Hades...
Not that this game needs an introduction from the already overwhelmingly positive reviews it has.
From the prospective of someone who has never really played or given a chance on Rouge-lites. Was never interested and generally would be bored of this genre of game. However, Hades is very different!
Firstly, I played this on my Steam deck, it runs beautifully, and is a very bug free game, good start. I got this due to its highly recommendation on both steam and other sites as one of the best in it's genre, and steam deck game. My new job was requiring me to look at alternative ways to play games and entertain myself, And I am glad I did.
Having played a few other Rouge Lites, or possibly Rouge games? I found they can be very daunting in the difficulty, its a genre that usually requires you to get better instead of the game getting easier, Like a RPG.
I will admit, I went for God mode. I have since played without, and I do enjoy it, however without it, I feel I would have abandoned the game sooner. It allowed me to appreciate the game, the story and the mechanics.
It's a great game for a few reasons,
The Story;
It's a well known piece of history, or mythology, I was conveniently reading Stephen Frys "Mythos" at the same time, learning the factual version along side, however its a very "Relatable" story, it's something we learn as kids, and yet you still wonder, "What will happen next?".
This is enhanced by two factors, one being the superb Voice Acting. The deep voices, the light hearted sarcasm in tone, it works perfectly.
And the Art work, being in a Cartoon-ish style keeps it engaging without the need for high end graphics or looking as basic as a point and click adventure.
Gameplay;
From other reviews, this is labelled as something better than it's rivals, I couldn't really say about that, however, I can say it was fluid and easy enough to pick up, without being overwhelming, I also found it to have enough of a task, that each wave, round and Run I did, I felt I could improve, but would also "kick myself" for making simple mistakes. There is a nice aspect of Randomness included in this, with each god having it's own "Boons" and obviously, playstyles. Weapons I wouldn't usually take, ways I wouldn't usually play are encouraged and albeit, very amusing, with a nice and simple mechanic of reward.
Sound design;
The in-game music, the sound of pots being smashed, and the VA. It all goes together so nicely, nothing is over done, the game has a very ancient feel in it's atmosphere and there is plenty of humour included that it blends synonymously.
Overall, This game really surprised me, so much that after a mere 5 hours, I was hooked, so much so I annoyed some of my family members and friends by mentioning this game. It goes without saying I wishlisted "Hades 2" almost immediately. I would honestly, highly recommend this game to anyone who hasn't really given rouge lites a go or is put off by the difficulty of them, even if you're an Achievement hunter, so far it seems more of a time consuming aspect than it does a Difficulty aspect.
TL;DR
Good game, Good Voice Acting, Played on steam deck, Bug free, Good Story and Almost inf replayability, Recommend to non fans of the Rouge lite Genre. 10/10 :)
*hours played isn't correct due to Steam deck being offline
