3/1/2024 0 Comments Video game hades![]() Greg Kasavin, writer and designer at Supergiant Games, described Hades as "infinitely replayable" in an interview with the Washington Post. Playing 'Hades' on the cusp of a bleak winter - infection rates rising, lockdowns tightening, daylight dwindling - exacerbated my own dawning sense of feeling hemmed in, perhaps even of dread. But then, as per its roguelike heritage, the game kept going, even after such questions had been posed and arguably resolved it became apparent that the game's structural loop wasn't just tragic for its perpetually hopeful protagonist I was beginning to feel its stifling effects, too. ![]() These are deep, universal themes that, pandemic or not, Hades masterfully conveys. Through failed escape attempts, I reflected on our uncanny ability to persist, perhaps foolishly, in the face of adversity, and tasted life's cruel ability to snatch away whatever progress we make. I learnt of how colossally messed-up this Olympian family really is, and the all-too-relatable desire of Zagreus to escape their claustrophobic chatter. Through intense repetitive play, I began to uncover the deeper meaning within this irresistibly well-crafted game. As a result, my first few breakneck hours with the game were a salacious and violent frenzy I was playing on the portable Nintendo Switch, so the game accompanied me as I paced from room to room Hades quickly attached itself to my daily routine. Hades has a striking, blood-spattered look.Ĭrucially, each death is met with a minor reward, not in terms of progress but in resources which can be used to purchase upgrades - or, more tantalisingly, nuggets of court gossip revealed through conversations with immortals. In the 40 years since, roguelikes built on this legacy, from 1987's NetHack to 2008's Spelunky have leant into the punishing, often sado-masochistic quality of the original. At the end of each run, the game would transport your avatar back to the beginning, only to let you attempt the journey again in a dungeon newly cooked-up by the game's code. There was no save feature, so death - which could arrive swiftly and surprisingly - ensured any progress was mercilessly discarded (a design trope called permadeath). These were all characteristic of Rogue, the genre progenitor which arrived in 1980 and tasked players with escaping a lo-fi, randomly generated dungeon. ![]() What's more surprising about Hades, outside of the eerie timing, is how it has achieved crossover appeal as a roguelike, a video game genre notable for its difficulty, obscure rules, and relentless repetition. (As if it even needs stating, this is likely another reason why the game has such resonance.) Throughout the course of his romp through subterranean landmarks such as the river Styx and fields of Elysium, Zagreus gets to know a cast of mythological characters imbued with a Caligula-like erotic energy. The titular Hades, his angry dad, would rather this didn't happen, and so martials a cohort of undead forces and famed deities to stop him. You play as the debonair Zagreus, prince of the Greek underworld who longs to experience sunlight for the first time and make contact with his estranged, mortal mother. In the month since its release, Hades, developed by Supergiant Games, has found monstrous success, partly because of these real-world parallels, but mostly because it is an exceptionally well-made video game. Join The Game The Sweet Escape Of 'Sayonara Wild Hearts,' Where Pop Music Is Recovery
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