Supergiant Games has earned a positive reputation with a slate of stylish, isometric action titles like Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre. This week, its latest title, the hack-and-slash roguelike Hades, was finally released in full. If the general consensus that’s formed is any indication, this might be the best game yet in Supergiant’s ten-year history, as well as one of 2020’s top titles.
Featuring a story heavily inspired by Greek mythology, Hades sets players in the role of the titular god’s son, Zagreus, as he attempts to escape his father’s realm and join the gods on Olympus. Being a roguelike, Hades‘ gameplay loop involves repeatedly taking on the procedurally-generated chambers of the underworld, and the brutal enemies within, growing stronger with each failed run and becoming better acquainted with an arsenal of weapons and abilities.
Critics have had a lot of time to finalize their thoughts on the core gameplay of Hades, as it was in early access for almost two years. The way they tell it, now that the full version is out on PC and Nintendo Switch, the time Supergiant took to build up and refine everything was well spent.
TheSixthAxis (Jason Coles)
“Hades is one of the best roguelites of all-time. It’s a phenomenal achievement in story telling, gameplay, and an absolute treat for both your eyes and ears. It’s astounding, and it’s always been fairly astounding through Early Access, but this final release cements it as one of the greats. If you like roguelites, and even if you don’t, you should probably get in on this as soon as you can.”
Score: 10/10
TheGamer (Cian Maher)
“With Hades 1.0 finally out, Zagreus’ harsh and tiring journey has finally come to its utterly extravagant end. And yet it seems that Hades will never end. It will constantly give us reason for one more run, one last vainglorious attempt at escaping the cruel clutches of the Underworld. Its years in Early Access taught it how to become cyclical, but in such a way that the path changes with every revolution. And now, thanks to its remarkably and genuinely affecting conclusion, every death is just one more reason to try again.”
Score: 10/10
Wcctech (Rosh Kelly)
“Hades is a fantastic game. While the soundtrack and visuals are unsurprisingly brilliant, everything else about is polished to the same bold, confident strokes. The story is much more gripping then it appears and is immersive for even the most fair-weather of Greek mythology fans. The combat is everchanging, ever exciting. The progression is satisfying, well-paced and you’ll always have a goal besides the simple desire to escape. There is, in short, not a single overstanding issue with Hades, and should any judge of the damned ever find the need to evaluate it, they would surely put it in the highest echelons of the afterlife.”
Score: 10/10
God is a Geek (Mick Fraser)
“One of the main reasons Hades stands head and shoulders above many other roguelite action-RPGs is the progression system. Yes, it’s a hard game – rage-inducingly so, at times – but it balances that with a constant sense of progression and achievement that newer, more modern roguelites overlook or deliberately ignore. Like Dead Cells, Hades rewards you for failure, encouraging you to go back for that one-more-try, because it might be the one that leads to you unlocking a new weapon or power up that makes the next run easier or, at least, different.”
Score: 9.5/10
GameSpot (Suriel Vazquez)
“What sets Hades apart isn’t just that it’s a great roguelike with the kind of repeatable depth that makes it engrossing to play for hours, but also how it uses its structure to tell an ongoing story about family, secrets, and resolution… The story does end. But what matters so much more are all the moments between the start and end of a story, and the people who help us see those climactic moments but also stick with us between them. They’re the reason we keep trying, and the reason we keep coming back.”
Score: 9/10
PCGamesN (Diego Arguello)
“The fresh take on Greek myth, the compelling story and its link with your actions, and the engaging loop that can keep you hooked for hundreds of hours make Hades perhaps the first roguelike I’d recommend to everyone, regardless of their experience in the genre. It’s a tale about setting a goal in mind and pursuing it, even after failing time and time again. But, as a rarity for roguelikes, the journey is just as important as the destination.”
Score: 9/10
Game Informer (Matt Miller)
“Through a seemingly limitless array of character interactions and plot progression, Hades seeds its storytelling over many hours of repeated runs, as you lead your character along one attempted escape from hell to the next. In addition to weapon and character upgrades, new story insights are among the most satisfying rewards. But that also means that you’ll be eager to see those plot threads resolve, and to do that, you should prepare for an especially long road.”
Score: 8.5/10
It goes without saying that repetition is an inherent part of the roguelike template. Some games fail to make this feel fresh, but those that succeed, like Dead Cells or Spelunky 2, offer rewarding gameplay. The fact that Supergiant is able to do that while incorporating a deep and rewarding narrative is icing on the cake.
Sweetening things even further is the fact players will be able to take this roguelike gameplay with them wherever they go, now that it is on the Switch. While Supergiant has yet to say if it has any plans for additional content, it has confirmed that Hades should receive cross-save support between PC and Switch later this year. It’s a feature that was delayed, but judging from the reviews the lack of cross-saving hasn’t hurt the game much at all.
Hades is available now for PC and Switch.
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