Hades Review

Over the last few years, Supergiant Games has become well known for crafting high-quality indie games. Hades is the latest release from the studio and carries on the tradition of retro-inspired graphics and impressive stories.

But it also goes one step further, putting the focus on the gameplay as much as the atmosphere and presentation. It’s an approach that has worked fantastically well.

Not only does this roguelike draw you in but it also thrills with excellent gameplay. It’s no wonder that Hades has been talked about so much and become something of a sleeper hit.

Story

The story in this genre is not something that is usually put center stage. In fact, roguelikes have a reputation for almost making the narrative a secondary consideration. That is not the case in Hades. This is very much a title that puts plenty of emphasis on the plot. Of course, that shouldn’t be a surprise considering who the developers are. Having such an involved story to follow really adds to the overall experience. Every action you take over the course of multiple runs is given extra meaning. It also provides more motivation in a genre that can become repetitive very quickly.

In Hades, the player takes on the role of Zagreus from Greek mythology. As the son of Hades, he is expected to help run the Underworld but has ambitions elsewhere. With each run starting in Hades’ personal office, players set out to explore the world and characters outside. There you can run into Greek heroes and Gods and learn more about Zagreus’s motivations. Every individual in the game has a unique personality and their own story to tell. It makes exploring the world in each escape attempt worthwhile and helps you to build up relationships.

Perhaps the best thing about the narrative in Hades is that it actually rewards you for dying. Roguelikes have a problem in that they force players to restart from the beginning after death. This can be frustrating and tiresome, especially if you have previously made a lot of progress. But after each run in Hades, you get to return to the office of Hades. Here you can chat with various characters and learn about what has changed. It elegantly removes that feeling of dread after dying.