After escaping from the Underworld once, Hades players will discover that Zagreus can’t survive outside of Hell for very long. As a result, they’ll need to get started on making their way back up to the surface once again, this time with active Pact of Punishment conditions. Using this new feature allows players to continue getting rewards, but makes the trek to the surface and beating the last boss in the Temple of Styx that much more difficult. In order to get the most out of future runs, players will want to choose their Pact of Punishment conditions wisely. There’s no point in going overboard on the heat gauge when simply trying to get materials and advance the story, and certain conditions are easier to handle than others.
Hades players will need to balance which conditions they pick if they want to have successful escape attempts that still reward items like Titan’s Blood, Diamonds, and Ambrosia. Each condition adds a certain amount of heat, and within those heat values there are some that players should prioritize. Some conditions will be easier depending on the weapon or build the player is using, but in general it’s important to prioritize easy conditions and to spread out the heat so as to not make one condition too stifling.
Conditions that add one heat to the gauge are usually the weakest or easiest to handle. Players should try and stick to these whenever possible, though it should be noted that stacking any one of these can still become a serious problem. Damage Control adds shield health to every enemy and boss on the run that is removed the first time the enemy takes damage. This isn’t much of a problem when using fast weapons like the Twin Fists of Malphon or Exagryph. Stacking up to two of these likely won’t affect a run too drastically.
Likewise, the first level of Extreme Measures usually isn’t that bad either. It will make the Furies boss battle more difficult but won’t affect the rest of the run in any way. If players can get past that boss fight, this essentially becomes a free point of heat. While these conditions are fairly harmless, players should be sure to stay away from ones like Calisthenics (+15% health to all enemies per rank) and Hard Labor (+20% damage for enemies per rank) as these affect bosses too and can become a real problem. Eventually these will be necessary, but take other options if given the choice.
The two heat conditions can be rather harsh, but one of the more manageable ones is Approval Process. This removes one option from boons or upgrades during the run, meaning each time the player runs into one of Hades’ many Olympian gods or a pom of power it will only offer the player two choices rather than three. While this may seem harsh, going in without a particular build in mind can work, and two options is usually still enough to make something worthwhile. The second level of extreme measures upgrades the Bone Hydra boss fight, so players that feel confident with that fight could try that condition as well.
Certain conditions in this tier are particularly nasty and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. In particular, Underworld Customs can be very devastating to certain runs. While this condition is active, players will have to sell one boon at the pool of purging after every boss fight. On the bright side, this should result in some extra money throughout the run, but it also has the potential to seriously mess with a specific build in Hades, and being down three boons for the run might not be worth the two heat.
There is only one condition that starts at three heat, but surprisingly it isn’t that bad. Activating Forced Overtime increases enemy movement speed and attack speed by 20%, a notable but not game breaking increase. This is a great way to get three heat with relative ease for players working on Heat three through five bounties. The rest of the perks in this category can be pretty damaging, but if required to pick another one, the second rank of Benefits Package (Adds perks to armored enemies) isn’t terrible. As this is the second tier of a condition, adding both will give the player 5 heat, but it will make armored enemies very dangerous. It wouldn’t be a great rouge-like game without a challenge.
On this list, players should avoid level three of Extreme Measures unless they feel absolutely certain they can defeat Theseus and Asterius. The final level of Tight Deadline places a five minute timer on each Underworld region, so players will need to be very quick in order to pull that off. Finally, the second rank of Approval Process is brutal, as it makes each god and pom offer only one boon total. This practically puts the player at the whim of the fates in terms of build, and will require them to roll with the punches and take what’s given to them.
Specific combinations for low heat runs can make things a bit easier, especially when using certain weapons or builds. As players progress, they’ll likely get used to some of these modifiers, but early on they can be a huge challenge. As such, these condition combinations might make things easier for Hades players just starting out.
- 1 Heat: Damage Control (1)
- 2 Heat: Damage Control (1), Extreme Measures (1)
- 3 Heat: Forced Overtime (1)
- 4 Heat: Damage Control (1), Forced Overtime (1)
- 5 Heat: Damage Control (1), Extreme Measures (1), Forced Overtime (1)
- 6 Heat: Extreme Measures (1), Approval Process (1), Forced Overtime (1)
- 7 Heat: Damage Control (1), Extreme Measures (1), Approval Process (1), Forced Overtime (1)
- 8 Heat: Damage Control (2), Extreme Measures (1), Approval Process (1), Forced Overtime (1)
- 9 Heat: Damage Control (2), Jury Summons (1), Extreme Measures (2), Forced Overtime (1)
- 10 Heat: Damage Control (2), Extreme Measures (2), Approval Process (1), Forced Overtime (1)
Examining this heat combination recommendation more closely will show that the heat is spread out so as to not make any one condition overpowering. By Heat 10, players will be dealing with two hits worth of armor on all enemies (easy to manage with a fast weapon and not troublesome on bosses), upgraded versions of the boss fights with the Bone Hydra and the Furies, two boons per god or pom, and 20% movement and attack speed increase to enemies. There are many other ways players could reach these heat levels, and these suggestions will work better for some than others, but it’s a good place to start experimenting with the Pact of Punishment.
Hades is available now on PC and Switch.
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