Hades was a real big buzz when it first released, and as a longtime fan of HADES on both Xbox and PC- I fully understand why. HADES was my first introduction to a rouge-like, which set my expectations really high. After playing HADES, and finishing it 100% on Xbox and finishing the story on PC recently, I can say it actually still holds up a good bit. I’ll explain why:

GAMEPLAY

Combat: The combat in this game is very fast with various weapons and abilities that feel GENUINLEY responsive. Each weapon has unique forms, which helps each weapon you unlock actually add to the game, instead of just unlocking them for the achievements or things akin to that.

Boons: You gain powers from the gods (Zeus, Poseidon, Aphrodite, etc.,) adding differences between each run. There are also various classes of boons you can get, like status boons, dash boons, special boons, etc.

Progression: The game features perma-death, but you keep resources for upgrades, allowing you to progress even after dying, as well as letting you edit and improve the lobby.

VISUALS AND AUDIO

Hades has hand-painted visuals and real smooth animations. The soundtrack is one of my favorites, ranging up there with RoR2 – Risk of Rain 2-

ACCESSIBILITY AND REPLAY-ABILITY

The game offers I think four difficulties, making it playable for all players. The mix of RNG levels and diverse build options makes real high replay-ability.

ENDING THOUGHTS

Hades is a standout title that blends engaging game-play and beautiful art. It’s a must-play for both rogue-like fans and newcomers to the genre.

Pros:

Fluid combat and diverse weapons

Visuals and music

Hella replay-ability

Cons:

Perma-death (for those that complain about it)

Learning curve for new players

Overall, I'd give this game a pretty good 4/5 in terms of rouge-like games. In general though, I'd give it a 3.7 or around there. The only other rouge-like game that beats this out for me has to be RoR2. If you haven't already, give that a try too.

I'm writing this review as someone who had never played a rogue-like before this one. The art and the mythology drew me in and I fell completely in love with this game. Thank the developers for god-mode because a noob like me definitely needed that to avoid getting too frustrated. The romance development with Megara and Thanatos is wonderful and the main story as well as the side stories are genuinely heartwarming and compelling. The levels and the character art are absolutely stunning and the voice acting gave me chills at times. I wholeheartedly recommend this game to anyone.

I wasn't sure if I'd really like the game. The art is amazing, but I've never much been one for this style of game but I have been having an absolute blast. It is a fantastic game.