User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1667 Ratings

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  1. Dec 6, 2022
    10
    In my first playthrough of Hades, I made some clear gameplay mistakes however the biggest mistake I made had nothing to do with gameplay. I completely underestimated how much I would fall in love with the story, the art, the characters, and I think I know why. If you have played the gambit of Rogue-Like games then the story isn’t what you play for. Binding of Isaac doesn’t have a story arcIn my first playthrough of Hades, I made some clear gameplay mistakes however the biggest mistake I made had nothing to do with gameplay. I completely underestimated how much I would fall in love with the story, the art, the characters, and I think I know why. If you have played the gambit of Rogue-Like games then the story isn’t what you play for. Binding of Isaac doesn’t have a story arc that you get lost in, it’s just there. Hades is so very different, and for fans of rogue-lites who don’t embrace that element of the game, they will miss the best parts of what makes this game a masterpiece.

    You are thrusted immediately into the action fueled gameplay, but there’s a subtle difference in the story delivery that I didn’t notice at first even though it was in front of my face. Prince Zagreus is narrating his distasteful thoughts of his father, the brutal god of the underworld Hades from the first moment you take control of him. From there, you find an orb on the ground you interact with that plays a message from the goddess Athena. Zag talks back to it. Supergiant Games found a way to make every single fight, interaction with the environment, gameplay enhancement, and dialogue between characters all tie into the story they were telling.

    I didn’t pay attention however, because this was a rogue-lite and I just wanted to move fast and break things. The gameplay was so action packed and fast, that it didn’t feel like I had a moment to spare to appreciate the uniquely woven story into the fabric of each of my runs.These games are about cool builds, getting stronger each run you play, and seeing if you can climb further than ever before, or so I thought. After eight hours of gameplay I learned the hard way that this game was much deeper, and I already wanted to replay through those same 8 hours to pick up on story tidbits I had been skipping the whole time. So I did.

    I made a new save and started fresh. I had only done twenty or so runs, so this was no big deal to me, because the gameplay had engaged me enough to this point. In other rogue-lites beating the final boss is merely a gameplay victory that nothing of consequence hinges on. This was different. I wanted Zagreus to escape, because he deserved it. I wanted Hades to lose. My escape mattered and suddenly that meant understanding Zag’s relationships to everyone else in the House of Hades. That’s when I began to first notice the game's relationship system unlocked by gifting Nectars, each time opening new dialogue. I also noticed that with each death suddenly there was a new dialogue option with each character also. They talk about your attempted escape, and your relationship with your father. They are all invested in your success or failure. It all came together like a quilt of unique pieces of cloth. Each square was a different unique nugget I hadn’t seen before.

    The game won’t satisfy most rogue-lite die-hards. The gameplay variation in builds, boons, classes, and items pales in comparison to some of the other games in the genre. The layouts and enemies aren’t nearly varied enough to capture your attention alone, and quite frankly your first clear is relatively easy in the end. You are just going to eventually be strong enough to win on raw character power rather than skill. This would leave the typical rogue-like fanboy thirsting for challenge rather unsatisfied, but there is plenty of endgame after unlocking the pact of punishment and hell mode, with endless difficulty scaling. The challenge is there, you just have to speed run to it if you don’t want the story, but try not to for once.

    Hades is a perfect game, and a unique title with so many subtle unique features I’d need a few more pages to discuss them. None of them on their own are mind-blowing, but it’s the experience they all work towards that is. You can spend 4 hours sitting and playing, swapping weapons(classes), growing in power and skill. Every time you do experience changes in gameplay, it will be accompanied by seamless storytelling narrated by a host of characters that you can’t help but care about, and want to learn more about. The single unique element of Hades, is that there isn’t a single thing in the game I can think of that isn’t relative to the narrative, and that’s a feat of immersion no other game I’ve played has ever accomplished. If you miss that part, you missed out on one of the best games and stories of the last 5 years.
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  2. Dec 26, 2022
    10
    Perfect story. Perfect soundtrack. Perfect gameplay. Perfect acting. etc etc
  3. Jan 2, 2023
    10
    Great roguelite with satisfying gameplay, stunning animation, gripping music and some of the best dialogue to be found in video games. Must-play.
  4. Jan 1, 2023
    10
    Pretty impressed with the adventure quality and detail. On PC to move it weird. But it’s a pretty good game and Cerberus is so cute
  5. Jan 27, 2023
    10
    Hades is everything great about the roguelite genre all but perfected. a masterpiece
  6. Mar 6, 2023
    10
    I don't find myself often being super into rogue likes, but this one really grabbed me and didn't let go until I had finished the post game story content. The combination of story with gameplay really motivated me to keep pushing for more runs, and the build variety made sure it never got stale.

    I went back and played previous Super Giant games after this one and loved them as well.
    I don't find myself often being super into rogue likes, but this one really grabbed me and didn't let go until I had finished the post game story content. The combination of story with gameplay really motivated me to keep pushing for more runs, and the build variety made sure it never got stale.

    I went back and played previous Super Giant games after this one and loved them as well. I'm super excited for the sequel.
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  7. Apr 28, 2023
    10
    This is absolutely the best Roguelike game I have played. You may feel it looks old school and overwhelming for the first few plays, especially since you may not be able even to beat the first boss. However, after you get used to the mechanism and monsters, you will start looking into different skills and combinations. You can build them by yourself or look at some strategies online.This is absolutely the best Roguelike game I have played. You may feel it looks old school and overwhelming for the first few plays, especially since you may not be able even to beat the first boss. However, after you get used to the mechanism and monsters, you will start looking into different skills and combinations. You can build them by yourself or look at some strategies online. Meanwhile, the story is also very interesting and amazing. Highly recommended. Expand
  8. Jun 25, 2023
    10
    One of the best roguelike game. Time flew by so fast when you play this game
  9. Jul 5, 2023
    10
    For any lore and dialogue lovers this is is a must have. Hades goes above and beyond in gameplay and character development. Looking forward to the 2nd one
  10. Jul 22, 2023
    10
    A really fun rouge-lite with an amazing story that was "crafted by the gods."
  11. Aug 17, 2023
    10
    One of the most fun game I have ever played and one of the few I 100% on steam
  12. Aug 30, 2023
    10
    It's addicting. And it has good poly representation. What else could you want?
  13. Oct 9, 2020
    9
    "Rogue-like" is a new gaming genre for me. I've played plenty of shooters and RPGs with enjoyment, but replay value is often lacking because I get tired of the same NPCs in the same rooms with the same story.

    The story of 'Hades' is intelligently based on Greek mythology, including the major figures from the pantheon and many minor or invented ones. Zagreus, son of Hades, is desperate
    "Rogue-like" is a new gaming genre for me. I've played plenty of shooters and RPGs with enjoyment, but replay value is often lacking because I get tired of the same NPCs in the same rooms with the same story.

    The story of 'Hades' is intelligently based on Greek mythology, including the major figures from the pantheon and many minor or invented ones. Zagreus, son of Hades, is desperate to escape from the Underworld, where his father is determined to keep him. He has the help of Nyx and most of the Olympian deities, but determined opposition from the Furies and numerous other creatures. The game is built around his escape attempts.

    By selecting 'God Mode' you can accumulate damage resistance and other benefits until you are able to defeat Hades and get to see a bit of Greece. This took me 31 attempts over 27 hours and I was never bored because the NPC interactions and room designs and the nature and numbers of enemies were never the same twice.

    This game rewards fast reflexes but also considerations of strategy as you choose weapons and 'boons' the game offers. Some of these choices are cumulative over a single attempt and then evaporate, while others are cumulative but subject to modification at the beginning of a run. The House of Hades serves as a kind of home base, to which you return after each defeat. Going farther with each attempt is your reward. There are many sorts of currency in the game.

    I found the story engrossing as I gradually learned more about the history of each NPC. Game-play was challenging for me, even on God Mode. I got a fair number of rare achievements. My successful attempt took 41 minutes. There is reasonable help available online, and a steep learning curve.

    I recommend this game be played with controller rather than keyboard and mouse, and so do the developers. Fortunately, I found a good USB controller that has worked well for me.

    Hades stands out in a crowded field for its overall quality, and deserves the favorable reviews it is getting. The price is a bargain on Steam. Enjoy!
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  14. May 5, 2022
    9
    Now this is awsome, the powers, the weapons, the scenarios, the enemies. I can't find one point I didn't like in the game. the sole "negative" point is it's lenght, I wish it was a little longer, but damn, good game
  15. Sep 20, 2020
    9
    The game deserves no less than a 90% score. What it sets out to do for the genre is impeccable and the gameplay is well above average and even the voice acting is amazing. If I were to have some criticism apart from a few glitches in the level design here in there I would say that the main problem is that if you want to complete it once by taking notice of its gameplay once and you don'tThe game deserves no less than a 90% score. What it sets out to do for the genre is impeccable and the gameplay is well above average and even the voice acting is amazing. If I were to have some criticism apart from a few glitches in the level design here in there I would say that the main problem is that if you want to complete it once by taking notice of its gameplay once and you don't want to spend WEEKS grinding for it to see the entire story it's lacking in that you will never see the whole story without extreme grinding. Expand
  16. Dec 31, 2020
    9
    Hades
    Believe the hype
    Hades is a rogue like dungeon crawler where you play as Zagreus, the son of hades, youre trying to escape and meet the rest of your family.. as the son of hades this of course means that youre part of a family of gods, and your uncles and aunts will help aid you in your escape, you start with a sword, but as you progress through the game you will gather keys that
    Hades
    Believe the hype
    Hades is a rogue like dungeon crawler where you play as Zagreus, the son of hades, youre trying to escape and meet the rest of your family.. as the son of hades this of course means that youre part of a family of gods, and your uncles and aunts will help aid you in your escape, you start with a sword, but as you progress through the game you will gather keys that you can use to unlockmore weapons… but at first, you take this sword, get as far as you can and then inevitably you die, but that’s okay because everything you collected during your playthrough stays with you, items you can use to upgrade yourself, giving you more chances to die, as well as build new chambers to help give you break after each death… each time you set out you feel stronger, especially if you play on this games god mode which slowly gives you damage resistance each time you die, though either way you play, hades will challenge you, slaying enemies, finding your favorite weapon, taking on tis bosses over and over again, trying a new build each time ensuring no 2 playthroughs feels the same… after clearing a room youre usually given a choice.. go to this room for health, this room for coins, this room for a shop, this room for a new ability from one of the gods to help you escape hades, theres is so much strategy here in hades that just doesn’t come down to your characters current build… I do which however that after you beat a boss enough times, their room stops appearing, but you have to beat every single boss in this game all the way through to beat hades, this is doable as again you feel stronger each time, you are gaining new weapons and leveling them up with your progress, but hades does start to feel a bit stale and tiresome after a while, and I feel this does have to do with grinding through the same bosses over and over, hoping you don’t slip up, seeing the same locations and same enemies, just trying to save up for the next big upgrade… but before hades bores you it will fill you intrigue and enjoy,, with that just one more time feeling..
    This is easily one of the best games of the year.
    I give Hades
    a 9/10
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  17. Jan 20, 2021
    9
    Hoooooly moly, what an addicting game. It's one of those that you know you will fail over and over again, but then it pushes you constantly to become a better Hades player. And then, on top of that, when you reach what you think is the end, the game actually throws more at you! Incredible. Easily one of the better (best?) games of 2020. Why 9 and not a 10? Because there's a little too muchHoooooly moly, what an addicting game. It's one of those that you know you will fail over and over again, but then it pushes you constantly to become a better Hades player. And then, on top of that, when you reach what you think is the end, the game actually throws more at you! Incredible. Easily one of the better (best?) games of 2020. Why 9 and not a 10? Because there's a little too much RNG involved. When you clear a stage you will have several paths to choose (usually no more than 2, sometimes just one). Above every door you'll see what rewards await you in the next room, but you have no real impact on what kind of boons you will get throughout the whole run. This means you can get very lucky and receive all the best boons in one playthrough and considerably weaker boons in the next, which makes for a slightly frustrating gameplay sometimes. Expand
  18. Nov 6, 2020
    9
    What an awesome game. I've only played one other rogue-like (or rogue-lite), The Binding of Isaac. I feel the RPG elements of Hades, the atmosphere, and slow introduction to concepts helped me stick to Hades more than Binding. I am loving the action-focused gameplay and the storyline most of all. The visual style and music take it over the top. I really appreciate how balanced the game isWhat an awesome game. I've only played one other rogue-like (or rogue-lite), The Binding of Isaac. I feel the RPG elements of Hades, the atmosphere, and slow introduction to concepts helped me stick to Hades more than Binding. I am loving the action-focused gameplay and the storyline most of all. The visual style and music take it over the top. I really appreciate how balanced the game is as well, as all weapons can work and the variety of boons make each run feel unique. Beat Hades on my 10th run, surprisingly, though I did watch a lot of Haelian and Jawless Paul's guides to get a better idea of how to play the game. Try this game out when it's on sale! One of the best games I have played. Expand
  19. Jan 3, 2021
    9
    That is my first experience of playing roguelite genre. And i find this game absolutely marvelous by doing what a classical game experience should dose.
  20. Oct 5, 2020
    9
    Hades is one of the most enjoyable rogue-lite's i played in while here's why

    pros: voice acting is just sooooo good i can listen to Zagreus and the other cast talk for hours the hack and slash game play is really good and enjoyable the art style and the world building really makes you feel is if you really are traversing threw hell and trying to get out there is a good
    Hades is one of the most enjoyable rogue-lite's i played in while here's why

    pros:

    voice acting is just sooooo good i can listen to Zagreus and the other cast talk for hours

    the hack and slash game play is really good and enjoyable

    the art style and the world building really makes you feel is if you really are traversing threw hell and trying to get out

    there is a good amount of weapons you cant try on trinkets and skills that you get from the gods and every time you get different skills from different gods which just adds another layer to game play and diversity

    the amount of replay value in this game is crazy while playing the early access version for the first time i spent around 7 hours just because of the amount of fun i had

    the fact that you need to keep playing and keep dying just to know more about the world that you are in just shows how creative this game is and even if you die you don't really get sad about it you just want to keep on going and try to best yourself again and again while listening to some interesting dialog

    cons: the story overall is kinda meh don't get me wrong it is good but i really expected a lot more out of it

    overall as you can see except some minor nit picks with the story i really don't have anything bad to say about this game i really loved it i continue to play it and enjoy it i really recommend this game for rouge like lovers and for new comers alike which brings me to the final score a 9 out of 10
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  21. Aug 12, 2021
    9
    I had honestly never played a rogue-lite or whatever it's called before, but this game was a great introduction to the genre. The animation style is great and the characters are all unique with interesting voice acting and dialogue. The gameplay is enjoyable and even though you repeat a lot of the same areas it stays very fresh and fun. One of the best games of 2020 and hell 2021 so far.
  22. Apr 8, 2021
    9
    Hades does a lot of things exceptionally well. The game's visuals are amazing, the voice acting is some of the best ever, the story is pretty interesting if the pace a bit slow, but what makes it so addictive is the gameplay loop.

    It's amazing how easily I get caught up "doing one more room", thinking "oh, this is a great build" or "Is that Artemis up next?". Even though I should be
    Hades does a lot of things exceptionally well. The game's visuals are amazing, the voice acting is some of the best ever, the story is pretty interesting if the pace a bit slow, but what makes it so addictive is the gameplay loop.

    It's amazing how easily I get caught up "doing one more room", thinking "oh, this is a great build" or "Is that Artemis up next?". Even though I should be bored at this point, going through only 4 levels, having to play about 25 minutes at a time (approximately the time of a run) to get a tiny drip of story, the idea of having a tiny bit of exposition revealed by running into one of the gods is incredibly tempting. "Oh, Artemis is up! I wonder what she'll say this time".

    The countless "sidequests" are so well integrated into the gameplay and story that it's hard to think of them as sidequests. The rewards are also quite good, so the incentives are both materially useful and thematically satisfying. Chatting up Artemis and getting all her boons gets you gems and access to a weapon's secret form? Sign me up for a Zoom call right now.

    Considering how varied the skills can be, it's actually pretty amazing how narrow the gap is between a bad run and a good run. Sure, a 2% increase in critical hit chance from Artemis doesn't seem like much, but add in her skill that shoots out tiny arrows with every attack - also seemingly useless - and the damage can rack up surprisingly fast. Thanks again, Artemis!

    More seriously, I have some minor issues with it. Sometimes I wish I could get more story without going on a full run. I wish I there were an auto-kill to go back to the beginning instead of continuing on a doomed run or just letting myself get killed (which can take a lot of time with a few Death-defiances left). I wish I could run into Artemis more often without using her trinket. But really, that's about it.

    One thing that people don't mention is how quick the game flows. The only loading in the game happens at startup, a few seconds here and that's it. Zero loading otherwise. After playing FF15, Hades feels incredibly refreshing. The gameplay is super tight and responsive and fun. Picking up stuff is easy, fishing doesn't take forever, every interface is extremely efficient. The fact that I can jump in and out almost instantly is very beneficial to keeping the ultimately repetitive nature of the game fun.

    So yeah, Hades is an amazing game. It has a compelling story and characters, an enjoyable and addictive gameplay loop, beautiful visuals, great voice acting, tons of side content that is actually rewarding, and all this executed superbly with no basically no load time. A+

    Now I need an Artemis spin off game.
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  23. Oct 20, 2020
    9
    TL;DR - Was not a fan of rogue likes for a while now, never tried dead cells which is probably the most famous of them all. But got hooked on Darkest Dungeon recently and I started to see the fun, Hades then comes along with a game that feels like it was built for me; Greek Myth that has been my jam since '05' with God of War from PS2 - check, fast pace smooth combat - check, tongue andTL;DR - Was not a fan of rogue likes for a while now, never tried dead cells which is probably the most famous of them all. But got hooked on Darkest Dungeon recently and I started to see the fun, Hades then comes along with a game that feels like it was built for me; Greek Myth that has been my jam since '05' with God of War from PS2 - check, fast pace smooth combat - check, tongue and cheek dialogue writing - check and I can keep going on. If it is not blatantly clear already Hades is an amazing experience provided you have the patience for uber grindy games in general.

    The Good
    Wow so much good here. From art style to sound effects, visual effects to weapon arsenal, dialogue delivery and the God's personalities, there is just so much passion, love and fun poured into this game that it is almost unbelievable.

    I could probably go on for paragraphs stating every little detail that is polished and tight knitted with other mechanics bonded with amazing art style amalgamated with fluid play style.
    So just to keep this short every aspect of this game is made with care and finesse almost coming off as a AAA title for a rogue-like experience. If you are a fan of the genre must play, must buy, must support devs.

    The Bad
    None whatsoever for me personally. Though for a newcomer it may be a little daunting to try and get into the grind and the failure loop, but then this is a comment on the genre itself as roguelikes are notoriously hard by design.

    Hades is quite a combination of Game Mechanics and Greek Lore, extremely satisfying for the lore-lover and the Gamer in me. This is a work of Excellence.
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  24. Jul 9, 2022
    9
    Gameplay : 10
    Story : 8
    Art design : 9
    Musics : 9
  25. Jan 14, 2021
    9
    Overall the game is just great. Combat feels smooth, interactions are fun, characters are well-written. It's a game that you can play for a short while (one run is around 15-30 minutes) and for a whole day. At first you want to unlock everything and makes you want to do 'just one more run'. After tens of hours into the game it might seem a bit repetitive, but there are never two of theOverall the game is just great. Combat feels smooth, interactions are fun, characters are well-written. It's a game that you can play for a short while (one run is around 15-30 minutes) and for a whole day. At first you want to unlock everything and makes you want to do 'just one more run'. After tens of hours into the game it might seem a bit repetitive, but there are never two of the same runs. And I can assure you, the first time you finally make it to the end, it feels SO rewarding. Expand
  26. Aug 30, 2021
    9
    As a Greek person, I am very grateful for this game and I love how it portrays Ancient Greece and Greek Mythology. I don't like the concept of Rogue-Like games, but Hades was very enjoyable from start to finish. The characters are the highlight of the game for sure, every character is very likeable, they all have their own personalities, and they really enhance the story of the game, whichAs a Greek person, I am very grateful for this game and I love how it portrays Ancient Greece and Greek Mythology. I don't like the concept of Rogue-Like games, but Hades was very enjoyable from start to finish. The characters are the highlight of the game for sure, every character is very likeable, they all have their own personalities, and they really enhance the story of the game, which is very simple and all around just good. The gameplay is fantastic, all the power ups and the Boons make it less repetitive, which is a big issue with Rogue-Like games, and I absolutely love how Hades tries to stay away from repetitiveness as much as possible, by adding unique dialogue to almost every encounter, it's crazy how much effort was put into this game. Expand
  27. Aug 25, 2021
    9
    Hades is one of the best games I've played in the past few years. The artists who created the world and it's characters did an amazing job with the presentation. Visually, the game is stunning with it's unique art style that looks somewhat like a cross between a comic-book Diablo with a hint of anime influence.
  28. Jan 21, 2021
    9
    A very fun hack and slash, appearances can be deceiving, I thought it would be a normal game and I bought it to play switch games when I had a dead hour in which I did not have time to play in other titles, but it has turned out to be surprisingly addictive, seriously, this game is pure drug, I ended up catching it for pc by cross saving.

    The game is very simple, and you don't stop
    A very fun hack and slash, appearances can be deceiving, I thought it would be a normal game and I bought it to play switch games when I had a dead hour in which I did not have time to play in other titles, but it has turned out to be surprisingly addictive, seriously, this game is pure drug, I ended up catching it for pc by cross saving.

    The game is very simple, and you don't stop doing the same thing over and over, but nothing repetitive is done, each game is a different build and it feels fresh.

    The surprise of 2020 is constant fun, the hours fly by with this game.

    HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

    _______________________________________________________________________

    Un hack and slash muy divertido, las apariencias engañan, pensé que seria un juego normalito y lo compré para jugar partidas en switch cuando tuviera alguna hora muerta en la que no me de tiempo a ludar en otros títulos, pero ha resultado ser sorprendentemente adictivo, en serio, este juego es droga pura, lo he acabado pillando para pc por el guardado cruzado.

    El juego es muy simple, y no paras de hacer una y otra vez lo mismo, pero no se hace nada repetitivo, cada partida es una build distinta y se siente fresca.

    La sorpresa de 2020, es diversión constante, las horas vuelan con este juego.

    MUY RECOMENDADO
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  29. Jul 31, 2023
    9
    Hades' art style is striking, the gameplay is addicting, and the dialogue you receive after every death makes it less frustrating, but the advancement of certain plots is heavily based on luck and the ending is drawn out and anticlimactic.
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 58 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 58
  3. Negative: 0 out of 58
  1. Apr 15, 2022
    95
    Do you know what I'm going to do after writing this review? Play Hades again - for fun. It's just so damn good. Maybe I'll be able to escape hell, maybe not, but I'll be happy to try again.
  2. Jul 6, 2021
    90
    As with previous titles from Supergiant Games, Hades features stellar artwork and music, masterfully creating a world of Greek mythology. The fast-paced action feels great, and the roguelike elements create a synergy with the game’s story, resulting in a truly addictive experience.
  3. Feb 17, 2021
    100
    Hades is a roguelike action RPG developed and published by Supergiant Games. It set a new bar for roguelike games with amazing visuals, character development, and storyline. Hades does have a few minor issues that plague most roguelikes. But these don’t impact the overall experience of an amazingly great game.