5 people found this review helpful
Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 105.7 hrs on record (17.3 hrs at review time)
Posted: 28 Dec, 2019 @ 2:33am
Updated: 28 Dec, 2019 @ 2:35am

Early Access Review
Hades has been teased for quite a while (for roughly a year, I believe?), but I haven't followed anything Supergiant related, thus being absolutely unaware of it up until its release on Steam. This being the first Supergiant game I've played, I didn't have any expectations going into it, except for the music - I really enjoyed Bastion's and Transistor's soundtracks even if I've never touched them.

Around Christmas, I decided to take the jump and bought Hades. The next 4 days I've spent 17 hours playing it with the longest session being around 8 hours long. I honestly haven't enjoyed a roguelike this much ever since my first experience with Binding of Isaac. It is absolutely amazing. This being my first Supergiant game, I can't compare it to any of the previous titles, but this alone makes me want to at least give the other 3 games a try.

Hades has a lot going for it: Fast, fluid combat, narrative driven story, Greek mythology inspired world, and astounding attention to minute details. It's been a very long time since I've been this impressed with a game. The NPCs seem to pay attention to little things you do or happen to you in the game. There's also other things that change at certain points in the game (no spoilers) that are so simple, yet they can bring out a pretty strong emotional response. Knowing Greek mythology a bit has made me geek out during the entirety of the game. I don't think I've been this...happy...playing a video game in the past couple of years.

Having beat the game, I plan to 100% what ever is there to play currently, since this is still not a full, final release at the time of writing this review. And do it all again once the update drops. And again for the achievements, if I have to.

I usually state the Pros and the Cons for most games, but I simply can't for Hades. The game is flawless for me, and I can't objectively rate it. For me, everything in this game is a pro. There are no cons. So instead I'll list everything I like about it:
* Beautiful, fluid animations;
* Solid, fast-paced combat;
* Great, atmospheric soundtrack that ramps up in intensity for battles;
* The replayability that you'd come to expect from a roguelike, and then some;
* Very pleasant art style
* Fully voiced characters that bring so much charm to the game, be it when you're just preparing for the run, or during the run itself
* Greek mythos inspired world and characters
* And last, but certainly not least, an incredible amount of attention to details.

Just...give the game a try. Take your time, and don't worry if you suck at it. Simply try to immerse yourself in the game, and pay attention to details, cause you might miss some. This is one of those games that you don't have to beat to enjoy it.
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