Hades wasn't really on my radar during its Early Access run, and I only got hooked into the hype for this game after its release. I would consider myself a fan of Supergiant Games. Their style, their eye for visuals, their ear for music, their sensibilities to bring mechanics and gameplay I can thoroughly enjoy, are all in the wheelhouse of things I adore and gravitate towards when I'm choosing what to play next. Hades packs all of that and so much more! So much so, it is easily my favourite game of 2020, but it might as well be my all-time favourite game.

I absolutely and unabashedly enjoy every single aspect of Hades. I believe there isn't a single thing I wouldn't enjoy in one way or another. This game makes me crave for more. One more run. One more interaction with the colourful denizens of Underworld and Olympus alike. One more punch, one for thrust, one more shot through the wretched souls of the underworld. Hades brings out the very best in terms of telling stories, combining it with gameplay, enhancing it with beautiful audio-visual queues to provide an experience worth every penny, every cent you spend on this game.

The gameplay is addicting in the best ways possible. I've seen some people getting bored by the lack of variety of environments or enemies, but I certainly can not relate to that. Each level brings its troubles and despite the fact I play with God Mode on, I still find myself struggle and be challenged in the best possible ways, especially thanks to a mechanic introduced later. The way how this game works is so clever. All enemies you face show you mechanics which you will face in each boss fight at the end, and it took me many hours until I realised this. It is so seamless, yet so effective, without talking down to you and holding your hand. Fast-paced combat is one of the many highlights and after almost 100hrs I still feel my heart racing during later fights, especially when it comes to the final boss. In terms of gameplay, I would only request one thing and one thing only - give me Stardew Valley-like farm in a need of care at the end, instead of the wonderful narrator with his wonderful lines of monologue - you know, to unwind and relax after gruelling battles. This request doesn't make any sense to you? That's ok, but I desperately want it!

As I mentioned above, visually, this game is an absolute gem. Everywhere you look, everything you see is just so damn gorgeous and so pleasing for eyes. Character designs especially are absolutely fantabulous and you fell in love with all of them, on the basis of looks alone. The attention to details in every frame, the details big and so small are so damn impressive. Now, combine this with sounds, music and impeccable voice-acting you are in for a true audio-visual treat, a masterpiece if I can be so bold with such claims.

But, if there's one thing I can't get enough of, it's stories. Storytelling and stories of any kind are something that brings me true joy in life. Let me tell you, writers of Hades definitely made me feel that joy, made me ride that high of a great, intriguing, fresh approach to tell stories as old as time. Being in gaming space as we are now, we all probably encountered a game with Greek mythology in some way or another, but I believe it was never done quite like this. Stories well know, and those maybe not so much, presented in a really gripping way, feeding you with kernels of information, which either sparks the joy of "Wait a minute, I know this!" or "I have to know more!". The writing, in general, is incredibly charming, funny, you feel the various range of emotions coming out of the dialogues on screen, which is, of course, elevated to Olympus via aforementioned astonishing voice-acting. Can't stress enough how tightly and smartly written this games is, even in the silliest moments - and yes, I mean the justification why are we still continuing the effort to escape, which is so silly and yet really clever, well, at least in my eyes.

I LOVE Hades with all my heart, I adore it beyond bounds and I will be gushing about this game for an eternity to come. This is a full package experience which simply hits me into all of my sensibilities, strokes everything that I like and enjoy, while provides a gripping experience during which you won't find one dull or boring moment and only brings excitement.

Hades is an amazing game... Hades is a perfect game!

Grade: A+

P.S. If you feel like you want more and you crave for more of Greek mythology, let me be your guide into the church of Hadestown [open.spotify.com] - a wonderful musical, which gives you more of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice in a different, fresh, incredibly catchy way.

Is This Seat Taken? is a tad upsetting experience. Not to be the friend who is too woke, but as an avid cinema-goer [letterboxd.com], the depiction of the cinema audiences across the game sparked some traumatic memories of rowdy crowds and inconsiderate lowlifes who should burn in the depths of hell for being on their phones with full brightness on, or chit-chatting like there is no one around. /j

Otherwise, Is This Seat Taken? is a delightful puzzle game that is very intuitive in its design and isn't frustrating to solve at any point, even when the seating demands become a bit more complex later on. The game being populated by cutely shaped endearing characters playing out a fun story (that doesn't take too long to beat) only adds to the wholesome delightfulness.

I am glad I caught Dodger [www.twitch.tv] playing this one on stream, sparking my intrigue immediately, and I'm very happy about this purchase and the time I've spent with the game.

Grade: A