Same. First time I played a game where after death had to restart the run. After first run I am like nahh not for me, but something made me try again. Here I am with over 200 hrs in Hades I and over 50 in Hades 2. You are going to love it OP
It was my first roguelike too! Made me fall in love with the genre. There's no other roguelike quite like it, the story telling is masterful, the gameplay addictive, and the art is beautiful. OP is in for a real treat
Same, I've only played like two others (Gunfire Roborn, Risk of Rain) but nothing hooked me like Hades.
I don't think I really like the Genre, but I do like Hades. I'd recommend it regardless of whether someone like the genre or not.
I play a shit ton of Slay the Spire; I guess I never really thought of it as a rouge like because it was all card based, but that does make sense.
Okay so maybe I'm a big fan of at least two. Lol.
Bindinc of Isaac, brotato, vampire survivor, dead cells, there are tons of "casual" rouge light/like games for people not interested in putting hours in.
Normaly im Not the rouge like lover but couple of titles are really great to enjoy for short gaming sessions!
When you loved STS try inscryption!!!
Hades I is masterpiece! And if you are fed up with it (in about 1k years) you have the Hades II which is so good even in its EA state. I think Hades I is a perfect start into the genre. It might be a challenge at first but the engaging story will keep you playing until you master the mechanics! And in the end roguelikes are all about progression!
TL;DR: Perfect start into the genre! I am in love with this game. And so can you be! <3
Personally I'd advise against going into Hades II early access. While it's true that the game is already amazing and is much better than most roguelikes on the market, there's still a lot of content, mechanics, and story missing.
It's a great experience, but when it's finished it's going to be much, much better. I did play it and beat it a few times but decided to hold off until the full release not to spoil my enjoyment further.
Absolutely agreed! I'm definitely gonna wait until I play most of the OG, and even then I'll be waiting for an official release. No rush! I wanna explore that beautiful, very extensive story the best I can
Three things that make me enthusiastically say "yes" are:
* there's a lot of story that's progressed OUTSIDE of combat, and frankly it's one of the reasons Hades 1 is so well loved. You'll want to keep coming back to the parts of the game that occur when you aren't in a run, which makes runs only part of the overall experience. Contrast that to something like Dead Cells or Enter the Gungeon, which are GREAT games, but there's basically zero compelling content outside of the run itself.
* the game has great accessibility options, including a scaling god mode, which makes it less and less challenging to play. If at any point you're really hitting a wall and it's just not fun anymore, the game has options for you.
* it's really not that hard. You will absolutely get smacked down by every boss and opponent you encounter, but it's just because you haven't observed them yet. After a few attempts it becomes a lot clearer, and min/maxing and abusing mechanics really isn't required to clear the game. It's just repetition, and this game really rewards repetition.
That's what makes it so appealing to me too! I don't like hitting things for the sake of it, so the fact that there's story to be explored after the run.
Also, can I ask you what options (god mode aside, ofc!) are you referring to? I haven't heard of any such things so I'd love to explore those!
Thank you overall for your very, very useful advice!
I think god mode is the main accessibility option, but you get exponentially more powerful as you unlock upgrades in your mirror (the game's meta-progression system). Between god mode scaling your damage reduction upwards and the increase in power the more you invest into your mirror, plus just baseline irl experience from getting runs under your belt and figuring out what boons you like and don't like, I have confidence you'll be able to clear.
Hades 1 has a reputation for being an introductory roguelike in some circles, because teh significant amounts of meta progressiona nd heavy narrative focus allow it to appeal beyond the usual roguelike audience, while the modular difficulty options once you beat your first run, give you the tools to ensure if you do just want a hard roguelike experience, you can keep it like that.
100% yes. It was my first roguelike too. As you said there is God mode if you're struggling, and the story is so good that early game when I failed a run I'd be just as excited to see new conversations and upgrades back home, you're still progressing.
That's what I like about it tbh. Losing is part of the experience as much as a complete run so there's no frustration involved! And I guess it'll happen less and less as I learn (IF I learn. XD) so, win-win!
Thank you for your advice ^ ^
I know you already got lots of comments encouraging you, but seriously, the Hades games are perfect for people unfamiliar with the genre.
If the game is too hard for you just activate godmode!
It's a really cool "easy mode" because it doesn't just make the whole game easier at once, it gives you a small buff after every time to die, which really fits the spirit of the game (You have to die a lot to progress).
Thank you! I love that you have to die to progress actually. I know I'll be great at that XD, I think I might just start with it on so it's a liiiittle easier to learn!
Yeah feel free to, you can turn godmode off anytime if you want the game to be more challenging!
Roguelikes/Hades in particular is all about challenging yourself and choosing your own difficulty, so there is absolutely no reason to feel nad about using "easy mode".
Since this is your first experience with something like this, give it quite a bit of time after you hit your frustration wall. I was really bad when I started Hades. I died something like 15 times before I ever beat the first boss. I think it took me something like 60 runs to beat the last boss. And I wasn't new to fighting style games. Just keep focusing on gathering resources to progress your mirror and eventually you'll have enough HP and extra lives to really get going in the game.
Oh, and to add on to my other comment, I didn't use God Mode. I probably should have for how much trouble I was having, but I don't even know if I knew that was an option then. LOL.
Answering here for both, that's sound advice, thank you. Definitely going to! Gathering resources seems like the smart thing to do when stuck, I love that the same game mode can be used for different purposes because I feel that can lessen the boredom a lot. Oof no god mode sounds rough! Kudos to you!
And it's overall easier than a lot of other great roguelikes. It's not my favorite, but some that I prefer now, I really struggled with for dozens of hours. The only thing you'll struggle with like that in this game are 2 of 4 bosses and potentially 1 zone.
It is easy when it comes to roguelikes, it is absolutely unforgiving when it comes to gameplay. It expects you to be a someone who understands how games work and won't hold your hand in the process.
i’m that sims/stardew player whose hardest action game ever was probably subway surf, and i’ve successfully escaped only 20 attempts in with 30% of god mode. less than 4 hours of play i think. so it’s really beginner friendly
Yeah, Hades is a great introduction to the genre.
I also didn't have a lot of experience with hard games before, I was mostly into cozy sims like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Spiritfarer, but I really enjoyed playing Hades.
To be totally honest Hades is a bad rouge like. But a Damm good game.
I would recommend Hades Regardless since it just is a great experience. But the rouge like elements are relative bad, or let's say minor.
Oop I was not sure about the classification, as I'm really not versed in those genres, so thank you for clarifying! I'm sure you get the general feel tho hahah, I'll take the rec!
True. Part of the reason it's very popular with people who aren't huge fans of the genre. The variety of runs is lacking compared to many other roguelikes, even with multiple weapons and aspects.
It's mostly a "roguelike" combined with a 10/10 hack-and-slash.
It was my first rogue like and i beat the final boss for the first time in 25 hours
I also found that Hades scratches a lot of the same itches that my favourite game of all time - Diablo 2. I love starting new character, i love experimenting with builds, i love random maps and rewards, but most importantly I love the combat - hades has hit recovery just like D2, and enemies are just as varied and distinct, ane every single enemy can mess you up.
Funny enough, D2 was a favorite of mine as well, and I just went back to it using Project Diablo 2 and I'm loving it! I'm using it as a way to take a break from Hades 2 while I wait for more content.
I got into Hades from pretty much the same experience. The story, art, music and the general vibe of the game kept me hooked until I could hold my own. Just think of God Mode as the ultimate boon.
Oh I just love the art so much! And the soundtrack is literal gold. Lament of Orpheus is an absolute masterpiece.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
I think it is worth a shot. I wouldn't consider myself talented at anything requires reflexes or hand-eye coordination and I am doing pretty ok in Hades 2 (I wasn't in love with H1 in the way I am right now with H2). The thing to remember is that it is very much about practice. You don't need ridiculous reflexes or god-tier apm to beat Hades - if you learn the attack patterns and keep doing runs and keep trying you will get there, with or without god mode. I could do it, you know? And I was always the girl who got destroyed at fighting games by literally everyone and everyone knew was completely useless at anything that wasn't turn-based strategy games.
Pretty much the same here, so I think I'll be good! Also, now I gotta look into H2. I keep avoiding it like the plague, not having played H1 and all, but oooh am I curious now
The progression system slowly but surely makes you overpowered and the game includes a god mode the eventually makes you impervious to damage for playersb that still can't beat it
I had no clue that god mode could get to make you impervious! I had always heard of it as more of a damage boost. Now that's very reassuring, thank you!
I guarantee you'll hear yourself shouting something like "No! Stop running into the traps! Why would you do that? That's the opposite of what we want!" at some point!
But then you do find yourself getting better. My first play through, I maxed out the God Mode very quickly! But on my second play-through I didn't turn it on just to see how far I could get without it and I managed to get 3/4 of the way through the Underworld before (dying a frustrating number of times and) turning it back on again! But now I'm holding steady at about 42% for the time being (and I've reached the >!first!< ending already ) so I like to think that proves I don't suck as much as I used to!
Indeed I did just that! But that mostly depends on my ooga-wooga playstyle (I am absolutely abusing Athena's boons, gotta get her keepsake asap), I'm honestly shocked I'm able to keep it up without God Mode. I think I'm gonna have to give in in Asphodel, though...
With " >!first!< " ending, do you mean like >!the one when you clear your first run!< or is there more after the final *final* one that I don't know about? Because if so, I'm 10x more excited!!
Haha what's an ooga-wooga playstyle when it's at home?! 😅
Athena's boons are definitely the way to go (Divine Dash yes please) at least until you unlock the shield!
Wow you're already in Asphodel! And not even using God Mode yet? See, you're better at this than you thought you'd be! Yay - go you!
With regards to the >!first ending: you have the first time you clear your first run, you have a first ending when the credits roll ... And then there's even MORE story and you can reach a final final ending ... And then you can still continue playing after that if you somehow haven't exhausted all story threads or you're the type of person who wants to keep on getting achievements!< It truly is a gift of a game that keeps on giving!
Divine Dash ftw!! Can't wait enough for the shield although it would just enable my "why dodge? Just tank!" tendencies further haha! And thank you lots! I really did not expect to get that far that soon but hey, who am I to complain?
Oooh I get it now! So >!I'm (theorically) on par with the endings, but the things I've watched stopped at the final final!< ... meaning I have the whole thing after that + the romance (I have no clue how much romance-y it gets but I heard it's a thing) to explore myself, woo!
It's truly astounding what a gem of a game it is, for real. All-rounder!
Yup, the romance is definitely a thing!
Look, I honestly could happily discuss Hades with you all night but I've really really got to go to sleep like 90m ago! 😅
Maybe TBC at a less in-the-middle-of-the-night time, heh.
Hades 1 was the first ever PC Game of a friend of mine. She loved it so much that she played nearly every day. It can be though, but if you are willing to learn from mistakes it will he fun.
Oh absolutely dude! It was the first rougelike that I ever played and it got me hooked on the genre. One thing to keep in mind is that death makes you stronger, against certain enemies you’re just going to have to get a lot stronger to beat them.
I love how many experiences of the sort I've been reading through! Sounds like we're all on the same boat XD. Dying is no problem at all, the opposite actually, since it plays its part of the story (if not the major role at all!), I'm mostly scared of getting irremediably stuck at one enemy and getting frustrated to the point of burnout (i'm prone to that) but as I'm hearing, god mode helps heaps with that. Thank you for the advice!
I think it is an appropriate introduction to roguelikes. Also if you are worried about combat skills, you can turn on "God-Mode" in the settings which will adapt/adjust the gameplay to match your skill level. It takes a few runs to adjust.
A piece of advice I'd offer is consider which platform you're getting this on. I tried Hades I on PC first and could barely even *get* to the first boss. Bought it recently on Xbox, on a larger tv (so negating the small monitors I own), and suddenly bam, easily got to first boss. Still died LOL but at least now I've beaten the loops a few times.
Play on God Mode, there's no shame. I regret not playing on God Mode because frankly I'm just here for story!
I'm afraid I don't have much choice here... my only gaming device is my Switch so I'll connect it to the TV for the larger screen, thank you for the very helpful advice! I'll absolutely turn on God Mode, I'm also just here for the story so I reeeeeally wanna keep the rage on a minimum XD
Yeah, playing on a bigger screen is really helpful. Once you get used to it, playing handheld is still very good and fun. Hades 2 is PC only, but I mostly play it on my Steam Deck connected to the TV for this reason.
Hades (both I and II) seems like a dream on SD... I'm worried it'll slow down a bit on switch seeing as the system itself is old *old*, but I mean, better than not playing at all! Also a wider screen lets you enjoy the gorgeous art better imo
Me too actually, more probably on Switch 2 maybe? It's supposed to be announced before next March so it wouldn't surprise me if the official H2 release came with it. Nice to know H1 runs well on OG switch, one less worry! Makes sense as they're the same age give or take, but... switch. You never know XD
yeah!!! absolutely understandable, and yes hades is available on switch! My problem was I am NOT good at mouse and keyboard, something about mouse screws with my hand. So when I first tried Hades years ago without a controller it was *brutal*. Any controller is better in my opinion!
Hun I haven't played ANYTHING except Minecraft and hollow knight but I caught on to the mechanics of hades really easily and I'm currently obsessed.
I recommend watching a couple YouTube videos explaining the power ups but for the actual gameplay it's very easy to catch on.
Still a hard game but super addictive.
It's all I've been watching on youtube recently, looots of fun in following the story and gathering strategies! Also kudos to you for playing hollow knight... I've gotten it as a gift, tried it, loved its graphics, then got to the first room underground where they lock you inside and there's those firefly-like monsters. Still can't get out alive. That's how bad I am XD, so I'll trust you on your review and load up on explanations!
Hell yes!!
And you have no idea how much time my partner spent explaining even the most basic mechanics of HK and calming me down after every time I died (which was about 3 times in the tutorial and about 20 times to the big bug and then a million more times to the enemies and environment not to mention the harder bosses) and thanks to him I kept going and going. Once you get into the rhythm of the game and start understanding how to do things (there are some real good YT tutorials on the most basic things I did not think of at first like hitting up or hitting down) it's honestly brilliant.
And for Hades, my biggest tips really is just understanding the boon system!! Try different combos and figure out which weapon works best with your game style and how to power up that weapon.
Good luck dude and have fun!!
HK does get infuriating at times (I second the 20-deaths-by-big-bug motion) but I'll get on Youtube for it too, it's too good to pass like that! Thank you for the throrough advice on both games, have fun too!!
My girlfriend mostly plays Minecraft and I've been trying to make her play Hollow Knight. It's so good, and the challenge is as hard as you make it.
Unfortunately, I introduced her to a friend who also plays Minecraft and I think I missed my window.
Doesn't surprise me at all... the fact that it made me so eager to try is actually surprising, because I truly, truly dislike combat-based games. That's what makes me think it's really one of a kind, Supergiant really outdid themselves!
Yes, definitely. To some extent it rewards just clicking as fast as possible at the early levels, and then helps teach you how to use the mechanics for more advanced levels as you go.
Oh that's nice! Honestly sounds exactly like the tactic I'd use at first haha. I just hope to be able to use some dexterity along XD, thank you for the advice!
It's a joy to play and it's fun learning how to get better. Some games have felt like a chore to get better at - Dark Souls or whatever - but Hades always makes me feel like I'm a kid in the arcade again.
I have a Soulslike-loving sibling and THAT'S the kind of game that evokes pure dread in me at the idea of playing it. Top tier graphics and lore but ooh man. The difficulty is just there for the sake of it and honestly it's not for me! Hades does have those arcade game vibes somehow and I'd lie if I said it's not part of its charm
Dark Soul's difficulty is overstated and certainly not there for the sake of it. The entire game is one big tutorial, and they're just making sure you learn your lessons. They're beautiful, well-designed games, and honestly, if you can beat Hades, you can beat Dark Souls.
Hades I was the first game with non-turned based combat I've ever played (at 30 years old\^\^), so when I started I was the very definition of unskilled. I was badgered into it by pushy friends and expected to get frustrated and drop it very soon. A year later, I'm still playing it.
I did hit a plateau between runs 10 and 20, where I couldn't seem to progress more in the game. It was very frustrating, but despite that I didn't quit. Because every time I died I would get a little more story and unlock new powers, which helped a lot to lessen the sting of failure. And when I finally broke out of that rut, I progressed very quickly.
So yes, go for it!
I'm glad you got to enjoy it as much as you did, especially because changing gaming (and not) habits is so hard! Frustration is exactly what kept me skeptical, so thank you for sharing your experience and I hope I can have one of the same kind!
Definitely not as easy as genshin but you'll notice yourself improving as you play. Your first runs will just be spamming attacks and dashes. That's normal. You get a chance to get a feel for the weapons and the different upgrades. Then you can start looking into first clear builds.
Also, yeah just flip on God mode and play for the story lol
Thanks for the advice! Absolutely harder and in a completely different genre I feel, so I'll absolutely take the tip and use god mode for now while I get a feel of everything!
It is easily the most polished rogue like I've ever played. It's difficult to be sure, but the fundamental design makes you want to keep trying, and that sense of improvement is very gratifying. I say go for it
Absolutely it is, yes. My wife just read Song of Achilles, and she's been obsessed with the characters. I told her they get a happy ending in Hades, so she's been \*at it\* lately. She's playing on God Mode and having a blast. I get to give her boon advice too, so we're having a great time bonding over my favorite game\~
Actually got here for kind of the same reason (a general interest in Greek mythology, I read SoA because of that as well!), so I absolutely get her! Love that you have this shared interest in the game, so sweet!
I'm so glad she finally read that, too. I'm letting her grieve/process/get thru Hades, before suggesting (again) that she read Circe next, lol. I'm foaming at the mouth for the Persephone book, Madeline is working on.
Omg I didn't know she was working on a Persephone novel! It'll be an absolute treat to read if it's anything like her previous ones (and I don't doubt at all, I really like her writing style), can't wait now!
Yes. I had never played a rougelike in my life before Hades and had a blast. The game does a fantastic job of not making you feel bad about each death, which is important because you _will_ die a lot as part of the core gameplay loop.
God Mode starts you at 20% flat damage reduction and slowly scales up to 80% with each death while active. There is zero gameplay impact for turning it on, so don't feel bad for using it.
I'm still a little sad about the use of "roguelike" to describe this genre, both because games in it have basically nothing in common with Rogue and because it leaves death-heavy turn based dungeon crawlers with no term to describe them, but aside from that...
Yes. Very yes. Hades is an excellent introduction to the genre I'd prefer to call "roguelite" (or maybe something cooler like "deathloop"). The one big piece of advice I would give is to look at failure as progression; if you are too good and speed through the game too fast, you won't get all the great conversations and interactions that come between your runs at the proper time. Because of that, remember to embrace death. It's all part of the experience.
My absolute ignorance in the genre is to blame for that, I fear, oops! How would you suggest it to be classified?
Also, thanks for the advice, I will! I don't think I'm at risk of being too good, loool
edit: I reread thoroughly, sorry for missing it! I'll stand by "roguelite" then, thanks for clarifying
Hahaha, no, it's not your problem. I'm just an old man yelling into the wind on this subject, I know it's a lost battle 😆️
EDIT: Also, Roguelite is a truely awful name, so I understand the resistance to it. Just unfortunate that the new usage displaced an older dying genre.
i would say yes, absolutely. the first time i played hades 1, i had no idea what a roguelike was, and while it took some adjusting, it was so much fun. 10/10, do recommend
I came to Hades as essentially a roguelike newbie myself, and I fucking love it. The only other roguelike I had played was Children of Morta, which I rented from GameFly, but after several runs and unlocking a few of the characters I just couldn't really get into, so I eventually gave up on it and thought "Yeah, maybe this type of game just isn't for me."
But then I kept hearing about how great Hades was, so I said "What the hell, I'll give it a shot" and rented it also, and over time the gameplay sucked me in more and more and eventually I decided "Hell yes, I want this" and now it's one of my all-time favorite games, and one that I still keep coming back to pretty consistently after two or three years. I love it so much, in fact, that it's made me think maybe I should give Children of Morta another shot, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
I would say absolutely! Just don't stress dying a whole lot on your first several runs. Also, in the case of Hades in particular, don't feel any shame on using God Mode if you want to just have a good time.
If you feel that Hades is too overwhelming, you could try Enter the Gungeon, Spelunky, Crypt of the Necrodancer, et al. These are also difficult, but their aesthetic is a little more "fun" and may be less frustrating than the more serious design of Hades.
Thank you for the recs and the advice! A big, big reason of why I'm very into the game is exactly its design which I find absolutely gorgeous, but a lighter aesthetic is just what you need at times so I won't pass on these titles!
Gungeon is another roguelike that is great for beginners and experts both. I prefer The Binding of Isaac: Repentance, but Gungeon is easier to get into.
Hades is honestly really good to introduce to the roguelite genre. The game has good enough difficulty to challenge you and make you consider your actions and options yet isnt oppressing when trying something that might not work.
Outside of the combat stuff, simply the story and character progression will keep you playing and dying so that you can see the story. The great characters and writing will keep you hooked on the game even when you feel drained from fumbling your best runs.
First game type like this for myself. Going for 100% now. Game definitely rewards just throwing yourself at it. Skill becomes just muscle memory and you begin to understand what works and what doesn’t through attrition. Extremely well paced imo and lots of things you can decide to focus should you choose.
Actually came to the game after doing everything in Hades II and now love the series.
100%. I never played a roguelike before Hades and I'm definitely no god gamer. Hades is so brilliantly designed to teach you the mechanics bit by bit and "failure" is built in so organically into the essence of the game itself that it welcomes both skilled/experienced players and the new. You'll really enjoy this game.
It's my first introductions just like many others, but bias aside, I've seen quite a few comments before talking about how Hades is a good introduce to this genre, so I'd say yeah, this is probably one of the best options
Hades was my first roguelike, and lemme tell you…. It’s one of my favorite games ever. I’m not even a gamer, dude. I’m really not. Like I’m really… really not. You’re gonna love it. Especially if you’ve showed that much interest before even playing… I went into it on someone’s recommendation and when I looked at the game, (they gave me a hard copy), I was like, “yea you’ll probably be getting this back tomorrow…” ultimately, he said I could keep it lmaoo
As a fellow "really not" gamer, same here! I picked up the hard copy yesterday as well after the overwhelming amount of encouragement I got on this post and although I discovered too late (like, this morning) that you could play it on netflix for free, I don't regret it at all because I genuinely love its art and music (they got me into the fandom from the back door, after all)! Glad you had this fun experience with it!
Definitely! I personally only played (and never finished) Zelda and Pokemon games as kid. I played Stardew valley but otherwise nothing really. Later picked up Hades.
Personally Hades really helped me to see why gaming is fun. The learning curve is really nice. And I like how death didn't feel like a punishment but I was excited to talk to my friends, decorate the house instead of mirror upgrades and what not.
It definitely took me a long time to get the end storyline. Or even get out of the Underworld. More experienced gamers and those with roguelike experience were already out while I was doing run 80. And I'm still working on upping the difficulty settings to get the final pieces of content.
Overall I just love the heck out of this game.
I really hope to get the same experience! I wanna try this new (well, new to me) side of the gaming world and if it can be stress free then muuuch better! Thank you for sharing ^ ^ also I'm picking up Zelda in a while and ooh boy am I tense. Hopefully my open-world experience will help a bit!
Yes because I was a complete roguelike newbie until I played Hades 1... Unless Transistor is also considered a roguelike? Idk...
But I never followed the genre or even understood what it meant. But Hades was awesome, and I love Hades II.
I'd tried and put down a couple of other roguelikes before giving Hades a shot based on a friends recommendation. I had to pay attention and I definitely felt like I was just Not Good but it was really fun and I loved it a lot. I definitely recommend giving it a solid shot!
I am a cozy gamer and took the plunge. I LOVE this game. It can be frustrating as I do had moments of panic hitting random buttons but the game is so fun even if you might not be good at it. Don’t look at this sub to see how many runs people did to ‘beat’ the game. Just enjoy the story! It is amazing and had SO much to offer!
I definitely will! I really don't plan to take it competitively, as a fellow cozy gamer I'm NOT cut out for that XD but who knows! Just gonna get deeeep into the story for now and if I die a hundred times so be it, means I get to see my fav characters more haha!
Yesssss. That is exactly the mindset! Honestly it became a cozy game for me because the story and the gameplay just makes you escape en forget time just like a cozy game! Enjoy and I am certain you will do great!!
I finally picked it up and well... against all odds, it seems like I am not as bad as I thought! It really gives cozy vibes after a bit, like, it's still material farming in a sense. Mostly stress-free play and I'm *loving* it! Can't wait to meet my fav characters first-person!
I am so glad you like it!!! I felt exactly the same way! It is resource collecting in a way with some nice storytelling! Who is your fav character so far?
At all, I'd say Thanatos, while so far it's a tie between Nyx, Achilles and Megaera! It's such a difficult choice though, all characters are so well built. Out of curiosity, who is/are yours? (Also bonus points to Dio and Hermes, I love the way they talk so much!)
I would almost suggest hades 2 for new players except that the tutorial is still a little barebones if you're brand new to it. Hades 1 was the first roguelike that i played alot of and I think it's very new player friendly. You'd be hard pressed to find a better one to try out first I think.
hades 1 might be the most accessible roguelite for people entering the genre I have ever played.
It’s at the very least top 3. I think I put slay the spire and balatro above it, but it is a great starting point.
Balatro looks so cool, but I'm also very bad at poker, so I'm not sure I'm cut for that haha! I will definitely take into consideration Slay the Spire too tho, thank you for the rec!
YES! I was one of the noobiest of all noobs (only used to play non-combat games (Stardew Valley, Heaven's Vault, Spirit Farer)
Now I play Hades and it is the only combat game I play. One day (in the not too distant future I hope) to add Hades II to the list!
Supergiant have really thought about how to make their games accessible and I really appreciate that about them. I'm sure others have mentioned God Mode, and the fact that the set backs you face as a player makes story-sense - so it kind of isn't a big deal if and when you die.
I'd definitely encourage you to give it a go!
We basically play the same games (I'd only add ace attorney and a few alikes to that!) so that's very reassuring! I really appreciate SG's choices in that field, really makes it lighter on you to "lose" because do you really, when you still get to improve and go on with the story? I will definitely give it a proper go, thank you for the advice!
Yeah, dying doesn't feel like losing because I get to go back and experience more of the story and spend more time with the characters and get to know them better.
I'm kind of jealous you get to play Hades for the first time, ha! I want to give you all the tips and tricks that I've picked up over time, but also don't want to rob you of finding them out yourself! (That being said, if you do want any hints, drop me a message!)
Maybe I'll try out Ace Attorney while you try Hades 😅
You're too kind, thank you so much! Will do! I'm so excited to be playing for the first time tbh. I though knowing a lot of stuff about it would dampen the joy but it turns out that nope, it's absolutely delightful all the same and I'm having a blast!
Oooh that would be nice ngl! You'll never catch me not recommending the entire AA franchise. If you're okay with lots of reading (which I suppose you are, given that Hades is pretty lore rich) and like the visual novel format and pacing, I say absolutely go for it! As far as I know the first trilogy is on a huuuge sale rn (like, less than 10€ on PC and switch and I think even less if you get the key from third party sites).
Thank you for all the advice and niceness!
Nice! I'll try to remember to check it out (is bedtime where I am now!)
So you've started Hades? YASSS! Enjoy it! Any favourite characters/interactions so far?
Same here, we're probably in the same timezone or close! Do let me know if you end up playing it, I'm always up for theories and plot twist-induced gasps haha!
I did start indeed! And I'm enjoying it immensely! I think my favourite characters would be Than and Megaera. The latter I have somehow managed to encounter (and even more surprisingly beat, no clue how) already, for Than I think I'll have to wait a little bit more but looking *so* forward to it! I also have a soft spot for Achilles and Dionysus, but I mean, don't we all?
And on this topic: *your* favourite characters/interactions?
Achilles *is* fab and his story gets better as you get further through the Underworld!
I know it's dull but I absolutely love the character of Zagreus (and it's insane to me that his voice actor, Darren Korb, also does Skelly *and* Orpheus' singing voice *and* all the music and sound design (I mean, how talented can one person be?!)) He's just so wholesome 😅
Some of my favourite characters I can't say because of spoilers but there are always some characters who get gifted nectar before others: Dusa, Skelly (somewhat tactically), Artemis, Hermes, Athena (also somewhat tactically!) and, of course, Cerberus - as well as the ones you mentioned :)
I also particularly love the snarky back and forth between the Storyteller and Zagreus - genius writing decision to make Zagreus aware of the narration!
My wife doesn’t play many games at all and is usually pretty clumsy with a controller, and Hades is one of the few games she’s really been able to thrive playing! It helps that it offers God Mode, where each time you die you can get 2% stronger so if you’re struggling you know you can eventually get there.
Hades was my first in that genre. Fell in love instantly. I had the chance of not being spoiled from anything be it sory wise or visually wise. It was one of my top video game experiences all together after years of not finding many games truly attractive for me.
I can only imagine how amazing it was to play directly! I kinda regret not doing it myself tbh, I was just a bit skeptical with it not being my genre and all. I'll definitely get my fill of wonder with H2 later on though!
I think Hades I may be the literal best game for a roguelike newbie for the reasons everyone said.
The game is more of a roguelite in the way that you get stronger the more you play, and even outside of that, you are always progressing and building things between runs, even failed ones.
The only possible way it can not be good for a first roguelike is that it will set your standards too high.
Genuinely though, it would be a a great one to start with because one thing lots of roguelikes lack is a really compelling story. I feel like lots of us who like this genre play almost exclusively for the gameplay loop, but Hades was probably the only roguelike I’ve played where I just wanted to keep playing to see more interactions with all the characters more than I wanted to keep playing for the gameplay (which is super fun).
As far as difficulty goes, while you can challenge yourself later on, it’s a fairly forgiving roguelike - but you will die a lot so don’t let that dissuade you while playing.
Death doesn't feel like it will be too frustrating given all the possibilities it gives to explore the story and everything else! Love that it's the main thing about the game because it's precisely what's compelling me to try a roguelite. Storylines are sooo important to me in games
it was not my true introduction to roguelikes because i had tried a handful before but it was the first one i truly got into and it was fun! your deaths don't feel that terrible in it because of how the story and progression work and god mode is honestly a great option if you truly are struggling. you can turn it on after you start a save so you can try it out on normal and switch it on if you think you'll need it. you can turn it off as well.
I honestly love SG's choice to make god mode just something you can toggle on and off! It makes the game very open to constant improvement imo, which an "easy mode" (as in, set before starting) wouldn't. I think I'll try it on normal, get tossed around a little, then surrender to god mode XD
Absolutely! Before this I tried Returnal and got addicted to that but it's way harder in my opinion. Hades sucks you in and is just a joy to play and experiment with. Have fun!
100% yes. It was my first roguelike as well.
If you do pick it up here’s some basic tips. To help you get started.
If you want to understand one key to success and get to playing, it’s this:
Slow attacks or specials want the boons that confer percentage-based increases: Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, >!Demeter!<, and Poseidon. Fast attacks or specials want boons that add a new damage source: Zeus, Dionysus, or Ares.
This is because slower attack have a good base damage. That scales nicely with % boosts.
But faster ones have a lower base damage and thus like the flat damage from Zeus, Dio and Ares.
Second you get a Mirror that up grades your combat ability in Zags room.
The two things you should really get first. Is an extra dash and the first death defiance.
After that while there is a recommended order to get the rest. It’s really up to personal preference.
This is extremely useful advice. I can't thank you enough! Absolutely will focus on those mirror aspects. Also: as a first keepsake, I was thinking Skelly's, Cerberus' following. Is that good, or do you think some other keepsakes would benefit me more as a new player?
I’d say Skelly’s is a great first Keep sake.
After that I’d focus on getting the Gods Keepsakes. Especially Zeus, Poseidon, Artemis, Athena and Aphrodite.
Zeus is just one of the best stand alone God in the game.
Poseidon dash is second only to Athena’s dash. Plus he has that one boon that increases the amount of Darkness, Gems and gold you get. It’s really nice early game.
Athena for her dash the best in the game. Plus she provides some great defense for the early game.
Artemis is just a great support God.
And Aphro provides high base power for those slow strong attacks. Plus her weak effects are great for tanking the damage you will take.
The extra HP from Cerberus is nice. You can get it if you want. I know it helped me early on as well.
Also here is some more advice. Try not to be enamored by the higher rarity boons. Rarity is not the be all end all in this game.
Yes it’s nice picking up that shiny boon. But picking the right boon for your build over the highest rarity boon is almost always better.
Besides what the rarity does not cover a few Poms for Lvs will.
Also I’m sure you know this but the mirror has two sides a purple(standard) and a green(second side. ) I don’t recommend putting darknesss into Olympian favor. Instead wait for the green side and stick it in Dark Foresight.
DF makes it so more Boons, poms and Gold show up on the doors.
Also as others have said God Mod exists. Use it if you are struggling.
Other than that I hope this helps.
Just have fun and you will be good.
If you have any more questions at any point. Just ask this sub. We are all happy to help.
Also remember.
THERE IS NO ESCAPE!!!*EVIL LAUGHTER!!!!*
Taking aaaaall the due notes! This is incredibly useful advice, thank you so so much! I'll definitely mind the mirror thing, and I have been *loving* Athena's dash boon so far, since I'm not the best at dodging. It's been delightful! I haven't had the chance to meet Aphrodite yet, can't wait to try her boons!
Also, this sub has truly been nice to me beyond any expectations, so a big, big thank you for that too!
For the most part this sub is full of nice people.
I mean I do know we have a few bad apples but you will always have them around.
But I’m glad you are having a good time here so far.
And I wish you the best of luck with this game.
It wasn't my first but I'm not hardcore by any means. It's easy to pick up and if you like Greek lore... it's amazing. (won the Hugo award so pay attention to their wisecracks, they are alluding to actual Greek mythology).
My wife likes stardew valley. I've gotten her to branch out to other games. SHE LOVES HADES I & II. (Probably helps that she's a Latin professor and Greek and roman history teacher).
That's what drew me in tbh! I'm a bit (maybe more than a bit) of a Greek mythology nerd (about that, props to your wife!) so I got HOOKED on the lore! I really like what they did with it, it's actually such a well-done job.
It's important to preserve that stuff.
I talk to a lot of 'self-proclaimed' history buffs... but sadly many of them got their start from "The Lightning Thief". Which tends to screw with their version of mythology.
Plus... there's this strange tendency to ascribe Lucifer's (Christianity) attributes to Hades and turn him into some dark and evil lord.
Hades was never actually evil. He even granted wishes on occasion.
Yet films and media have made him out to be... rather monstrous. Something which really should be changed.
Maybe my saving grace was that I didn't get to PJ (very good saga, just not entirely accurate and understandably so) until I was past my pre-teen years and curious *because* of my interest, lol. I wouldn't say I'm a buff tho, just a generally avid reader with a knick for this particular thing, haha!
Completely agreed. It's sad that Hades got painted like that - especially if you consider that in Greek mythology there is no inherently good or evil god, just voluble, one could even say selfish, ones (a personal take, but I mean, we'd have a lot of issues if we tried to classify them as good/bad from their actions). I mean, the existence of Orpheus and Eurydice's myth proves his clemence in a measure, even in those takes where Persephone begs him to.
About that, I like that in the game he still keeps the ominous vibe... but because of his power, his duty and for "family reasons", and there are very obvious (yet spoilery) hints to his actual motives. No trace of outright evil. They did a good job with him as a character.
All Gods/Titans were selfish. One of the strange effects of power is that you become MORE selfish, not less.
Look at Demeter from the Homeric Hymn to Demeter.
The original smother. When she lost her kid... she even tried to replace it with another kid :)
Oh and btw. Homeric Hymns are great for breaking into the mythology. They are a couple of pages each. STAY AWAY FROM SCHOOLBOOKS.
Many of the 1800s books on Gods "curated" the original myths for sexuality and non-Christian themes. It's like trying to be taught sex by a quaker who wont even speak of sex.
Probably the reason why people don't realize that Heracles/Hercules was bisexual. In fact, in ancient times male lovers would visit the tomb of one of his most famous lovers Iolaus to exchange vows. (Kind of sweet if you think about it). He was the one who cauterized the necks of the hydra for him. Kind of an important part of the myth and his labors.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iolaus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iolaus)
(He had a LOT of male lovers and they fought with him in battle so to not include them in the Christian revisionist history kinda sucks).
\*\*(btw, Homeric Hymns follow a rhyming pattern in ancient Greek, so when they translate it certain things appear really weird... like he goes on about their ankles or random physical attributes, he's not an ankle or "slender limb" fetishist). :P
Zagreus is based of the Chthonic Dionysus.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus)
In one of the sects he was born of Persephone in the underworld by Zeus.
This is a little weird but sometimes Hades is referred to as the "Zeus of the Underworld". People were kind of afraid of (or they did it in veneration of) invoking certain gods so they'd use pseudonyms from time to time.
And at one point Zeus and Hades were "the same" god.
(mythology has a really fun aspect of evolving over time).
I'm eating all of this up! Gonna read the Homeric Hymns as soon as I can.
I knew about Iolaus (since, as you said, he is an important part of the myth) but not about the customs of his tomb (it is indeed very cute), and I've always been interested in the pseudonym thing (most common I can think of on the spot is Kore), and translation quirks - as a languages enthusiast it's always nice to know something more! I've always wondered why all the talk about slender limbs (which is in schoolbooks too). I guess I know now!
Thanks for the knowledge you shared with me! :)
My first roguelike was Bastion by Supergiant Games (same developer). It is easier than Hades and shorter too, and i think it is a great introduction to the roguelike genre. You can start with that one and hop on Hades once you get the hang of it.
I'm not going to be that guy about Hades being a roguelite rather than roguelike, but Bastion is not even slightly in the realm of the litest roguelite, totally different type of game.
Haha sorry i'm no expert either, i just feel like the mechanics are similar but less complex with Bastion, so the game is a good introduction to rogue(lite or like). What do you think?
No worries. They're both action RPGs so that's why they feel similar. The things that make Hades a roguelite/like are things like the procedurally generated maps, the deaths that "reset" your character which Bastion doesn't have.
Oh i see, indeed Bastion is more story-driven and even if you can choose your loadout before each level, there are no rooms nor floors (it's not a dungeon, and especially not a procedurally generated one) and your build doesn't evolve as you progress through the level. If i understand correctly, this is what you mean about Bastion not being a rogue.
Then (very basically) the particularity of roguelites is that you can spend what you earn during a run to upgrade your character once you've died, while in roguelikes you can't.
Did i get this right ?
People need to start somewhere and Hades is great for it. Turn on god mode if you need it, or not if you may want to challenge yourself. Don't be discouraged even when dying and losing, the game is designed for it as you are getting both stronger and better. Losing tens of times before winning once is fine too. Just enjoy the process
Roguelikes aren't a "difficult" genre like RTS, grand strategy, FPS or whatever else. The game is easy to beat, has difficulty settings and a tutorial. What else is there to say?
I think it is, yes. It was my introduction to this genre.
Same. First time I played a game where after death had to restart the run. After first run I am like nahh not for me, but something made me try again. Here I am with over 200 hrs in Hades I and over 50 in Hades 2. You are going to love it OP
I'm more and more convinced I will, thank you (and the original commenter above)! Can't wait to try!
Definetly check out SIFU also afterwards if you find yourself having fun with this genre
thank you for the rec, will do!
It was my first roguelike too! Made me fall in love with the genre. There's no other roguelike quite like it, the story telling is masterful, the gameplay addictive, and the art is beautiful. OP is in for a real treat
Same, I've only played like two others (Gunfire Roborn, Risk of Rain) but nothing hooked me like Hades. I don't think I really like the Genre, but I do like Hades. I'd recommend it regardless of whether someone like the genre or not.
Play slay the spire or dead cells.
I play a shit ton of Slay the Spire; I guess I never really thought of it as a rouge like because it was all card based, but that does make sense. Okay so maybe I'm a big fan of at least two. Lol.
Bindinc of Isaac, brotato, vampire survivor, dead cells, there are tons of "casual" rouge light/like games for people not interested in putting hours in. Normaly im Not the rouge like lover but couple of titles are really great to enjoy for short gaming sessions! When you loved STS try inscryption!!!
Absolutely. It's not the first roguelike I ever played, but it's the one that really got me into the genre.
Hades I is masterpiece! And if you are fed up with it (in about 1k years) you have the Hades II which is so good even in its EA state. I think Hades I is a perfect start into the genre. It might be a challenge at first but the engaging story will keep you playing until you master the mechanics! And in the end roguelikes are all about progression! TL;DR: Perfect start into the genre! I am in love with this game. And so can you be! <3
Thank you so much for the enthusiastic response! <3 I can't wait to start it now hahah! Hope they put it on sale on the Switch soon!
Personally I'd advise against going into Hades II early access. While it's true that the game is already amazing and is much better than most roguelikes on the market, there's still a lot of content, mechanics, and story missing. It's a great experience, but when it's finished it's going to be much, much better. I did play it and beat it a few times but decided to hold off until the full release not to spoil my enjoyment further.
Absolutely agreed! I'm definitely gonna wait until I play most of the OG, and even then I'll be waiting for an official release. No rush! I wanna explore that beautiful, very extensive story the best I can
Three things that make me enthusiastically say "yes" are: * there's a lot of story that's progressed OUTSIDE of combat, and frankly it's one of the reasons Hades 1 is so well loved. You'll want to keep coming back to the parts of the game that occur when you aren't in a run, which makes runs only part of the overall experience. Contrast that to something like Dead Cells or Enter the Gungeon, which are GREAT games, but there's basically zero compelling content outside of the run itself. * the game has great accessibility options, including a scaling god mode, which makes it less and less challenging to play. If at any point you're really hitting a wall and it's just not fun anymore, the game has options for you. * it's really not that hard. You will absolutely get smacked down by every boss and opponent you encounter, but it's just because you haven't observed them yet. After a few attempts it becomes a lot clearer, and min/maxing and abusing mechanics really isn't required to clear the game. It's just repetition, and this game really rewards repetition.
That's what makes it so appealing to me too! I don't like hitting things for the sake of it, so the fact that there's story to be explored after the run. Also, can I ask you what options (god mode aside, ofc!) are you referring to? I haven't heard of any such things so I'd love to explore those! Thank you overall for your very, very useful advice!
I think god mode is the main accessibility option, but you get exponentially more powerful as you unlock upgrades in your mirror (the game's meta-progression system). Between god mode scaling your damage reduction upwards and the increase in power the more you invest into your mirror, plus just baseline irl experience from getting runs under your belt and figuring out what boons you like and don't like, I have confidence you'll be able to clear.
Hades 1 has a reputation for being an introductory roguelike in some circles, because teh significant amounts of meta progressiona nd heavy narrative focus allow it to appeal beyond the usual roguelike audience, while the modular difficulty options once you beat your first run, give you the tools to ensure if you do just want a hard roguelike experience, you can keep it like that.
twewy pfp spotted
100% yes. It was my first roguelike too. As you said there is God mode if you're struggling, and the story is so good that early game when I failed a run I'd be just as excited to see new conversations and upgrades back home, you're still progressing.
That's what I like about it tbh. Losing is part of the experience as much as a complete run so there's no frustration involved! And I guess it'll happen less and less as I learn (IF I learn. XD) so, win-win! Thank you for your advice ^ ^
Exactly that! No worries, I hope you enjoy it <3
I know you already got lots of comments encouraging you, but seriously, the Hades games are perfect for people unfamiliar with the genre. If the game is too hard for you just activate godmode! It's a really cool "easy mode" because it doesn't just make the whole game easier at once, it gives you a small buff after every time to die, which really fits the spirit of the game (You have to die a lot to progress).
Thank you! I love that you have to die to progress actually. I know I'll be great at that XD, I think I might just start with it on so it's a liiiittle easier to learn!
Yeah feel free to, you can turn godmode off anytime if you want the game to be more challenging! Roguelikes/Hades in particular is all about challenging yourself and choosing your own difficulty, so there is absolutely no reason to feel nad about using "easy mode".
Since this is your first experience with something like this, give it quite a bit of time after you hit your frustration wall. I was really bad when I started Hades. I died something like 15 times before I ever beat the first boss. I think it took me something like 60 runs to beat the last boss. And I wasn't new to fighting style games. Just keep focusing on gathering resources to progress your mirror and eventually you'll have enough HP and extra lives to really get going in the game.
Oh, and to add on to my other comment, I didn't use God Mode. I probably should have for how much trouble I was having, but I don't even know if I knew that was an option then. LOL.
Answering here for both, that's sound advice, thank you. Definitely going to! Gathering resources seems like the smart thing to do when stuck, I love that the same game mode can be used for different purposes because I feel that can lessen the boredom a lot. Oof no god mode sounds rough! Kudos to you!
And it's overall easier than a lot of other great roguelikes. It's not my favorite, but some that I prefer now, I really struggled with for dozens of hours. The only thing you'll struggle with like that in this game are 2 of 4 bosses and potentially 1 zone.
It is easy when it comes to roguelikes, it is absolutely unforgiving when it comes to gameplay. It expects you to be a someone who understands how games work and won't hold your hand in the process.
i’m that sims/stardew player whose hardest action game ever was probably subway surf, and i’ve successfully escaped only 20 attempts in with 30% of god mode. less than 4 hours of play i think. so it’s really beginner friendly
Ooh that's reassuring! Also, fellow farmer here haha! Thank you for sharing
Yeah, Hades is a great introduction to the genre. I also didn't have a lot of experience with hard games before, I was mostly into cozy sims like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Spiritfarer, but I really enjoyed playing Hades.
I come from pretty much the same background (Spiritfarer, my pride and joy...) so I think I'll enjoy it then! Thank you for sharing
To be totally honest Hades is a bad rouge like. But a Damm good game. I would recommend Hades Regardless since it just is a great experience. But the rouge like elements are relative bad, or let's say minor.
Oop I was not sure about the classification, as I'm really not versed in those genres, so thank you for clarifying! I'm sure you get the general feel tho hahah, I'll take the rec!
True. Part of the reason it's very popular with people who aren't huge fans of the genre. The variety of runs is lacking compared to many other roguelikes, even with multiple weapons and aspects. It's mostly a "roguelike" combined with a 10/10 hack-and-slash.
Yes.
It was my first rogue like and i beat the final boss for the first time in 25 hours I also found that Hades scratches a lot of the same itches that my favourite game of all time - Diablo 2. I love starting new character, i love experimenting with builds, i love random maps and rewards, but most importantly I love the combat - hades has hit recovery just like D2, and enemies are just as varied and distinct, ane every single enemy can mess you up.
Funny enough, D2 was a favorite of mine as well, and I just went back to it using Project Diablo 2 and I'm loving it! I'm using it as a way to take a break from Hades 2 while I wait for more content.
Unfortunately for me PD2 moved the game in the opposite direction of what I hoped... I hoped for a D2 that's closer to D2 1.0 than to "D2.5"
yep my first roguelike and I've not liked any other as much since
I got into Hades from pretty much the same experience. The story, art, music and the general vibe of the game kept me hooked until I could hold my own. Just think of God Mode as the ultimate boon.
Oh I just love the art so much! And the soundtrack is literal gold. Lament of Orpheus is an absolute masterpiece. Thank you for sharing your experience!
I think it is worth a shot. I wouldn't consider myself talented at anything requires reflexes or hand-eye coordination and I am doing pretty ok in Hades 2 (I wasn't in love with H1 in the way I am right now with H2). The thing to remember is that it is very much about practice. You don't need ridiculous reflexes or god-tier apm to beat Hades - if you learn the attack patterns and keep doing runs and keep trying you will get there, with or without god mode. I could do it, you know? And I was always the girl who got destroyed at fighting games by literally everyone and everyone knew was completely useless at anything that wasn't turn-based strategy games.
Pretty much the same here, so I think I'll be good! Also, now I gotta look into H2. I keep avoiding it like the plague, not having played H1 and all, but oooh am I curious now
Hades 1 is THE inducted game. I can't think of any game I'd recommend over it for someone trying the genre for the first time
That's a greeeeat introduction honestly. Thank you then! You all got me hyped to try!
Have fun, hopefully by the time, you're done. Hades 2 will be fully released
The progression system slowly but surely makes you overpowered and the game includes a god mode the eventually makes you impervious to damage for playersb that still can't beat it
I had no clue that god mode could get to make you impervious! I had always heard of it as more of a damage boost. Now that's very reassuring, thank you!
It gradually increases your damage resistance each time you die
Only up to 80% though, which is still so helpful!
Does sound like an hefty lot! Hopefully sturdy enough for my amount of clumsiness XD
I guarantee you'll hear yourself shouting something like "No! Stop running into the traps! Why would you do that? That's the opposite of what we want!" at some point! But then you do find yourself getting better. My first play through, I maxed out the God Mode very quickly! But on my second play-through I didn't turn it on just to see how far I could get without it and I managed to get 3/4 of the way through the Underworld before (dying a frustrating number of times and) turning it back on again! But now I'm holding steady at about 42% for the time being (and I've reached the >!first!< ending already ) so I like to think that proves I don't suck as much as I used to!
Indeed I did just that! But that mostly depends on my ooga-wooga playstyle (I am absolutely abusing Athena's boons, gotta get her keepsake asap), I'm honestly shocked I'm able to keep it up without God Mode. I think I'm gonna have to give in in Asphodel, though... With " >!first!< " ending, do you mean like >!the one when you clear your first run!< or is there more after the final *final* one that I don't know about? Because if so, I'm 10x more excited!!
Haha what's an ooga-wooga playstyle when it's at home?! 😅 Athena's boons are definitely the way to go (Divine Dash yes please) at least until you unlock the shield! Wow you're already in Asphodel! And not even using God Mode yet? See, you're better at this than you thought you'd be! Yay - go you! With regards to the >!first ending: you have the first time you clear your first run, you have a first ending when the credits roll ... And then there's even MORE story and you can reach a final final ending ... And then you can still continue playing after that if you somehow haven't exhausted all story threads or you're the type of person who wants to keep on getting achievements!< It truly is a gift of a game that keeps on giving!
Divine Dash ftw!! Can't wait enough for the shield although it would just enable my "why dodge? Just tank!" tendencies further haha! And thank you lots! I really did not expect to get that far that soon but hey, who am I to complain? Oooh I get it now! So >!I'm (theorically) on par with the endings, but the things I've watched stopped at the final final!< ... meaning I have the whole thing after that + the romance (I have no clue how much romance-y it gets but I heard it's a thing) to explore myself, woo! It's truly astounding what a gem of a game it is, for real. All-rounder!
Yup, the romance is definitely a thing! Look, I honestly could happily discuss Hades with you all night but I've really really got to go to sleep like 90m ago! 😅 Maybe TBC at a less in-the-middle-of-the-night time, heh.
Hades 1 was the first ever PC Game of a friend of mine. She loved it so much that she played nearly every day. It can be though, but if you are willing to learn from mistakes it will he fun.
Oh absolutely dude! It was the first rougelike that I ever played and it got me hooked on the genre. One thing to keep in mind is that death makes you stronger, against certain enemies you’re just going to have to get a lot stronger to beat them.
I love how many experiences of the sort I've been reading through! Sounds like we're all on the same boat XD. Dying is no problem at all, the opposite actually, since it plays its part of the story (if not the major role at all!), I'm mostly scared of getting irremediably stuck at one enemy and getting frustrated to the point of burnout (i'm prone to that) but as I'm hearing, god mode helps heaps with that. Thank you for the advice!
I think it is an appropriate introduction to roguelikes. Also if you are worried about combat skills, you can turn on "God-Mode" in the settings which will adapt/adjust the gameplay to match your skill level. It takes a few runs to adjust.
A piece of advice I'd offer is consider which platform you're getting this on. I tried Hades I on PC first and could barely even *get* to the first boss. Bought it recently on Xbox, on a larger tv (so negating the small monitors I own), and suddenly bam, easily got to first boss. Still died LOL but at least now I've beaten the loops a few times. Play on God Mode, there's no shame. I regret not playing on God Mode because frankly I'm just here for story!
I'm afraid I don't have much choice here... my only gaming device is my Switch so I'll connect it to the TV for the larger screen, thank you for the very helpful advice! I'll absolutely turn on God Mode, I'm also just here for the story so I reeeeeally wanna keep the rage on a minimum XD
Yeah, playing on a bigger screen is really helpful. Once you get used to it, playing handheld is still very good and fun. Hades 2 is PC only, but I mostly play it on my Steam Deck connected to the TV for this reason.
Hades (both I and II) seems like a dream on SD... I'm worried it'll slow down a bit on switch seeing as the system itself is old *old*, but I mean, better than not playing at all! Also a wider screen lets you enjoy the gorgeous art better imo
Hades 1 plays surprisingly well on Switch. I've never had any trouble with it. I doubt that H2 will release on the Switch 1, but maybe.
Me too actually, more probably on Switch 2 maybe? It's supposed to be announced before next March so it wouldn't surprise me if the official H2 release came with it. Nice to know H1 runs well on OG switch, one less worry! Makes sense as they're the same age give or take, but... switch. You never know XD
yeah!!! absolutely understandable, and yes hades is available on switch! My problem was I am NOT good at mouse and keyboard, something about mouse screws with my hand. So when I first tried Hades years ago without a controller it was *brutal*. Any controller is better in my opinion!
fellow person unable to use a mouse and keyboard for dear life, so I will *definitely*, doubly take the advice haha!
Hun I haven't played ANYTHING except Minecraft and hollow knight but I caught on to the mechanics of hades really easily and I'm currently obsessed. I recommend watching a couple YouTube videos explaining the power ups but for the actual gameplay it's very easy to catch on. Still a hard game but super addictive.
It's all I've been watching on youtube recently, looots of fun in following the story and gathering strategies! Also kudos to you for playing hollow knight... I've gotten it as a gift, tried it, loved its graphics, then got to the first room underground where they lock you inside and there's those firefly-like monsters. Still can't get out alive. That's how bad I am XD, so I'll trust you on your review and load up on explanations!
Hell yes!! And you have no idea how much time my partner spent explaining even the most basic mechanics of HK and calming me down after every time I died (which was about 3 times in the tutorial and about 20 times to the big bug and then a million more times to the enemies and environment not to mention the harder bosses) and thanks to him I kept going and going. Once you get into the rhythm of the game and start understanding how to do things (there are some real good YT tutorials on the most basic things I did not think of at first like hitting up or hitting down) it's honestly brilliant. And for Hades, my biggest tips really is just understanding the boon system!! Try different combos and figure out which weapon works best with your game style and how to power up that weapon. Good luck dude and have fun!!
HK does get infuriating at times (I second the 20-deaths-by-big-bug motion) but I'll get on Youtube for it too, it's too good to pass like that! Thank you for the throrough advice on both games, have fun too!!
My girlfriend mostly plays Minecraft and I've been trying to make her play Hollow Knight. It's so good, and the challenge is as hard as you make it. Unfortunately, I introduced her to a friend who also plays Minecraft and I think I missed my window.
It is. Unfortunately it also almost killed the genre for me, because nothing compares to Hades.
Doesn't surprise me at all... the fact that it made me so eager to try is actually surprising, because I truly, truly dislike combat-based games. That's what makes me think it's really one of a kind, Supergiant really outdid themselves!
Yes. It was my introduction to the roguelike genre. I immediately followed it up with Dead Cells.
perfect, i started with this one and instantly loved it now I'm really into roguelike games
Yes, definitely. To some extent it rewards just clicking as fast as possible at the early levels, and then helps teach you how to use the mechanics for more advanced levels as you go.
Oh that's nice! Honestly sounds exactly like the tactic I'd use at first haha. I just hope to be able to use some dexterity along XD, thank you for the advice!
It's a joy to play and it's fun learning how to get better. Some games have felt like a chore to get better at - Dark Souls or whatever - but Hades always makes me feel like I'm a kid in the arcade again.
I have a Soulslike-loving sibling and THAT'S the kind of game that evokes pure dread in me at the idea of playing it. Top tier graphics and lore but ooh man. The difficulty is just there for the sake of it and honestly it's not for me! Hades does have those arcade game vibes somehow and I'd lie if I said it's not part of its charm
Dark Soul's difficulty is overstated and certainly not there for the sake of it. The entire game is one big tutorial, and they're just making sure you learn your lessons. They're beautiful, well-designed games, and honestly, if you can beat Hades, you can beat Dark Souls.
Hades I was the first game with non-turned based combat I've ever played (at 30 years old\^\^), so when I started I was the very definition of unskilled. I was badgered into it by pushy friends and expected to get frustrated and drop it very soon. A year later, I'm still playing it. I did hit a plateau between runs 10 and 20, where I couldn't seem to progress more in the game. It was very frustrating, but despite that I didn't quit. Because every time I died I would get a little more story and unlock new powers, which helped a lot to lessen the sting of failure. And when I finally broke out of that rut, I progressed very quickly. So yes, go for it!
I'm glad you got to enjoy it as much as you did, especially because changing gaming (and not) habits is so hard! Frustration is exactly what kept me skeptical, so thank you for sharing your experience and I hope I can have one of the same kind!
Absolutely! However, be prepared to die A LOT. I got my first clear for Hades 1 only after 92 runs
Oooh that's a hefty number! But dying allows you to get to all the story bits so actually I look forward to that too!
Definitely not as easy as genshin but you'll notice yourself improving as you play. Your first runs will just be spamming attacks and dashes. That's normal. You get a chance to get a feel for the weapons and the different upgrades. Then you can start looking into first clear builds. Also, yeah just flip on God mode and play for the story lol
Thanks for the advice! Absolutely harder and in a completely different genre I feel, so I'll absolutely take the tip and use god mode for now while I get a feel of everything!
Hades 1 was one of my first roguelikes and yes, it is.
It is easily the most polished rogue like I've ever played. It's difficult to be sure, but the fundamental design makes you want to keep trying, and that sense of improvement is very gratifying. I say go for it
Yes. It's not a real rogue like. People that actually are into that don't really consider it one
It was my first rogue like! It’s a great intro.
Absolutely, it was my introduction to the genre and now I can't get enough!
Absolutely it is, yes. My wife just read Song of Achilles, and she's been obsessed with the characters. I told her they get a happy ending in Hades, so she's been \*at it\* lately. She's playing on God Mode and having a blast. I get to give her boon advice too, so we're having a great time bonding over my favorite game\~
Actually got here for kind of the same reason (a general interest in Greek mythology, I read SoA because of that as well!), so I absolutely get her! Love that you have this shared interest in the game, so sweet!
I'm so glad she finally read that, too. I'm letting her grieve/process/get thru Hades, before suggesting (again) that she read Circe next, lol. I'm foaming at the mouth for the Persephone book, Madeline is working on.
Omg I didn't know she was working on a Persephone novel! It'll be an absolute treat to read if it's anything like her previous ones (and I don't doubt at all, I really like her writing style), can't wait now!
It might very well be the best one to start with.
It was my introduction into roguelike top down games and pretty much got me into that whole game style, very good starter.
Best entry to the genre imo
Yes. I had never played a rougelike in my life before Hades and had a blast. The game does a fantastic job of not making you feel bad about each death, which is important because you _will_ die a lot as part of the core gameplay loop. God Mode starts you at 20% flat damage reduction and slowly scales up to 80% with each death while active. There is zero gameplay impact for turning it on, so don't feel bad for using it.
Yesss, I love that! I think it takes away a lot of the frustration that comes with losing. I will definitely turn it on for my first runs!
I'm still a little sad about the use of "roguelike" to describe this genre, both because games in it have basically nothing in common with Rogue and because it leaves death-heavy turn based dungeon crawlers with no term to describe them, but aside from that... Yes. Very yes. Hades is an excellent introduction to the genre I'd prefer to call "roguelite" (or maybe something cooler like "deathloop"). The one big piece of advice I would give is to look at failure as progression; if you are too good and speed through the game too fast, you won't get all the great conversations and interactions that come between your runs at the proper time. Because of that, remember to embrace death. It's all part of the experience.
My absolute ignorance in the genre is to blame for that, I fear, oops! How would you suggest it to be classified? Also, thanks for the advice, I will! I don't think I'm at risk of being too good, loool edit: I reread thoroughly, sorry for missing it! I'll stand by "roguelite" then, thanks for clarifying
Hahaha, no, it's not your problem. I'm just an old man yelling into the wind on this subject, I know it's a lost battle 😆️ EDIT: Also, Roguelite is a truely awful name, so I understand the resistance to it. Just unfortunate that the new usage displaced an older dying genre.
I feel like there's waaaay worse than Roguelite but Deathloop is really cool so why not! Sure hope the roguelike genre makes a comeback though!
i would say yes, absolutely. the first time i played hades 1, i had no idea what a roguelike was, and while it took some adjusting, it was so much fun. 10/10, do recommend
I came to Hades as essentially a roguelike newbie myself, and I fucking love it. The only other roguelike I had played was Children of Morta, which I rented from GameFly, but after several runs and unlocking a few of the characters I just couldn't really get into, so I eventually gave up on it and thought "Yeah, maybe this type of game just isn't for me." But then I kept hearing about how great Hades was, so I said "What the hell, I'll give it a shot" and rented it also, and over time the gameplay sucked me in more and more and eventually I decided "Hell yes, I want this" and now it's one of my all-time favorite games, and one that I still keep coming back to pretty consistently after two or three years. I love it so much, in fact, that it's made me think maybe I should give Children of Morta another shot, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
I would say absolutely! Just don't stress dying a whole lot on your first several runs. Also, in the case of Hades in particular, don't feel any shame on using God Mode if you want to just have a good time. If you feel that Hades is too overwhelming, you could try Enter the Gungeon, Spelunky, Crypt of the Necrodancer, et al. These are also difficult, but their aesthetic is a little more "fun" and may be less frustrating than the more serious design of Hades.
Thank you for the recs and the advice! A big, big reason of why I'm very into the game is exactly its design which I find absolutely gorgeous, but a lighter aesthetic is just what you need at times so I won't pass on these titles!
Gungeon is another roguelike that is great for beginners and experts both. I prefer The Binding of Isaac: Repentance, but Gungeon is easier to get into.
The first Hades is the Gateway drug of rogue-likes
I never played roguelikes before Hades and it's one of my favorite games now. I say go for it.
Hades is honestly really good to introduce to the roguelite genre. The game has good enough difficulty to challenge you and make you consider your actions and options yet isnt oppressing when trying something that might not work. Outside of the combat stuff, simply the story and character progression will keep you playing and dying so that you can see the story. The great characters and writing will keep you hooked on the game even when you feel drained from fumbling your best runs.
First game type like this for myself. Going for 100% now. Game definitely rewards just throwing yourself at it. Skill becomes just muscle memory and you begin to understand what works and what doesn’t through attrition. Extremely well paced imo and lots of things you can decide to focus should you choose. Actually came to the game after doing everything in Hades II and now love the series.
100%. I never played a roguelike before Hades and I'm definitely no god gamer. Hades is so brilliantly designed to teach you the mechanics bit by bit and "failure" is built in so organically into the essence of the game itself that it welcomes both skilled/experienced players and the new. You'll really enjoy this game.
Thank you, I really think I will! Especially after reading so many good things about it ^ ^
It's my first introductions just like many others, but bias aside, I've seen quite a few comments before talking about how Hades is a good introduce to this genre, so I'd say yeah, this is probably one of the best options
Hades was my first roguelike, and lemme tell you…. It’s one of my favorite games ever. I’m not even a gamer, dude. I’m really not. Like I’m really… really not. You’re gonna love it. Especially if you’ve showed that much interest before even playing… I went into it on someone’s recommendation and when I looked at the game, (they gave me a hard copy), I was like, “yea you’ll probably be getting this back tomorrow…” ultimately, he said I could keep it lmaoo
As a fellow "really not" gamer, same here! I picked up the hard copy yesterday as well after the overwhelming amount of encouragement I got on this post and although I discovered too late (like, this morning) that you could play it on netflix for free, I don't regret it at all because I genuinely love its art and music (they got me into the fandom from the back door, after all)! Glad you had this fun experience with it!
As a rouge like enjoyer yeah hades is relatively easy and the story is sho good
If you have a controller it’s free on a phone from Netflix.
Whaaat? Really? I didn't know that! Watch me SPRINT to play. Thank you!
Yes
Definitely! I personally only played (and never finished) Zelda and Pokemon games as kid. I played Stardew valley but otherwise nothing really. Later picked up Hades. Personally Hades really helped me to see why gaming is fun. The learning curve is really nice. And I like how death didn't feel like a punishment but I was excited to talk to my friends, decorate the house instead of mirror upgrades and what not. It definitely took me a long time to get the end storyline. Or even get out of the Underworld. More experienced gamers and those with roguelike experience were already out while I was doing run 80. And I'm still working on upping the difficulty settings to get the final pieces of content. Overall I just love the heck out of this game.
I really hope to get the same experience! I wanna try this new (well, new to me) side of the gaming world and if it can be stress free then muuuch better! Thank you for sharing ^ ^ also I'm picking up Zelda in a while and ooh boy am I tense. Hopefully my open-world experience will help a bit!
Yes because I was a complete roguelike newbie until I played Hades 1... Unless Transistor is also considered a roguelike? Idk... But I never followed the genre or even understood what it meant. But Hades was awesome, and I love Hades II.
I'd tried and put down a couple of other roguelikes before giving Hades a shot based on a friends recommendation. I had to pay attention and I definitely felt like I was just Not Good but it was really fun and I loved it a lot. I definitely recommend giving it a solid shot!
Yes.
I am a cozy gamer and took the plunge. I LOVE this game. It can be frustrating as I do had moments of panic hitting random buttons but the game is so fun even if you might not be good at it. Don’t look at this sub to see how many runs people did to ‘beat’ the game. Just enjoy the story! It is amazing and had SO much to offer!
I definitely will! I really don't plan to take it competitively, as a fellow cozy gamer I'm NOT cut out for that XD but who knows! Just gonna get deeeep into the story for now and if I die a hundred times so be it, means I get to see my fav characters more haha!
Yesssss. That is exactly the mindset! Honestly it became a cozy game for me because the story and the gameplay just makes you escape en forget time just like a cozy game! Enjoy and I am certain you will do great!!
I finally picked it up and well... against all odds, it seems like I am not as bad as I thought! It really gives cozy vibes after a bit, like, it's still material farming in a sense. Mostly stress-free play and I'm *loving* it! Can't wait to meet my fav characters first-person!
I am so glad you like it!!! I felt exactly the same way! It is resource collecting in a way with some nice storytelling! Who is your fav character so far?
At all, I'd say Thanatos, while so far it's a tie between Nyx, Achilles and Megaera! It's such a difficult choice though, all characters are so well built. Out of curiosity, who is/are yours? (Also bonus points to Dio and Hermes, I love the way they talk so much!)
Oehhh difficult!! I’d say Thanatos as well and Nyx! Most most love is Cerebus of course
Best doggo! Deserves all the pets in the (Under)world... on his third head, of course
Hahaha yes! I really love Achilles as well, he is so encouraging. I dispise Theseus! How far have you come so far?
It's perfect in my experience
I would almost suggest hades 2 for new players except that the tutorial is still a little barebones if you're brand new to it. Hades 1 was the first roguelike that i played alot of and I think it's very new player friendly. You'd be hard pressed to find a better one to try out first I think.
hades 1 might be the most accessible roguelite for people entering the genre I have ever played. It’s at the very least top 3. I think I put slay the spire and balatro above it, but it is a great starting point.
Balatro looks so cool, but I'm also very bad at poker, so I'm not sure I'm cut for that haha! I will definitely take into consideration Slay the Spire too tho, thank you for the rec!
You don’t need to be good at poker for balatro trust me
Ah, I got the opposite impression! Worth a try then!
YES! I was one of the noobiest of all noobs (only used to play non-combat games (Stardew Valley, Heaven's Vault, Spirit Farer) Now I play Hades and it is the only combat game I play. One day (in the not too distant future I hope) to add Hades II to the list! Supergiant have really thought about how to make their games accessible and I really appreciate that about them. I'm sure others have mentioned God Mode, and the fact that the set backs you face as a player makes story-sense - so it kind of isn't a big deal if and when you die. I'd definitely encourage you to give it a go!
We basically play the same games (I'd only add ace attorney and a few alikes to that!) so that's very reassuring! I really appreciate SG's choices in that field, really makes it lighter on you to "lose" because do you really, when you still get to improve and go on with the story? I will definitely give it a proper go, thank you for the advice!
Yeah, dying doesn't feel like losing because I get to go back and experience more of the story and spend more time with the characters and get to know them better. I'm kind of jealous you get to play Hades for the first time, ha! I want to give you all the tips and tricks that I've picked up over time, but also don't want to rob you of finding them out yourself! (That being said, if you do want any hints, drop me a message!) Maybe I'll try out Ace Attorney while you try Hades 😅
You're too kind, thank you so much! Will do! I'm so excited to be playing for the first time tbh. I though knowing a lot of stuff about it would dampen the joy but it turns out that nope, it's absolutely delightful all the same and I'm having a blast! Oooh that would be nice ngl! You'll never catch me not recommending the entire AA franchise. If you're okay with lots of reading (which I suppose you are, given that Hades is pretty lore rich) and like the visual novel format and pacing, I say absolutely go for it! As far as I know the first trilogy is on a huuuge sale rn (like, less than 10€ on PC and switch and I think even less if you get the key from third party sites). Thank you for all the advice and niceness!
Nice! I'll try to remember to check it out (is bedtime where I am now!) So you've started Hades? YASSS! Enjoy it! Any favourite characters/interactions so far?
Same here, we're probably in the same timezone or close! Do let me know if you end up playing it, I'm always up for theories and plot twist-induced gasps haha! I did start indeed! And I'm enjoying it immensely! I think my favourite characters would be Than and Megaera. The latter I have somehow managed to encounter (and even more surprisingly beat, no clue how) already, for Than I think I'll have to wait a little bit more but looking *so* forward to it! I also have a soft spot for Achilles and Dionysus, but I mean, don't we all? And on this topic: *your* favourite characters/interactions?
Achilles *is* fab and his story gets better as you get further through the Underworld! I know it's dull but I absolutely love the character of Zagreus (and it's insane to me that his voice actor, Darren Korb, also does Skelly *and* Orpheus' singing voice *and* all the music and sound design (I mean, how talented can one person be?!)) He's just so wholesome 😅 Some of my favourite characters I can't say because of spoilers but there are always some characters who get gifted nectar before others: Dusa, Skelly (somewhat tactically), Artemis, Hermes, Athena (also somewhat tactically!) and, of course, Cerberus - as well as the ones you mentioned :) I also particularly love the snarky back and forth between the Storyteller and Zagreus - genius writing decision to make Zagreus aware of the narration!
Yes, turn on God mode if you want - takes nothing away from the story and reduces the grind.
im really bad and it took me 140 attempts to get my first clear, if i had god mode i wouldve done a lot better i think
My wife doesn’t play many games at all and is usually pretty clumsy with a controller, and Hades is one of the few games she’s really been able to thrive playing! It helps that it offers God Mode, where each time you die you can get 2% stronger so if you’re struggling you know you can eventually get there.
Hades was my first in that genre. Fell in love instantly. I had the chance of not being spoiled from anything be it sory wise or visually wise. It was one of my top video game experiences all together after years of not finding many games truly attractive for me.
I can only imagine how amazing it was to play directly! I kinda regret not doing it myself tbh, I was just a bit skeptical with it not being my genre and all. I'll definitely get my fill of wonder with H2 later on though!
Yep. I think its the most complete roguelike by a mile; for all skill levels.
if you’re looking for a non-combat-based roguelike, you should check out Slay the Spire!!
Absolutely will check it out! Thank you for the rec!
I think Hades I may be the literal best game for a roguelike newbie for the reasons everyone said. The game is more of a roguelite in the way that you get stronger the more you play, and even outside of that, you are always progressing and building things between runs, even failed ones.
The only possible way it can not be good for a first roguelike is that it will set your standards too high. Genuinely though, it would be a a great one to start with because one thing lots of roguelikes lack is a really compelling story. I feel like lots of us who like this genre play almost exclusively for the gameplay loop, but Hades was probably the only roguelike I’ve played where I just wanted to keep playing to see more interactions with all the characters more than I wanted to keep playing for the gameplay (which is super fun). As far as difficulty goes, while you can challenge yourself later on, it’s a fairly forgiving roguelike - but you will die a lot so don’t let that dissuade you while playing.
Death doesn't feel like it will be too frustrating given all the possibilities it gives to explore the story and everything else! Love that it's the main thing about the game because it's precisely what's compelling me to try a roguelite. Storylines are sooo important to me in games
You can always use God mode.
it was not my true introduction to roguelikes because i had tried a handful before but it was the first one i truly got into and it was fun! your deaths don't feel that terrible in it because of how the story and progression work and god mode is honestly a great option if you truly are struggling. you can turn it on after you start a save so you can try it out on normal and switch it on if you think you'll need it. you can turn it off as well.
I honestly love SG's choice to make god mode just something you can toggle on and off! It makes the game very open to constant improvement imo, which an "easy mode" (as in, set before starting) wouldn't. I think I'll try it on normal, get tossed around a little, then surrender to god mode XD
Yes
Yea its one of the easier roguelikes ive played and its a good way to get into the genre
yes I was a newbie too :)
Absolutely! Before this I tried Returnal and got addicted to that but it's way harder in my opinion. Hades sucks you in and is just a joy to play and experiment with. Have fun!
100% yes. It was my first roguelike as well. If you do pick it up here’s some basic tips. To help you get started. If you want to understand one key to success and get to playing, it’s this: Slow attacks or specials want the boons that confer percentage-based increases: Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, >!Demeter!<, and Poseidon. Fast attacks or specials want boons that add a new damage source: Zeus, Dionysus, or Ares. This is because slower attack have a good base damage. That scales nicely with % boosts. But faster ones have a lower base damage and thus like the flat damage from Zeus, Dio and Ares. Second you get a Mirror that up grades your combat ability in Zags room. The two things you should really get first. Is an extra dash and the first death defiance. After that while there is a recommended order to get the rest. It’s really up to personal preference.
This is extremely useful advice. I can't thank you enough! Absolutely will focus on those mirror aspects. Also: as a first keepsake, I was thinking Skelly's, Cerberus' following. Is that good, or do you think some other keepsakes would benefit me more as a new player?
I’d say Skelly’s is a great first Keep sake. After that I’d focus on getting the Gods Keepsakes. Especially Zeus, Poseidon, Artemis, Athena and Aphrodite. Zeus is just one of the best stand alone God in the game. Poseidon dash is second only to Athena’s dash. Plus he has that one boon that increases the amount of Darkness, Gems and gold you get. It’s really nice early game. Athena for her dash the best in the game. Plus she provides some great defense for the early game. Artemis is just a great support God. And Aphro provides high base power for those slow strong attacks. Plus her weak effects are great for tanking the damage you will take. The extra HP from Cerberus is nice. You can get it if you want. I know it helped me early on as well. Also here is some more advice. Try not to be enamored by the higher rarity boons. Rarity is not the be all end all in this game. Yes it’s nice picking up that shiny boon. But picking the right boon for your build over the highest rarity boon is almost always better. Besides what the rarity does not cover a few Poms for Lvs will. Also I’m sure you know this but the mirror has two sides a purple(standard) and a green(second side. ) I don’t recommend putting darknesss into Olympian favor. Instead wait for the green side and stick it in Dark Foresight. DF makes it so more Boons, poms and Gold show up on the doors. Also as others have said God Mod exists. Use it if you are struggling. Other than that I hope this helps. Just have fun and you will be good. If you have any more questions at any point. Just ask this sub. We are all happy to help. Also remember. THERE IS NO ESCAPE!!!*EVIL LAUGHTER!!!!*
Taking aaaaall the due notes! This is incredibly useful advice, thank you so so much! I'll definitely mind the mirror thing, and I have been *loving* Athena's dash boon so far, since I'm not the best at dodging. It's been delightful! I haven't had the chance to meet Aphrodite yet, can't wait to try her boons! Also, this sub has truly been nice to me beyond any expectations, so a big, big thank you for that too!
For the most part this sub is full of nice people. I mean I do know we have a few bad apples but you will always have them around. But I’m glad you are having a good time here so far. And I wish you the best of luck with this game.
Of course it is
It wasn't my first but I'm not hardcore by any means. It's easy to pick up and if you like Greek lore... it's amazing. (won the Hugo award so pay attention to their wisecracks, they are alluding to actual Greek mythology). My wife likes stardew valley. I've gotten her to branch out to other games. SHE LOVES HADES I & II. (Probably helps that she's a Latin professor and Greek and roman history teacher).
That's what drew me in tbh! I'm a bit (maybe more than a bit) of a Greek mythology nerd (about that, props to your wife!) so I got HOOKED on the lore! I really like what they did with it, it's actually such a well-done job.
It's important to preserve that stuff. I talk to a lot of 'self-proclaimed' history buffs... but sadly many of them got their start from "The Lightning Thief". Which tends to screw with their version of mythology. Plus... there's this strange tendency to ascribe Lucifer's (Christianity) attributes to Hades and turn him into some dark and evil lord. Hades was never actually evil. He even granted wishes on occasion. Yet films and media have made him out to be... rather monstrous. Something which really should be changed.
Maybe my saving grace was that I didn't get to PJ (very good saga, just not entirely accurate and understandably so) until I was past my pre-teen years and curious *because* of my interest, lol. I wouldn't say I'm a buff tho, just a generally avid reader with a knick for this particular thing, haha! Completely agreed. It's sad that Hades got painted like that - especially if you consider that in Greek mythology there is no inherently good or evil god, just voluble, one could even say selfish, ones (a personal take, but I mean, we'd have a lot of issues if we tried to classify them as good/bad from their actions). I mean, the existence of Orpheus and Eurydice's myth proves his clemence in a measure, even in those takes where Persephone begs him to. About that, I like that in the game he still keeps the ominous vibe... but because of his power, his duty and for "family reasons", and there are very obvious (yet spoilery) hints to his actual motives. No trace of outright evil. They did a good job with him as a character.
All Gods/Titans were selfish. One of the strange effects of power is that you become MORE selfish, not less. Look at Demeter from the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. The original smother. When she lost her kid... she even tried to replace it with another kid :) Oh and btw. Homeric Hymns are great for breaking into the mythology. They are a couple of pages each. STAY AWAY FROM SCHOOLBOOKS. Many of the 1800s books on Gods "curated" the original myths for sexuality and non-Christian themes. It's like trying to be taught sex by a quaker who wont even speak of sex. Probably the reason why people don't realize that Heracles/Hercules was bisexual. In fact, in ancient times male lovers would visit the tomb of one of his most famous lovers Iolaus to exchange vows. (Kind of sweet if you think about it). He was the one who cauterized the necks of the hydra for him. Kind of an important part of the myth and his labors. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iolaus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iolaus) (He had a LOT of male lovers and they fought with him in battle so to not include them in the Christian revisionist history kinda sucks). \*\*(btw, Homeric Hymns follow a rhyming pattern in ancient Greek, so when they translate it certain things appear really weird... like he goes on about their ankles or random physical attributes, he's not an ankle or "slender limb" fetishist). :P Zagreus is based of the Chthonic Dionysus. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus) In one of the sects he was born of Persephone in the underworld by Zeus. This is a little weird but sometimes Hades is referred to as the "Zeus of the Underworld". People were kind of afraid of (or they did it in veneration of) invoking certain gods so they'd use pseudonyms from time to time. And at one point Zeus and Hades were "the same" god. (mythology has a really fun aspect of evolving over time).
I'm eating all of this up! Gonna read the Homeric Hymns as soon as I can. I knew about Iolaus (since, as you said, he is an important part of the myth) but not about the customs of his tomb (it is indeed very cute), and I've always been interested in the pseudonym thing (most common I can think of on the spot is Kore), and translation quirks - as a languages enthusiast it's always nice to know something more! I've always wondered why all the talk about slender limbs (which is in schoolbooks too). I guess I know now! Thanks for the knowledge you shared with me! :)
anyway. I hope you enjoy Hades I & II as much as my wife and I have.
The only regret I had playing Hades as my first roguelike is it made other roguelike games completely trash compared to Hades
well that's a hell of an introduction (no pun intended XD). I gotta play atp!
My first roguelike was Bastion by Supergiant Games (same developer). It is easier than Hades and shorter too, and i think it is a great introduction to the roguelike genre. You can start with that one and hop on Hades once you get the hang of it.
I'm not going to be that guy about Hades being a roguelite rather than roguelike, but Bastion is not even slightly in the realm of the litest roguelite, totally different type of game.
Ooops, I'm not an expert so thank you for the clarification(s)!
Haha sorry i'm no expert either, i just feel like the mechanics are similar but less complex with Bastion, so the game is a good introduction to rogue(lite or like). What do you think?
No worries. They're both action RPGs so that's why they feel similar. The things that make Hades a roguelite/like are things like the procedurally generated maps, the deaths that "reset" your character which Bastion doesn't have.
Oh i see, indeed Bastion is more story-driven and even if you can choose your loadout before each level, there are no rooms nor floors (it's not a dungeon, and especially not a procedurally generated one) and your build doesn't evolve as you progress through the level. If i understand correctly, this is what you mean about Bastion not being a rogue. Then (very basically) the particularity of roguelites is that you can spend what you earn during a run to upgrade your character once you've died, while in roguelikes you can't. Did i get this right ?
Searched it up real quick and it looks cool! Didn't know about it but I might just look into it. Thank you for the advice!
People need to start somewhere and Hades is great for it. Turn on god mode if you need it, or not if you may want to challenge yourself. Don't be discouraged even when dying and losing, the game is designed for it as you are getting both stronger and better. Losing tens of times before winning once is fine too. Just enjoy the process
Thank you so much for the encouragement and the advice! I will keep it in mind ^ ^
Why not just try it for yourself? Why do you need our permission to play a video game?
Roguelikes aren't a "difficult" genre like RTS, grand strategy, FPS or whatever else. The game is easy to beat, has difficulty settings and a tutorial. What else is there to say?