To add onto what @grahamiam said, Hades incorporates its roguelike structure into its narrative better than any other game I've played. There's an actual narrative justification given for the...
To add onto what @grahamiam said, Hades incorporates its roguelike structure into its narrative better than any other game I've played. There's an actual narrative justification given for the repeated attempts and deaths, and it gives the game a lot more continuity than other roguelikes that I've played. It has fantastic writing and voice acting, and it plays the story out gradually over time in a way that really pulls you in and makes you want to keep playing "one more run".
I also think that it has some of the smoothest, most satisfying gameplay of any of the rest of the genre. The base combat feels really good, and the boon system adds variety on top of the base abilities in really interesting ways. There are also ways to mitigate randomness that you unlock as you progress, so later as you learn what combos work well together, you start to have more control over what boons you get (if you want).
There's also God Mode, which is an "easy mode" for people that want less challenge and are more interested in the story. It gives you a gradually higher damage resist buff, but doesn't affect your ability to progress the story or unlock things at all. There's no penalty whatsoever and I recommend it to folks who are more interested in the story than the gameplay loop.
YES YES YES YES YES
Oh my god. I'm so excited.
I've been trying hard not to be too hyped about it because I'm not sure I can sustain this level of excitement until it releases, lol.
Can anyone explain why Hades is so good, for someone who isn't the biggest fan of roguelikes?
To add onto what @grahamiam said, Hades incorporates its roguelike structure into its narrative better than any other game I've played. There's an actual narrative justification given for the repeated attempts and deaths, and it gives the game a lot more continuity than other roguelikes that I've played. It has fantastic writing and voice acting, and it plays the story out gradually over time in a way that really pulls you in and makes you want to keep playing "one more run".
I also think that it has some of the smoothest, most satisfying gameplay of any of the rest of the genre. The base combat feels really good, and the boon system adds variety on top of the base abilities in really interesting ways. There are also ways to mitigate randomness that you unlock as you progress, so later as you learn what combos work well together, you start to have more control over what boons you get (if you want).
There's also God Mode, which is an "easy mode" for people that want less challenge and are more interested in the story. It gives you a gradually higher damage resist buff, but doesn't affect your ability to progress the story or unlock things at all. There's no penalty whatsoever and I recommend it to folks who are more interested in the story than the gameplay loop.
Thanks both for your insights, very helpful. I'll probably have to give it a try sometime.
Damn, I'm so excited for the steamy fan art, and also the gameplay. Hades is a gorgeous-looking game, and the soundtrack ain't half bad neither.