Hades
2020
Audio: English · Subtitles: Japanese, Korean, Chinese, English, Polish, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Portuguese
- role-playing (rpg)
- hack and slash/beat 'em up
- adventure
- indie
- action
- fantasy
- drama
- single player
The story
A rogue-lite hack and slash dungeon crawler in which Zagreus, son of Hades the Greek god of the dead, attempts to escape his home and his oppressive father by fighting the souls of the dead through the various layers of the ever-shifting underworld, while getting to know and forging relationships with its inhabitants.
What it’s like
Painterly, high-contrast art in saturated reds, ember oranges and cold blue-violet shadows, with the underworld rendered as crumbling marble, lava-lit halls and drifting souls that read clearly even in the thick of a fight. The camera hangs at a fixed isometric angle, so each run unspools like a stage set rearranging itself around you. Music is a driving mix of percussive strings, brass and jazzy rhythm that swells with combat and softens to a hush between rooms, a soundtrack that earned its nominations for good reason. Combat is fast and weighty, with dashes, boons and a satisfying crunch on every hit, while the dark, stylish register stays brisk and playful rather than grim. Violence is constant but stylised: bloodless-looking sprays of ichor, no gore, and mythic cartoon cruelty. Its sprawling, talky cast of gods and shades makes the story feel gently rewarding, the kind of game you return to in short, sharp sessions after dinner or late at night. Ideal for players who love punishing roguelikes, big character warmth, and a little myth with their mayhem.
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