I’ve bounced off roguelikes before, but Hades clicked immediately. What makes it special is that every failed escape still means something - you talk to Achilles, take on new contracts in the House, push relationships forward. Story progress isn’t gated behind success, which removes the frustration that usually comes with dying in these games.
Supergiant made the grind feel good. Heat levels change up the difficulty, weapon aspects completely change how you play, and boons remix everything. I settled into Twin Fists with Demeter and Artemis boons - crits everywhere. The combat is fast and readable. Dash-strikes, casts, and the God Gauge are all easy to track even when things get chaotic. The fun is finding synergies - Doom shield builds, Dionysus hangover stacks, whatever works. Duo boons are always exciting even after dozens of runs. The Pact of Punishment kept me going after the credits, especially the tight timer that forces you to go full aggro.
Each weapon feels distinct, and the aspects add enough variety that you can play the same weapon completely differently. The mirror upgrades give you meaningful choices without making any build feel wrong.
Every run moves character arcs forward, and the House of Hades feels like home. Checking in with everyone between attempts never gets old. The writing’s funny and sharp, and each god has their own personality that comes through in their dialogue and boon descriptions. The epilogue and court upgrades give you reasons to keep playing long after you’ve seen the credits.
The soundtrack switches between sad strings and heavy battle music, and it all works. The character art is bold and memorable, and the isometric view stays readable even when Elysium gets chaotic.
This game actually made me care about a roguelike. Talking to Nyx after a bad run feels as good as the combat.