Just a fantastic experience all around, and arguably the most well-put-together Supergiant package. The production value is the studio at its peak, and it's the most fun I've ever had playing any of their titles. While it doesn't ever reach any of the highest highs of the previous three games, it's the most consistently entertaining experience. Even though the writing isn't as strong as it is in Pyre, I do still appreciate how... understated and grounded it all feels here in Hades.
Hades doesn't ~move~ me in the way some games that I feel are special (like Pyre which is still my favorite Supergiant game), but Hades is also a hell of an accomplishment for pushing what a roguelite can be.
The plot itself isn't all that special, and if you're looking for big developments in that department, you'll be sorely disappointed. It's all in the characters and their interactions. I've found all of it to be extremely charming, and from the resolutions I've reached with most of the cast, it's also very heartwarming. For a game basically set in hell, it's such a welcome surprise that Hades is the complete opposite of "grimdark" serious writing you'd expect.
The visual novel aspect is probably the strongest hook for people who are invested in the writing. Dusa, Than, Nyx, Chaos, Meg, Skelly, Achilles, Hades, and Zagreus himself are all just a lovable group of characters, and I enjoy the relationship web that binds them together. The Olympian gods are also just a hoot to listen to with their bragging and bickering and pettiness! Definitely way more memorable and likable than anyone in Bastion and Transistor.
This cast is just irresistibly charming, and how their relationships develop reflects how relationships in real life between friends, family, and lovers can be, at least with more ideal results. It ain't perfect and people in relationships have petty squabbles, but we try our best to get along.
Hades doesn't ~move~ me in the way some games that I feel are special (like Pyre which is still my favorite Supergiant game), but Hades is also a hell of an accomplishment for pushing what a roguelite can be.
The plot itself isn't all that special, and if you're looking for big developments in that department, you'll be sorely disappointed. It's all in the characters and their interactions. I've found all of it to be extremely charming, and from the resolutions I've reached with most of the cast, it's also very heartwarming. For a game basically set in hell, it's such a welcome surprise that Hades is the complete opposite of "grimdark" serious writing you'd expect.
The visual novel aspect is probably the strongest hook for people who are invested in the writing. Dusa, Than, Nyx, Chaos, Meg, Skelly, Achilles, Hades, and Zagreus himself are all just a lovable group of characters, and I enjoy the relationship web that binds them together. The Olympian gods are also just a hoot to listen to with their bragging and bickering and pettiness! Definitely way more memorable and likable than anyone in Bastion and Transistor.
This cast is just irresistibly charming, and how their relationships develop reflects how relationships in real life between friends, family, and lovers can be, at least with more ideal results. It ain't perfect and people in relationships have petty squabbles, but we try our best to get along.