Version: PS5
System: PS5

Decided to replay this right before the second game comes out. I'm also going to play The City That Never Sleeps DLC and Miles Morales as well. Usually, when I beat a single-player game such as this one, I won't replay it. It's not because I don't like the game, but rather because I don't really have a reason to go back. Marvel's Spider-Man is different. This is my third playthrough of the game and I love it now just as much as I loved it back in 2020 when I beat it for the first time. It's one of those few games I can always come back to and enjoy. Also, I finally got to play the remastered version on PS5. The experience was pretty much the same, although the lack of loading screens was super nice. RIP to the subway scenes though, I know they're still in the game but still.

10/10

Version: PS5
System: PS5
Played via Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered

Considering it only came out about a month after the original game, it's pretty decent. It was cool to see Black Cat show up and of course the beginning of Hammerhead as well. There's just not much to really do, but that's honestly to be expected.

8 / 10.

Version: PS5
System: PS5
Played via Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered

I think all the DLC this game got are pretty equal in terms of quality, so I'm gonna give them all the same score. Anyway, this one was pretty neat. I actually kinda liked it a bit more than The Heist. It was cool to see Hammerhead and more of the Maggia, and of course, Yuri's storyline is great too.

8 / 10.

In the name of Hades!

Creating a story-based game around roguelike gameplay is certainly a challenging task, but Supergiant did a fantastic job with the ludonarrative consistency throughout the game. The insane amount of (voiced!) dialogue really make you connect with Zagreus' journey through his eyes and all the various highs and lows he's going through. Also the gameplay is great, no wonder Zagreus is always going through those same chambers again and again!

Now about the cast, they're all great and unique and the artstyle paired with the designs really brings them to life. The friendship system and occasional encounters really help them flesh out their personalities. In my opinion the developers really did a great job on depicting Greek mythology in the way they did.

I should've mentioned this earlier, but the game is very casual-friendly for a roguelike and definitely worth looking into, even if you're not into these kind of games normally. Because of the sheer amount of dialogue and permanent upgrades the games presents you between your runs, you always have something new and fun to look forward to. It also has an easy mode, which still lets you experience the same journey with less stress - don't feel ashamed to use it!

Give Hades a shot if you love mythology or roguelikes, or the artstyle or anything! This journey has been truly unique, and I've hardly ever seen a gameplay loop integrated so well into a story. Can't wait for the sequel!

a short review

masterful use of spare time by flying over a deserted island in fucking nowhere

a short hike is a game that i played a lot of time ago and forgot to review because im dumb as shit but i just wanted to play it again for how cozy comfy and short it is and here i am

being one of those games in the vein of TOEM i was absolutely dumbfounded at how relaxing this game is (take notes unpacking or whatever that shit was called) just going around this lonely little piece of land getting to know its inhabitants and all their quirks and traits while the gentle summer breeze passes by and the sun shines bright in the sky just losing yourself into this small but incredibly alive world to such an extent that after a couple playthrough you can just speedrun through the game for how restrained the whole experience is

youre a furry bird on a vacation with her furry bird aunt just camping in this beautiful place and youre left with no other choice then exploring the surrounding since the cellphone got zero internet and in the meanwhile you will find so many different people who will give you some side quests here and there and with only the main objective or reaching the peak of the mountain but you can actually take your time and enjoy the view and just walking around the place to see what the others are up to and what the scenery is like

the art style of this game is incredibly tight its definitely on the cartoony side and the whole game is done in a pixelated fashion (you can actually turn that shit off but i liked the mid pixel setting to be the most interesting for me) and the town and characters have these super saturated models that just scream summertime on the shore and thats such a fucking vibe

ideally the gameplay should be devoid of any kind of depth but exploring is the main focus of the game just chilling out in this small diorama of an island like its a snowglobe and just interacting with people finding treasures here and there and slowly ascending to the mountain

to do that as the protagonist is a bird youre gonna use your wings to fly around but thats not enough you will be required to find golden feathers around for some double jumps and climbing power (a la breath of the wild) either by exploring or doing side quests here and there and you can take your time with it and youre not obliged to take them all nor the game exploits you in doing so you get as many as you want and try to climb the mountain on your own see what awaits you there and conquer the summit

the finale made me also think about TOEM as in youre just you yourself and a natural phenomenon that looks insanely chaotic and calm at the same time like the final hours in outer wilds or majoras mask and then you realise that the entire thing was worth it even for the journey alone of idling under the sun and breathing the environment in and youre left with an emotional convo that really is the cherry on top of the entire experience sure its a bit wild that you can get 5G on top of a mountain but who am i to judge

a short hike comes and goes too fast for my own good i wouldve loved to have a longer and more expansive idea but maybe that wouldve ruined the entire premise of the game so im left with a warm and pleasant experience to revisit from time to time

everyone should play this game it just has some of the most peaceful and joyful atmosphere ive ever seen in any game maybe even more than kirby as a whole somehow this is something special that i will absolutely replay again some time in the future and i advice anyone whos interested in a super short experience that will stuck with you to play this one and if you do check it out what i can say is see you at the top

What a game.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing this. It has great music, nice locale variety, good level and game design with creative moments to keep the experience fresh, solid combat and mechanics, good humor/self-awareness, and just enough to capture your attention with the characters.

The only downsides would be game length (felt like it was dragging toward the end), and a somewhat abrupt ending.

Aside from that, I really enjoyed practically everything else about it. An easy game of the year contender.