Hades Review - Prince of the Underworld

I’m going to say this front and centre: Hades is incredible. This is, hands down, one of the best games of the year. It’s polished in just about every way you can think of.

You are Zagreus, rebellious son of Hades, who is fed up with the grim drudgery of his father’s domain. Armed with your trusty Stygian Blade, you resolve to escape and reach the world of the living. The gods of Olympus send help in the form of godly powers which add to your destructive prowess. You hack and slash your way through your father’s demonic hordes, until finally one loathsome foe ends your miserable life. Your body sinks into a pool of blood…

But you’re a god too, remember?

You rise from a crimson pool within the House of Hades. Shades linger nervously along the hall. The cheery Hypnos, God of Sleep, comments on your death. The giant three-headed hound, Cerberus, lounges on guard duty, always willing to be petted. And at his massive desk, Hades himself looks up from his infernal parchment-work and sneers at your foolish attempt to escape. Welcome home, boy.

No matter. The maternal Nyx, Goddess of Night, encourages you in your next attempt. Your stalwart mentor, the hero Achilles (deceased), tells you to believe in your training. Feeling just a little stronger, a little wiser, you steel your resolve and begin your escape once again through the shifting walls of Tartarus.

THERE IS NO ESCAPE

Hades is a roguelike, a genre of video game I had absolutely no interest in before. Roguelikes are characterized by randomly generated levels and the spectre of permadeath. You fight your way as far as you can, die, and then start all over again from the beginning. Fun, right? But the thing is, in Hades that is fun. It’s incredibly fun. Hades is so well-made that it raises the bar up to Mount Olympus itself.

Again, the core premise of roguelikes is the randomness: no two runs are ever alike. The vast chambers of the underworld are always realigning themselves against you. But the core gameplay loop is the same. You start out with a sword and soon unlock other weapons such as a shield, a spear, and more. These play very differently, but you always have a basic attack, a stronger special move, a dash to escape or flank your foes, and a limited ranged attack called a Cast. Destroy all enemies within a room and you earn a reward. The doors unlock; you can then see what rewards will come next and must choose between them.

Chthonic keys unlock new weapons; gemstones are used to purchase decorations and work orders from the House Contractor which alter the underworld itself. Nectar can be gifted to your friends to improve your relationships, and Darkness unlocks passive abilities via the Mirror of Night that hangs in your bedroom, courtesy of Nyx. And then there are boons from your extended family on Olympus.

The Olympians’ powers fall into distinct classes that augment your moveset. Zeus in his munificence grants you lightning effects; Poseidon governs tidal impacts which slam enemies away from you; Athena’s boons revolve around shields and deflection. And so on. You’ll be given a choice of three boons each time you meet a god or goddess but can never predict exactly which will be on offer. Gain the right combination of powers, though, and you may even be granted a Duo boon, in which two Olympians combine their might to give you something extra special.

Apart from all that, there could also be gold to buy items from Charon, the skeletal ferryman of souls who moonlights as a merchant; Poms of Power to power up a single boon; centaur hearts to increase your health. Rarest of all is the Daedalus Hammer, which alters your weapon itself. Always pick the Hammer! The abilities it grants are literally game-changing and will make multiple playthroughs with the same weapon quite different indeed. 

And that still isn’t all there is to ransacking the underworld.

Since I’m playing on Switch Lite, my only experience with performance is in handheld mode. I’ve had minor incidents of slowdown during massive battles with enemies and projectiles flying all over the place, particularly against the witches in later stages. Also some occasional lag when switching weapons. Otherwise, the combat is as smooth as can be.

All in all, the excitement of fighting your way out of the depths of hell to earn new powers and abilities never gets old. The constant desire to see what the next chamber will offer is a powerful hook. You’re always wondering whether this is the build that will take you all the way to victory.

Even if you die, you won’t mind that much. Returning to the House of Hades lets you spend your ill-gotten gains, trade insults with your dad, and talk to your friends. Because dying leads to the other half of Hades’ brilliant equation: the story.

ALL THE UNDERWORLD’S A STAGE

Hades is not the kind of game you expect to have a deep focus on plot, characterization, and witty dialogue. Fully voiced, no less! And yet it does.

Every time you return home, the characters have new things to say, new threads of plot to unfurl. It’s these snippets of story that soften the blow of dying again and winding up right back where you started. Because home won’t be the same. You’ll see new interactions between characters. Gift someone with Nectar and your bond with them grows, often leading to new subplots further down the line. New faces will turn up as the story goes on. They won’t always be there when you return either. Characters come and go, reinforcing the sense that they have their own lives (or afterlives). They aren’t just hanging around for your benefit.

The same applies for everyone you meet while trekking through the diverse regions of the underworld. The Olympians will comment on your choice of weapon, the other gods you've met, the farthest you’ve gone, and more. It’s almost frightening, the number of things the game is keeping track of. I once lost to the final boss by a sliver of health; back home, Zagreus complained to Nyx that he’d been so close! Exactly what I was thinking. 

And there's just so much dialogue. It took me over twenty escape attempts before I ever heard someone repeat themselves. Even that was a generic line of filler. The actual narrative does not repeat; there's always something new. Apparently, the game has more spoken dialogue than the entire text of The Fellowship of the Ring. Which is a lot.

It helps that the characters have such distinct personalities. Despite his rebelliousness, Zagreus is courteous and concerned with his friends and family’s welfare. He also has some biting sarcasm and isn’t afraid to use it. Hades is full of bitterness, rage, and an iron sense of purpose, reminiscent of Kratos from God of War. Nyx is ethereal, an immensely powerful goddess in her own right. Achilles is a patient mentor, a former hero now past his prime. Skelly is a sentient skeleton who makes wisecracks in a Brooklyn accent, because why not?

The Olympians are similarly unique. Aphrodite is seductive, flirtatious, and quick to jealousy; Artemis is an introverted huntress who keeps her own company; Ares is a charming psychopath who delights in all the blood you’re shedding. Et cetera. The developers also made it a point to be inclusive in their character designs. Many are dark-skinned or Asian, not just the usual Caucasian stereotypes. It’s a refreshing take on Greek mythology. Their explanation makes sense too. If the gods rule over all the world, why should they only resemble the Greeks?

Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that they’re all hot as hell (pun totally intended).

There’s even a God Mode for more casual players. Not an easy mode per se, but one which lets you take increasingly less damage with every run, in case you’re getting frustrated with all the dying and just want to chat up the denizens of the underworld some more. It’s a testament to the developers’ dedication towards telling a good story.

AS LONG AS IT TAKES 

Supergiant Games is, I confess, not a developer I’d ever paid attention to. Oh, I’d heard good things about Bastion, but never picked it up. Hades makes them stand out on the map, most assuredly so. In this newest offering, they’ve created a masterpiece: the gorgeous level design, vast array of powers and weapons, and endlessly addictive combat. And of course, the quality of the writing.

At heart, Hades is a family drama. This is a story about people who’ve had an eternity to nurse old wounds; a tale of broken relationships and the struggle to heal and move forwards. Zagreus has heartfelt reasons for wanting to reach the surface. Hades’ anger and frustration with his unruly offspring belie deeper emotions. The dynamics between father, son, and the rest of their fractured family are far more complex than meets the eye. Amidst his unceasing battle to break free against impossible odds, Zagreus finds himself and his relationships with others forever changed along the way.

Really, I’m still coming up with good things to say here. From the nuanced storytelling to the epic gameplay to the insane replayability, this is one of the best games I’ve ever played. Hades absolutely deserves the nomination for Game of the Year. It’s got my vote. 

Played on Nintendo Switch Lite for over sixty hours and counting. Saw the credits roll after fifty-nine escape attempts. Favourite weapons: The Stygian Blade, the Heart-Seeking Bow, and the Eternal Spear.