Hades is a newly established indie game in the rogue-like genre that was released last year. It has garnered the interest of the gaming community and after receiving rave reviews and notable awards, it was released in August on platforms other than the Nintendo Switch. What can one expect from Hades?
As the title already suggests, the game is rooted in Greek mythology. The player takes on the role of Zagreus, with the goal of freeing himself from the bonds of his selfish father, Hades. To accomplish his mission, he must pass through four realms, each with its own peculiarities and unique enemies. At the end of each area, a specific boss awaits, depending on the theme of the area, offering rare items.
During this epic journey, Zagreus will encounter the gods of Olympus and various other familiar characters from mythology. Each god will offer abilities corresponding to their own attributes. For example, Zeus will grant powers that cause electric damage, while Hermes will make the character's attacks or movement faster. The other characters from mythology will be encountered as allies, offering their assistance, while others will try to make Zagreus' task more difficult.
The gameplay of the title is distinct. As mentioned before, Hades belongs to the rogue-like genre. This means that every time the character dies, the game starts from the beginning. However, for those who do not want or cannot cope with this difficulty, there is special consideration from the game's creators, called God mode, which provides Zagreus with 20% more protection from all enemy damage. Difficulty should not be a deterrent, as after a certain point, once the player becomes accustomed to the game's mechanics, the experience becomes noticeably easier... for a short period of time. I say this because through the levels the player passes, they collect various items such as gemstones, which upgrade the decoration and unlock special functions that aid the player, darkness, which upgrades Zagreus' characteristics such as life, damage, etc., and keys, which have two functions: unlocking new weapons and revealing new upgrades for the hero. The game consists of three main areas: the main hall, where the player returns each time they die. There, most of the NPCs are also present, from whom we can learn various things about the story and more. The second area is Zagreus' room, where his abilities can be upgraded, as well as where he can receive rewards or be assigned new side quests. Finally, there is the area that includes the weapons, Skelly (a training dummy character), and the unique items that each player can customize to their own playstyle, which are collected by giving nectar (a rare item found throughout the game's levels) to the NPCs. The other rooms are randomly generated, meaning they have random enemies, random layout, random items, and are unique for each attempt. The main framework of Zagreus consists of the light attack, the heavy attack, the cast, the dodge, and the special ability. At this point, the function of the gods comes into play. Each one offers their own unique ability, so the player must learn what each one of them offers in order to create a build that suits them. Another positive aspect is that the game always remains balanced. The character is never overpowered. Each area, due to its design, contains various features that the player can exploit to their advantage, such as traps. The only negative element I found in the game is the fact that in certain areas there are numerous enemies, resulting in the only solution being button mashing. Of course, if you maintain your composure, there is no reason to resort to this method.

Technically, the game performs excellently! The animated graphics are ideal for the style of the game, which, combined with the epic music playing in the background, creates a unique atmosphere and a scent of ancient Greece. The voice-overs are top-notch, but in my opinion, the highlight is the excellent design in terms of the appearance of the gods, as well as the animations of the abilities they offer.

Another thing I appreciated about Hades is the fact that the game does not try to be excessive. There are characters from many parts of mythology that the game treats with full respect and with a fairly high level of historical accuracy, without exaggerating or distorting reality. The duration of the game varies. The first ending can come fairly quickly, but to answer the story's hypothesis, multiple playthroughs and around 20 hours are needed. However, if someone wants to 100% complete the game and also earn the platinum trophy, then much more time is needed. In my opinion, Hades begins after the first playthrough, as that is when the player becomes familiar with the mechanics, new features become available, and the action is triggered, learning new important information about Zagreus' story and past.

In conclusion, Supergiant's effort is a top-notch game of its kind that not only supports but also evolves the genre. It proves that a video game does not need a huge budget or a large number of human resources (only 20 people worked on Hades) to be outstanding. It rightfully won the coveted Hugo award as well as all the great distinctions. It is certainly a challenging game, but through practice, the gap narrows. The amazing atmosphere, unique gameplay, captivating art direction, the theme of Greek mythology, and the abundant hours of wild fun it provides are significant selling points. Hopefully, other companies will follow suit so that we can see video games with (ancient) Greek themes in the future. Invest fearlessly!

P.S. Despite the fact that this version is the standard one, it includes a small artbook with various characters from the game, as well as a digital soundtrack.