It is fitting that one of the biggest video games of 2020 is about a relentless and futile escape from hell itself. Hades, by Supergiant Games, captured the hearts of millions when it was officially launched in September 2020 by reinventing the timeless Greek mythology and using it to build a story that rewards failure as much as success. In the rogue action game, Zagreus, the son of Hades, plays the main character as he struggles to fight through the various layers of hell in an attempt to reach the surface and find his missing mother Persephone. Zagreus is assisted in his quest by the gods of Olympus, who rejoice in the existence of their family member and help him with various benefits that increase the strength of the attack, add buffers or disillusionments or provide other useful facts.
There are two keys to Hades‘success. The first is that the game rewards failure. Zagreus dies … many, and is forced to start his endless quest anew when he is sent back to the Underworld. Dying, however, gives Zagreus the chance to spend money to permanently increase his power and abilities, unlock new conversations with key NPCs, and try out new weapons with unique abilities. Hades only goes ahead when Zagreus dies, and that mechanic removes one of the most frustrating aspects of most video games – the futility of loss.
The other key to HadesThe continuing popularity is the relative lack of villains of the game. There are no really ‘bad’ guys in there Hades – The game’s antagonist is stubborn, proud and hard, but the game slowly pulls its outside to reveal the very valid reasons for its continued resistance to its son. Over time, players can finally be the first boss to meet players, entertain, come to terms with other great antagonists, and make meaningful decisions about complex storylines. Empathy and care are part of Hades’ core, and it helps players return for more runs, even after the main game has been beaten. The Greek gods themselves were also delightfully redesigned with fantastic voice acting and important art that inspired countless pieces of fan art. It’s really hard to hate any character Hades, with the possible exception of Theseus, whose personality is deliberately unpleasant and dislikes.
Natural, Hades is also a very fun hack-and-slash game. The game’s top system is built on picking out game-breaking combinations and destroying dozens of enemies at once. Because the benefits are handed out randomly, players are encouraged to mix at random and there are very few abilities that do not match well with each other. The most Hades players will swear by some weapon, but the game can be won by almost any combination of weapon and blessing, provided the player makes the best of what they get. Players will enjoy managing different combinations as they clean rooms while trying to decide to add more benefits or turn on existing devices. There is never a wrong answer, although some choices with some playing styles will work better than others. I personally liked how different weapons could be adapted to fit different playing styles. The Twin Fists of Malphon, a set of gloves designed for close combat, evolved from my least favorite weapon to the weapon with which I achieved the most consistent success as I learned how to combine my dash-heavy attack style with different boons and timing attacks because I hit enemies when I ran past them.
The game also rewards players for continuing to play, even after finally escaping from hell. Each of the game’s weapons has different variants that can only be unlocked after repeated runs, and the main story itself does not resolve even before a player has cleared the game ten times. The content of the after-game is also enjoyable, with players literally choosing their poison by deliberately making the dungeons harder to unlock additional rewards. There are also RPG elements that first come into play deeper into the game, with players being able to romanticize characters and learn meaningful information about others as they give gifts and talk to the characters between the characters.
Hades is an instant classic, a game in which players can spend 50 or more hours without feeling like there is time. The game is meant to be enjoyed in bite size, and it does not take more than 30 minutes to run. These short segments were perfect for 2020 as many people struggled to find the energy for marathon sessions. Combine that with the compelling storyline and easy-to-learn but difficult-to-master gameplay, and Supergiant has found a recipe for instant success. In a difficult year, Hades was a lovely fresh air.