Perhaps it’s a product of getting older, or being a parent. But I’ve learnt, with help from the remakes of RE3 and MGS3, that I generally prefer an enjoyably repeatable few hours over 100 continuous hours. The natural conclusion of this is that I’ve spent over 100 hours playing a game where a completion takes about 25 minutes. Hades suits me to a tee.
A “God-Like Rogue-Like”, Hades is a game where you, as Hades’ son Zagreus, attempts to escape Hades (yes, Dad, area, and game share the same name). You do that by hacking through four areas, each ending with a boss fight. You won’t get to the end the first time, but that’s the point. Death isn’t the end, it’s just a chance to grow and go again. You’ll gain upgrades, both permanent and per attempt, that will push you along. Things will get easier, until you choose to make it harder to get more rewards. Throughout this you’ll gain an understanding of the things that suit your play. That understanding comes through experimentation with upgrades and weapons, both of which offer many choices on approach.
That gameplay loop is highly enjoyable. But what raises Hades even higher is it’s story and characters. Despite the story taking place entirely through dialogue, it’s an intensely intriguing story of discovery and surprise that, just like the gameplay, fully encourages “just one more go”. Every interaction with a character moves things along. Many of these characters are Gods, offering you boons (per attempt upgrades) and snippets of information each time you interact. Some characters are supportive of your efforts, whilst others are outraged that you’d want to escape. All of them are hot. And they add up to create an addictive and beautiful setting.
To think this all came about because I saw a box in CEX that was £12 and looked cool. I had no understanding of the genre or the critical acclaim it had received. Turns out it might be the best £12 I’ve ever spent, and Hades is definitely one of my favourite games. It’s pleasing to discover a new love when I’m older versus a game being another entry in a franchise from when I was a kid.
I initially had a very intense five week period of playing the game, with 86 escape attempts hurting my hands and forcing even my wife to know “those Hades songs”. Oh yeah, the soundtrack is awesome. For me it’s up there with Metal Gear Solid and DOOM Eternal as something I’ll listen to outside of the game. Darren Korb is up with the Mick Gordon for me. Plus he voices the main character! Back on that first play I knew it Hades great. Now in 2025, and knowing it’s probably a while before Hades 2 will release on PS5, I returned. This time with an understanding of what I was getting to and a determination that I’d dig into every relationship and understand the game a lot more. I’ve even started getting into gaining rewards from choosing ways to make escape attempts harder. It can be brutal if you choose.
I’m very aware that I’m absolutely gushing about this game. The only negative I can muster is that my hands are feeling the strain of playing it so much. But it’s brought me a lot of joy and that should be celebrated. Hades hits the mark on every point for me. Style, acting, music, gameplay, replayability. Everything. It actually makes me a bit scared to play the sequel when it is available. Because how could it live up to this?
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to escape Hades again. There’s still more to discover!
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