Shorter version:

Buy this game if:

✅ You're familiar with game titles such as: Bastion, Darksiders, The Binding of Isaac or Dead Cells;
✅ You're not familiar with the above titles and/or you're looking for an isometric hack 'n' slash type filled with roguelite elements;
✅ You're interested into knowing more about ancient Greek mythology;
✅ You can withstand some grinding and resource grinding;

Don't buy the game if:

❌ (IMPORTANT) if you're sensitive to bright lights and shiny colours;
❌ you don't enjoy bullet hells paired with good - yet cumbersome - effects, as your screen will be filled with them;
❌ you'd rather jump into action immediately after a game rather than pre-planning a run and hoarding many, many resources needed to upgrade weapons, skills, relationships with side characters and cosmetics;


Verdict: 8,5 with some "caveats"

Time required to finish the main game: 30/40 hrs (depending on luck and skill)
Time required to complete it at 100%: 60-75 hours (took me 75hrs)

Longer version:

1 - how does the game look like? Beautifully hand drawn!

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936480523


2 - Things to keep in mind before buying the game:

a) Excellent narration: dialogues are extremely well written and voiced, in my 75-hour gameplay i've never regretted witnessing a single conversation or character, which are all likeable even given their own godly quirks and mythological role;

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936653919

b) Greek lore : is well presented and sometimes even playfully mocked and handed out to the player in original ways;

c) Fatherhood and trauma: these two topics are really the core engine of the narration (for a good part of the main game). If you didn't like God of War' subjects on Steam, you might not enjoy these in Hades, as you'll notice some similarities;

d) Customizable / Optimizable runs: you'll rarely feel that a run is lost from the start, as when you'll progress you'll have some chances to turn around your gameplay by changing skills, abilities and synergies at shops, random encounters and other hidden areas and arenas;

e) Grinding: is made "bearable" by the narration which delves deeper each run and by the fact that switching weapons and weapons' secondary aspects is highly encouraged and rewarded. There is quite the grind although, it might take your at least 15 hours to grasp the flow of the game and how it works in all its aspects. If you won't like the game within its 10 hours of gameplay, you'll might be even tempted to quit it entitrely.

f)Gameplay modifiers; those will change the gameplay deeply, giving you an alternate experience and allowing you to regrind those resources to get to the higher and funnier challenges offered by the game;

Thanks for reading and for bearing up with me, leave a comment below if you have any questions or observations, have an amazing day/night, feel free to follow my other reviews at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32344423/

[h1] Spoiler free review, with a short and a longer version: [/h1] Shorter version: Buy this game if: ✅ You're familiar with game titles such as: Bastion, Darksiders, The Binding of Isaac or Dead Cells; ✅ You're not familiar with the above titles and/or you're looking for an isometric hack 'n' slash type filled with roguelite elements; ✅ You're interested into knowing more about ancient Greek mythology; ✅ You can withstand some grinding and resource grinding; Don't buy the game if: ❌ [u](IMPORTANT) if you're sensitive to bright lights and shiny colours;[/u] ❌ you don't enjoy bullet hells paired with good - yet cumbersome - effects, as your screen will be filled with them; ❌ you'd rather jump into action immediately after a game rather than pre-planning a run and hoarding many, many resources needed to upgrade weapons, skills, relationships with side characters and cosmetics; Verdict: 8,5 with some "caveats" Time required to finish the main game: 30/40 hrs (depending on luck and skill) Time required to complete it at 100%: 60-75 hours (took me 75hrs) Longer version: 1 - how does the game look like? Beautifully hand drawn! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936480523 2 - Things to keep in mind before buying the game: a) [b]Excellent narration[/b]: dialogues are extremely well written and voiced, in my 75-hour gameplay i've never regretted witnessing a single conversation or character, which are all likeable even given their own godly quirks and mythological role; https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936653919 b) [b]Greek lore[/b] : is well presented and sometimes even playfully mocked and handed out to the player in original ways; c) [b]Fatherhood and trauma[/b]: these two topics are really the core engine of the narration (for a good part of the main game). If you didn't like God of War' subjects on Steam, you might not enjoy these in Hades, as you'll notice some similarities; d) [b]Customizable / Optimizable runs[/b]: you'll rarely feel that a run is lost from the start, as when you'll progress you'll have some chances to turn around your gameplay by changing skills, abilities and synergies at shops, random encounters and other hidden areas and arenas; e) [b]Grinding[/b]: is made "bearable" by the narration which delves deeper each run and by the fact that switching weapons and weapons' secondary aspects is highly encouraged and rewarded. There is quite the grind although, it might take your at least 15 hours to grasp the flow of the game and how it works in all its aspects. If you won't like the game within its 10 hours of gameplay, you'll might be even tempted to quit it entitrely. f)[b]Gameplay modifiers[/b]; those will change the gameplay deeply, giving you an alternate experience and allowing you to regrind those resources to get to the higher and funnier challenges offered by the game; Thanks for reading and for bearing up with me, leave a comment below if you have any questions or observations, have an amazing day/night, feel free to follow my other reviews at: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32344423/