Well, this one is going in the ‘play later’ pile.
I knew before jumping into Hades that is was a well-polished, well-loved roguelite with excellent lore and graphics. None of these things disappointed. Zagreus’ quest to escape the underworld is consistently exciting and riveting.
So many roguelites give a half-baked concept for the repetition of the gameplay loop. Sometimes it’s a trial. Sometimes it’s time travel. In any of these cases, consistency between loops doesn’t mean much. But in Hades, the NPCs that speak during and between loops fit right into the lore of the world. For example, beat the first boss and she’ll complain that you failed after showing her up, then have unique dialogue questioning your purpose next time you meet.
The only complaints I have about Hades have to do with the combat. Several times, I’ve taken damage and died without understanding what was damaging or attacking me. It’s frustrating to give up a good run and now know what I did wrong. That frustration is quelled by my desire to jump back in and see what new spells, skills, and weapon upgrades I can combine for another run.
Verdict: Two ‘levels’ beaten across my many runs, and many more runs to come!
Kyle Adams 