Hades is the New Gold Standard Roguelike

I play a lot of Roguelikes. Specifically, I play a lot of Roguelike Action games. When I am not playing them, I have a few favored YouTubers I watch that play some that I don’t own. This is a long-winded way of saying I know a fair bit about what makes a good Roguelike and what doesn’t. Hades happens to be the best Roguelike I’ve played in a long time.

In fact, I’m just going to come out and say it. Moving forward, Hades is the bar that other Roguelikes will want to measure themselves to if they want to be the best. I would even go so far as to say that it has surpassed some of my favorites in the genre. Let’s get into some reasons why it is going to be a high bar to meet.

For one, there is the fact that Hades has perfect pacing. The game trickles out new content to you in a way that is slow, but not so slow to be boring. The gameplay loop is pretty solid too. The farther you get in your first few runs, the more things are opened up and given to you. Meanwhile, you talk to NPC’s, learn about the world, and slowly start to get a feel of the experience.

You start out with a few gods that give you boons at first, but as you meet new characters, NPC’s, and bosses, you find more and more which change the way you play. That doesn’t even consider the fact that over time you unlock new trinkets, new weapons, and all sorts of things that enhance your experience organically.

On top of the pacing, the art style and music in Hades are nothing short of spectacular. Each of the characters is done in a gorgeous art style that is visually striking and distinct. The music fits whatever scene you’re dealing with and the songs with vocals are nothing short of amazing. I’m trying to provide as little spoilery information as possible here, so please excuse my vagueness.

The storytelling is top-notch as well, which is expected from something by Supergiant Games. However, I am inclined to say that Hades is their best work yet. There are multiple storylines at play, including side stories alongside the main one. The best part is, they’ve created the game in such a way that they could easily (or at least I assume easily) expand upon it in DLC or updates. I could see them adding new gods, new stories, new weapons, maybe even new areas outside of the Underworld.

I mentioned it somewhat before, but the gameplay itself feels great. The boons can synergize together in a way that makes you truly feel like a god. The inclusion of God Mode, which gives you a 2% damage resistance upgrade that grows each time you die, also makes the game more accessible without taking away the challenge of it. There are so many moving parts that make Hades exceptional.

Aside from the things I mentioned, there’s a sense of growth and accomplishment because of all the progression systems at play. Upgrades can be made to Zagreus using Nyx’s Mirror, there are upgrades to your weapons, you can increase relationship values, level trinkets, upgrade the House, and more. All of these things give you a sense of building upon your foundations.

Your first ten hours in the game will make you feel like you’re just scratching the surface and that’s because you are. A lot of Roguelikes have a sense of wonder in the beginning, but you quickly figure it out and the game becomes predictable in some respects. Hades is always throwing new things at you, whether they are story related or not.

I hesitate to say that Hades is the perfect Roguelike. I haven’t written a proper review for the game either, because I’m unsure how I would do so without being too vague or spoiling some of the enjoyment of discovery for people. However, I can say that in my mind Hades is as close to perfection as I have ever seen from a Roguelike or even an action game period.

Did I mention that there are several LGBT characters in Hades? Including multiple canon homosexual romances? Seriously, the representation provided within Hades is top-notch. I’d wager that there aren’t too many characters in the game that I’m not fond of. I’m even fond of Charon, whose entire dialogue is composed of grunts and groans.

It is the first Roguelike that I know of to successfully integrate a narrative that wasn’t simply hidden in vague clues and environmental storytelling. It is the entire package: great action and mechanics, a beautiful story, great art and music, fantastic progression systems, and so much more. It truly is the new golden standard of what a truly great Roguelike should aspire to be.

I hope to see Supergiant Games continue on with Hades, in some form or fashion. Whether it is DLC, a sequel of some sort, or something else related to it, I have become very attached to the concepts presented within the game. It has left me wanting more, and there is so much more that could be done and experienced within the world that Supergiant has created.