I'm glad I got pushed to update my review of this, because oh my god does my original review not do this game justice.

Hades is a masterclass to every game developer out there, especially anyone who intends to create a roguelike game. Story and gameplay intermix into a wonderful experience, elevated to a mirror polish by an incredible soundtrack and some amazing ageless graphics.

In normal roguelike games, your objective is only to win the run, then start another and win that too. Losing your run normally is upsetting, and bad luck on a session can take the wind out of your sails. In Hades, dying EXCITES me.

I get to go back and talk to the amazing cast of characters, hear the booming voice of Hades, speak to the mystical goddess of the night, and even have fun in the bar with the boss that killed me! Best of all... You can, in fact, pet Cerberus. Reason enough alone to buy this game.

Each god, demigod, mythical being and mortal you interact with has a beautiful story that unravels the more you interact with them. With each of them having their own unique personality (obviously, it's the Greek pantheon!) you develop an affection for almost everyone in the game. I myself am partial to Dionysus and Poseidon for the Olympian gods. Thanatos gets a lot of love as well! But in the end, this game has managed to do something that no other has. It has built a myth. It took a relatively unknown Greek figure and threw it into my mind. Not only that, it created a believable legend that fits in with all the tales spun by the original writers. This game was inspired by historic legends, but for me, it created one too.

And now for the kicker, the gameplay. If you don't care about story at all, there's still amazing gameplay to be had. Each Olympian god can grant you boons that affect your attacks, defenses and utility. You often hear, "No two runs are the same!" and in Hades that cliche is certainly true.

Before you start, you get to choose from all the weapons you have unlocked. Then, you choose which of the four forms to take, each lending itself to a different playstyle. Then, pick a charm, gained by earning favour with different characters. After that, you can pick a familiar to call for aid when you need it. Oh, don't forget the mirror, which offers somewhat linear upgrades... But each upgrade has an alternate to choose from. Finally, you actually start to play, and a random pool of Olympian gods to offer boons is chosen, which you don't learn until you encounter the gods and goddesses in your run. Synergies between weapons, weapon forms and boons are common. Somewhat rarer are Duo boons, which rarely can be offered by a pair of gods to enhance the synergies you already have formed. Legendary boons add some more variety as well, if all this isn't enough!

And for your targets. You fight out of the ancient Greek underworld, one room at a time. Different enemies hinder your path. Minibosses, elite enemies, and of course, actual bosses. There is one boss that remains consistent each run, one that has a little variety, and two that can be dramatically different each time you fight them. Each of the areas has two or three different minibosses to encounter, each offering a unique challenge, and opportunity to hone your combat skills. Speaking of combat...

Hades focuses on a fast-paced, isometric beat-em-up style of combat. I've already mentioned the variety of it before, but even without all the variety, it's an insanely solid base to build your game on. SuperGiant has been known for their art style, and for many, myself included, it meshes insanely well with the gameplay. A frenetic feast for the eyes as you anticipate and dodge attacks, countering with your own as you can. I can't speak to everybody's experience. Some have trouble digesting all the information and find it overwhelming, but for me, it's just the right level of bullet hell.

In short... If Hades doesn't win Game of the Year, the human race is a failure.

Original Review:
Amazing story, fantastic visual art, immersive soundtrack, great sense of humour and the gameplay manages to make the top of the list out of all that. Best game I've played in a long, long time, and it isn't even finished yet. Looking forward to more, SuperGiant!