Preview: Hades (Epic Games Early Access)
Defy the god of death as you hack and slash your way out of the Underworld in this rogue-like dungeon crawler from the creators of Bastion and Transistor.
Pros:
- Gorgeous cartoon style graphics.
- 4.83GB Download size.
- Tutorial pop-ups.
- Full controller support.
- Roguelike gameplay.
- Isometric view.
- Graphics- Fullscreen, Borderless, and resolution.
- Can rebind controls for both keyboard and controller.
- Aim assist on/off.
- Caption/damage numbers on/off.
- Three save slots.
- Autosaves regularly.
- Level layouts randomize every game.
- Multiple route choices with each door showing an icon of what reward you can earn.
- Humor throughout.
- Hub- Respawn here, Access stats, interact with NPC for the story, equip buffs, Try out weapons and apply stat changes.
- Runs really smooth.
- Mirror of the night- In your room, you go here to spend purple crystals on your stats or add buffs like getting health from clearing a room or more special attack charges etc.
- Every run you get a choice of 3 upgrades for the run. Usually its 1 for the main attack, 1 for secondary attack and 1 for dashing.
- Strong voice work.
- Destructible environments.
- Can slam enemies into the wall for damage or drop parts of the ceiling on them.
- Combat- You have 2 sets of attacks (normal and charge) then you have a dash and a special attack. You can string these together in many combinations.
- Many enemy types including boss type fights.
- In the hub, you have a friendly skeleton you can practice attacks on.
- A handful of weapon types to unlock- Sword, bow and arrow, sword and shield etc. Each one has unique attacks and unlocking them is done by finding keys.
- Bright almost neon-like color scheme.
- Plays a lot like 3D Dead cells, A lot of dodging and attacking.
- You feel like you are always making progress even in small increments.
Cons:
- No achievements.
- The view can get obscured by the environment.
- Progress can feel slow at times.
- Be nice to know what the icons mean on the doors.
- Combat whilst simple does take a while to get used to in terms of maximizing your attack and stringing combo.
Summary
Hades early access does not look or play like a game in early access! It runs really smooth and combat is a joy to behold. It starts off basic and simple but is actually very deep as you start stringing moves together and kiting enemies into walls, Every weapon feels and acts completely different! The architecture used in the game is strong, Every location is a feast for the eyes from the neon-like colours to the Greek Mythology undertones. Enemeis are varied and difficult, Later on they get a cheap extra layer of health but overall they are good. Picking rooms mean you have some way of working towards a goal, That said you need to work out what the icons on the doors mean first but hey. With so many hours logged, I still find myself smiling as I mercifully mow down enemies, Its like a 3D Dead cells and that is fine as it does enough to stand alongside it as opposed to a copycat as it is certainly not. Basically, it plays like a finished game but it is in fact only starting, The future is bright with this one!
