Hades (PC and Switch)

johnny_ultimate · 30-09-2020 10:38am

Also, my absolutely favourite thing about the game is how Zag

starts giving ludicrous nicknames to the Bone Hydra, to the point where it even changes on the ‘defeated’ screen

Gonzovision · 01-10-2020 9:39am

Completed my first run last night. I think it was attempt 58

with the fists. I still find the gun the hardest to use.

Gonzovision · 01-10-2020 1:00pm

Soundtrack available on Bandcamp It really is fantastic.

Stone Deaf 4evr · 02-10-2020 11:35am

Got my furthest Run last night, hit the

Elysian Fields after defeating the bone hydra

i have to say, the game certainly feels like it has kicked up a notch, as there has been a

dream sequence / story dump

and I seem to be finding a lot more nectar to give as gifts to the people I meet.

Funnily enough, despite initially not liking the shield, I progressed well with it, I think its really down to getting good boons.

Mr.Fantastic · 02-10-2020 12:24pm

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

Got my furthest Run last night, hit the
Elysian Fields after defeating the bone hydra

i have to say, the game certainly feels like it has kicked up a notch, as there has been a
dream sequence / story dump
and I seem to be finding a lot more nectar to give as gifts to the people I meet.

Funnily enough, despite initially not liking the shield, I progressed well with it, I think its really down to getting good boons.

Struggle with the shield its the only one I haven't cleared with yet. Adamant rail and fists for the win.

Dcully · 02-10-2020 2:23pm

Mr.Fantastic wrote: »

Struggle with the shield its the only one I haven't cleared with yet. Adamanat rail and fists for the win.

Shield with Ares Curse of pain [your special inflicts doom] + Ares keepsake is win win.

johnny_ultimate · 02-10-2020 2:34pm

The second shield aspect is also excellent if you unlock it, throws your shield and it just slices through enemies.

pixelburp · 06-10-2020 9:45am

Finally did it and beat the boss; then within about a few more playthroughs beat it 2 more times. Of course that's not the end of the game, not remotely the end of the story. Still haven't found a repeating loop of conversation or dialogue - that's insane. Would love to know how many unique lines of dialogue in this game there are; it must be thousands.

It's arguably a game that may change the perception of roguelike for me; same as how Breath of the Wild reframed Open World sandboxes, the rest seeming more shallow and flippant. Hades isn't ostensibly a very "tall" rogue game, but's it is incredibly "wide": fewer actual levels but way more depth and complexity within those smaller number of worlds. Unlike nearly every other rogueluke I can barely spot the joins.

When I started playing this, I was sure I'd end up hating Zagreus; seemed like a character easily written as a snarky, unlikeable edgelord. But he's the nicest Lead Character of a video-game I've played in years. A snarky git with his dad but he's so polite and friendly with everyone else I can see why the greater internet is crushing on him so much. He's a total gent, while Dusa is sweet, Siphysus himself a gentleman; the greater ensemble makes dying less of a chore and more an opportunity to chat with (for instance) Meg.

On the subject of the roguelike aspect, designer Ed Gorinstein posted a 19 tweet thread about some of the magic that went into the level crafting:

https://twitter.com/EdGorinstein/status/1311777010239193088

Stone Deaf 4evr · 06-10-2020 10:48am

pixelburp wrote: »

Finally did it and beat the boss; then within about a few more playthroughs beat it 2 more times. Of course that's not the end of the game, not remotely the end of the story. Still haven't found a repeating loop of conversation or dialogue - that's insane. Would love to know how many unique lines of dialogue in this game there are; it must be thousands.

It's arguably a game that may change the perception of roguelike for me; same as how Breath of the Wild reframed Open World sandboxes, the rest seeming more shallow and flippant. Hades isn't ostensibly a very "tall" rogue game, but's it is incredibly "wide": fewer actual levels but way more depth and complexity within those smaller number of worlds. Unlike nearly every other rogueluke I can barely spot the joins.

When I started playing this, I was sure I'd end up hating Zagreus; seemed like a character easily written as a snarky, unlikeable edgelord. But he's the nicest Lead Character of a video-game I've played in years. A snarky git with his dad but he's so polite and friendly with everyone else I can see why the greater internet is crushing on him so much. He's a total gent, while Dusa is sweet, Siphysus himself a gentleman; the greater ensemble makes dying less of a chore and more an opportunity to chat with (for instance) Meg.

On the subject of the roguelike aspect, designer Ed Gorinstein posted a 19 tweet thread about some of the magic that went into the level crafting:

https://twitter.com/EdGorinstein/status/1311777010239193088

I Think you've hit the nail on the head there about what makes this such a good roguelike - the loop of a run, dying and restarting, makes perfect sense and is aknowledged by both zag and the ensemble cast he meets, whether its hades giving you a bit of guff, or meg sulking cause you beat her, theres an overarching story playing out, all in service of the loop.
Compared to say, dead cells, you can have a 45 minute run and come out of it with little more than some extra cells to drop into a few unlockables, Hades has a sprinkling of story, or something else to keep you engaged. The more I play it, the more I admire it. I've only gotten past bone hydra once so far, and they're still introducing things to spice up the early stage runs - for example

The last 2 runs, I've faced different furies instead of meg, and now I've gotted offerings of boons from 2 different gods, where choosing one over the other sparks jealousy and a negative outcome

soundtrack is a banger also, which adds to the experience immensely

Stone Deaf 4evr · 07-10-2020 8:28am

Had my furthest run last night, using the shield. got to the

Minotaur

in Elysian, but he made fair bits of me.

My first boss fight now seems to be

Tisiphone

every time, which is a bit of a pain as she seems considerably tougher than Meg.

Dcully · 07-10-2020 9:32am

I would love to se Supergiant expand on this game in the future, it seems to be a massive hit for them and well deserved.

johnny_ultimate · 07-10-2020 10:05am

If they do expand it, I’d hope they do so while working on their next project. Can’t wait to see where they go next - Pyre to me was a bigger narrative success than Hades, so there are certainly more directions for them to explore.

Hades is pretty close to perfect in its current state so would not be at all dissatisfied if there’s not much more added, as nice as it could potentially be to see solid expansions.

pixelburp · 07-10-2020 10:12am

A Switch port of Pyre would be nice for a start

It's a weird posistion SuperGiant are in: clear Hades has been a smash hit (no idea of actual numbers mind), but a lot of its success was down to the years spent in Early Access, massaging every aspect to a mirror finish. It really is the poster child of EA done correctly. Post release expansions might run the risk of diluting or underwhelming that incredibly tight final game we have been playing. Wedging new content into Zag's story might disrupt that existing balance, so for starters any DLC might be better off following another character entirely.

What I'm basically saying is... the expansion should clearly be Dusa Cleaning Simulator :pac:

Mr.Fantastic · 07-10-2020 10:25am

Got the credits, amazing game !

Mr.Fantastic · 07-10-2020 4:56pm

After just beating this spotted this show

https://youtu.be/9JAQh544RHE

Coming to netflix end of the month made my the same guys who did castlevania

It's called blood of Zeus

Regis779 · 08-10-2020 6:37am

Heard only the best reviews about it, too bad I didn't know about the game in the early access. It seems it's great in terms of in-game activities and graphics, but what about the story? Does it have one since it's single-player only?

johnny_ultimate · 08-10-2020 6:53am

Yep, lots and lots of story - well-written, funny, with lots of superb characters. Even hits some surprisingly potent emotional beats. I’d put Pyre above it in terms of stakes and player agency in how the story unfolds, but in Hades - unlike most games - new chunks of story are a genuine reward after a run (win or lose).

pixelburp · 08-10-2020 9:03am

Regis779 wrote: »

Heard only the best reviews about it, too bad I didn't know about the game in the early access. It seems it's great in terms of in-game activities and graphics, but what about the story? Does it have one since it's single-player only?

It has one of the best, if not the best, written stories I've played in a video game. It's characterful; sweet, tragic, funny, and filled with a range of folks you'll find yourself latching onto quick smart.

One reviewer elsewhere online remarked that Hades was a stealth visual novel, and yeah, it kinda is with respect to its characters; with a tight isometric rogue RPG built on top of it.

Stone Deaf 4evr · 30-10-2020 10:13am

Made it to styx last night on run no. 21, but fell foul of the poison rats as I'd gotten quite the hammering from the previous boss. what an absolute cracker of a game. Its all beginning to click with me and I'm starting to see how you can aim towards a certain build type by clever use of the trinkets etc. Have done a few runs focused on gathering darkness & keys, and have only just now noticed from reading the thread, that there's a switch at the side of the mirror to alter the benefits!

the best thing though, is that no run feels like a waste of time, the story is constantly being advanced, and every weapon is so genuinely good, that a run with one of your favorites can easily turn into a mega run, due to an unexpected combination of boons.

pixelburp · 30-10-2020 5:27pm

Styx is the only section I find a little tedious to get through. The combination of small spaces and poison enemies feels a little mean spirited and can sometimes feel more a chore than other levels.

skerry · 30-10-2020 6:39pm

How does it run on Switch folks. 20% off again and tempted to pick it up

pixelburp · 30-10-2020 8:44pm

skerry wrote: »

How does it run on Switch folks. 20% off again and tempted to pick it up

Only ever played in handheld mode but runs perfectly IMO, butter smooth. Might be 60fps but couldn't give you a figure TBH.

skerry · 01-11-2020 3:28pm

Picked this up yesterday and seems really good so far, although I'm not sure what much of the upgrades etc do but have been reading through the thread here for some good tips. Combat is great. Only had three runs so far but got to and beat Magdera on my third run, which was my first run using the bow. Got to next area but only about 20% health left and died on a mini boss. Would be nice if they doors told you what each one meant but I'm sure that will be clear once I get used to them. Looking like 17 quid very well spent so far.

one armed dwarf · 15-01-2021 4:30pm

Late to the party on this, cleared Extreme Measures 4 twice in a row last night (heat 10), the second run was with the Poseidon sword which dislodges the casting diamonds. If you combine that sword with some powerful casts (the sword gives cast +50%) and get the jumping special and artemis' dislodging damage you can basically face roll the game.

I deleted the heroes here, was pretty ridiculous

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAy0s6kxEX4

pixelburp · 15-01-2021 4:47pm

I've sunk dozens & dozens of hours into Hades, and never seen that version of Theseus :eek: This game really puts so many others to shame.

Never have bothered with the diamonds though; never pick up boons for them, while 3 feels kinda too small to be useful; what's the broad strokes on how best to use them?

one armed dwarf · 15-01-2021 4:52pm

I think you need to pursue a build around them, some builds I've had the casts are really only useful as minor support attacks, like the Athena deflect shield one. There's a mirror upgrade which iirc upgrades backstab damage if a diamond is lodged in somebody, but I forget.

To get the most out of casts you really have to stack on the additional boons which give new properties to spells. So for example the poseiden tidal cast by itself is alright to knock people out of the way in a AOE. But you can also get a boon to induce 'rupture', a damage over time status which will affect anyone caught in a tidal move. You can get another boon which causes a big tidal AOE if you knock enemies against barriers, which the poseidon spell is obviously very good at. In Elysium you can use positioning to your advantage and dash between those soldiers and kill a massive group of them by just casting the tidal cast at them three times. Even better if there's a spear trap to knock them into (cast damage + knockback against wall + AOE from knockback + rupture damage + trap damage = goodbye)

There's also boons which do things to make even 3 casts more useful, like the Zeus one which causes any diamonds you havent picked up to basically be lightning rods. Artemis has a boon where any diamond which is dislodged does extra damage. Hermes has an extremely rare one where the cast will automatically go back to Zag when they are dislodged. If you try and fish for at least a couple of these and get a weapon which buffs casts then you can really overpower and trivialise a lot of mechanics.

TL;DR, boons which augment casts and the behaviour of lodged/dropped diamonds are very very useful, moreso than they appear at first glance

sticker · 23-02-2021 9:14am

How do I get the final conversation with Skellies?

I'm at end game but cant seem to trigger his last diagloue.

Thanks

Thargor · 11-05-2021 9:32pm

I ignored this on release but it might actually be the most addictive game Ive ever played, I literally cant stop. So satisfying when your perks all come together and you start slaughtering.

Without too much spoilers, is the shield the best weapon in the game or should I focus on something else? All my best runs seem to happen when upgrades make the shield throw hits multiple targets and leave doom/weak/hungover effects on them, I dont see how any other weapon can compete with that tbh but I only started playing 2 days ago.

Stone Deaf 4evr · 11-05-2021 10:18pm

Thargor wrote: »

I ignored this on release but it might actually be the most addictive game Ive ever played, I literally cant stop. So satisfying when your perks all come together and you start slaughtering.

Without too much spoilers, is the shield the best weapon in the game or should I focus on something else? All my best runs seem to happen when upgrades make the shield throw hits multiple targets and leave doom/weak/hungover effects on them, I dont see how any other weapon can compete with that tbh but I only started playing 2 days ago.

The beauty of the various weapons, is that a throwaway run, can turn out to be an absolute Stormer due to an unexpected combination of boons. I hated the shield initially but grew to love it, same for the bow.

johnny_ultimate · 11-05-2021 10:28pm

It’s almost a cliche to say every weapon is viable.. but every weapon is viable :pac: My favourite weapon shifted multiple times over the course of the game, and I cleared it with all of them at least once. You’re never more than a good hammer upgrade or fortuitous boon combo away from a screen clearer of a build.

Thargor · 14-05-2021 10:25pm

Thargor wrote: »

All my best runs seem to happen when upgrades make the shield throw hits multiple targets and leave doom/weak/hungover effects on them, I dont see how any other weapon can compete with that tbh but I only started playing 2 days ago.

Ha that theory went out the window pretty quick with the rail. Beat the Minotaur and his friend for the first time this evening, then I just kept on going, finished it on my first attempt, well cleared it for the first time anyway.

Basically massively boosted special plus triple mortar then later massively boosted attack with homing rounds then got a boon that meant every single time you damaged anyone with attack or special you would launch a gold homing arrow, I couldnt see the screen most of the time there were so many explosions and golden arrows going off.

Im going back to the bow now though, the rail just feels like cheating.

Penn · 15-05-2021 10:33pm

Seeing reports that Hades has been rated for PS4 in Korea, which means announcement of a PS4 version might be coming soon.

skerry · 16-05-2021 10:28am

Thargor wrote: »

Ha that theory went out the window pretty quick with the rail. Beat the Minotaur and his friend for the first time this evening, then I just kept on going, finished it on my first attempt, well cleared it for the first time anyway.

Basically massively boosted special plus triple mortar then later massively boosted attack with homing rounds then got a boon that meant every single time you damaged anyone with attack or special you would launch a gold homing arrow, I couldnt see the screen most of the time there were so many explosions and golden arrows going off.

Im going back to the bow now though, the rail just feels like cheating.

Picked this up again yesterday after reading a few updates on here. Hadn't played since November. Tried rail for the first time. Was fun but don't think I got great boons going.

I must not be synergising boons to the best effect as I've got to the last level a few times but never felt like I was absolutely wrecking house and sailing through the levels. Same with Dead Cells, I can get quite far and got to final boss several times but pressure gets to me. Still love the genre though even though I'm not the best at them. Slay the Spire is probably my favourite.

Thargor · 18-05-2021 9:45pm

Im clearing it with every weapon then Im going to leave it for Subnautica: BZ. I cant seem to kill him with the spear though, Im rich from all the attempts so Ive maxed out loads of the meta stuff but I just cant do it, what do people focus on on a good spear run?

brady12 · 01-06-2021 2:39pm

Why is it so hard get this in physical form for switch ? Cex don't even stock it , weird ?

J. Marston · 01-06-2021 2:41pm

Blah, when I saw this bumped I was hoping it would be for a Playstation release date.

pixelburp · 01-06-2021 2:55pm

I'd love some DLC for this, but at the same time the game is such a precision piece of engineering, new content might throw off the balance.

one armed dwarf · 01-06-2021 4:21pm

Tbh the final dungeon feels really unfinished to me

Stone Deaf 4evr · 01-06-2021 4:24pm

one armed dwarf wrote: »

Tbh the final dungeon feels really unfinished to me

the last area before you fight daddy?
yeah, my least favourite part - if only because of the poxy poison.

pixelburp · 01-06-2021 4:26pm

one armed dwarf wrote: »

Tbh the final dungeon feels really unfinished to me

I think it has a good idea, but the implementation just feels a little off somehow. Once I got used to the poison attack timings, I actually find it way easier than the previous dungeons. And knowing upfront what rewards are behind each door means I can strategies a bit better; maybe that was deliberate by the devs, who knows.

Sabre0001 · 01-06-2021 5:04pm

The poison is definitely the most frustrating element. The unpredictability as to how many doors you have to take on can really hurt if Tight Deadline is enabled.

skerry · 01-06-2021 5:16pm

I've never finished this. Got to the last area several times and the poison is a head melt. Never got to the final boss though. I find the 2 bosses in the previous area generally wreck my run, their total damage sponges and I never seem to have anything but a hard time with them as my builds must not be up to scratch

Thargor · 01-06-2021 9:35pm

Finished it with every weapon in the game now, think you need to finish it 10 times to get the true ending, Ill do that and then leave it there I think, Ill just watch a recap video of all the secrets and sh1t. What a game though, one of the best.

johnny_ultimate · 01-06-2021 10:41pm

The poison is definitely an annoyance, but immensely satisfying to rank through once the gods align. It does add tension to the last stretch of the game, but definitely doesn’t feel quite as polished as some other parts. That said, I find the exploding chariots perhaps more infuriating!

I must admit the poison gimmick attack in the last stretch of Dead Cells felt much more punishing and cruel, at least when I played the game. It felt unfair in a way I don’t think Hades does.

pixelburp · 02-06-2021 9:06am

That castle section of Dead Cells can go burn in hell; love the game (though haven't played any of the expansions) but the uptick in bull****tery in the final (?) stretch always frustrated and why I often tried to simply cheese my way through runs.

Stone Deaf 4evr · 02-06-2021 9:13am

pixelburp wrote: »

That castle section of Dead Cells can go burn in hell; love the game (though haven't played any of the expansions) but the uptick in bull****tery in the final (?) stretch always frustrated and why I often tried to simply cheese my way through runs.

I only beat dead cells once, I found that the runs simply got too long to be enjoyable, and the worst sections were late in the game. Plus, the absence of the narrative hooks of Hades often made it feel like a botched run was simply a waste of time.

pixelburp · 02-06-2021 9:17am

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

I only beat dead cells once, I found that the runs simply got too long to be enjoyable, and the worst sections were late in the game. Plus, the absence of the narrative hooks of Hades often made it feel like a botched run was simply a waste of time.

Oh, I think I said it here but Hades legitimately "ruined" these kind of roguelikes because it spectacularly put to bed the idea the genre can't weave narratives within the structure. Since then everything else has felt shallower and lacking depth. Dead Cells' moment to moment gameplay might be a little punchier than Hades IMO, but as you said the absence of that deep narrative leaves the overall game feeling hollow and a little pointless when it invariably goes tits up.

Thargor · 03-06-2021 9:55pm

Played a couple of hours of Transistor earlier, its the #1 most recommended game when you look for alternatives to Hades.

Nah, feck that, slow, repetitive enemies, boring unintuitive combat, hated it the minute I started and it didnt improve.

I suppose Ill just keep playing Hades, see if I can figure out how to get companions and finish missions without looking at guides, throw on a few pacts of punishment and star using Erebus gates etc. Wish I hadnt finished it though, I havent been this depressed about finishing a game since Breath of the Wild.

I know its unlikely with Supergiant but I would give anything for a sequel.

friend and foe · 05-06-2021 12:28pm

brady12 wrote: »

Why is it so hard get this in physical form for switch ? Cex don't even stock it , weird ?

not sure where you're based, but GameStop in Tesco Clarehall have it in stock if that helpsðŸ‘

brady12 · 05-06-2021 3:34pm

friend and foe wrote: »

not sure where you're based, but GameStop in Tesco Clarehall have it in stock if that helpsðŸ‘

Thanks . Managed to pick up a copy randomly yesterday in GameStop castlebar !

Hades (PC and Switch)

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