Defy the god of death. Fight your way out of the underworld of Greek mythology in this roguelike game from Supergiant Games, the makers of Transistor and Bastion.
Course of the game
You play as Zagreus, son of the titular Hades, who has to deal with all sorts of lost souls on his escape from the underworld. Choose a weapon and you're off. Your screen death is only an inconvenience, as you'll then find yourself back in Hades' palace.
The game world is newly generated with each new start, along with the opponents, as is fitting for a game of this type. The player experience is always different. The game is thereby varied, fast and can be excellently played in short sessions. But it is by no means easy to escape from Hades' realm. If it were, he'd be out of a job.
In the levels, which are divided into rooms, it is necessary to survive waves of attacks. Once all opponents are lying in the dust, it is time to choose an exit. The symbols above the doors show possible rewards that you can earn for yourself in the upcoming rooms. A heart symbolizes the expansion of your life bar. A violet tear stands for the game currency and opens up the possibility for you to improve your weapons and abilities. This is necessary, because you will not only have to deal with simple opponents. At the end of each level, it is necessary to defeat a final opponent before the next level can be entered.
Weapons and Upgrades
Players must decide at the beginning whether they want to go with a sword, shield, bow or spear. On the way you will meet, among others, the symbols of lightning, trident, hammer and heart. They represent the "blessings" of the gods. Blessings are upgrades that support you in your escape. You receive them after a cleaned room and they give new abilities that are oriented towards the respective god. Zeus's lightning bolt adds electricity to your attacks, which jumps to enemies, while Aphrodite's boon weakens enemies and their attacks become less deadly. Blessings only last for the duration of a game.
If you die, they are lost. So you have to adapt your game style with each new attempt, as the type of blessings always varies.
Graphics and Sound
Supergiant Games remains true to its graphics. The unique style that made their previous games so special is also represented here. The characters and backgrounds are depicted in rich colors with attention to detail. The sound is no less. All figures are brought to life by professional speakers and the pointed dialogue does the rest. For example, Hypnos pulls you up with your last screen death, while Achilles reminds you of his fighting lessons. Hades mocks you for your failed escape. Each character has their own personality with their own sense of humor.
You want to dive deeper into the world of Hades? Keyfuchs offers you, in addition to other news, the opportunity to purchase one of the games.
