Hades is an exceptional video game, in my humble opinion. I’m a sucker for sleek visual design, great gameplay, interesting decisions, and Greek mythology. That being so, Supergiant’s game resonated with me strongly.
Incredibly, it has been well over five years since it first landed in Early Access on Epic Game Store, and I’ve been writing about it ever since. Based on the popularity of the game across the various platforms it has since been released upon, I know I’m not alone in having a soft spot for Supergiant’s opus. In fact, I know for sure that, even five years on, there’s appetite for more games like Hades.
Except when you’ve got a game that plays as good as Supergiant’s chthonic masterpiece, that same feeling can be hard to replicate. That being so, I’m also looking beyond the action-roguelite genre in this article, to see where else we might find games that scratch the same itch for action and adventure.
Hades 2, Bastion, and Transistor
Since I first published this article, Hades II has been fully released. In many ways it already feels more expansive than its elder sibling. You can read my review here, if you’d like to know more (spoiler: it’s great).
For my money, the OG Hades just about edges it, mostly due to the impact of the story, and the contrast to how the ending hits in H2. Both are awesome, though.
Next up we’ve got a no brainer, and that’s the recommendation that you go straight back to the beginning and get some Bastion in your life. This is a stunning game with a wonderful story to slip into, and it’s the place where Supergiant first showed its pedigree as a studio.
Transistor, which you may also have heard of, is another very good game, and the premise is rather enchanting. In this sci-fi RPG, you’ll play as a woman who has lost her voice, who together with her sentient sword explores a futuristic city.
Likewise, Pyre, another game from the studio, shows that it can mix things up, this time via tactical fantasy sports. I’ve not played this one for very long, I must confess.
Dungeon crawling with a different Lord of Death
My next recommendation is another top tier isometric dungeon crawler. Diablo III is a fantasy action-RPG that offers incredible flexibility, longevity, and gameplay variety, and it has been updated over the years with a huge amount of additional content (it’s also worth remembering that when it launched it was an absolute mess).
I rate the third Diablo as one of the studio’s most replayable games, although the second is an interesting pick too, with varied classes and plenty of dynamic combat to savour. I prefer the fluidity of the controls in the third, but both are worth a look. I’ve not played Diablo IV, so you tell me.
Stylish role-playing from Atlus
My next recommendation is Persona 5 Royal. There are various versions of this game, but I played the first iteration of it so I can only speak to that. I think regardless of which edition you play, this is one of the most stylish games I’ve ever seen.
Supergiant is a studio that prides itself on the quality of its visual design, and that comes across in all of their games, so I think there’s a fair few Hades fans who will appreciate the sleek graphics, but also the engaging dungeon crawling and the teen angst that veins through the story in Persona 5.
Roguelite recommendations
I didn’t want this article to be just another list of great roguelites, but this sub-section is going to be exactly just that. Sorry not sorry. I’ll be disciplined, though, and limit myself to four of the best.
- The Binding of Isaac: Repentance is my first roguelite pick. What a game this is, with more item combos than you can shake a shitty stick at. The game is undoubtedly showing its age, but it’s also pretty much the best damn roguelite that money can buy. If you haven’t already, proceed with confidence.
- Enter the Gungeon is my second roguelite pick. Hades is, at its heart, an action game with versatile and athletic combat. Gungeon brings the same energy to the table, but instead of sexy gods, this one is reverent to the way of the gun. It’s another game I’m happy to recommend to pretty much anyone.
- My third and final roguelite pick is going to be Returnal. This is the pick if you want a game that brings big budget energy to the equation. I’ve always had a soft spot for Housemarque, and the studio’s attempt at the genre plays great, looks great, and is highly replayable (but only on PC and PlayStation).
Head to my toplist of the best roguelikes and roguelites for more games that offer exceptional gameplay experiences.
Surviving vampires
Vampire Survivors is certainly roguish, yet the game has single-handedly spawned a bunch of imitators, so you might argue that we’re seeing a new sub-genre forming. With auto-shooter and bullet heaven being this generation’s VHS vs Betamax, I’m excited to see which term comes out on top.
The reason I’m suggesting this as an alternative to Hades is that Vampire Survivors scratched a similar but unexpected itch for me: interesting decisions.
The thing I love about both games is how often the game presents you with an interesting, inescapable decision to make. With every room cleared you get a new upgrade or resource in Hades. Similarly, in Vampire Survivors, every time you’ve grabbed enough XP you get to choose another skill to upgrade as you aim to fend off waves of not-vampires.
For more about Vampire Survivors and a bunch of other amazing auto-shooters and survivors-likes, hit this link to my article about the best bullet heaven games.
Exploring mythology
There are several games that have joined Hades in exploring Ancient Greece and the mythology of the region. If meeting the various Gods of Olympus has whet your appetite for more of Zeus and friends, the following games might be worth a look.
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey is the obvious place to start. The main game is mostly focused on franchise lore, but the DLC digs into the mythology with much greater vigor.
There’s a rather dry version of Assassin’s Creed called Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece (but why run, climb and jump through history when you can run, climb, jump and stab your way). Much more fun is the publisher’s attempt to speak to a slightly younger audience with Immortals Fenyx Rising (pictured below). This action-adventure isn’t a classic, but it’s as solid as you’d expect from a big budget Ubi game.
A Total War Saga: Troy is a very different exploration of the period. I must confess, this is the one recent historical Total War game that I’ve not played. It is one of the Saga titles, so that implies it’s got a smaller scope than a mainline series entry. I do know that it’s full of nods to the mythology of the era, though.
Age of Mythology is another strategy game that explores the era, and I have played this one (I’m talking about the original game, not the new one that just got released on PC and Xbox). While other games in the series are based on real history, this one most certainly is not – all of them are fine real-time strategy games, however. An interesting aside: Age of Mythology was one of the last games made by Ensemble Studios – it was a real shame that team was shut down.
Another new game that technically should have gone in the roguelite sub-section is Astral Ascent. I’ve moved it down here because of the link to the zodiacs. It’s also worth highlighting because it looks great, and while this is a very different game with a 2D perspective, there are also lots of similarities. You can read my Astral Ascent review to find out more.
Rogues on the horizon
There are other games like Hades on the horizon. Here are some of the highlights, including a couple of games that are already in Early Access and are looking to do something similar to Hades.
Sworn is a bit like Hades but instead of Greek mythology this adventure takes us deep into a world of Arthurian legend. I’ve played an early build and my first impressions were pretty positive.
Windblown is the new third-person action-roguelite from the people who made Dead Cells. Again, I’ve played an early version of the game and I was impressed, in this instance by the fluid controls and silky smooth high speed traversal. Definitely one to watch.
Finally, there’s the Chinese myth-infused antics of 13Z. This third-person roguelite is built around Devil May Cry inspired combat, and like Windblown it takes place on floating islands in the sky. You can read more about the 13 zodiacs right here.
