It never becomes unplayable, but it can make death during those rare moments feel cheap. On Nintendo Switch, the game holds close to it’s 60 FPS target at native resolution, but will slow down during effect heavy battles with multiple enemies. The hand-drawn backgrounds and character portraits are gorgeous and the game never fails to be a joy to look at. At both high resolutions and high framerates, Hades is absolutely stunning. The game doesn’t take much power to run and is incredibly optimized, so you can easily bump up the resolution and framerate if you have a fancy display. On PC, the game’s beautiful art style really shines. There are enough elements pulled from Supergiant’s other games that if you’re a fan of the developer, you should absolutely check this game out even if you’re not into roguelikes. When you add new weapon unlocks and other upgrades on top of that, death transforms from a frustrating punishment to a promising opportunity to grow stronger. It’s the perfect blend of positive reinforcement and snide remarks that make you want to keep going on your seemingly futile quest. Hypnos will tease you regularly and your father Hades does not take kindly to your multiple escape attempts. It’s not just the friendly faces that keep you going, either. In the beginning, failure comes frequently and death comes swiftly, but you don’t feel as bad about it because you get to check back in with Achilles, Nyx, and the rest of the gang before you brave the depths of Tartarus once more. The disheartening defeats of those first few runs are offset by charming characters and a desire to see the story through to the end. If you normally bounce off of roguelikes, then Hades could be the one you fall in love with. Many were skeptical of Supergiant making a roguelike when this game was first announced, but now it is clear that Hades could not have been anything other than a roguelike. Rather than having the gameplay and story exist on two separate planes, Hades’ gameplay and story are interwoven to the benefit of both departments. These boons come with dialogue and story tidbits, which add an extra layer of uniqueness to the buffs they provide and make them feel like more than just numbers and percentages. The Gods of Mount Olympus see Zagreus as family and want to aid him on his quest, so they send all sorts of boons to the underworld to support him. The random items and bonuses you obtain during runs are also explained within the context of the story. His numerous deaths start to wear on him and those around him, and death is one of the driving forces behind the game’s story. Zagreus is determined to escape the House of Hades no matter how many times his endeavors may kill him, and he reawakens in Hades’ domain each time you fail a run. The repetition and randomness that permeate the genre are used to tell Hades’ story, and it makes this mythological tale all the more engaging. Supergiant’s transition to the roguelike genre is more than just a gameplay change. Its heavy focus on story places Hades in a unique position within the genre, making it a refreshing change of pace right from the start. There is still plenty of action packed combat and randomized items to pursue, but Hades places equal emphasis on fleshing out its characters and world. These character relationships and Zagreus’ mysterious motivations are at the core of the game, which is odd for a roguelike. As you reach higher levels of Hades, you’ll learn more about Zagreus and his relationship with his father and the other residents of the House of Hades. Hades is a dangerous place, so Zagreus faces death again and again, hoping to get lucky at least once. The only problem is that Zagreus’ father, the titular Hades, does not approve of his escape, so he must fight his way through Hades’ domain in order to get out. You play as Zagreus, Prince of the Underworld, who is hell-bent on running away from home to join the Gods on Mount Olympus. Hades is one of the best roguelikes I’ve played in a long time, and I can’t wait to jump back in and see what else the game has in store. Not only do the roguelike elements keep the combat feeling fresh for dozens of hours, but they also tie into the narrative in surprising ways and make the story much more compelling as a result. Now that the game is out of early access and finally complete, Hades is one of Supergiant’s best works. Roguelikes have told decent stories in the past, but I didn’t think the Supergiant style of storytelling would work well in a roguelike setting. Supergiant Games is known for creating amazing narrative-driven adventures, so when they first announced they were making a roguelike, an early access roguelike no less, I was skeptical.
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