Like a AAA indie honestly: All the content, production value and visual density of a big box game into a gameplay system that isn't 'western action rpg for jocknerd deadbeats'
Hades' universe and characters are great - if nothing else, the reason to play this. It's that eloquently-but-scathingly spoken brand of family drama that makes tales of foolhearty Gods so fun but depressing. The voice direction is superb - downright chilling in how smooth and airy the delivery is, and just how much recorded VA there is. Zagreus is a protagonist you can't help but root for, and his encounters with the well-meaning-but-emotionally-aloof Olympians is great setdressing to an equally-effective bad dad conflict.
The most surprising part of combat is how well the roguelike systems are handled - narratively AND mechanically. All your perks have meaningful boosts to your longterm strategy instead of feeling like a dripfeed and contextless percentages. It's the first time I played something of this caliber and felt the randomization was an intrinsic part of its identity instead of a binding for marketing and corner-cutting. You get a blessing from the Gods and it's just a new thing you can do for that run - more attack range, more damage, a status effect, none of this '3% poison buff when attacking airborne enemies undamaged' bullshittery (some of it does edge into that territory but the eventual damage payoff always makes up for it or is totally negligible). It's not the ideal I look for in arcade-paced games, but out of the roguelikes I have played, it's maybe one of the best to do it.
I felt less warm about the fundamental combat - specifically enemy design. There's so much visual flourish and the screen is so zoomed out, it's all too common for easily-avoidable hits to be obfuscated from view. Foes have these design quirks I don't like with how their animations wind-up and release; everything's a little too slow or too fast to deal with. The enemies in Elysium were the worst, trending closer to gimmicks and irritations than actually building on the game's difficulty. Bosses weren't hot either, as Western games tend to go unfortunately: Too much HP, I don't like how all of them summon backup minions to hide the fact they have so few moves, etc
I love all of the game's weapon types and the insane exploits you can build off their specials. Except the sword. The sword is garbage - which I wouldn't mind if it wasn't the default weapon. Encounters felt very bullet hell-y, where you have to pick a safe pivot point, attack from there, then micro/macro dodge your way to a better position. But the sword adds really average damage and movement momentum that forces you to take risks that don't feel properly rewarded. It's a weapon type built for a fluid, proactive combat system, where you can weave between enemies. It didn't click with me like I felt they intended it to. Its boons don't help it much easier; the strongest buffs were geared towards multi-hit attacks or barrages, neither of which the sword has. Even the similarly-melee-focused gauntlets felt like a better damage investment. It's on the box art, man; I wanna use the sword and feel any positive neurons about it.
I don't really know how to capstone this review. It's good shit. I'm late to the party; I assume everyone interested has already played it, but whatever.
Skelly is a dude. I'd get drinks with him, man. Chill guy.
Hades' universe and characters are great - if nothing else, the reason to play this. It's that eloquently-but-scathingly spoken brand of family drama that makes tales of foolhearty Gods so fun but depressing. The voice direction is superb - downright chilling in how smooth and airy the delivery is, and just how much recorded VA there is. Zagreus is a protagonist you can't help but root for, and his encounters with the well-meaning-but-emotionally-aloof Olympians is great setdressing to an equally-effective bad dad conflict.
The most surprising part of combat is how well the roguelike systems are handled - narratively AND mechanically. All your perks have meaningful boosts to your longterm strategy instead of feeling like a dripfeed and contextless percentages. It's the first time I played something of this caliber and felt the randomization was an intrinsic part of its identity instead of a binding for marketing and corner-cutting. You get a blessing from the Gods and it's just a new thing you can do for that run - more attack range, more damage, a status effect, none of this '3% poison buff when attacking airborne enemies undamaged' bullshittery (some of it does edge into that territory but the eventual damage payoff always makes up for it or is totally negligible). It's not the ideal I look for in arcade-paced games, but out of the roguelikes I have played, it's maybe one of the best to do it.
I felt less warm about the fundamental combat - specifically enemy design. There's so much visual flourish and the screen is so zoomed out, it's all too common for easily-avoidable hits to be obfuscated from view. Foes have these design quirks I don't like with how their animations wind-up and release; everything's a little too slow or too fast to deal with. The enemies in Elysium were the worst, trending closer to gimmicks and irritations than actually building on the game's difficulty. Bosses weren't hot either, as Western games tend to go unfortunately: Too much HP, I don't like how all of them summon backup minions to hide the fact they have so few moves, etc
I love all of the game's weapon types and the insane exploits you can build off their specials. Except the sword. The sword is garbage - which I wouldn't mind if it wasn't the default weapon. Encounters felt very bullet hell-y, where you have to pick a safe pivot point, attack from there, then micro/macro dodge your way to a better position. But the sword adds really average damage and movement momentum that forces you to take risks that don't feel properly rewarded. It's a weapon type built for a fluid, proactive combat system, where you can weave between enemies. It didn't click with me like I felt they intended it to. Its boons don't help it much easier; the strongest buffs were geared towards multi-hit attacks or barrages, neither of which the sword has. Even the similarly-melee-focused gauntlets felt like a better damage investment. It's on the box art, man; I wanna use the sword and feel any positive neurons about it.
I don't really know how to capstone this review. It's good shit. I'm late to the party; I assume everyone interested has already played it, but whatever.
Skelly is a dude. I'd get drinks with him, man. Chill guy.
Shenobi
1 year ago