Supergiant Game’s Hades launched in 2020 on the Nintendo Switch and PC as one of the year’s biggest indie hits, receiving widespread critical acclaim. The beloved roguelike has finally made its to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4 and PS5 today. Oh, and Xbox Game Pass too.
If you somehow missed it last year you can grab it now on the Microsoft Store for £20.99 or the PlayStation Store for 19.99. Otherwise, it’s still available on the Nintendo eShop for £22.49. Hades is also available with an Xbox Game Pass subscription at no extra cost.
You play as Zagreus, son of Hades, bored of the underworld and eager to get out. You’ll fight through floor after floor filled with hell’s monstrosities in fast-paced, top-down action. A wide range of legendary weapons all made available – all taken from Greek mythology – including Zeus’ shield, Poseidon’s blade and Hera’s bow, each with their own secondary attacks.
Every time you ascend through a floor an upgrade becomes available, either in the form of gold, extra health, or most excitingly, a gift from the Gods of Olympus. Almost the entire Greek pantheon are willing to help out their distant, distant relative. Their abilities are what give Hades so much replayability.
There are abilities only tied to specific weapons or that are more prolific with certain weapons. There are some abilities that fuse with others in unique ways or enhance others. This makes every run through hell different as you can make decisions based on your playstyle, build and weapon.
Every time Zagreus dies he’s sent straight back to the beginning area of the game, in true roguelike fashion, without any of the upgrades acquired on your most recent run. However, you make progress in other ways with currency that can buy more permanent upgrades along with story progress.
As an immortal God Zagreus is immune to death, which means every failure in-game is canon. The more you play, the more you become entangled in juicy, mythological web of relationships, betrayals, secrets and feuds. Your relationship with large cast of characters naturally evolves so dying is central to experiencing the story of family at the centre of Hades.
The key features of Supergiant’s Hades include:
- BATTLE OUT OF HELL: As the immortal Prince of the Underworld, you’ll wield the powers and mythic weapons of Olympus to break free from the clutches of the god of the dead himself, while growing stronger and unraveling more of the story with each unique escape attempt.
- UNLEASH THE FURY OF OLYMPUS: The Olympians have your back! Meet Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and many more, and choose from their dozens of powerful Boons that enhance your abilities. There are thousands of viable character builds to discover as you go.
- BEFRIEND GODS, GHOSTS, AND MONSTERS: A fully-voiced cast of colorful, larger-than-life characters is waiting to meet you! Grow your relationships with them, and experience thousands of unique story events as you learn about what’s really at stake for this big, dysfunctional family.
- BUILT FOR REPLAYABILITY: New surprises await each time you delve into the ever-shifting Underworld, whose guardian bosses will remember you. Use the powerful Mirror of Night to grow permanently stronger, and give yourself a leg up the next time you run away from home.
- NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE: Permanent upgrades mean you don’t have to be a god yourself to experience the exciting combat and gripping story. Though, if you happen to be one, crank up the challenge and get ready for some white-knuckle action that will put your well-practiced skills to the test.
- SIGNATURE SUPERGIANT STYLE: The rich, atmospheric presentation and unique melding of gameplay and narrative that’s been core to Supergiant’s games is here in full force: spectacular hand-painted environments and a blood-pumping original score bring the Underworld to life.
Hades won numerous game of the year awards in 2020, so its arrival on other platforms is welcome. If you’re finding a lot to enjoy in Supergiant’s Hades, be sure to check out their other games, including 2011’s XBLA classic, Bastion.
And be sure to check out our review of Hades on Xbox Series X – we don’t give out many 5/5 scores, but this is a game that fully deserves it.
Game Description:
Defy the god of the dead as you hack and slash out of the Underworld in this rogue-like dungeon crawler from the creators of Bastion.
