0:00:00.680,0:00:07.079 Rogue-likes are controversial for their unconventional[br]death system: every time you die, you lose 0:00:07.079,0:00:12.440 a big chunk of the progress you made that[br]run and start the level from the bottom. 0:00:12.440,0:00:17.120 This can build frustration in your player[br]and may make them hate the game, so it is 0:00:17.120,0:00:19.090 essential to avoid that. 0:00:19.090,0:00:24.550 It could be a difficult task to properly balance[br]the rogue-like nature of a game, frustration 0:00:24.550,0:00:29.010 and engagement, and while some do it better[br]than others, Hades achieves that in a rather 0:00:29.010,0:00:34.530 unique and far from bad method, making every[br]attempt at getting out of the Underworld fresh 0:00:34.530,0:00:35.850 and worthwhile. 0:00:35.850,0:00:41.300 To find out what makes Hades so captivating[br]and entertaining, I went on a journey by finishing 0:00:41.300,0:00:46.140 the game, studying what others think of it[br]and even talking to the developers themselves 0:00:46.140,0:00:47.870 at Supergiant. 0:00:47.870,0:00:51.158 And after all of that, here is the genius[br]design 0:00:51.158,0:00:54.515 that makes escaping the Underworld engaging. 0:00:56.734,0:01:02.420 Replayability… that’s the defining characteristic[br]of any rogue-like game. 0:01:02.420,0:01:09.479 Originating back in the 90s, it means “the[br]quality or fact of being suitable for or worth 0:01:09.479,0:01:11.820 playing more than once.” 0:01:11.820,0:01:17.081 In other terms, how many times can you play[br]a game before it gets boring? 0:01:17.081,0:01:23.378 And in a rogue-like, engagement can be quite[br]literally translated to replayability. 0:01:23.378,0:01:30.150 And although an engaging game might mean something[br]different for you, for the sake of this video 0:01:30.150,0:01:34.372 I will define it as one that constantly keeps[br]you hooked. 0:01:34.372,0:01:41.300 Consider this: once the game stops being alluring,[br]the player loses interest and will most likely 0:01:41.300,0:01:42.320 stop playing. 0:01:42.320,0:01:48.439 As for Hades, the developers had to create[br]reasons for players to continue after dying 0:01:48.439,0:01:54.540 and even after finishing the game, and they[br]achieved that through diversity and progression 0:01:54.540,0:01:57.915 and some other methods… but those are for[br]another video. 0:01:57.915,0:02:03.209 To one of my questions, Greg Kasavin, [br]writer and designer at Supergiant Games 0:02:03.209,0:02:09.177 explained that "replayability was a foremost goal [br]on Hades so the multiplicative design content 0:02:09.177,0:02:14.610 and story that adapts to player progression were key aspects we focused on" 0:02:14.610,0:02:19.809 Before diving deeper into these matters, let[br]me tell you about the combat system – because 0:02:19.809,0:02:23.518 this is what the player will take part in[br]most of the time. 0:02:25.689,0:02:31.559 From a mechanical standpoint, we can say that[br]Hades has been built with "fun" in mind. 0:02:31.559,0:02:37.889 An impactful combat system, a satisfying escape[br]mechanic, challenging enemies and various 0:02:37.889,0:02:43.949 creative ways to kill your foes, such as using[br]the environment to deal damage or luring enemies 0:02:43.949,0:02:48.750 into traps, all come together and form the[br]base gameplay loop. 0:02:48.750,0:02:55.299 But fighting the dead and avoiding becoming[br]one yourself can be engaging only for so long, 0:02:55.299,0:02:59.040 so diversity was essential in a game like[br]Hades. 0:02:59.040,0:03:04.709 Initially, your only weapon is a sword, but[br]over time, you can choose from five other 0:03:04.709,0:03:10.260 weapons, such as a bow, a shield or... the[br]Exagryph, a sort of rail gun. 0:03:10.260,0:03:16.799 The more weapons there are, the more incentives[br]you give the player to try to escape again, 0:03:16.799,0:03:19.219 making future runs feel new. 0:03:19.219,0:03:24.840 Furthermore, each weapon has four of these[br]so-called "aspects", which are upgrades and 0:03:24.840,0:03:27.909 changes to the initial set of weapons. 0:03:27.909,0:03:32.969 All of these added together make twenty-four weapons in total. 0:03:32.969,0:03:38.669 Throughout your play through, you meet characters[br]such as gods, like Zeus or Athena, and other 0:03:38.669,0:03:41.510 mythological figures, like Sisyphus. 0:03:41.510,0:03:47.459 Everyone you meet in the game is, basically,[br]a spin off from how we imagine Greek mythology 0:03:47.459,0:03:51.213 personalities, interpreted in a humoristic[br]and authentic way. 0:03:51.213,0:03:53.737 Zagreus: My ransacking was a delight, [br]thank you for asking 0:03:53.737,0:03:56.111 Zagreus: So, I'll just be on my way, again. 0:03:56.229,0:04:02.510 The constant, funny interactions you take[br]part in, while usually short, hook your attention 0:04:02.510,0:04:03.969 back into the action. 0:04:03.969,0:04:10.569 The gameplay purpose of these characters is[br]to aid you on your journey by offering boons 0:04:10.569,0:04:11.799 or buffs. 0:04:11.799,0:04:14.519 These help make each run different. 0:04:14.519,0:04:20.759 Lastly, every level of the Underworld introduces[br]new types of enemies, gradually harder to 0:04:20.759,0:04:26.249 beat, which bring new challenges with them,[br]to the point this variety is almost overwhelming 0:04:26.249,0:04:28.169 - in a good way. 0:04:28.169,0:04:33.539 Consider this tough guy: his shield blocks[br]damage coming from the opposite direction. 0:04:33.539,0:04:38.770 Naturally, you need to dash behind and stab[br]him in the back while he's trying his best 0:04:38.770,0:04:40.259 to turn around. 0:04:40.259,0:04:43.690 This can be creatively approached if you use[br]the spear. 0:04:43.690,0:04:48.800 Instead of trying to get behind him, you can[br]use its special to throw it, which initially 0:04:48.800,0:04:50.419 won't deal damage. 0:04:50.419,0:04:53.120 But on its way back it will backstab your[br]foe. 0:04:53.120,0:05:00.349 And so, the 30-something types of enemies[br]ensure you are frequently exposed to new challenges. 0:05:00.349,0:05:05.460 You might have noticed that Hades promotes[br]freedom of choice in most of its mechanics 0:05:05.460,0:05:11.050 and systems: you are not restricted to using[br]a single weapon, you get to choose which room 0:05:11.050,0:05:13.354 you are going to face next, and you decide 0:05:13.354,0:05:16.759 what bonus to receive [br]from the characters you meet. 0:05:16.759,0:05:21.819 Practically, you get to create your own path,[br]builds, and play styles. 0:05:21.819,0:05:27.949 I think it's safe to say that playing Hades[br]puts you, quite literally, in the role of 0:05:27.949,0:05:32.800 a game designer that needs to discover various[br]ways of playing. 0:05:32.800,0:05:38.139 It's not necessarily that Hades is inherently[br]mechanically attractive - although it is because 0:05:38.139,0:05:42.283 of its fast-paced adrenaline-inducing style[br]- but because you have 0:05:42.283,0:05:44.770 so many choices over how you play. 0:05:44.770,0:05:48.389 This is one of the elements that reinforce[br]engagement. 0:05:48.389,0:05:55.169 You, basically, have over 20 styles of playing[br]based on which weapon you use, and, practically, 0:05:55.169,0:05:58.030 infinitely many combinations of boons. 0:05:58.030,0:06:03.127 And this is where Hades really shines as a[br]rogue-like, in terms of replayability. 0:06:04.274,0:06:09.550 But there is one element above killing the[br]dead and getting through the layers of Hell 0:06:09.550,0:06:11.951 that drives the story: death 0:06:17.491,0:06:21.138 – the intrinsic system of any rogue-like. 0:06:21.138,0:06:27.099 Generally, in a game, death means you have[br]to start from the last save with more experience 0:06:27.099,0:06:28.499 than the last time. 0:06:28.499,0:06:34.229 But in Hades, death has a dual nature: one[br]that penalizes you for dying and forces you 0:06:34.229,0:06:39.040 to start over and one that rewards you with[br]story and gameplay progression. 0:06:39.040,0:06:44.639 So, to spend the goodies you got during a[br]run to get stronger, you need to return to 0:06:44.639,0:06:46.340 the House of Hades. 0:06:46.340,0:06:52.039 But that is unimportant when you consider[br]the brilliant design of being able to interact 0:06:52.039,0:06:55.409 with a character only once per return. 0:06:55.409,0:06:58.749 This forces you, in a sense, to die. 0:06:58.749,0:07:05.469 That’s the genius design choice that dictates[br]the pace of the story, hides the limited interaction 0:07:05.469,0:07:10.880 and repeated dialogues between you and the[br]other Gods, and eliminates frustration, knowing 0:07:10.880,0:07:14.419 you get to see your progress and what happens[br]next. 0:07:14.419,0:07:21.020 And you should die, if you want to fully experience[br]the game and learn everything the characters 0:07:21.020,0:07:23.658 have to say because the game has a staggering 0:07:23.658,0:07:27.439 number of over twenty thousand lines of dialogue. 0:07:27.439,0:07:31.539 Kasavin explains this as following: “It was 0:07:31.539,0:07:38.060 also a commitment to our idea of giving the[br]game a narrative context throughout a rogue-like 0:07:38.060,0:07:39.439 experience game. 0:07:39.439,0:07:45.360 It’s an infinitely replayable game, so ideally[br]it should have infinite content. 0:07:45.360,0:07:50.610 But someone does have to write that stuff,[br]and we have to stop at some point." 0:07:50.610,0:07:53.219 But what happens when the game ends? 0:07:53.219,0:07:57.009 Or, more exactly, when does the game end? 0:07:57.009,0:08:02.300 It is bound that you will escape the Underworld[br]at some point, technically achieving your 0:08:02.300,0:08:03.300 goal. 0:08:03.300,0:08:07.379 But through a strange occurrence which I will[br]not describe, for the sake of spoilers, you 0:08:07.379,0:08:10.573 get to keep trying to escape again and again. 0:08:10.573,0:08:12.118 Zagreus: All right, one more time 0:08:12.118,0:08:17.830 But, although the developers created good[br]reasons to play in the first place, what is 0:08:17.830,0:08:23.389 the reason to continue, now that you're most[br]likely familiar with its diversity and story? 0:08:23.389,0:08:26.669 The story doesn't end when you first escape. 0:08:26.669,0:08:32.750 You need to beat it 9 more times to learn[br]everything there is to be learnt. 0:08:32.750,0:08:38.169 After the first time you escape, you can also[br]accept a Pact of Punishment and make the game 0:08:38.169,0:08:40.260 harder through various modifiers. 0:08:40.260,0:08:46.550 And, if those aren't enough to make one continue,[br]the game incorporates an achievement system, 0:08:46.550,0:08:49.200 which is far from easy to complete. 0:08:49.200,0:08:55.180 While the last two - modifiers and achievements[br]- are nothing new nor unique, together they 0:08:55.180,0:08:58.139 do add another layer to keeping you hooked. 0:08:58.139,0:09:04.170 Admittedly, Hades does much more under the[br]hood to make you keep playing, and undoubtedly 0:09:04.170,0:09:09.620 these have their impact on engagement, but[br]I hardly think they can compare to what I 0:09:09.620,0:09:11.400 have talked about above. 0:09:12.120,0:09:19.029 So, this is how Hades, a game that might[br]seem repetitive and frustrating, manages to 0:09:19.029,0:09:22.720 keep its players engaged and always wanting[br]more. 0:09:22.720,0:09:28.950 By combining great mechanics with freedom[br]of choice and all sorts of obstacles, reinventing 0:09:28.950,0:09:34.610 mythological characters in an authentic way[br]and giving death a new meaning, Supergiant 0:09:34.610,0:09:41.180 succeeded in making the iterative process[br]of escaping the Underworld constantly engaging. 0:09:41.180,0:09:46.540 You're given reasons to come back at every[br]step of the story, having more to try out 0:09:46.540,0:09:49.154 and more to learn about the game. 0:09:49.839,0:09:54.200 If you want to be up to date with this new[br]series, then subscribe and leave a like if 0:09:54.200,0:09:55.570 you enjoyed the video. 0:09:55.570,0:10:00.490 If you want to support me, then become a patron[br]like these kind folks, to whom I want to thank 0:10:00.490,0:10:06.442 for making this video possible: Aviram Ifm,[br]Bader AlQahtani, Giovanni Pena, 0:10:06.442,0:10:10.314 Golden Glow Master, Realitätsverlust and Waifuislaifu. 0:10:10.314,0:10:13.498 That's it for the first video in this [br]new series. 0:10:13.498,0:10:16.816 Thank you so much for watching, [br]I'll catch you in the next one!