Hades is a great example of a coffee break game. You can play through a single run within 30 minutes, but if something comes up and you have to stop mid-run you can save and quit in whatever room you’re in and continue later. As the father of a toddler, I find this particularly appealing these days. I like to squeeze in a quick game during my baby girl’s nap time, and since I never know exactly how long she’s going to sleep for, I need games that can be played in short bursts. I’m starting this new mini-feature series with Hades, because you’re almost always guaranteed to have a good time, no matter how long you play for.
As with a lot of roguelikes, dying and losing a run in Hades is baked into the experience. You’re not expected to finish the game on your first try. It took me about 50 runs before I even made it to the final boss, but each run teaches you something new – whether that’s learning how to use a new weapon, discovering a new god-boon or simply progressing to a new zone that you’ve not seen before – no matter what happens, you’re always making progress.
Zagreus is a fun protagonist, and his relationship with all of the Greek mythological characters grows throughout your play time in surprisingly deep and meaningful ways. The story unfolds gradually, and I found it to be hugely rewarding to return to the hub world and talk to the characters and learn a bit more about their backstory each time I died. It kept the nature of repeating the same dungeon runs over and over feeling fresh and engaging, because there was always some new tidbit to uncover, or a bit of juicy gossip to listen to. The whole story is beautifully self-aware, running a fine line between melodrama and fantastical whimsy. It all looks and sounds great thanks to Supergiant’s signature visual flair and Darren Korb’s excellent soundtrack. Has that guy ever made a bad tune?
I haven’t gotten around to trying Hades 2 yet, but I hear it’s more of the same.
