Hades

This is one of the rare games I struggled to write a review for. I was so close to giving it a negative review, but then I thought that would be unfair to the developers, so I changed it to positive.
The biggest reason for this is that I have stayed away from the roguelike genre for years, and I forced myself several times to try it and see whether I could actually enjoy it or not. I was always prejudiced against the genre because I hate soulslike games, and because of that, I thought the whole “be born, progress, die, repeat” idea could annoy me just as much as soulslikes and ruin my enjoyment. Despite that, I bought a few games in this genre, like Hades, Dead Cells, Returnal, etc., and Hades was the first one I decided to properly try.
Well, turns out I was half right.
I can honestly say that I got more frustrated with every death, especially during the final boss fights against Hades near the end of the True Ending route, around the 8th-10th clears. Those fights almost made me break my keyboard. Some people will probably call this a skill issue, and honestly, fair enough, I respect that. But for me, the issue is more about not being a calm and patient person, which is also the same reason why I hate soulslike games.
The reason I said I was half right is that, even though there were moments that seriously annoyed me, I also enjoyed every bit of character progression. I could feel myself getting stronger, and because of that, most runs felt easier compared to the previous ones. I also thought the story was really good. I assume not every roguelike game puts much focus on story, but Hades definitely does not ignore that part. The amount of artifacts and things to grind also increases the replayability of the game. Even though that personally does not mean much to me, I am sure it is important for people who love this genre.
I finished the game with the True Ending after 10 clears, in almost 20 hours. After doing some research, I found out that even though I saw the credits, there is still an epilogue-related story if I keep playing. Honestly, I do not want to continue anymore because I got really bored. This boredom actually started after the 3rd clear, but instead of quitting, I wanted to keep going as far as I could to give the genre a proper chance.
There were many things I liked but I do not think the general structure of roguelike games is for me. Still, I will try the other roguelike games in my library and see how far I can go with them, but I do not think I will buy any more roguelike games from now on. I have respect for people who love the genre, but it is just not for me.
To sum it up, there are 3 reasons why I am giving this game a positive review:
- It showed me that roguelike games are not for me.
- Even though I personally did not fully enjoy it, I still think it is a very good game within its own genre, and I do not want to be unfair to the developers.
- Dusa. Do not even ask for an explanation.

At time of writing, Hades is currently on sale for around $6 USD. If you're questioning whether or not to get it, let's put in perspective what this means:
They get: $6
You get: 70+ hours of gameplay and quality storytelling out of the best roguelike ever made
Just get it, dude.

One of my favorite games of all time. Many other reviewers have said it better. I'm a lifelong gamer, in my 40s, busy with work family& kids, and this is a game that has a story and playstyle that kept me engaged and in love. Looking forward to sharing this with my kids, and, Hades 2. Thanks.

That one addicting game you play for 40 hs in a week and then you don´t touch again for years. 10/10, would come back in 5 years again.

Helpful tip: You're supposed to die. A lot.
Each death is progress. You unlock dialogue, upgrades, lore, trauma, and daddy issues.
– Dash constantly.
– Boons that synergize > picking random shiny gods.
– Deflect is your best friend.
– Pet Cerberus. He deserves it.
– Don’t ignore Chaos. The void gives great gifts.
– Give your skeleton therapist a Nectar, he hands over the best keepsake in the game.
I thought I finished the game.
But the final boss said, "Do it again."
So I did. And now I live here.
10/10. also, the music is an absolute banger.

This is probably one of the best action roguelike games. Lots of different weapons + lots of different blessings + heat levels = very high replay values.
The art style is very supergiant signature, reminds me of Bastion and Transistor. Story line is very long. I’ve completed almost 100 successful runs but haven’t exhausted the dialogues.
The game could be a bit difficult at first. After several attempts you will get better and more powerful combinations will be revealed.
Achievements are not difficult but require a lot of patience. The most difficult achievement only requires heat 16, which is very doable when you’ve beat the game more than 50 times. However, some story lines and collection achievement needs a lot of runs to complete. All achievements will take around 50 - 100 hours.

I might be 5 years late to the party, but WOW…this game is insanely fun to play!