“Few tales are told of Hades, whose very name inspires fear and penitence, reminding us of the inevitable fate which we all share. I, however, meant to tell you such a tale. Listen carefully.”
Starting out in the wilds of Caelondia with Bastion, running through an erasing city in Transistor and sacrificing everything to escape from an eerie purgatory in Pyre made for unique scenarios and memories. But Hades is yet something else entirely, diving into hell itself in what it feels like the darkest game of the studio to date.
Supergiant Games always enjoy to innovate, boasting isometric hack & slash titles with a mix of turn-based and even sports elements throughout the years. While the stories, characters, and themes had nothing in common, they all share a strong focus on narrative and sticking to their own lore, as weird and esoteric as they might be sometimes.
But now, the studio’s latest is based on Greek mythology, and from the perspective of probably the most feared Gods of all tales: Hades and his underworld. Commanding his son, Zagreus, we are introduced to Supergiant’s take on the roguelike genre, with another particularity that is an Early Access, meaning that unlike previous experiences, we are deprived of the full story just yet.
Though as it stands, we can already grasp some of the mechanics, weapons, and iterations to the genre, all wrapped around a singular element that sets it apart from the studio’s legacy: blood, darkness, curses, and attempting to defy Hades himself to escape from the underworld.
From the moment I first saw Zagreus dying in the reveal trailer of the game, I could feel we were upon a dark and ruthless setting, uncommon for the known legacy of the studio. Once the main character perishes in battle, his lifted to the air, only to fall inside a pool of blood where he drowns, all of this happening while a message reminds us that “there is no escape”.
Again and again, does Hades tell his son that leaving his realm is impossible, but yet the character mocks his words and continues to go and get killed endlessly. Both here and in Greek mythology, it is known that the so-called House of Hades was meant to remain shut for eternity, portrayed as a home for new “guests”. Whoever tried to leave was met by Cerberus, a giant three-headed dog guarding the main gate, who is portrayed as a very good boy in Hades.
There’s a depiction of horror pretty much everywhere we see: the river Styx is presented in darkest red, with waves of hands coming out from its interior, and you can see souls in green robes, floating and sometimes interacting with each other. Hades is always omnipotent, mocking and challenging his son in every opportunity that arises, sometimes delivering striking voice lines: “Family? Death is your only family. Death and I. Better get accustomed to the both of us.”
If I were to think about an evolving state in Hades, that would be violence. Both from the words of his father to his surroundings, Zagreus is always in the line of mental and physical damage, but he’s empowered by this thanks to his personality. Instead of giving up, he’s always encouraging both himself and the player to push forward, to try again and get as far as you can through Tartarus and beyond.
In Hades, there aren’t different weapons to use simultaneously, but rather leans on using only one at the time, which offers a group of primary and secondary attacks. The sword leads a huge amount of damage within a decent range, while the bow can be fierce if timed correctly, but can also shoot in a fast manner covering a short range.
By far, the ones I’ve been using the most are the spear, perfect for quick consecutive attacks, and a shield that can knockback and be used as defense while you charge for a devastating blow. And while they may sound a bit discouraging to be entitled to just one weapon at the time, the Gods from the Olympus are more than willing to lend a hand and add variety in Zagreus’ trips.
Ares can modify your attacks or even your behavior with a revenge skill, securing an attack whenever you suffer damage. Zeus can grant lighting bolts for whenever you dodge or use your primary attack, while Aphrodite offers a unique skill to weaken enemies for a few seconds. These are all offered randomly, and as we’re used from the roguelike, everything else is also procedurally generated.
But the game does something interesting, which is displaying an icon at the door with the reward you’ll be getting in the next room, either help from the Gods or Darkness, the game’s currency (aside from gold) used for unlocking and upgrading passive skills back in Zagreus’ room.
Everything sums up to deliver a fast-paced experience, with a new score from Darren Korb that meshes songs that sound like a Mastodon album with electric guitars and melodies that sound ancient. Boss fights are particularly vibrant and energetic, although it’s a shame to have only a handful available at the moment. Still, coming up with the best combination of skills and your mastery with a weapon takes more than a few hours of preparation, and enemies will do everything on their disposal to keep you in practice mode and train your reflexes.
But the dark tone is always there, in every encounter with Hades after resurrecting from a pool of blood, to all the damage you deal to enemies, also portrayed as splatters of said substance with each hit. While Supergiant is busy forging the mechanics and their own vision of Greek mythology, in particular with chthonic Gods (those who are born from the underworld), they are shaping a very obscure experience that isn’t afraid to shock you with its malevolent attention to detail.
Hades is available now in PC Early Access via the Epic Games Store.