up the fighting just enough that gameplay never really gets old. Paired with the constant influx of narrative progression and a wide array of enemies, the game is able to keep you fully locked into its core loop for over 60 hours.
The systems are also tuned unbelievably well. Early runs are more about resource gathering than success, as you both get to grips with the combat and gain more permanent upgrades. But the story ensures that even bad runs feel productive. And by the end, you're able to win with almost any build, though it feels especially cathartic when you find one of the builds that completely breaks the game as various boons synergize. Those synergies and game-breaking builds are just hard enough to acquire to require that perfect mix of luck and planning, but aren’t so difficult that they never occur. And the presence of difficulty modifiers and incentives to engage with them ensures that the game also doesn't become needlessly easy in the late game.
My only real complaint would be that one or two of the character arcs take a bit too long to progress, requiring me to play a bit past the point of exhaustion in the ultra-late game. But even that doesn't dampen my feelings on the game.
‘Hades’ is proof positive that Supergiant are a generational developer in their prime, delivering unforgettable experiences that marry some of the best writing video games have ever seen with top-shelf gameplay. And do I even need to mention Darren Korb, who not only voices a bunch of characters (including Zagreus) but also composed all the music, yet again? And once again, he delivered an unbelievably iconic score that infuses the game with so much aura and confidence. It draws heavily on fantasy and Ancient Greek motifs, but it also has moments when a sick metal riff tears through the mix, further punctuating combat.
I could sing this game’s praises to the end of time. It’s a near-flawless gem that has it all: A-grade writing, gorgeous visuals, stellar music, killer performances, addictive gameplay, and oceans of mechanical depth/variety. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of achievement, and Supergiant made it look like baby food. I’ve just begun the sequel, and I cannot wait to see how much further they take things.
I'd score it 10/10.
