After nearly three years of being in development and early access, Supergiant Games finally pushed out the v.1.0 update of their fourth and most recent masterpiece: Hades. The game is based on Greek mythology, placing the player character in the shoes of Zagreus, son of Hades, in his quest to defy his father’s desires and escape from the underworld. The game encapsulates the perfect mix of fast-paced combat, a powerful story full of diverse characters, and gorgeous artwork that gives the entire experience a coat of glossy paint.

What else to begin with other than the gameplay itself? The player controls Zagreus and his journey to escape Hades’s rule through traversing the three levels of the underworld, being the dark pits of Tartarus, the fiery lands of Asphodel, and the luscious fields of Elysium. Zagreus traverses countless chambers one after another, each filled with various rewards, such as gold, gems, keys, or “darkness”, one of the main currencies of the game. Chambers also contain a “boon”, which introduces one of the main aspects of the game: using the gods in your favor. Each boon contains the aid of a different olympian god, giving the player extra abilities like shooting out lightning when attacking foes, creating waves that knock away foes, deflecting incoming projectiles, and dozens of other attributes. It is through this mechanic, as well as a variety of different weapons to choose from and starting from the beginning every time Zagreus dies, the game offers thousands of different combinations and strategies on how to play.

The game pairs its tight and quick gameplay with another important aspect: its visual design. To put it simply, Hades is a beautiful game filled with countless pieces of hand-drawn artwork of characters and locations. It gives the game its own unique style that puts it apart from competitors all while being appealing to the eye. Each and every god, demigod, and citizen of the underworld are set apart from each other in a distinct style. Additionally, the music is phenomenal in terms of setting the atmosphere, making intense moments all the more rigorous and calm areas even more serene.

When piecing together tight combat with a beautiful art style, plus a powerful story and wonderfully orchestrated music, Hades definitely leaves its mark on the gaming industry as a modern wonder. Built from a team as small as 20 people, Supergiant Games once again hit it out of the park with a great game. To learn more about Hades, you can visit their website through this link. If you want to experience the game for yourself, it is available at the Nintendo eShop, Epic Games Store, and Steam.