Hades is a game that has erupted into the my world, taking awards and positive reviews from seemingly everywhere and becoming a serious contender for Game of the Year 2020. In a year where some game’s have released riddled with bugs and completely different to how they were marketed, it’s a welcome relief to hear about a game that turned out to be a pleasant surprise. While it is no longer 2020, I had to find out what Hades was like to play, and so I got myself a late Christmas present and dove into the underworld.
Hades starts off in the exact way I like games to start – with the player immediately thrown into the action. There are no tutorials and no character introductions, just an immediate leap into fast paced and chaotic combat. Some games attempt this and fall short of the mark, leaving the player confused about what they’re doing and how to play, but the control scheme of Hades is so intuitive and its world so detailed that the story and objectives become clear just by playing in. The level design in the early game isn’t going to leave anyone awestruck, with simple and clear rooms and paths that fans of rogue-like games have gotten to know so well, but this just serves as a comforting and familiar setting for the game to show the player how it shines.
Combat is fast paced and colourful, with your character executing a range of different attacks and moves that manage to feel impactful every time. The dash feels fast and agile while the heavy attack feels slow and powerful, and slowly the player learns to use the various attacks in a dancelike performance of death and hellfire. Despite the gorgeous, colourful environment, the player and enemies always pop out of the background and make themselves obvious. This is not a stealth game – you know who you’re fighting and they know you, so brace yourself.
On my first play through, I took a lot of silly little hits and eventually fell to a large demon ghost who slapped me back into the underworld, and I was very ready to try again. Seamlessly though, this is the point where the game starts to introduce the narrative, introducing the characters and mechanics that turn Hades from an interesting rogue like dungeon crawler into a truly unique experience.
The characters themselves are vibrant and varied. The player character is Zagreus, the morose and rebellious son of Hades himself. I found it refreshing to play a character like Zagreus, with his quiet demeanour and sharp wit. It is such an opposite to the over-the-top hero’s that we so often see in media, who fight for honour or revenge or to save their true love. Zagreus is just a bored teenager who wants his freedom, and approaches his escape attempts with a grim determination more like an unprepared student walking into an exam rather than a godlike warrior of the underworld. His character is further fleshed out by the characters and objects he interacts with. Hades is the harsh father/boss figure, allowing him to continue his rebellious streak with the hopes that he’ll settle down and join the family business. Cerberus greets him as the family dog, bending one of its giant heads down to graciously accept a few pets. An incorporeal narrator seems to exist purely to nag Zagreus for the messiness of the room and give other petty remarks, something which I found hilarious every time. The juxtaposition of the mundane family dynamic with the cruel divinity of the underworld works so much better than I would have ever expected, and immediately drew me into the story. This is nothing to skim over – many rogue-likes only keep my interest by providing an end goal that I must strive to achieve. Hades actually made me consider dying early in my second run through, just so I could see how the story progressed.
As with all games, there are some small details that I found which slightly detract from the high levels of polish. The voice acting is generally very good, with characters booming and boisterous or hushed and covert, but some lines are delivered in a way that makes the characters seem bored rather than just quiet. The characters are additionally depicted with stunning portraits, giving a detailed look at the characters and their various quirks. This means that when a portrait is slightly lower quality, like that of the mysterious but useful training dummy Skelly the skeleton, it really stands out.
As you can probably tell from this review, I am one of the multitude of people who are thoroughly enjoying this game. It is unique, interesting and heaps of fun to play. I have a long way to go with Hades, barely taking my first steps into my eventual victorious escape from the underworld, but I can guarantee I will be playing this game through to the end. Even after seeing the credits roll, I will probably continue to play. Most of all though, I look forward to the future of Supergiant Games in the years to come. If they produce games like this consistently, then they will have a lifelong fan in me.
It seems only fitting that a game like Hades should be game of the year in 2020. Desperate escape attempts in an apocalyptic setting that leave you living with your parents again. Never before have I related so completely to a character’s struggle, and I’m sure it felt familiar to many of the players across the globe. Remember that each time Zagreus made the attempt, he inched closer and closer and grew stronger from every step. You never start from scratch, as experience and knowledge is far more valuable than a wealth of upgrades. Take help from those around you and eventually you’ll soar free of the underworld, or just from your parents spare room.
