Recent reviews by TeriLK

It may not have won every award back in 2020, but this game was THE game of that year 10/10.
Noted I am biased since Supergiant Games has made some of my favourite games... All visually-stunning, story and world-rich games with memorable voice acting and beyond incredible soundtracks that permanently reside on my playlists (and are often played in favour of the music in other games).

With that being said, my reasons for recommending:
1. Hades is by far their crowning achievement
Art/direction = Top notch. If you liked *any* of their other games, this one *kills* it in terms of creative direction and execution - and quite literally as Zag dies over and over again you may find yourself equally enslaved by the attention to detail (and research!) evident in every facet of its design.

2. THE Rogue-lite for those of us who don't play rogue likes. As someone who doesn't play (or often like) rogue like games, Supergiant *nailed* it for people like me in every mentionable other category, to keep us coming back for more.

3. Escapism at its finest: Immersive and addictive. Hades was my 2020 GOTY because quite honestly this is one of the games that kept my head above water during the tougher times of COVID isolation.

4. Devs that listen to their community(!!) I was also grateful I started playing when I did during early access, so that I could experience how the developers listened to their community + implemented feedback.

5. Aged like a fine wine. Devs continued to evolve and refine the already impressive gameplay experience. If you tried it early on and didn't love it, it has been perfected now for QOL and gameplay.

If you're not looking for a personal review, you can end here... and get this game!

6. Coping with Grief + Loss Personally it was difficult to play Hades for a time as it was the last game recommended to me by my beloved cousin who passed away suddenly in 2020. He had only purchased the game because I had, and when he saw I didn't play it right away was quick to point out my stupidity. So my last point is that if somehow this game didn't already win on every other level... it is now helping me cope with the grief of a devastating loss.
So lastly I encourage playing this game for that reason: for anyone else struggling with grief during the pandemic and beyond.

Escapism in games is a beautiful thing, but Hades also lets me grapple with the concept of life after death, of fate, cycles, purpose and drive in the face of inevitability, of fighting all odds to reach the surface. And that even if moments of good, clarity, lucidity and light can be maddeningly brief, that they are worth it. That there is value and meaning in enduring, despite inescapable suffering. All things we used to talk about.

For me the threads of those profound moments were initially woven seamlessly into the surprisingly rich conversations and bonds - masterfully balanced with the heartfelt groans and laughs only good-bad humour can provide.
Now like the hauntingly beautiful timbres of Ashley Barrett and Darren Korb, they stand out as a sobering reminder of my own mortality and the urgent need to keep moving forward...
With a gentle reminder to take every opportunity you can to gift your love to those who matter when you can, because you never know when they'll be gone, and when your paths will cross again (looking at you, most elusive Than).

When it comes to real life, I have no doubt that death is an inevitability, and that there is no escape.
But... that doesn't mean it's the end.

Thank you, Supergiant - for this reminder, experience, and gift. *Updated in 2022 for retrospective.
Thank you, Dyl... love you and miss you.

A nice short & sweet story with cute & snarky back-and-forth (especially Fidget). Some of the challenges are jussst enough to keep you coming back for that 4th star. Get it while it's on sale :)