Hades is easy to pick up for a quick game, but you'll soon find an hour has gone by. And when you do hit that rhythm, you become a machine of death that is extremely satisfying. ![]() There are almost always a ton of effects going off on the screen, but you can still quickly get into a rhythm of dashing and attacking. I don't know how Supergiant did it, but it's actually relatively easy to follow the action despite its frenetic pace. I was a bit overwhelmed when I first saw gameplay, but you need not really worry about the insane pace of action. Hades looks beautiful, and it handles just as well. Hades is easy to play, difficult to master All this, combined with the different enemies, skills, and weapons means you're going to have a different experience each time. Chaos gates also mix things up with timed debuffs that eventually wear off and give you a big bonus. You might also experience a Trove trial that has you kill enemies as fast as possible for a reward. Once an encounter (basically one room or level in Hades speak) is complete, you will have one or two paths to choose from based on reward and difficulty. With the contractor back at the house of Hades, you can add new areas to these sections as well. Each section has a theme and there are certainly blocks you'll begin to expect, but you're not going to be running through the exact same levels each time. First and foremost, levels are procedurally generated. But Hades employs some roguelike staples to keep things looking (mostly) new when you make another run. You are, after all, playing the same levels over and over again. Keeping a roguelike game feeling fresh isn't necessarily easy. Each character has a definite personality, which really puts some icing on the cake. Voice acting is superb here, as is the artwork. The more you play, the more you begin to understand what's going on. Your immortal state is no big deal to them, thanks to the magic of Greek mythology. Perhaps most compelling is the endgame storyline, which continues branching out even after you've reached the "end." For a roguelike, that's a big deal.Ĭharacters in the game remember you as you make your way to the surface over and over, commenting on your abilities and exploits. That's just scraping the surface the more runs you attempt, the more story you'll dig up. Oh, you're also trying to figure out where you came from. Why? Your dad is an ass and you're sick of missing out on all the fun your cousins, aunts, and uncles are having on Mount Olympus. You're Zagreus, son of Hades, and you're attempting to escape the Underworld with the help of some relatives. Hades, on the other hand, has an actual storyline that is uncovered as you play the game. There are hints of story throughout, but that's about as far as it goes. Dead Cells, for example, has you play as a headless prisoner who must kill the High King. Some of my favorite roguelike games don't have much of a storyline to follow and lean heavily on addicting gameplay. Source: Supergiant Games (Image credit: Source: Supergiant Games) Hades has an actual storyline to discover It's a system that's much deeper than what's evident at first glance, and it makes players go for just one more run. Plenty of times I've accidentally discovered a potent combination of boons, turning a throwaway run into a veritable push to leave the Underworld. Your Special, Cast, and Call abilities can all be overhauled with certain boons as well, which means one run you can be a Hangover-inducing party animal and the next you can be a Lightning-wielding Zeus fanatic. Yes, it is possible to design your character each time you run through, though of course the roguelike nature means there is some chance to what you'll get. This makes it much easier to get a solid start to a specific build during a run. ![]() These keepsakes will either give you an immediate boost to some aspect of your character, or they will ensure you see a specific boon to start off your run. Keepsakes are unlocked by presenting gifts to the deities and character you meet during your travels. There are multiple weapons to unlock - you select one before attempting a run - including a bow and arrow, shield, spear, fists, and railgun. Hades takes parts from a bunch of different genres and forges them into something special. But where an aRPG goes incredibly deep with loot and crafting, Hades fills the hole with roguelike aspects. Hades feels a bit like an aRPG with its frantic isometric action, at least enough to keep me satisfied while we await Diablo IV's dungeon-crawling goodness. I've also dedicated a good portion of the last 20 years of my life to playing Diablo II, one of the best aRPG dungeon-crawlers ever made.
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