Hades Review
Following the trend of the past few months, life in America didn’t just continue to be bad, it got worse. It’s not enough that the current administration is discussing options for refusing a lost election, they also have to state it outright to the press. Not only were the cops who murdered Breonna Taylor not charged with the murder, but it was made more insulting by indicting one of the three officers for what is essentially property damage. Adding insult and more injury to injury, the federal government both used CDC funds that could have been used to fight the COVID pandemic to instead make an ad campaign about how COVID isn’t that big of a deal and declared cities led by political opponents to be “anarchist jurisdictions” and threatened to withhold federal funding for things like COVID prevention and treatment. I hope everyone reading this is doing something to stem the tide of American fascism, whether it be active protesting, campaigning for politicians who oppose these efforts, or donating to the aforementioned groups. Anyway, I guess I’ll talk about Hades now.
Hades tells the story of Prince Zagreus, son of the god Hades. The player, as Zagreus, seeks to escape his father’s underworld realm to the surface world above. However, lord Hades has taken steps to ensure neither the innumerable souls of the dead nor his rebellious son have an easy road to the land of the living. The first obstacle is the ever-shifting nature of the chthonic domain, making each escape attempt unique from any before it. The second obstacle are the hordes of spirits content to attack any potential escapees on behalf of Hades, either due to some promised payment or simply hostility inherent to their nature. Lastly, there are legends of Greek mythology, such as the Furies and the Lernaean Hydra, in the employ of Hades who harness their not inconsiderable powers to dash the hopes of any who struggle to escape Hades’ realm. Though much is stacked against him, Zagreus has a few things going for him. Firstly, born of divine blood in the land of the dead, Zagreus cannot die. Any time his life bar reaches zero during an escape attempt, he is returned to Hades’ house, free to try again after a chiding from his increasingly frustrated father. Secondly, his Olympian relatives send help in the form of boons as they aren’t able to enter the land of the dead themselves. Finally, Zagreus receives help from members of Hades’ court who, while duty-bound to serve Hades, aid the prince, either as an act of rebellion against their unbearable boss or because they’re friends with the prince. All of this taken into consideration, the player then throws themselves at the gates of the underworld over and over, like an incredibly violent Groundhog Day.
I am a big fan of developer Supergiant Games’ past works, but I had some concerns going in to Hades as the studio usually excels thanks to excellent storytelling and roguelites are typically sparse in that area. My concerns turned out to be baseless because not only does Hades have a good story, it is also an expertly crafted roguelite. The first thing about Hades that impresses me the most is the sheer amount and variety of content that can be present during an escape attempt. At the beginning of each attempt, Zagreus can choose to wield one of at least six weapons, each with their own distinct play style that can be modified by four different aspects each that provide bonuses to existing attacks or entirely new attacks. On top of that, players can find enchanted hammers left by the legendary engineer Daedalus, which provide new modifications to the player’s chosen weapon, and Olympian boons, magical blessings from Zagreus' uncles, aunts, and cousins of the divine mountain, which grant players new actions or passive enhancements. The brilliance of these hammers and boons is that, while there are pools of 15-20 potential benefits that each boon or hammer could grant the player, only three are presented at any one time, all but ensuring that players will have new skills and powers to adapt to each attempt.
Additionally, at the start of each escape attempt, one of the weapons in Zagreus’ armory will be chosen to provide bonus rewards for the duration of that attempt, encouraging players to use weapons they might pass over otherwise. Add to all this the game’s keepsakes, trinkets that Zagreus earns by befriending members of the underworld, which provide a specific passive bonus, and players can have dozens of runs that show no resemblance to any other with very little effort. As if everything else wasn’t enough, Hades has even more to offer in the form of unlockable content as the game progresses. New characters begin to appear in Hades’ court or in the winding paths of the underworld who will grant new benefits and provide new enlightening conversations. New weapons and skills will be made available to Zagreus as resources are collected. At one point the prince is even able to start directing remodeling efforts in the house of Hades, revealing new mechanics, conversations, and characters. After about 22 hours of play, there are still at least 3 characters I haven’t met, indicated by blank pages in the game’s codex, there are two doors in Hades’ court locked to me, at least ten new keepsakes I have yet to earn and there is even a space in the prince’s armory where I suspect three additional weapons may reside given time. The massive amount of things to experience in Hades is a bit mind boggling and the careful pace they’re doled out at keeps players interested and eager for more.
Not content to just make a mechanically solid game, Supergiant Games also gave Hades incredible writing, including in the story. As has been the tradition since the studio’s first game, Bastion, Hades features a smooth but gruff narrator that accompanies Zagreus. Anyone who has played a Supergiant Games production knows their narrators are top-notch, but Hades might be one of my favorites because he is an active participant in the story. At one point, Zagreus is hunting for information on his parentage and stumbles upon a lead but is too dense to understand what he’s found. In that instance, the narrator says what the player already knows which clues Zagreus in, advancing the plot. This scene was funny and well-written and endeared the character to me instantly. The ethereal voice is far from the only well-written character. Of special note are the Olympians, who are, as every other character, written excellently to show off their personality. Zeus is imperious in the way a “fun” boss is fun, willing to joke and be friendly, but still very much expects to be listened to and obeyed. Aphrodite is flirty, regularly referencing “encounters” with others, complementing peoples’ looks, and using pet names far more often than Zagreus’ given name.
My personal favorite of the Olympians is Dionysus, god of wine and revels. When he speaks with Zagreus, he’s incredibly relaxed and calls Zagreus “man” as he talks about all the partying the two will do once the prince escapes. His dialogue, in just a few words, perfectly encapsulates that one person everyone knows who loves to lay on a floating mattress in a pool, drink perpetually in hand. Olympian excellence doesn’t end there, as each of the boons they can grant to Zagreus are wonderfully thematic of the god granting them. Aphrodite’s boons play with the emotions of opponents, invoking passion towards Zagreus and making them do less damage with their attacks, while Dionysus’ boons coat the prince’s attacks in strong wine, inflicting drunken stuns and damaging hangovers. There are also boons that build on other boons, such as one of my favorites, Peer Pressure. A Dionysian boon, this causes any enemies afflicted with hangovers to cause other nearby enemies to suffer the same fate as they are pressured into drinking along. Every god has boons of the same quality, providing not only interesting new combat options but also quality insights into the deities helping Zagreus along the way.
So, should you buy Hades for $25? Unquestionably. Should you first donate to a good cause like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Color of Change, or National Bail Fund? Absolutely. I firmly believe that every one of those actions will bring you satisfaction and fulfillment and are very much worth the price.
Buy this game at full price
It’s worth every penny they’re asking
