Hades

In turn, the man sitting at the majestic table is extremely focused. He stares at every petitioner, listens attentively to their stories, and runs his pen across paper. The procedure, full of formalities, is completed by a slap in the press and the strict announcement of the verdict, which no one has yet been able to appeal. This is because the reception is not being led by the soulless bureaucrat from Franz Kafka's novel, but Hades, the lord of the realm of the dead.

“Hades” is a recent work by Supergiant Games, a California-based studio known for “Bastion”, “Transistor” and “Pyre”, each of which not only gained instant cult status, but also reminded us of the importance of indie games. The new Californians' project is isometric roguelike, which focuses on battles. But Supergiant Games wouldn't be what it is if it didn't pay enough attention to storytelling.

The story begins when Zagreus, the young and wayward son of Hades, decides to leave the realm of the dead. He was completely fed up with the halls, which did not receive sunlight and fresh air, and the shadows of dead people scurrying around the corners. According to Zagreus, this is not a great empire that he will someday inherit, but a scorched earth where despondency and routine reign.

However, saying goodbye to the realm of the dead is not so easy. Angry monsters scurry outside several safe chambers who are so tired of idleness that they will willingly break Zagreus's bones and throw him into Styx's waters. But to the delight of the young rake, his powerful relatives from Olympus became interested in him, who are helping in every possible way to leave their father's house.

Although the game is based on ancient Greek mythology, the writers used it quite freely. Familiar deities appear not so much as rulers of destinies as hostages to their own position, who have feelings and regrets. And the most striking of them was Hades. Popular culture, based on ancient myths, has entrenched the image of a cruel and unyielding madman surrounded by an eternally hungry Cerberus.

But only some of it made it to Hades — the three-headed Cerberus is really always hungry, except he's not so angry at all. This is a huge dog who likes to take a nap and always curls around Zagreus. Hades, however, although he maintains strict discipline and does not accept disobedience, bears little resemblance to a villain. This is a thoughtful ruler who shovels papers most of the time and really cares about lifeless subjects.

It is precisely this kind of responsible attitude of his father to work that annoys the young man. He, who has no interest in administrative routine and, frankly, is unable to cope with it, sees Hades only as a boring and always grumbling bureaucrat. Zagreus himself is eager for adventure or, at worst, a little variety.

Supergiant Games do not just contrast an indifferent father to a curious son to motivate him to act, but have a full conversation about the relationship between “fathers and children”. In their interpretation, each of the characters is right in their own way. Hades, who was entrusted with ruling the realm of the dead against his will, as befits an adult, takes the bullet and takes a responsible approach to work. And Zagreus will bravely defy established rules, which is causing frightening but necessary changes.

Most games in the genre roguelike they are built on the same principle: the player unsuccessfully tries to overcome a series of randomly generated levels and learns from his numerous mistakes. He also gains different sets of abilities during each “race”, so the gameplay doesn't get boring until the final boss falls. After this victory, either new variables are introduced or the game runs out of itself.

This structure has a significant drawback — the need for a large amount of content and a balanced balance. There are often problems with the latter: some weapons are too weak or inconvenient to use, and some skills are completely useless. Because of this, a certain percentage of “races” are a waste of time. As a result, we have to wait for the game to create the perfect conditions for victory.

So “Hades” doesn't have this problem. Supergiant Games has selected introductory tools that use even the least successful abilities. Moreover, during the “races”, you can actively change them and adapt to the situation. This flexibility is achieved due to the fact that new skills are acquired literally every couple of minutes, and those that are an eyesore can be sold profitably.

The game stands out for its mobile system, which has no obvious weaknesses, and its variety is truly amazing. In addition to the fact that Zagreus has several types of weapons that differ significantly from each other, the acquired abilities make it even more unique. And this forces us to change the style of play, and sometimes radically: it will take at least a couple of dozen hours to master each one.

In fact, the main plot of “Hades” is not so complex and versatile. By and large, it comes down to the fact that the main character is unsuccessfully trying to leave the familiar world, and until the very end, his goal hardly changes form. The key context that gives meaning to what is happening lies in the optional communication with secondary characters. This is both the main advantage and the main drawback of the game.

Supergiant Games has created the perfect gameplay loop that's almost impossible to get boring. It begins with Zagreus exploring the safe part of the realm of the dead and preparing for another escape: he talks to the local gods and once great people, spends previously obtained resources on developing permanent skills, and only then jumps into battle.

During the “races” themselves, Zagreus constantly chooses between different abilities, shops with Charon and periodically goes fishing. The player finds himself in a whirlpool of fleeting events, the essence of which is radically different. This not only keeps you in good shape, but also creates the illusion of diversity, thanks to which the gameplay is not boring.

Moreover, even if you successfully escape from annoying Hades, the gameplay loop takes no more than 40 minutes, and battles take no more than half of this time. Although the narrative in “Hades” plays an important role, its presentation is not so obvious. The catch is that you can only talk to a character once per gameplay loop. On the one hand, this is a good reason to return to the game, on the other hand, it does not allow you to fully enjoy the story.

Even after fifty conversations, you won't be able to fully know the fate of some characters, and this is one of the gems of “Hades“. Her dark world is full of tragic events and controversial topics. At the same time, the main motive is stubbornness and inertia, which pull you back, either into the sticky darkness or into the stinking waters of Styx. As the story progresses, Supergiant Games constantly returns to this problem and uses different characters and situations to delve into its essence.

One of the distinctive features of all Supergiant Games projects is Darren Korb's original visual style and music. This time, the developers have created a very rich picture in which lava caves, green meadows and majestic architecture harmoniously coexist. Despite the abundance of bright colors, what is happening is easy to read even in the thick of the battle, and the atmosphere remains dark.

In turn, Darren Korb wrote not only a colorful but also a versatile soundtrack. While assertive music is played during battles that wouldn't embarrass the recent parts of “DOOM“ either, the quiet episodes are adorned with melancholic overflows. This world of the dead, in which spawns were hopeless, is beautiful and charming, but full of longing and heady despair.