Two Sides of One Coin (Hades Review)

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Zagreus standing over the Hydra he slayed in Asphodel which is the cover of the game

Hades is a unique roguelike that has a unique animation and art style. This is a good game for you to play if you like Greek mythology and roguelike dungeon games. While fighting your way to the overworld, you are a prince who resents being who he is and has issues with his father, hence the name of the game.  

Overview

As the son of Hades, who resents being who they are, they make an attempt to escape to the Overworld. This game does not take only one time to escape. It takes many tries to escape to the Underworld and defeat Hades. I first discovered this game from a YouTuber I watched. His name is Jacksepticeye. I was watching him stream a game on Twitch and when I found out what it was, I fell in love with it immediately. That’s when I decided to play the game myself and I fell in love with the game even more.  

The Bosses

There are many bosses in this game. In Tartarus, there are three bosses that will randomize each time you get to the final chamber. These three bosses are the Fury sisters, Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera. They are relatively easy to defeat if you know how to avoid their attacks.  

In Asphodel, the boss is the three-headed bone hydra. There are three different bone hydras that you can encounter that have different attacks. This boss is a little more difficult to defeat but can be easily passable if you know what you’re doing.  

In Elysium, there are two bosses you have to battle at the same time. They are Theseus and Asterius (The Minotaur). Fighting both at full health is extremely difficult and that is why I find meeting Asterius halfway and battling him before the main fight is the best way to approach the start of this boss battle.  

In Styx, there are no boss battles, but if you’re unlucky you will come across the Rat King who is one of the most annoying bosses in the game as his acid attacks deal quite a lot of damage to you.  

The final boss you have to defeat is Hades. He is one of the most difficult bosses in the game. You need to be tactical to defeat him, otherwise, you will take heavy damage and be defeated by Hades.

The Infernal Arms

The first weapon is Stygius or the Stygian Blade. This is the default weapon of the game. I personally like this one the most as it’s close combat. I prefer to strike while dashing as it deals lots of damage. Like every weapon, the Stygian Blade has hidden aspects you can unlock later in the game with Titan Blood. This weapon once belonged to Poseidon.

The second weapon is Vartha or the Eternal Spear. This weapon can be unlocked with 4 Chthonic Keys. I also like this weapon as it’s close range and gives me a chance to dash around and slay the enemies around me quickly. This weapon once belonged to Hades.

The third weapon is Aegis or the Shield of Chaos. This can be unlocked with 3 Chthonic Keys. I like this weapon when in close combat. I love how you can bounce the shield off multiple enemies like you’re a hellish version of Captain America. This weapon once belonged to Athena and Zeus.

The fourth weapon is Coronatch or the Heart-Seeking Bow. This can be unlocked with 1 Chthonic Key. I don’t like this weapon much as it’s long distance range. I often panic when there are too many enemies around me when I have the bow with me. This weapon once belonged to Hera.

The fifth weapon is Malphon or the Twin Fists of Malphon. This can be unlocked with 8 Chthonic Keys. I like this weapon a lot as it really packs a punch. It deals lots of damage in a short amount of time as long as you dodge out of enemies way in time. This weapon once belonged to Demeter.

The sixth weapon is Exagryph or the Adamant Rail. This can be unlocked with 8 Chthonic Keys. I haven’t used this weapon much as I prefer using the other weapons. The reason I hardly use this weapon is because it’s basically a gun and I feel like it throws off the theme of the other weapons. This weapon once belonged to Hestia.

Pros

  • Unique story

  • Controls are easy to learn

  • There is hours of content in the game

  • You get the true ending after escaping 10 times

  • The randomisation of bosses keeps you on your toes

  • The story

  • The unique art style and animation

  • The soundtracks

  • You can defy death 3-4 times

The house of Hades

Cons

Zagreus overlooking Tartarus

  • The game is repetitive at times

  • It can be frustrating to escape at times

  • Bosses like Theseus and Asterius are tedious and difficult opponents

  • Hades is a nightmare to defeat

  • The Rat King is an annoying opponent to defeat as he sprays acid from the pores in his body and the vermin that accompany spray acid and poison out of their pores which can be deadly if you’re not careful

  • Too much of the same enemy can be irritating

As the 2020 Game of The Year, this is a great game with hours of explored content. No matter how many times it takes you to escape there will always be something new to discover.  

Hello! My name is Kaela and I’m 20 years old. I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember. I remember my dad playing video games such as Halo or Mortal Combat IX around the age of 7. To this day I’m still playing video games. I love games ranging from horror, fantasy, RPG, open-world, dystopian, platformer games, and racing games. I hope you enjoy the blogs that are to come.