The New Classics #42: Hades

 

The Backstory: I honestly didn’t think I’d live to see a rogue-lite get rave reviews, universal acclaim and an unexpected-yet-prompted-by-success physical release — but I sure as heck won’t complain about it. Everything has been said about Hades, and the only thing left to do is add my two cents — let’s roll, baby!

 

 

The Game: I won’t waste too much time raving about the lush graphics, the gorgeous colours and the sumptuous character art; instead, I’ll jump straight to the gameplay — and to the point for a change. Look, the physics are stellar, the controls tight as a drum, and handling little Hades is pure delight right from the first second. Then you have the progression loop, which is typical of a rogue-lite: you can feel yourself get stronger and better every loop, and you can go a bit further as a result, without the punishment and the ‘even the tiniest mistake could be your deadfall’ factor of hardcore roguelikes such as Shiren. I tackled a couple of gameplay loops, and I reaped something every single time: currency to purchase upgrades, knowledge of enemy patterns, better weapons and abilities — you name it.

 

 

Having said that, I’ll admit something: I expected Hades to be a bit more addictive, and maybe even… better, in a way. I mean, it’s a really splendid rogue-lite, but… I’ve played other rogue-lites that felt just as good and addictive, such as Sorcery Saga, RemiLore or Touhou Genso Wanderer. I realise that Hades is the first ever rogue-lite to reach such a wide audience, and that most of the hype is due precisely to that — the gaming community discovering the appeal of rogue-liting. But I knew that appeal inside out already, and thus the infatuation is kinda lost on me.    

 

 

The Verdict: Although I’m not as delirious about Hades as reviewers and newcomers to the genre, I won’t deny that it’s a great rogue-lite with fantastic potential. New Classic, yes please!