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HADES (PS4)
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Publisher: Supergiant Games.
Developer: Supergiant Games. Released: August 2021. Genre: Roguelite. Other versions: PS5; XSX; XONE; SWI; PC. Posted 3rd July 2022. By Tom Clare © 2022 |
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During the last forty or so years, gaming has evolved beyond all recognition and there are a multitude of ways in which we now measure a title’s worth. Sometimes, games are revered for their groundbreaking ideas, the impact of their storyline, or how their style and mood resonate with the times. Perhaps the purest metric, however, is the oldest of all: how much enjoyment a game delivers. For Hades, it’s the old tenets of near-perfect mechanics, vice-like addictive qualities and the sheer joy generated by its gameplay, of diving into its intoxicating world for a wonderful dose of escapism, that shine brightest.
Hades is Supergiant Games’ opus, the culmination of a stunning decade of development evolution that started with 2011’s excellent Bastion. Hades’ glorious, mature and nuanced tale of Greek gods and the underworld is brilliantly-realised and wholly different from anything else on the market. It centres around Zagreus, a prince disillusioned with life in the employ of his overbearing, officious father, the God of the Dead himself, Hades. The temperamental youngster schemes for an escape, with a view to meeting his extended family on Olympus.
Hades is Supergiant Games’ opus, the culmination of a stunning decade of development evolution that started with 2011’s excellent Bastion. Hades’ glorious, mature and nuanced tale of Greek gods and the underworld is brilliantly-realised and wholly different from anything else on the market. It centres around Zagreus, a prince disillusioned with life in the employ of his overbearing, officious father, the God of the Dead himself, Hades. The temperamental youngster schemes for an escape, with a view to meeting his extended family on Olympus.
Hades delivers near-perfect action and a fantastically satisfying challenge: no two runs are alike
Escape is no easy task, however. Zagreus faces dozens of battles spread across four magnificent landscapes. The murky, languid depths of Tartarus, the fiery lava pools of Asphodel, the menacing utopian battlefields of Elysium and a sequence of claustrophobic chambers around the mouth of the Styx. Clear all of these and there’s one last unpleasant surprise to overcome before the surface awaits. The stakes are soon raised as Zagreus learns that his mother may be alive on the surface and his fight becomes one of trying to reach her. Hades has his reasons for wanting to prevent this, tasking a number of his underlings with stopping his son at the gateway to each new area.
Hades is a roguelike, or perhaps more accurately, a roguelite. Escape will likely take many, many attempts and should Zagreus die trying, he’s returned to the pool of Styx where he faces the humiliating judgement of his father. However, runs help towards upgrades and weapons, bolstering Zag’s vital numbers and increasing his chances of escape. There’s help along the way from an unlikely source: the Gods of Olympus, whose various boons bestow the likes of elemental attacks, charm spells, protection, critical-hit boosts and, perhaps most novelly of all, hangover damage, which acts like a poison.
Hades is a roguelike, or perhaps more accurately, a roguelite. Escape will likely take many, many attempts and should Zagreus die trying, he’s returned to the pool of Styx where he faces the humiliating judgement of his father. However, runs help towards upgrades and weapons, bolstering Zag’s vital numbers and increasing his chances of escape. There’s help along the way from an unlikely source: the Gods of Olympus, whose various boons bestow the likes of elemental attacks, charm spells, protection, critical-hit boosts and, perhaps most novelly of all, hangover damage, which acts like a poison.
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Its presentation is a near-total success. A watercolour-comic amalgam, the visual style fits like a glove and the action is dreamy in its fluidity. The soundtrack displays an appreciation for the power music has to conjure emotions, saving pulse-racing rock for the more stress-inducing boss fights, foreboding dirges for standard encounters and a delicate array of laments for the house. The voicing is top-class across almost every character, with the sole exception of Dusa, a disembodied Gorgan head, whose grating dialogues feel more a product of modern anime than Greek mythology.
Hades plays like a dream and this is in large part thanks to how beautifully its combat operates. Zagreus is a joy to control, mixing swift dashes, elegant combat animations and a range of specials to marvellous effect. Combining the most potent Olympian boons is one of the more fascinating aspects of the game and even when they don’t fall as you might like, it’s great fun working out battle tactics to get the most out of what you’ve got.
Hades plays like a dream and this is in large part thanks to how beautifully its combat operates. Zagreus is a joy to control, mixing swift dashes, elegant combat animations and a range of specials to marvellous effect. Combining the most potent Olympian boons is one of the more fascinating aspects of the game and even when they don’t fall as you might like, it’s great fun working out battle tactics to get the most out of what you’ve got.
FOCAL POINT: FAMILY CONNECTIONS
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Hades should be lauded for its amazing cast of characters, the majority of whom are based on figures from Greek mythology. Some of the most interesting include Sisyphus, a King in life, doomed to toil aimlessly in Tartarus for all eternity as punishment for his attempts to cheat death. We learn of a figure who comes to represent contentment and redemption, even as he languishes in the lowest pits of hell. There’s Patroclus, once a formidable warrior whose mournful countenance is in stark contrast with his idyllic Elysium surrounds, his past having robbed him of his happiness. Nyx, the mysterious, empathetic Goddess of Night who pulls the strings behind the scenes; Thanatos, who cares for the protagonist but sees his wanting to leave as a dereliction of duty and, of course, Hades himself. Zagreus and his father infuriate each other through a shared, unyielding stubbornness. Their prickly interactions are perhaps the most entertaining of all.
Each area introduces new enemies that test the mettle in different ways. This is best highlighted in the brilliant and often-chaotic boss fights. They demand quick reactions and calmness under pressure. The battle with Elysium duo Theseus and Asterius is perhaps the most memorable. A two-on-one confrontation, the player must keep an eye out for both the champion’s long-range spear attacks and the bull’s charges. Not content with trying to skewer you, Theseus also enlists the help of a random God of Olympus once his health is sufficiently depleted, as they lay siege from the heavens. During this battle, the player must learn to make strategic use of the scenery to shelter from these destructive foes. The feeling of elation when you conquer this fight is special and Hades is replete with moments that fill the player with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
The game organises its rate of development to near perfection. You’ll appreciate gradual evolution within the House of Hades as a response to discovering certain figures, defeating bosses and treading new ground in the underworld. It’s astonishing just how long Hades enthrals, both in terms of a single sitting (several hours) or overall (several weeks). I needed nearly forty runs to beat the game for the first time and more than 100 to fully finish it. There are easily fifty hours of entertainment here and I enjoyed every single second of it. Like the greatest games, there’s a sense of almost boundless rewards, with new avenues, new challenges and new features ensuring things never get dull and there’s always more goals to strive towards.
The game organises its rate of development to near perfection. You’ll appreciate gradual evolution within the House of Hades as a response to discovering certain figures, defeating bosses and treading new ground in the underworld. It’s astonishing just how long Hades enthrals, both in terms of a single sitting (several hours) or overall (several weeks). I needed nearly forty runs to beat the game for the first time and more than 100 to fully finish it. There are easily fifty hours of entertainment here and I enjoyed every single second of it. Like the greatest games, there’s a sense of almost boundless rewards, with new avenues, new challenges and new features ensuring things never get dull and there’s always more goals to strive towards.
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It’s the wonderful ensemble of characters that gives Hades life. Through the gift of nectar or ambrosia, the player can open up a slew of fascinating story arks and increase bonds with dwellers of the underworld, the Gods of Olympus, or servants of the House. There are simply too many excellent personalities to mention, each offering Zagreus a keepsake for his journey, whilst a select few who can, in time, come to his aid in combat. The subtlety with which events develop is hugely impressive and the story is well worth investing in. The scripting is leagues above most other games, effortlessly excelling in humorous situations and creating real atmosphere and interest in its cast.
The hub location is the driving force behind Hades’ almost spellbinding addictive qualities, as the player experiences new dialogues and events every time they return. Whether it’s learning from Zagreus’s mentor Achilles, sparking tense exchanges with his father, petting the three-headed hound Cerberus or working out how to encourage mournful court musician Orpheus to sing again, there’s no end of interesting conversations to be had. Thanks to its superb writing and voice-acting, Hades is an incredibly evocative journey that develops, as Zagreus does, with the player's progress.
The hub location is the driving force behind Hades’ almost spellbinding addictive qualities, as the player experiences new dialogues and events every time they return. Whether it’s learning from Zagreus’s mentor Achilles, sparking tense exchanges with his father, petting the three-headed hound Cerberus or working out how to encourage mournful court musician Orpheus to sing again, there’s no end of interesting conversations to be had. Thanks to its superb writing and voice-acting, Hades is an incredibly evocative journey that develops, as Zagreus does, with the player's progress.
The House of Hades is one of the finest hubs in gaming
The House of Hades is far more than idle chit-chat. There are a raft of incentives for attempting escape because Zagreus can spend his ill-gotten treasures to renovate the house in numerous cosmetic and functional ways. Upgrading the kitchen, for example, allows for the preparation of fish, meaning you can trade any catches for goodies. As well as all manner of upgradeable boons, there are half-a-dozen fantastic weapons that make for entirely different but equally thrilling playthroughs. Each in turn has four ‘aspects’ that carry unique characteristics, so there are oodles of options.
Hades is simply outstanding, one of the best games you could ever wish to play. Roguelikes have come a long way in a short space of time, but it’s the remarkably potent combination of its magnetic gameplay and an incredibly refined story that make this definitive action game almost one-of-a-kind. Never mind the underworld, this is gaming from the heavens.
Hades is simply outstanding, one of the best games you could ever wish to play. Roguelikes have come a long way in a short space of time, but it’s the remarkably potent combination of its magnetic gameplay and an incredibly refined story that make this definitive action game almost one-of-a-kind. Never mind the underworld, this is gaming from the heavens.
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VERDICT
"...a remarkably potent combination of magnetic gameplay and an incredibly refined story make this definitive action game almost one-of-a-kind. Nevermind the underworld, this is gaming from the heavens." OVERALL: 10/10 |