I had a whole review written out and it accidentally got deleted. At first that just took the wind out of my sails, but I think if I want to be true to the game I need to get up and go back out there again. Push bouldy back up, yknow?
One thing that keeps popping back up in my mind is that Hades fills a similar role as something like 12 Angry Men, where much of the appeal lies in the player's awe at the sheer perfectionism on display. Every single element is placed exactly where it needs to be to accomplish what the game set out to do. Hades is a game of masters joining together to prove their mastery together by creating a game which displays such prowess in every element of game development that you can't help but love it. It will continue to top GOAT lists for a very long time not from innovation or historical importance, but because of a sort of generalized high quality which seeps into each and every piece of this experience.
That's not to say that Hades is a dry vehicle for showcasing technical skill, though. No, the game is built with so much love and care for the really touchy thematic territory it explores. Abuse, and the politics and emotions of forgiveness, endless cycles and finding joy within them (is there any wonder you befriend Sisyphus so quickly?) are the bigger ones, but that's far from all there is. Supergiant's work here is just oozing with things to say and delicate issues to explore. I chose to write this review at the credits, and I know that there is quite a bit left to do, so I won't make any statements too concrete about these since there's a good chance I haven't seen large amounts of the relevant material. I do find myself wondering if its views on forgiveness and moving on suggest an outlook which is too dismissive of those who cut off toxic and abusive family, but I find so much textual evidence going in very different directions that I'm not fully sure how to sort that out. Needless to say, I believe that the hearts of the writers are in the right place, I only wonder if they stumble here.
Other than that, it echoes Dark Souls, Gurren Lagann, and even "The Myth of Sisyphus" with probably the most important principle I've taken from art and used in my own life. This thought is the secret thread that connects nearly everything that resonates with me, so I just want to end lingering on it:
Life is found in hot blooded defiance against the inevitable.
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Played on Linux using Proton.
One thing that keeps popping back up in my mind is that Hades fills a similar role as something like 12 Angry Men, where much of the appeal lies in the player's awe at the sheer perfectionism on display. Every single element is placed exactly where it needs to be to accomplish what the game set out to do. Hades is a game of masters joining together to prove their mastery together by creating a game which displays such prowess in every element of game development that you can't help but love it. It will continue to top GOAT lists for a very long time not from innovation or historical importance, but because of a sort of generalized high quality which seeps into each and every piece of this experience.
That's not to say that Hades is a dry vehicle for showcasing technical skill, though. No, the game is built with so much love and care for the really touchy thematic territory it explores. Abuse, and the politics and emotions of forgiveness, endless cycles and finding joy within them (is there any wonder you befriend Sisyphus so quickly?) are the bigger ones, but that's far from all there is. Supergiant's work here is just oozing with things to say and delicate issues to explore. I chose to write this review at the credits, and I know that there is quite a bit left to do, so I won't make any statements too concrete about these since there's a good chance I haven't seen large amounts of the relevant material. I do find myself wondering if its views on forgiveness and moving on suggest an outlook which is too dismissive of those who cut off toxic and abusive family, but I find so much textual evidence going in very different directions that I'm not fully sure how to sort that out. Needless to say, I believe that the hearts of the writers are in the right place, I only wonder if they stumble here.
Other than that, it echoes Dark Souls, Gurren Lagann, and even "The Myth of Sisyphus" with probably the most important principle I've taken from art and used in my own life. This thought is the secret thread that connects nearly everything that resonates with me, so I just want to end lingering on it:
Life is found in hot blooded defiance against the inevitable.
-
Played on Linux using Proton.