@Hominus Nocturna Likewise I have to give thanks for showing me Risk of Rain 2 and BPM. Two solid choices I never knew existed and I'm happy I was introduced to.
Never felt like storytelling was so much a part of the gameplay until this game. When I'm about to die in the next hit, instead of feeling anxious for loosing my progress I'm going "wonder what cool shit meg is gonna bring up next"
Absolutely! In almost every narrative driven game we play we have to accept a certain degree of ludonarrative dissonance, but here, killing and dying are all part of the story. I don't think I've ever played before a game where what we do on the screen is such an integral part of the narrative. It feels cohesive to a level that it's very rare to see in games.
@@PSPbrtag Play Undertale. It's all about saving/loading the game and killing/sparing enemies. These things are literally part of the plot. Also I'd suggest playing Pyre (previous game made by creators as Hades): loosing is FINE there and actually moves the story in specific ways; no game overs there.
Ralph: "Quibi is a premium streaming service that aims to deliver you the high quality content [...]" Me: "Wait is this sponsored by Quibi?" Ralph: "Most of the shows are terrible" Me: "I guess not."
I feel the frustration of dying is key to connecting with Zag himself. He loves those in the House of Hades but he also desperately wants to escape and every failure to him is a mixture of disappointment he didnt go and joy to see his friends again. And when you dont see those friends you're sad because you needed to pet Cerberus because the last run was a real disappointment.
well if you advanced the story each and every single time you died than you would get players who would deliberately die 50 times in the very first room. There just isn't any way for the developers to make enough content to have the story advance meaningfully EVERY single death. What Hades has already done with death is pretty groundbreaking and amazing.
I’d maybe balance it through time and different “arcs”. Like there should be a time set for when a story trigger activates for a character, and u have to die after that initial timer to progress that arc. U could have multiple story triggers with deferring initial timers to determine the pace of when characters say/do things after u die.
@@Junya01 That's exactly how Hades works. I guess if there's one major gripe reviewers seem to have is how the game isn't explicit in how to unlock more story. And that's totally valid criticism. Because if your dialogue with Achilles is tied to you engaging a certain encounter that may or may not happen your next run or two may feel like artificial gating. Or worse, with how Hades lets you choose your encounters, you might be avoiding an encounter that you otherwise would take to progress a certain characters story. TLDR: I think people would like this game even more if they had a quest log. It would make the game feel less "organic" but it would improve enjoyability for many.
I feel like Ralph's feeling to rush to the end credits of this game is partly skewed because he's a busy game reviewer. I love the extensive amount of gameplay this game provides.
Yeah. He also seems to be completely ignoring the fact that playing on a higher heat level gives you more rewards which I feel is more than enough incentive to do so. I also feel like the story compliments the gameplay and character progression, it is in no way more important than it.
@@NickHunter Yeah that is what he said, although to me it just came across as nitpicky. Most Rogue-likes dont even have a story, so its an odd complaint really, no matter what his personal preference is.
@@BasketCase-rr7tx I think it's just to be fair more than nitpicky. If something doesn't feel right to the player I'd rather they mention it in the review than just say "well all other aspects of the game are great let's give the whole package a pass" Besides they could well tune these elements in future, it's still early days. Either way I don't think we should come down too hard on criticism of great games, it can help to make them even better in future :-)
Oh yeah, every time a dialogue option pops up, I immediately get sucked in by the good writing, beautiful portraits, and the gripping voice acting. I 100% recommend. I'm not usually one for indie games, but titles like Hades are really getting me to turn my opinions around on that
I thought doom eternal would easily be my favorite game this year. I don't normally even like roguelikes that much. Hades is game of the year. Easily. Ive got over 100 runs into it. It's super addictive, challenging, rewarding, the story is great, and yeah the portraits are also fan-fucking-tastic.
I feel the opposite about the visual noise in Hades, imo they've designed it almost perfectly. Most bullet hell games give me a headache trying to keep track of everything but with Hades it just works for me, It's hard to explain but it's like I can feel where Zag is and know where every dash is going to put him and all the visual effects going on just never confuse my eyes, the animation is just so crisp and clear. Only when picking one God over another and facing the wrath of the one you didn't pick can sometimes be visually confusing for some reason, pools of hangover and the weird timing of how fast Artemis arrows hit when you step on her circles seem off compared to all the rest of the stuff going on in game. I barely notice the numbers, I just know how weak/strong the runs going by how quickly the enemies die. The flashing when hit thing is such a small gripe as they don't just flash when about to attack they physically telegraph or you get sound que like in the boss example you showed. The enemies also cannot usually attack if you're hitting them unless they have armour then you quickly learn their attack speed/pattern to avoid. Chariots with armour though, they can be kind of dumb sometimes ^_^
I agree. I accept the noise as part of the challenge, and a balancing check to the powers you get. The more gods you get help from, the more powerful you are, but the harder it is to keep track of everything
Honestly i respectfully disagree. The screen gets so chaotic and i always manage to accidentally step on a trap because of the visual clusterfuck. Fun game but god I hate how messy the game looks in more chaotic runs
Hades and Dead Cells are two of my favorite recent games. They've both got that trap of "just one more run"... until it's 2 am and you have to be up for work in a few hours.
Agree. What I miss in Hades is the choice of levels you unlock in DeadCells. That really added a lot of value for me. What I like about Hades is I never have the feeling I can mess something up by unlocking something. In DeadCells every unlocked weapon I don't like is filler-material that makes it more unlikely to get that weapon combo again that worked so well once. Making me hesitate to unlock more weapons resp. making the game somehow harder/less satisfying the more I unlock.
When I first started playing Hades, I wasn't sure it was for me. Pretty quickly I started to get pulled into the story, and now 50 in-game hours later it's one of my favorite games.
Would you recommend it so someone who absolutely not for rogue like games? I don't have so much time beside work so I usually play games with some actual endgame. I can't stay with a game for very long time because so many games are coming out Iam interested in,but I have been eyeing this game for a long time but thrown back by the rogue like label.
@@LilithNerevarine I think it depends on what you don't like about rogue lites. This game has a lot of repetitive gameplay, as you need to keep fighting your way through the levels of the underworld. However, the gameplay stays fresh with new weapons, upgrades, and boons. There's definitely a time investment to be able to beat the game, but there's also an actual end to the game.
@@LilithNerevarine It's always a difficult, subjective question, but at 25$ (give or take), it's kind of a safe bet to try. You can play long sessions (one more run before bed!), or just a single, quick (20-30 minutes ish) run to relieve stress after work but before chores. It's a difficult game until you master it, and like Skill Up says, that won't happens before a few dozen runs. What Hades does REALLY well and sets it apart, it's the very, very well crafted dialogue and lore in-between runs, and that's Supergiant's games hallmark. So if you like good narrative with excellent voice over, coupled with a difficult, quick-paced action game gameplay loop with tons of customizations possible every run (which you have a small but significant enough amount of control over), you can't really go wrong with Hades. Be sure to have a controller though! Keyboards won't cut it.
@@LilithNerevarine bite the bullet, if not for the gameplay but for the hot people XD. But it really depends on what you like. Playing this game is like building up a character but instead of three months to build a viable character it’s thirty minutes. So it’s up to you. Currently $30 usd it’s not that bitter a pill to swallow. And 100+ hrs in I say I got my money’s worth out of it.
I'm actually starting to get tired of the endless tide of Roguelikes/Lites, but Hades is wonderful. It really is super polished, and a great piece of storytelling.
Roguelikes are fine if they are done correctly, but I feel many just fall into the ultra hard until you die enough. Hades can be button mashed through by a seasoned top/down vet from go.
How do you guys even play that game. I get so bored as a solo queue guy. No voice chat to have fun and just a 20-40 min game. I enjoy toxic fandoms but typing with them is so boring and time consuming. I rather we yell curse words at each other like COD lobbies as that's way more fun.
Sometimes you weirdly run into people when you do not expect them AT ALL. Ho there Chef ^.^/ League IS addictive. I agree. Although for me it has this time-sink feeling that, once I go cold turkey for 3 weeks I do not care anymore about the game and play something else. Hades is imo a very good alternative to sink one's teeth in. I have about 80 Hours in the game and the freeing part is, I just play only a few runs a week since I got to the credits once (Skill up did not even mention that there is ***********_____...-- XxxxxXx *spoiler* Hope you have fun, man ^^
A very good decision. In so many ways the game has fallen low and even lost its identity. I quit like a year ago and heard something seemingly exciting was going on so I checked what's new and I saw Seraphine and instantly realized things are far worse than when I had left... Imagine making a new champion purely to promote popular skins and then giving said champion a special skin that they make only once a year as a release skin, no thanks. Pandering popular champs was always a thing but now they're literally making champions for skins rather than skins for champions, that's how bad it has become. After quitting I found a ton of awesome games like Monster Hunter, Hollow Knight, Ori, Subnautica and so on and those games certainly made me realize just how little enjoyment I got from League. To all those who still play league just for the sake of playing it, keep a break and try something new, I can guarantee you'll notice just how bad a game league has become.
Bought it 17 days ago... already clocking 30 hours and 50 runs... one of the best games I've ever played. It's not just a good early access story, its an early access triumph. For 20 bucks... this game is worth a lot more then 20 bucks. A lot LOT more. Update: nevermind, im up to 50 hours already... jaysus christ.
Are you playing it on kbm or on controller? I've heard it's better on controller but I don't have one so I was wondering if it's still worth to play it with kbm or just wait until I get a controller?
@@jcookev I recommend getting a controller. The game is incredibly hard on mouse and keyboard, mainly because it's a game that really requires 360-degree movement and that is not possible on a keyboard.
ITs good but cant help but feel its massively overrated. As someone who has 150 hours on Dead cells/ 140 on Slay the spire / 130 on Monster train (and other roguelikes) Hades is pretty bare-bones when it comes to Variety. Only 6 weapons, 4 Biomes and 4 bosses compared to something like Dead Cells which has 100's of weapons (literally) 23 Biomes / 6 main bosses. This causes game to become repetitive VERY quickly compared to those imo and the combat is so insanely spammy that you arent really carried by skill but more the RNG of the run which kind of sucks Story is clever and voice acting great but its not really why I play roguelikes/rogulites , I dunno I feel like its all a bit style over substance from Supergiant once again imo
@@johnharder9925 Yes I agree but in the case of Rogulike games there is always going to be a degree of repetitive nature by design, so only having 4 areas to explore compared to 23 makes a massive difference. And its not like Dead cells is a low quality game by any stretch of the imagination, every zone has its own feel to it with corresponding music and enemies and is beautiful pixel art. If you didn't like dead cells fair enough but 4 zones and 4 bosses is not enough for roguelikes, its just not enough content to want to play over and over imo
As a Greek, I would like to personally thank the developer team of Hades, for the mesmerising, immersive presentation and portreyal of the Greek mythos!
I'm surprised about the point at the end. I thought I was alone in thinking that Hades was "ruining" looter games for me. I tried getting back into Destiny 2 over the last 2 months, and I just couldn't do it, precisely because of that lack in reward that is only exacerbated when I can just play Hades and do it my way (for a speedy high-heat run for the challenge, an experimental cast run to try out a new aspect, a crazy meme run, etc.) and get an equal if not higher level of fulfillment for a fraction of the time commitment. I don't think it is because of the shortening of attention spans, but the challenge to the idea that you have to play 100 (or more) hours of a game to enjoy it. I think that is one of Supergiant's most impactful statements with Hades, and i'm glad you articulated it as well as you did.
I came down to the comments thinking a very similar thing, although I haven't played Hades yet. And Destiny 2 is the main example I had as well. I've been trying to be in real life a little more, and these games that want you to log on _every day_ and do your dailies, check what the shops rolled, etc. on top of very slow, bottlenecked progression when you near your seasonal cap... It's just way too much. Literally designed to be "constant" and practically never-ending. I thought _life_ was supposed to be about the journey - I feel like games need some kind of end, and/or a way to get real, genuine satisfaction out of a reasonable-length session. I've become acutely aware of how so many games are _literally_ just grinding to get strong enough to grind better. When you finally break out of that stupor and play a profound game that values your time and offers a real sense of meaningful progression, it all comes back. It's the difference between a mediocre cliffhanger show with 23 seasons, and a masterpiece of a feature film. One values your time, and adds something positive to your life that you may find yourself thinking fondly about for a long time.
I've been feeling that a lot too. I've played warframe for over 500 hours. But even now I'm nowhere near close to endgame/full completion. My roommate has over 1000 hours and she doesn't have everything either. Each grind for each tier of item is overwhelmingly long. I found myself phasing out from those sorts of "this-is-now-a-part-time-job" kind of game. So games that I can just pick up and put down amazing. Mobile games, Hades, Switch games. On the move, for 30 min at a time. Now i wish i could sit all day and play video games, but not everyone game be a professional streamer, and I certainly don't have the balls or the time to quit college and do it. Now I don't particularly agree with the path of exile method either. If I'm going to play a game for 3 months, I want my progress to be saved. Plus, I constantly feel like I'm rushed in that game. I don't have enough time to level up or keep up. Doesn't help that its grossly unoptimized. I just wanted to say that you captured my feeling down pat.
@@2Rice I understand what you mean. I tried to get into Warframe and stopped well before getting to a point where I could do endgame activities. In a game that is among my favorites, Monster Hunter World, I stopped because I don't have the energy to farm random drops for the skills. And the thing is, I used to like these loot-based games. But after a certain point, the goal becomes blurry or loses importance. And suddenly, in comes Hades, with the main pillars I like about these games: weapon variety, multiple ways to build different aspects or even individual parts of the game, being able to play differently, a progression that is based both on getting better and obtaining other items (boons, hammers, etc.). And in most cases, you can get that endgame experience by the time you reach Elysium, with loads of variety, tight gameplay and all the same dopamine rushes. And ironically enough, I've done everything in Hades and I keep coming back out of sheer enjoyment for it and the thrill of personally improving (the same way I do to Smash Ultimate or DMC). Hades just captures the experience of creating a build, improving on it, improvising, getting better, etc., but in a package that never blocks or halts your progress with RNG, arbitrary requirements, DLC drops, new seasons, etc (not on a per-run basis anyway). And so, for me, it renders those other games almost pointless other than occasionally playing with my friends (who play CoD instead of Destiny anyway). And breaking free of these "part-time-job games" (I like the way you put it) frees me up to play single-player story games, which are my personal favorite experiences anyway. So Hades ends up scratching that looter itch without ever compromising me in a way that would waste my time.
@@ryo-kai8587 I fully understand. At a certain point, these games just become time-sinks or even addictions in the worst cases (something that superficial seasonal content doesn't help with). Now, I see the appeal, I have 500 hours in Monster Hunter as of last month. It just doesn't work for me that much anymore, as I made a promise to myself to stop grinding in that game and others like it. Like I said in another reply, Hades just scratches the same itches as something like Destiny 1 did back in the day (the exception being multiplayer, obviously), but it does so in bursts that are immediately accessible and don't demand arbitrary power levels, specific loot, parties of multiple players, or any more than 20 or so minutes per-run. And so these time-sink games seem a little pointless, as Hades covers that part of gaming for me, and it leaves me way more time to enjoy single-player and story-focused games. I like your analogy with a series. At some point, there needs to be a satisfying conclusion of some kind. Dragging a show for the sake of it doesn't seem fulfilling, but of course, there's lots of money to be made from exploiting a live game or a seemingly endless series, so it is the flavor of the day. The thing I like about Hades is that it marries the two aspects beautifully: it has these excellent build-making moments, an experience that feels like a solid endgame, it has experimentation, diversity and so on. And yet, it also tells a story that gives you closure without locking out the possibility of replaying it endlessly.
Really like the replies in this comments, it feels like we all are build diversity lovers that even when they still enjoy games the time aviable to play them has placed them in a situation where we really can´t be so hardcore time invested anymore. Something that happened to me with Hades but also with a lot of single player games (and even tv series) is that I enjoy things that I can justify my experiences with them in 1 to 2 weekends. I picked up HADES on a rainy saturday and reached to die to Hades himself in my fifth to seventh run, even when I have a long way until putting the game down being able to feel that I got somewhere in those 5 hours is really rewarding. I even prefer story driven games to ve 25 rather than 100 hours long even because I can, for example, complete horizon zero dawn in 1 month playing only on weekends, while other games that are streched to optimize the "hours played to completion per dollar spent" feel like those 200 episode series that I will never watch even if everyone recomends them.
Over 100 escapes, almost everything completed (working on that 32 heat win) and i "still" can't get enough. I love Dead Cells but Hades is on a whole other level. Extremely motivating even in failure with all the great dialogue back at the House of Hades. The only thing i would wish for is a "tiny" bit more variety during each run, like one more biome and a random boss or 2 along the way. As amazing as the gameplay is, it does get predictable a bit too fast.
This is the first Skill Up review I've watched about a game I'm currently playing. Great review but I disagree a bit on the slow story progression nitpick. It seems to me that the story progression has to be tied to the game progression -- and it is, I think. Slow progression -- which is all I'm capable of -- means you get more filler. The story progression has to be tuned for the top 80th or 90th percentile of players. Otherwise you could finish the game and miss story components.
It sounds like he really didn't play long enough. The game doesn't even end after beating Hades once or 10 times. Its meant to be like if your zag. You've got to learn and improve and NPCs talk about it as you do. The progression is designed to be 'one more run'
I got my first clear on my 4th run. I got my 10th clear on my 25th run. During all that time, I got to give away ambrosia exactly zero (0) times. I unlocked zero companions. I would have unlocked zero alt-moveset aspects if not for me looking up how to do it on the game wiki. I'm sorry but this is way too slow. You should not have a game in which someone can play through the whole main story without experiencing some major mechanics and story features.
Watched someone beat it on escape one and the narrative crumbles when that happens. I'd say this game is the game you use to get people into rogue-likes. I know it did for me cause I literally cant put this game down.
Wait but the game doesn't end when you get you-know-who to do you-know-what on clear 10, there's "the plot" after that plus all the other characters you can reunite.
I'm guessing they want to make the game feel "complete" in 15-20 hours. I think Supergiant made a good decision on segmenting their story for people who can't or won't play 50 more hours to finish the rest.
@@TheJupiteL well, i dont know. i`ve played this game for about 50 hours now and still completed it like 3 times or so (though i sometimes left it playing in the background, but still, it`s a lot of time.)
i played through the final boss intentionally not looking up game guides and videos and it blew my mind to find out how much MORE there is...think they did a great job giving you the feeling of completion in "finishing the game" which imo was pretty tough in its progression, but giving hardcore gamers that feeling of "it's only just the beginning" .....side note, when i play ror2 again which was what i was playing most of the year it really does feel overwhelmingly lacking. fun game but side by side to hades compendium of story its no contest
This video was kinda weird for me. Despite saying how good it was, it felt like the majority of the video was talking about why someone might not like it or what issues you had with it. Similarly praising an aspect of the game, and then turning around saying, "but that good thing does this which you may not enjoy."
It simply sounds like he hasn't played enough. I'm up to 150 hours into Hades. Still waiting on the final story line to unlock to see how it truely ends. I still need tons more titan blood to unlock weapon aspect upgrades. Still haven't bought all cosmetic items. Let alone just playing it at the end. Sounds like he played 20 hours to complain it's too slow. It's a rouge like. It's designed to be played for 100s of hours or more.
@@Tyrantofthewind clearly not. As a reviewer he would not have the time to invest into some of these games. Games like Red dead or Hades are games where 30 hours is nothing. Even 100 hours into Hades is still nothing. So just because he has reviewed the game now twice. Man I'm at 150 hours in Hades and I've still not finished the main story. It's fantastic. Play it and you would understand.
@@MaximumSpice100 hours nothing? What are you even talking about? I completed every single quest and had 48/49 achievements at 101 hours. You are clearly delusional. I also took the game extremely slowly and was in no rush to finish. You are either massively exaggerating or full of shit.
@@Tyrantofthewind Are you aware some people play rouge like games for 1000's of hours?? 100 hours, bro your warming up, go learn spelunky 1/2 man and you'll learn what i'm talking about. You clearly have no idea. I'm at 133 hours on steam, still waiting for my final demeter quest to final start so I can find out how the final 'plan' plays out. So no I know what I'm talking about. We were originally talking about why he praises parts of the game, says it amazing then also complains about parts of the game that make no sense to complain over, if you had played enough, they wouldn't be complaints? Pacing of the story, the stories pace is fine, you can see MOST of the story in 20-40 hours BUT it has TONS more IF you WANT more. Why would you complain over that. Doesn't even make sense, if you want the story to go faster, play on story mode.
I'm a little confused. It seems like he spent the majority of the video with his personal gripes about the game (understandable as they are). However, then he claims that it is a "brilliant game." I didn't really hear much about what makes him think that other than the tight combat and weapon design.
The voice acting, art, story progression, narrative, everything is spot on in this game. I'm shocked how damn good this game is. I'm 50 hours in atm, and I am as hooked to it as I was at hour one. Also new stuff still keeps coming up, gameplay and narrative wise, it's crazy how much this game has, ShillUp didn't make the game justice I think.
Yeah this review seems hyperfocused on the negatives. He seems to want to justify his preference for risk of rain 2 by focusing on things that didn't quite land for him.
I think it’s the perspective shift from top down to third person. From the video alone I had a much harder time tracking because of the isometric perspective.
Yeah I honestly didn't even notice it while playing Hades but the footage of Risk of Rain shown here seems a ton more confusing and visually messy to me.
when he was talking about the "white flashes on enemies" and showed the scene with Theseus my only thought was then dont pay attention to the white flash on Theseus pay attention to the giant pink reticle ontop of YOU and listen to the audio cue. You can dodge that spear without him even being on your screen if you use those.
If you haven't played RoR2 i get why you'd think that But trust me, if you play it, you basically never question what the hell is going on, even though it's super noisy you can still tell what the threats are and how to deal with them, always
@@DrunkGeko I've played both and I am pretty sure it´s because of perspective. I've lost track of zagreus for a fraction of a second. But I think that's just part of the difficulty level of the game.
I actually loved the god mode. I'm not a "hardcore gamer"™, and the way it was set up was perfect for me. I got my first clear at around 30% damage reduction and by the time it got to 46% I managed a 5 clear streak, using the heat to get more diamonds for the upgrades. I'd never have the patience and skill to try and get all the prophecies and house upgrades on regular mode, but this way if I mess up next time is just a tiny bit easier. It also makes me more willing to play with all the weapons, not just the shield which is just OP 'cause it can block all of Hades' attacks.
.....how am i just now learning this after clearing him with the shield three times i knew it blocked but i just always defaulted to dash as my primary damage avoidance (i'm assuming it doesn't work on the green circles though)
Hades is an absolutely beautiful game. I highly recommend Bastion and Transistor that were made by SuperGiant Games as well. The music is always great and the gameplay is highly addicting. All of their games are extremely engaging and at least worth a try.
Yeah I felt the same way like what could he possibly give you that would be more beneficial than a Daedalus upgrade?! I mean technically you are likely to see another one later in the run if you do that but unless you are intentionally seeking Sisyphus out so you can increase your favor with him then there's no point in prioritizing him...
You have a guaranteed hammer later on (two per run) sisyphus might be nicer (at the beggining if you need darkness, and in higher heath levels to have extra time on Tight Deadline and some obols)
Hey, for newcomers to the channel, definitely give this guy a sub. Game reviewers are a dime a dozen nowadays, but this guy actually goes in depth and tells you exactly what you need to know before you buy it and generally he does it all without any spoilers or what I would consider unimportant filler material. This guy is by far the best video game reviewer in my humble opinion and while he doesn't review as many of the games I play as I would like him to, I keep an eye on his channel just in case he does a review on one of the games I play and/or think about playing...
Between Jim Sterling, Zero Punctuation, Yakko and now you - this game seems to be getting praise from all the harder critics! Amazing how it’s been out for a while but now it’s finally getting some love!
The game's method of increasing difficulty is probably a my favorite part of the game. The ability to decide what factors will make a run more difficult opens up a lot in terms of being able to replay the game on the same save file. Combo this with the 6 weapons and their 4 versions, and the RNG hammer and god blessings creates the ability to have most runs be a fairly unique experience.
Fun fact about that OST, Austin Wintory is credited as the conductor. Darren Korb and Austin Wintory are both geniuses and easily my favorite game composers.
See, I like that it takes a long time to move the story along. These are immortals. From the Greek Pantheon. I'd imagine they tend to let the proverbial grass grow under their feet. Plus, the idea of Zagreus facing excruciating death breaking out of the underworld again and again and again really adds to the idea of the 'Greek Tragedy.' There's a reason why this VIDEOGAME won the Hugo Award.
@@zranite123 Exactly what I thought. Maybe it´s the first/third person perspective that makes it a complete mess for me. (Top-down or side for the win.)
"You're likely to have 20-30 attempts before your first clear" I cleared it for the first time today... it only took me 77 tries.......aaahaha. I have to say though, I agree with your thoughts on the story being "throttled", although I'm more okay with it taking its time. I also realised today that the pact of punishment made it harder, but I appreciate that you can choose whether you want to use it or not. I was so happy after I cleared it, because I felt like I've finally learned even better how the game and bosses work; meaning that the next few tries are likely to be more successful. I'm not sure if I'm going to use the heat system just yet, but I might experiment with it once the "normal" game becomes too easy. :P I appreciate that, while the game gives you better tools for making a successful run, it doesn't help *that* much if you can't play the game. You as a player just have to "git gud". Which is why it's really satisfying to me to think back on the first few times I tried the game compared to now where I pretty much always make to the End boss at least. Your videos are always well thought out and interesting SkillUp! And even if I don't always agree with yout opinions, you're doing good content!
I still remember I used the shield and hugged the corner to get my first clear on 8th attempt, only to learn that it was the begging of the real story and unlocked a plethora of new gameplay features including weapon aspects. It was amazing.
Definitely agree with the visual noise issue. Everything on screen being a high contrast image means the visually important stuff doesn't really have the chance to stand out as much as it should.
This year has indeed been incredible for Rogue-likes. Along with all the games mentioned in this video, Noita is another fantastic Rogue-like from this year that seems to have gone under the radar of many people.
I actually go the other way on the visuals noises. The thrill of trying to keep up with enemy tells, the environment, the particle effects from abilities. Send such a large shock of adrenaline to my brain. Skill up is right tho, this game is so close to perfect. you can only talk about what aspect meet your preferences, not whether it's good or not. Easily my favorite rogue like. Definitely top 5 on anyone list. Play hades everyone.
Idk man I gotta disagree with you mostly there's is a lot of visual noise yes. But the chaos is part of the fun in my opinion. And Risk of rain is just as bad if not worse but as always that is just my opinion.
Yeah, i havent been too bothered by the visual noise, since in a way, you are meant to be hit a lot in this game, forcing you to decide on whether to build for more defensive options or just go straight glass cannon. There is also a lot of audio ques to listen out for as well as recognizing attack patterns in order to properly dodge at the right time. This is especially true for one of the endgame options in the pact of punishment, Extreme Measures 4, which turns up the difficulty of the Hades fight to be less reliant on what you see and more reliant on what you know.
I really enjoyed hearing your perspective regarding Hades as a rogue lite compared to other roguelites/likes. I had noticed the visual busyness, but never put that together until you mentioned it. One thing I felt was glossed over was the Godhood mode, as I used it personally to play through the game. I think casting it as feeling like cheating is valid as you approach the game from the approach of the challenge, but I’d like to have seen more talk about it as a means to explore the story. I used it after beating the game a couple of times, and found that it helped tune the challenge for me to just where I needed it to be. It’s a minor nitpick, but I’ve found that it’s a helpful decision that has sold the game to a lot of my friends who aren’t invested in rogue likes due to the overwhelming difficult curve. I certainly appreciated seeing your views on the game, especially with how you are invested and knowledgeable in the Roguelike genre.
The god mode is one cleverest design elements of the game and directly addresses the pacing issues the reviewer was running into. You can use god mode to advance the story faster or to gather resources for unlocks or experiment with builds. God mode is what lets you play the game at your own, rather than Super Giant's pace.
@@petervg7829 Yes! And it's really amazing as an accessibility tool too, for folks like myself who often lack skill and confidence with regards to less casual games.
After 60 runs or so I decided to turn it on as well. I want to unlock and see everything in this game and doing so without God mode would take an eternity
I have never been into Rogue-likes but Hades is a strong contender for GOTY for me. What a genuinely fun time. Also, you forgot to mention how hot everyone is, that's important for people to know if they wanna play it or not.
I'm 127 hours into Hades (and counting) and I'm still hearing new story and dialogue. It blows my mind. Also, the game has a sort of third "ending" that takes much longer to reach than the first 10 escapes. Gameplay. Art. Music. Voice acting. Writing. It's a complete package and every aspect is exceptional. I coerced my partner into playing it for just 5 minutes tonight. Before she had even cleared the second room, she paused the game to ask, "how much is this game...?" She died a minute or so later, then bought the game on her account. Now I get to relive this masterpiece through her and I can't wait!
Risk of Rain has WAY more visual noise than Hades. I find that with all the chaos on screen in hades, I truly know what’s going on the whole time. It’s the opposite for Risk if Rain
@@trubblegum5787 Yes. Definitely. The vibe of the brothers together is what made that channel. We didn't watch to see Sam stream for hours. It isn't the Laymen anymore without Ralph. He is killing that channel by leaving it.
I felt like "Bastion" and "Transistor" were good games in their own right, but as you say, "Hades" really is something special. It's also very clearly the culmination of everything SuperGiant experimented with in those prior titles.
I've recently finished Darksiders Genesis with my brother and I had a blast. The funny thing is is that when I started playing the very first Darksiders, everyone told me it was like Diablo (which I didn't knew at the time). It is funny how things come full circle. Anyway, it is also an isometric action game with BEAUTIFUL aesthetic, so... Not sure I'll jump into Hades right now. Probably do it in the future. Also, whenever I see gamefootage of you and Sam playing my poor ticker skips a beat... Good times.
I love that I know your style and how to take your reviews with me. Some I disagree with, and many I agree with. There's a good video from Dunkey about video game reviewers and I know when you come into a game what your loves and dislikes are and I really appreciate you sticking to your feelings. It's a great way to build trust with your audience and has me coming in and respecting all your reviews even if they go against my own views. Cheers
Well said. I watch his reviews because he tries to articulate who the target audience for a game is. If he doesn't like some aspect of the game, he will also mention who might like it. So, I always know at the end of the review if the game is for me. Plus he understands not all of us have infinite time or patience for games, likely because he has a family too and needs to balance the limited time available across work, family and games he enjoy.
during this one run I took off one of the Pacts of Punishment that made the first boss harder, and when I went to fight her again she commented on that. The amount of minute details in this game is staggering. Do yourself a favor and finish it guys
15:03 funny I actually felt the opposite with Risk of Rain 2 visual clutter lol. I love both games but some boss fights in ROR 2 is just too visually cluttered in my opinion , which is why play engineer a lot there since I can just spam most of my abilities. In Hades I don't rely too much on visual indicators since the sound bites when enemies are taking or deflecting damage are really distinct, and its top down with limited number of enemies in each room. Its mostly preference I think but I agree an option to toggle the visual effects would be really good.
The phrase at the end of enjoying the building of the character not enjoying the built character spoke to me. Exactly how I feel about Destiny 2. That game is at its best when you are leveling up and progressing.
I don't know if you are reading this, I personally think your angle in this review is pretty against hades but you comment its good later which make it feel like everyone is saying this game is good but you are afraid of backlash, personally I really hated risk of rain, it makes me feel like a zombie holding down button and run around, while hades every single decision matter, when u choose to dash and etc. However I respect where you are coming from, an approach of just getting the game done from your checklist however this game is like a a glass of wine, you can chuck it down but really is feels like much taking in by few sips at a time to enjoy its taste
This review is why I feel sometimes Game Reviewers are reviewing games for other Game Reviewers because they wanted to ‘finish the game’ get the story and move on. If you’re a regular gamer, you’ll probably enjoy hades more than this review implies.
There is also a thing that isn't mentioned in the review : Notice how the game is teaching you how to fight the bosses in each area. An example for each area : Tartarus : the fat guys charge at you in a similar way the furies do ; Asphodel : gorgon head and mini hydras shooting homing projectiles similarly to one of the hydra's heads ; Elysium : Archers mimicking Theseus' spear throw ; Temple of Styx : these crystal gorgon heads (or whatever their name) having a laser attack, much like [REDACTED]. (Yes I know the final boss is shown in the video but I keep the secrecy on anyway)
Man i love you so much. You and ACG are hands down the best ,most unbiased, honest, dedicated reviewers i have ever come across in my entire history of youtube. You deserve a Patreon /some branded merchandise in addition to yt join. But please never change. I've seen few youtuber reviewers turning into garbage when they go big. Hopefully fame doesn't ruin you. But i'm positive you wont because of your dedication and determination. Thank you for that
I understand your point about visual noise, but I personally LOVED the visual noise. I felt like I was in the chaos of a battlefield and needed to focus on the task while always alert of my surroundings, and when the dust settled and the level was silent and calm, I felt a true sense of accomplishment.
I gave a dislike because he said God Mode was 'cheating'. Most likely he did not even activate it, just 'guessed' based on the name. If you are going to review a game and talk about it mechanisms, use does mechanism first and not put your own BIAS in the review. If Skill Up ACTUALLY used God Mode, he would have realized that it only adds 20% damage resistance to Zagreus and grows by 2% after each death (the max being 80%). SuperGiant on steam even called out a user who was going around discussions telling people that god mode was a cheat, warning the user and telling players that God Mode was mostly their if people wanted to concentrate on the story.
this is a pretty good overview. but i gotta say, i disagree with the visual clutter argument. all enemies have telegraph animations and sounds before an attack. For the example you showed, The Minotaur has two separate grunts for his spin and charge. Same for Theseus, a loud beeping occurs and a reticle appears and glows red just before he throws. I believe Hades handles conveying player information pretty well, coming from someone who usually dislikes rouge-like games
I'm relatively new to the game. I only have 6 clears. But I have something to say. Wanna experience story? Turn on God mode. If you don't want to turn on God mode, then beat your head against the wall until you get Excalibur. Thrown down the aura, Dionysus's cloud, Aphrodite's attack and trinket Myrmidon Bracer and you can just stand and mash attack on hades all you want. You'll have the armour rating of having died 20-30 times with god mode on. It actually takes effort to die with that build. It's that or skip that one chat with Sysiphus (trust me, next time it will probably be a choice between a chat and a darkness room) and grab the extremely useful Daedelus Hammer. Then actually shoot Hades instead of the wall and the river next to him.
hmm interesting. I have the opposite feel as you do in the end. I play lots of slower games then hades (e.g.: ffxiv, ffxi, eve, etc.) To me they feel like fundamentally different pleasures. I do not see playing Hades has made my achievements in slower games worse, because the achievements and journeys in those games are quite different. This is where the core division between our opinions stems from i think, the journey. To me a longer progression can have a different narrative to it (player story, not game story wise). When something takes months or years to achieve, it shines and stick itself very differently then if i'd done something in
I think the problem is that you went in expecting a roguelike. I went in expecting a Supergiant game. 10/10, best game they've ever made. Also, turn on God Mode. It just gives you 20% damage resist, increasing by 2% each time you die (caps at 80%). It doesn't lock you out of achievements or any content, it's just a buff, and it helps you complete the story faster. You can toggle it on or off at any time without issue.
This on 120 would be quite smooth lol. Having a blast as a first time player on PS5. So far the artwork, tight controls, and voice acting is what is hooking me.
I thought "I've never been this early to a video before" and then I realized it already had 1200 views and 17 comments. With videos of this quality, I don't think I can blame people for clicking them so fast!
As a KB/M player I found god mode was the only way to get through the game. god mode is not what it usually means, it starts at 20% and increases 2% per death to 80%. That means taking 1/5 damage, not invulnerability.
17:02 never noticed that enemies become white before their attack, I always was watching at their animation and listened to the sound(there is a distinct sound, this boss with a spear for example makes a very loud sound when he wants to throw a spear)
Man, I miss these reviews where you introduce some premise in the first third of the video without even mentioning the game title. Like a condensed video essay that serves as the springboard for the review. :)
I normally don't comment on RU-vid videos, but sense you have been enjoying rouge-likes lately I feel obligated to recommend Synthetic to you. I can't do it justice in only a RU-vid comment, but it is one of my favorite rouge-likes along side Risk of Rain 2.
Dead Cells and Hades nail what was annoying about games like Enter the Gungeon, you start and you already feel powerful. Games like enter the gungeon are annoying to start a new run because the common enemies are huge bullet sponges before you get a decent weapon, and even then you end up saving the good weapon for bosses
I have 100+ runs in Hades, the true ending, all achievements, and all prophecies unlocked, and I still get new voice lines when I get back to the house. Even after mastering the game it's still fun to speedrun or theory craft weapon builds, or just listening to the amazing soundtrack. You're robbing yourself if you don't spend 20$ on this game.
I'll be honest, despite all the rave reviews, I'm unlikely to pick this up because I find the visual chaos deeply unappealing, glad to see a review acknowledge it.
