| |
| Formal Elements | |
| The Basics | NOTES |
| Name of the game | Hades |
| The platform | Windows/Steam |
| Time played (should be at least 30 minutes) | 1 hour |
| If you could work on this game (change it),what would you change and why? | If I worked on this game I would not change much i think that this game is almost perfect. If I were to add anything i would add a separate mode where you can go forever and infinitely scale, and a mode were you can play with ONE other person just as a experimental thing. |
| Players | NOTES |
| How many players are supported? | One player |
| Does it need to be an exact number? | Yes |
| How does this affect play? | It is a single player game. I think that this doesn’t affect the play if anything it makes it better because it was meant to be played this way. |
| Objectives/Goals | NOTES |
| What are the players trying to do? | The player is trying to beat hades the final boss. You will need to fight many bosses and get a lot of upgrades to your character. |
| Rules/Mechanics | In the beginning before you start you pick your keepsake which is something that you keep for the entire run ( unless you change it after a boss) that buffs you and you upgrade it permanently by getting through stages. Then if you have killed hades then you chose what heat you will do which is a difficulty setting before you start. When you start the run you start with nothing and when you spawn one random boon ( a upgrade that you keep for the entire run) and then you start by killing about 2 enemies then you go through a doorway which is labeled by what you will get next. After you go through a certain amount of gates you will fight a boss that gives a permanent material and puts you on the next stage of Hell. You will have to fight 3 different bosses until you get to the Hades stage then you have to find the bag for Cerberus. Then you fight Hades. |
| Controls | NOTES |
| What controls are used? | WASD, E,Q,1, M1, M2, SPACE |
| Was there a clear introductory tutorial? | Yes |
| Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller? | I found myself spamming because I didn’t really know how or when to use may ability or dash |
| Resources & Resource Management | NOTES |
| What kinds of resources do players control? | You get to chose between two rooms that are random with a boon/upgrade that you pick , you get to chose the specific upgrade that you get from the boon / upgrade as well, you get to chose your keepsake, and you get to chose your weapon that you use. |
| How are they maintained during play? | You will always be able to pick between what rooms you want to go in, what boons you get, and what upgrade from the boon. |
| What is their role? | Boons are a gift from the gods that give 3 choices of upgrades that relate to the god. You will get to keep the boons for the entire run. |
| Game State | NOTES |
| How much information in the game state is visible to the player? | In the game you know your HP, how many lives you have, how many boons, what boons, and how much money, what boon you will get from the next room, and when you will fight the boss |
| Sequencing | NOTES |
| In what order do players take their actions? | It is a real time game and you react to what the enemies/bossed throw at you. |
| How does play flow from one action to another? | after you kill the enemies in the room either more spawn or you are able to open the next door. |
| Player Interaction | You have direct conflict with the enemies in rooms and they attack you and you want to attack them. You also can negotiate/ trade with npcs that will give you a boon for money or they will give you extra health for less damage. |
| Theme & Narrative | NOTES |
| Does it have an actual story structure? | Yes, you are the son of Hades and Persephone and she is in the over world and you are trapped in Hell and trying to escape but Hades is trying to stop you. Through out the game when you are no doing a run you can be talking to NPCs that evolve as you complete the game or talk to them more. You also have conversations with the gods and can give them nectar and they will help you and give you stuff too. |
| Is it based on a historical event (or similar)? | Yes, kind of. It is based on Greek mythology and you interact with the gods throughout the game. |
| Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play? | Yes, in a way. interacting with NPCs will might give you a new item or a new quest to get more stuff. Interacting with the gods is only way to get boons so the theme does help you play. |
| Does it have emotional impacts? | ( Spoiler ) Yes, when you beat the game there is very happy music and you walk into the over world and see Persephone, after you talk for a bit your body starts to die and you are transported back to Hell where you have to fight through the floors again to talk to your mother |
| Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)? | Not really, you start by having a dream remembering Hades talking about Persephone and how she is your real mother and then you remember needing to meet her and then you start the game on the bottom floor of Hell. |
| The Elements in Motion | NOTES |
| How do the different elements interact? | It is a Rouge-like game and your character gets stronger over the course of the run and when you die you restart. |
| What is the gameplay like? | It is a top down at a angle. It is very fast paced game when you are fighting things but then you will have to be very smart about what upgrades you want and how you want to combo them. |
| Is it effective? | Yes, I love this game a lot and I think that everything that this game is trying to pull of is effective. |
| Are there any points where the design choices break down? | No, I feel like the design is consistent all the way through and is fun all the way through. |
| Design Critique | NOTES |
| Why did the designer make these particular choices? | I think that the designer made some of these choice to make the game more accessible to non rouge like players who don’t like the RNG factor. |
| Why this set of resources? | I think that they chose this set of resources because anyone can enjoy it. |
| What if they made different decisions? | I think that if they made different decisions it wouldn’t be as good of a game because I think that they made all of the right choices at the right time. |
| Does the design break down at any point? | No, I feel like the gameplay is strong even after playing the same floors over and over again I think that it is very hard for this game to get stale as long as you keep getting better. |
| Graphics & Sound | NOTES |
| Does the game art pair well with the mechanics? | YES, this art is so good the style fits the Greek theme perfectly. |
| Did you find any bugs or glitches? | Nope. |
| What about sound? | I think that this game has some of the best music that I have ever herd from a game |
| Can you spot any technical shortcuts? | Nope |
| Various Stages of the Game | NOTES |
| To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play: | |
| What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them? | I have challenges as I increase the difficulty and I over come them by learning new things and getting better gear. |
| Is the game fair? | Yes. |
| Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience? | I think that this game is very replayable because that is the whole point of the game to be replayed. |
| What is the intended audience? | I think that anyone can enjoy this game. |
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun?
| The core is to upgrade your character and beat Hades. It is so much fun. |
