Hades

Stellar art style, great music, fun gameplay - all backed up by a simple, yet charming story. Hades excels at everything it sets out to do.

Certainly not a bad game but an overrated one. As a fan of the genre, played many titles and this is one of the most simple, forgiving and casual Roguelikes I've encountered. Art is single-handedly carrying the game itself despite it's expanded Bastion gameplay which is the first title of Supergiant and it doesn't seem to get far from that. Overall it's a fun game to play but nothing groundbreaking or smart about it.

The art, sound and writing is exceptional however the only thing that's holding me back from giving it anything above 4 is the fact that you can't really break the game. that's what i like about roguelikes the most. the weapon variety is great but Hades is just too controlled.

Hades has problems both with its roguelite elements and the action, in ways that often intertwine.

Zagreus feels fine to control in a vacuum, but it's only as fun as the enemies you're up against. Unfortunately most enemies are just annoying. There's enemies with armor that can't be staggered, enemies with shields that have to somehow be hit from the back, enemies that spam bullet hell amounts of projectiles, enemies that jump up above you and you have to wait for them to drop down to be able to hit them, etc. The one trait they all have in common is that they are insufferable HP sponges that take too many hits to kill.

The boss fights also suffer from HP bloat and other irritating design choices. Bosses should not have extended phases of invulnerability, and yet in Hades they do. Bosses should not bog down the fight by continuously summoning minions, yet here they do. There is just no fun to be had there.

The scope of a run involves four levels each ending with a boss, which in theory is a fine amount for a roguelike not to overstay its welcome. But in practice it doesn't take long to notice that there's a lack of enemy variety and, while there aren't many different room layouts either, the layout of a room never really matters. Regardless of shape, trap placements, or types of enemies found within, it quickly stops feeling fresh and starts feeling like a chore as yet another wave of enemies spawn in after you've defeated the last.
And every level always ends with the same type of boss. For instance, the first boss is always a Fury. There may be three of them, but it will probably take more than ten attempts to see beyond the first one at which point you're already over it. And even if the other Furies look a little different and have slightly altered moves, the way that you approach battling them does not change. The same strategies apply.

Hades isn't like Binding of Isaac where you uncover a whole floor and backtrack occasionally, nor is it like Slay the Spire where you have a map of what lies ahead and you can plan your path to the desired treasures and events along the way. Hades has no map. You go into a room, beat it, and get a choice of 1-3 rewards you would like out of the next room and then go there. There is no exploring, no planning, only reacting in the moment. Add that fact to the limited pool of rooms and enemies and this is the least varied rogue-adjacent game I've ever seen.

You can change your playstyle by unlocking and changing weapon types, but that doesn't change the underlying structural problems. In fact, it points to another larger problem.
The game has a number of currencies you collect throughout a run; darkness, gems, obols, keys, ambrosia, etc. Darknesss in the one that matters as far as the permenent progression is concerned, the rogue-LITE aspect. The effort::reward ratio is skewed such that it takes a long time to get any minor upgrade onto Zagreus because you might just not find any rooms in a run that grant darkness.
And so the problem is this; The success of your run is far more dependant on RNG determining you get a good Boon from one of the gods during your run than it is dependant on your choice of weapon, or how you've spent your darkness, or even your skills as a player.

I should love this game. I love games based on Greek mythology like The Battle of Olympus (NES) and Glory of Heracles (DS). I love games that have fishing mechanics, like the Breath of Fire series and Stardew Valley. And I love all manner of roguelikes and roguelites. But after getting a successful run in at attempt 27, all I can say is that I was bored the whole time. I was just so bored.

Hades is simply about escaping from your shitty dad and his dumb underworld. Zagreus's commentary at escaping the underworld often reflects the thoughts of the player. When you are first starting there is almost a feeling of "how hard can this be? I have a sword and I am the main character"

This game does not hold its punches and will humble you with how difficult it can be at times. Your father, lord hades, loves to make rude comments every time you fail, kicking you while you are down.

But as you progress you get better at the game, gain new abilities and the likes. All the game mechanics are wonderful to play but what really makes this stand out is the context around why you play the game. The Olympic gods and goddess as well as other lesser gods will generally cheer you on or sometimes if you cross them also get their jabs in.

If you want to live the life of a hot bi sexual God who's only real goal is to cross his father then this is the game for you.

I wasn't a big roguelike person before playing this... good induction.
horniest artists