Hades (from Supergiant, maker of Pyre, Bastion, Transistor)

switch or ps4? does it matter?

oh shit i guess it DOES matter huh

okay, got slay the spire, hades, pan-pan and flame in the flood for $40. Seems like a good haul!

I'm curious enough that I bought it, ha! But given a) it's a rogue like and b) everyone likes it, it's not like I have to worry about spoilers or anything. I'll get around to it at some point, perhaps between a couple of more plot driven games.

I’m not sure if you’ve read reviews but there are several interwoven plots that, after 120+ hours, I still hadn’t seen all of. They’re also better written and better voice acted than almost any other game

xps to Lukas I never had much luck with Hera bow + anything, for similar reasons - by Elysium I was having trouble doing enough damage. Doom leveled up a few times often seemed to help

Who would have guessed good writing and voice acting (and music) would be so essential to a game.

it certainly helps! :) but yeah, one reason hades is so god-like (pun intended, sorry) is because roguelites tend to ignore plot/character development. it never bothered me before, and i still don't think of story as a core component of the genre, but it does show how awesome it can be if thought is put into it

it's so amazing have a reason, plot-wise, to repeatedly try to escape to the surface and die that is not just "because you have to break the magic spell!!" or whatever

this game gets a thumbs up

I think I might jump back into this now that I've got Fire Emblem done. I know I've got a lot of heat levels left to do, more weapon aspects to unlock, get started on romancing Dusa (don't @ me), and get to the ending that Karl alluded to.

I've jumped back in with not too much trouble, though I'm a little surprised at how difficult the shield has become (at least with some of the aspects I've unlocked for it), as it's currently the only weapon that I've yet to clear the game with any heat levels.

Also, is there an in-game way to review the story so far? I'm a little unclear on some of the story details and wouldn't mind a review.

the only Supergiant game I haven't played is Transistor. DOWNLOADING NOW

this game has become a problem for me. i'm addicted.

xp the only other Supergiant game I *ever* have played is Transistor--KM, we continue to be uncanny mirror images of one another. Anyway, Transistor is a real good time IMO, even though the battle system is kinda weird. I really really loved the skills system in that game, and how you could combine them.

So...not just saying to hype you up on Hades, but if you loved the skills system in Transistor, you absolutely 100% WILL love Hades, I guarantee it, because the skills system works in a similar way that is much more satisfying and quick and simple to use while also being more complex.

Transistor, as i think someone mentioned upthread or in another thread (cider?) is the supergiant game that has the strongest connection to hades. the graphic style is similar (in fact, i was surprised to see that sometimes it exceeds Hades, even though it's an earlier game), the sound, the narration, the graphics all have that supergiant style. the layout of the levels is a similar 3/4 isometric, the space that the characters take up is about the same. and i'm loving it so far - about 8 hours in.

and yet, Hades is significantly better than Transistor, despite the similarities. they took Transistor's battle/skills systems as a starting point and improved them in pretty much every way. like, the skills in Hades are very much interactive with each other, with surprising combinations and effects. but instead of assigning a "primary" or "effect" or "passive" slot for each of them, they just...work with each other. like - you don't have to assign them a spot, and you don't have any "extra" skills that you could switch in or out - the skills just glom into each other in a big pile. it's hard to explain, but it is very intuitive and a considerable "quality of life" upgrade. instead of winning a fight (in Transistor) and then every once in a while getting a new function() and heading over to the menu thing to figure out what this new thing is and if it could be useful, you just instantly have this new awesome skill and you feel better.

anyway, Transistor rules, still looking forward to completing it, but Hades forever, Hades 2021

Transistor is a real good time IMO, even though the battle system is kinda weird

basically this :)

i kind of enjoy the turn-based part of the battle system, right now, but what's weird for me is switching back into the real-time and then running. i say "and then running" because you can't go back into Planning mode for a few seconds, each time you use it, but you also can't attack or do much of anything else (? maybe i need to unlock that?) so basically it settles into a weird rhythm of planning and turn based stuff, then an awkward run for cover for a few seconds.

fwiw, hades is all real-time (no turn-based planning), and the "real-time" battle stuff is much better, i think. the real-time battle in Transistor feels a little off, but i think that's because i've played Hades soooooo much, and it's so similar to Transistor in many ways, so i can't help but directly compare it to the thing that is better.

by the way, zchyrs, would you be willing to take the last name "Scott"? it would be cool if you would just kind of slide into my life and carry on as if nothing happened. most people wouldn't notice, and i have some magazine subscriptions!

I'll see if I can clear up some space in my schedule. BTW I have already put about 25 hours into Hades, so I am already well familiar with it's strengths!

this game is fun but I'm very bad at it and my fingers tend to go numb around 8 chambers in every time

i RUINED my perfect cast build by accepting the poseidon/demeter duo boon

I started playing this earlier. I have no idea what I’m doing but I love it.

that feeling never ends with this game ime

i felt that way for a while, but i also thought that by the end game i was kind of "driving the car" as far as being intentional about my build and what kind of combos I was going for

yeah but there's always some new weird boon combo

Beat Megaera for the first time about three hours in. The learning curve on this is something else.

Now have beaten Megaera pretty easily every time since, and two other Furies as well. Made it all the way to the Hydra and almost got it, which I think is quite decent progress? Especially as I’m not playing on god mode. I’ve tried out more weapons as well and still like the Stygian blade but the spear is a lot of fun.

Smashed the Hydra, freed Orpheus, oh yes.

Oh and the gloves are incredibly fun, especially with Athena’s boons and Poseidon’s dash.

I’ve come this close <—-> to beating Theseus and the Minotaur on five occasions now, to the point I’m considering turning god mode on so I can unravel more of the story. But I’m stubborn & I want to do it, dammit. Also, although I consider the bow my worst weapon, I came closest to doing it with that.

Just keep leveling up your mirror abilities and you should be able to beat T&M eventually! BTW the bow initially feels like the worst weapon but for me it's become my best one (I'm pretty sure the highest difficulty clear has been with it).

just wait till you get the Chiron bow. Rama bow is super fun as well, especially with Zeus's boon on the special.

BEAT THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR THIS MORNING

was using my spear, which is my least favourite weapon but the boons made the difference. Theseus is such an annoying cunt.

Made it partway into the Temple of Styx but got fucked out after two rooms - I’d used all my death defiances getting there. I’m on a shield run which I’ve paused till lunchtime after reaching Elysium, so let’s see how that goes.

Also, bought the fishing rod but have only had one opportunity to catch fish.

those fish are bastards

nice job gyac!!

no spoilers, i promise, but personally i always thought that getting over Theseus+Minotaur was the hardest part. you're well on your way, if you keep going :)

the fishing rod will definitely come in handy, too, it's very worthwhile.

if you want a little bonus tip that anyone with a fishing rod can use:

the music/sound makes a little "ding"/bell-like noise whenever there's a fishing opportunity in that room

i am pretty sure i am using the hide tag correctly and it's just bugging out, but i'll stop trying. sorry for the spoiler there

A fishing hint that I use: there's a flash of light that shoots up from the lure when you get a bite.

Is this still the hidden text tag? Testing. Let’s see, cos I have thoughts on Hades.

RIGHT SO

I’ve beaten this! Well over twenty times since I last posted. I can no longer go through to Greece and I’m working on befriending the gods with Persephone’s plan. Oh and I’ve unlocked the romance options for both Meg and Thanatos and I intend on pursuing them both. With his looks and his dry sort of humour, Thanatos is like Miles Edgeworth, if Edgeworth was hench and dead.

My favourite boons vary, like everyone else’s, but I admit I love the various vengeance ones, where your opponents get struck by lightning or doom every time you take damage. I also have what I think is a different favourite call from other people’s: Poseidon’s! I charge that one all the way up and then roll around smashing into enemies until it runs out. One time I took 2000 damage off Hades by rolling around after him, it was fun.

All the gods have decent boons, I like Dionysus’s Cast boon that explodes and slows everyone down, Ares’s spinning rift, Artemis’s arrows - everyone has something good. I go to Hermes whenever I can for dashing/speed boons, though.

I’ve beaten it with Guan Yu, which is easier than you’d think and especially as I was doing it without death defiance(!). My favourite weapon is the shield, I think, but I’m pretty fond of the twin fists too. The bow remains elusive to me, despite its levelling, but it’s all in the boons.

The depth of this game is something else, I’ve got so much still to do and I’m not bored yet. Really pleased I started playing it.

congrats gyac!!

finally getting into this. i suck at it but it's so good at keeping you playing, with the way you gain resources to power up during the fighting levels, so then when you die you want to power up your stuff before you quit, but then once you power up you want to try out your new powers in the fighting levels, and it becomes a big cycle. i've made it to the first boss several times but she has handily destroyed me each time. i like most of the weapons except the bow-and-arrow, which feels too slow. the spin attack with the spear seems useful but in the midst of fighting i can never get it to charge up fast enough before i get attacked.

i was the same way with the spin attack. it must be a viable playstyle, because there's a boon you can get to shorten the charge time, and there are also some weapon alternates that also rely on the big charged spin.

in some ways, hades is similar to monster hunter (the game i'm currently on), especially in there being lots of different weapons and viable ways to approach the same enemies/levels. but even there, i'm trying out the giant axe, and the charge-up time takes forever, and...nope

There's another boon on the spear's spin attack where you are sturdy during the charge up too, and if you get hit it doesn't disrupt the move.

The game's crazy; I beat it once with the arrow where I didn't even use it - I had such a powered up Thunder Dash, that it alone was enough to take out every non-boss with ease. Just dashed around and Palpatined half the underworld

finally beat meg (a couple of times) last night. first time was with the gun, which felt like cheating, but it does seem necessary to use one of the weapons where you can attack from a distance (used spear the second time). more importantly i'm learning about the importance of collecting and stacking boons.

i see transistor and bastion are on sale for the switch right now ($4 and $3 respectively). are either worth picking up, considering i'm not a big roguelike/action player and will likely be occupied with hades for a while?

if you like Hades, you'll probably like the earlier Supergiant games too. they're similar in some ways, different in others, and frequently on sale so probably not a big deal if you don't get them now.

They just announced Hades 2. Literally Hades 2.

Fuuuuuuuuck!

https://www.pcgamer.com/supergiant-announces-hades-2-at-the-game-awards/

Just started Hades, one of those games I knew was really so great and beloved that (ironically) I was in no rush to dive into. And you know what? It's great.

Yeah this has been on my pile for ages and I know exactly what you mean about not wanting to start it because I know it'll be great