Hades: Overview & Critic Reception
This is a research-based overview compiled from publisher information, official patch notes and published critic reception. It is not a hands-on review and ParryStack assigns no score of its own. How we research and verify · Report an error
Critic reception
Metacritic (critic aggregate): 93 (PC, Switch, Xbox Series X, PS5)
Source: Metacritic, checked 12 Oct 2026. These are third-party critic scores, not ParryStack ratings.
Summary
Hades is Supergiant Games' roguelite action game in which Zagreus tries to escape the Underworld, with a story that continues across runs.
Combat: Deep and Varied
There are six weapons, including the Shield (Bull Rush), the Rail and the Fists. Boons from the Olympian gods can be combined during a run, for example Artemis crit with Ares Doom stacking for a damage-over-time build, or Poseidon push with Aphrodite weakness for a crowd-control build.
Gameplay Loop
Each run through Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium, and the Temple of Styx takes 20-40 minutes. Death sends you back to the House of Hades with Darkness (passive upgrades), Gems (cosmetics), and Keys (weapon unlocks). Between runs, talk to every NPC for advancing story dialogue, give Nectar for relationships, and spend resources at the contractor for upgrades.
Story and Characters
The cast includes Zagreus, Nyx, Megaera, Achilles and Patroclus, and the gods of Olympus, who speak through their boon dialogues. The story continues across runs, and the final narrative payoff is reached after ten successful escapes.
Value
Hades offers a long-tail runtime (the hub lists 50-100 hours; check the store for the current price). There is no DLC; the sequel Hades II is a separate game.
Verdict
Hades is Supergiant Games' roguelite action game with a story that continues across runs, and Metacritic lists 93 across platforms. See the game hub and beginner guide.
Pros & Cons
- Story continues across runs
- Six weapons with Aspects
- Death sends you back to the House of Hades with persistent upgrade currencies
- A finished game (after two years in Early Access) with no DLC
- The narrative payoff is spread across many runs, which some players may find repetitive
- Mirror upgrades are needed to make early runs easier
Sources & fact-check
Release facts, mechanics and boss details on this page were checked against these sources on 12 October 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us.
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