[Spoilers for the narrative of Hades are surrounded by brackets]
Well folks, SuperGiant has done it again. Hades was nominated one of 2020’s Best Independent Games, but I’m sure you’ve heard all of the amazing qualities of this game by now. From its revolutionary roguelike play to its captivating story and extremely hot character art, there’s a lot to praise about this game, but I’d like to talk about more than just how Hades revived the roguelike.
I don’t play a lot of video games, so I can’t speak of Hades in comparison to other roguelikes or RPGs. What I do know, however, is books, and what became increasingly obvious to me as I killed Zagreus over and over again was that this beautiful game fit into every major literary genre. Every time Zagreus arose from the blood of the River Styx, we unlocked a new part of his story together, and it’s one that rivals some of the best written novels of our time.
Mystery
The pull of every great mystery novel is its hook, and Hades has a killer concept (get it?). From the start of the game, for those who know their Greek mythology, we’re constantly asking “Where is Persephone?” and after [finding a mysterious note from her stating that Zagreus is her son, not Nyx’s,] the question becomes even more urgent. Though there is no central “crime” in this game as there are in most mystery novels, the incessant urge to continuously die to find out more about Persephone from Nyx and the other denizens of the House of Hades feels oddly similar to trying to piece together who killed the victim in a crime novel. Each run gives you more clues about Zagreus’s real mother and how to find her. As someone who has played Hades for more hours than they’ve worked on their graduate thesis, this game has the same feeling as rapidly devouring a mystery novel to find out who did it. The cherry on top of a great mystery is a satisfying ending, and I promise you that the ending of this game lives up to that.
Romance – both straight and LGBTQIA+
Ah romance…hot shirtless characters, swooning, angst. Romance is a great genre for any reader, and Hades takes all the traditional elements of the genre and multiples them by three. Between all of the dying, with the use of nectars, you can essentially turn Hades into a dating sim. With Jane Austen levels of slow burn, you have to complete runs to unlock more dialogue with your potential soulmates, reminiscent of squeezing the edges of Pride and Prejudice and screaming “get on with it already!” You have three options and the best part is that you don’t even have to pick. Staying true to ancient Greek culture and mythos from which it came, Hades is a game that believes in polyamory and same-sex relationships which makes the romance portion of the game even more steamy. Between Dusa’s sweet personality, Meg’s whip, and Thanatos’s brooding, I found myself rushing through the runs just to see these characters again. And like all romance, even with the minor conflict and tiffs Zagreus gets into with his lover(s), true love prevails in the end.
Horror/Thriller
Okay, so this one is a stretch and it might just be because I don’t play many games, but there are some parts of this game that are genuinely harrowing. The entire concept revolves around Zagreus trying to escape from the pits of hell itself, so some of the monsters you encounter are grotesque. There is a mini-boss that is an amalgamation of partially dissolved souls and crystals. Though none of the characters in Hades are truly wicked, between the terrifying setting, and Zagreus’s bad decision-making, by the time you get to the ending, like in all horror, you come to the realization that the monster is much bigger than the souls of Tartarus trapped forever in the Underworld. Instead, in the end, it’s the heinous lack of familial communication and the God of the Underworld’s terrible mistakes that are the true monsters.
Comedy
Both in the traditional sense and the modern sense, this game is a comedy. Despite its in-depth story and dark concept, this game has a light tone [and ends first in a homecoming and then in a literal feast.] Not to mention that the writing in this game is hilarious. [After you win the initial game and try to return to Persephone’s garden,] the game will tell you different ways Zagreus is sent back to the Underworld, some of which include a goat and stepping on a farming tool. Not to mention that Hypnos seriously asks you if you’ve tried not dying a few times when you’re reborn into the House. With its witty writing and hilarious banner, this game is a riot that would’ve had the groundlings in stitches if it had been made into a play.
Fantasy
Well, this one kind of writes itself. Like any good fantasy book, Hades will whisk you away into the world of Greek mythology like you’ve never experienced it before. Though its world is one that is well known, Hades reinvents the Underworld into a colorful setting and introduces the player to the struggles and stories of the Chthonic gods while featuring tales from the Olympians as well. Though Zagreus’s powers stem from divinity and not magic, one could argue that the boon system and the powers granted by the weapons used to break free of the Underworld establish a pretty solid magic system. Additionally, all fantasy worlds need a rigid political system and the God of the Underworld spends the majority of the game upholding just that—trying to repair infrastructure, accounting for his employees, and counting souls. At the heart of every fantasy novel there is a complex series of characters that have competing interests and Hades is no different with many of Zagreus’s friends and family having conflicting wants and desires, and Zagreus running around trying to help them all while never losing sight of his main quest.
Sci-Fi
Again, like horror, this one is a bit of a stretch, but my main argument for this is Exagryph, the Adamant Rail, which is not only a gun, but Hestia’s gun [that has an aspect that Lucifer wielded at some point.] Though Exagryph is my least favorite weapon in the game, it still is an amazing feeling to be in a clearly classical setting wielding a grenade launcher. There are also other elements of sci-fi including descending into the realm of Chaos, which is definitely some pocket dimension, and teleportation every time Zagreus dies and reappears in the main hall.
Historical/Mythological Fiction
This one is fairly obvious as well as this story from its premise takes place in a fantasy version of the Greek antiquity, but Hades does more than tell a story in a historical/mythological setting. It very clearly explores every part of the history of Zagreus, the God of Blood, including that of the Orphic Dionysus and provides an explanation for why Orpheus’s tale of Dionysus may differ from that of the original Greek cannon. It also does a deep-dive into the story of Chaos, the Greek primordial creator and the history behind the gods defeating the Titans. Each of the Olympians and Chthonic gods also give their own spin on certain events that they are well-known for, such as Demeter on the disappearance of Persephone. Players will even get a chance to find out what happened to certain famous Greek kings and figures of legend after their death, exploring the historical fiction aspect of Hades with even greater depth. Additionally, the game explores more than just ancient Greek history and religion by giving a nod to the history and religions of other ancient cultures as well. These cultures include ancient English, Scottish, Chinese, Mesopotamian, Indian, and general Christian.
Bildungsroman
Finally, more than any other type of genre, Hades is a coming-of-age story. Zagreus, our lazy, antsy, fire-footed prince who has a terrible relationship with his father grows to learn why the adults in his life are the way they are. He learns the trouble between his parents, what it takes to run an empire as vast as the Underworld, and how you can’t always trust your family. His journey is quite literally one that uplifts him out of his old habits and out from under his father’s control. He struggles to break free from the societal norm of staying where he belongs in the Underworld and with his identity [when he realizes that Nyx is not his mother.] After dying over and over again even after his victory and learning about his family and their internal conflicts, there is no argument that could be made about Zagreus’s loss of innocence (there is also a quite literal implied loss of innocence, but we can leave that to the romance section). Throughout his journey, Zagreus’s relationship with his father [and, towards the end, his birth and adoptive mothers] change from that of conflict to understanding and forgiveness.
Aside from his personal journey, Hades also focuses on the consequences of Zagreus’s actions on others. Much like Scout and Jem in To Kill a Mockingbird, throughout his journey, our prince learns that even his good actions have consequences. While on his way out of the Underworld, Zagreus finds ways to help others in his life such as Achilles, Orpheus, and Sisyphus because he feels bad for their plights, but even when he helps, he gets chided by Thanatos about being nosy about the lives of others. This conflict shows players that despite doing a good deed, ultimately, Zagreus’s motives for helping others are selfish. He helps them because he feels bad about their situation, not just to help them because they’re his friends. By the end of the game, this changes however and he learns to ask permission before doing his good deeds and apologies to those whose contracts he interfered with. [The true ending of the game ends with Zagreus and his parents lying to the Olympians about how Persephone ended up in the Underworld, both to protect Hades and Persephone and also Zeus.] Zagreus mentions that he feels bad about this, but learns that sometimes, just like in the story of Odysseus, delicate lies are not inherently bad, especially when it comes to a family as entangled as the Greek gods. It’s moments like this in the game that make Zagreus, God of Blood and Prince of the Underworld, a deeply human figure. There is no doubt about the fact that Zagreus grows throughout this game, and the ending of the game gave me the same warm and fuzzy feeling coupled with a sense of loss that I get when I put down a good coming-of-age novel.
Overall, whether you’re into games or not, I would recommend picking up Hades just for the story. You don’t need to have a 100% completion or the best run time, but the dialogue, the characters, the art, and the sheer analysis potential of the game makes it one of my all-time favorites. Its deep exploration of mythology and the human side of the gods makes it infinitely entertaining. No matter how many times you die, you still get rewarded by seeing our favorite prince emerge from the Styx ready to unlock more of the story for us and kick some ass while he’s at it.
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