We're huge fans of Hades here at GAMINGbible. From our 10/10 review, to awarding it PC Game of the Year - as well our overall GOTY - it's collectively our most beloved roguelike. So naturally, now that it's coming to Xbox and PlayStation consoles, it's my pleasure to once again tell you how much Supergiant Games' phenomenal title deserves your time. By the gods, it deserves a lot of it.
See the trailer for Hades here
For newcomers, Hades is about a young lad named Zagreus. Our boy Zag' is the son of Hades, the Ancient Greek God of the Underworld. Following a revelation, Zagreus decides he wants to leave the land of the dead, and make the journey to where the living reside. To do this, Zagreus will need to travel through several labyrinthine planes of existence, all of which are populated by various departed spirits. Sadly, the majority of these tormented souls aren't too friendly, so Zagreus will have to fight his way to the top.
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The thing that I've always loved about Hades is the sense of progress it gives you. Even when your run is cut short in a potentially demoralising manner, the game makes you feel like it was worth it by offering up new characters to speak to, or new dialogue with existing acquaintances. You can also pet Cerberus, which is a must for all self-respecting mythical dog lovers (I assume there's more than just me).
As well, you can use certain currencies you acquire on your journey to unlock or upgrade abilities, making future attempts easier. It may not look like much at first, but over time these investments can change Hades in your favour. There's also the God Mode option, where you gain a two-percent resistance to damage each time you're sent back to the House of Hades. An unusual 'god mode', but one that cleverly gives a sense of achievement in its own way, as you slowly grow stronger after every demise.
Having previously played Hades on Nintendo Switch, I can tell you now that the Xbox Series X version is just as good - if not better - in all ways but one. At the time of writing, players are unable to import saved data from other versions of the game. So, although you can transfer your file from PC to Switch, you'll have to start over completely from the beginning when coming to Xbox or PlayStation. For new players, this is a meaningless tidbit, you lucky devils. As for existing players like myself, who foolishly hoped to avoid starting off as a relative rookie, that boon is currently unavailable.
Despite this one setback, I could still happily wax poetic about Hades. I could tell you it's "undoubtedly a masterpiece", and it's "all about the journey", but I've said all that before (literally quotes from a piece I wrote). Instead, I implore you to play this game because it's a masterpiece of otherworldly proportions, as if it was sent from Olympus itself.
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Hades releases for Xbox consoles, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on August 13, 2021. Game tested with Xbox code provided by the publisher.
Featured Image Credit: Supergiant GamesTopics: HADES, Indie Games