Hades and Perseverance

Supergiant's newest game, Hades, recently escaped the bowels of early access and emerged onto the bountiful plains of full release freedom. It can be defined as a roguelite; due to the core gameplay loop revolving around trying and dying with one exception. Each death makes you more permanently powerful (at your behest), instead of resetting you back to a blank slate like games in the roguelike genre.

In the game you play as Prince Zagreus, son of Hades, King of the Underworld and all round hater of his current living situation. Stuck in the pits of hell and wanting desperately to escape, he decides he'll do just that.

It's never that easy though is it?

Ever-benevolent Father Hades certainly isn't going to allow this to happen and is more than happy to employ every lost soul trapped in the underworld to kill you, even going so far as to be the final boss before breaching the surface. Ensuring that if his underlings can't do it, he will personallly bring you back to the depths you so yearn to get away from.

I knew Hades was a guaranteed hit from my time with the early access version last year however, playing it again, I felt a connection with Zagreus I wasn't expecting.

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Zagreus; and subsequently you, are told at the start of the game, escaping hell has never been done before and is considered absolutely impossible in every way. The supporting cast of greek heroes and deities alike continuely tell tales of how utterly brutal the journey to the surface will be. Not exactly believing in him but being supportive in the hopes that they'll eventually talk him out of the task after a few failed attempts.

One of the first people to offer help is Achilles, training you in combat and smuggling ancient titan-destroying weapons into your chambers to give you an edge in the trials ahead. He just about believes in Zagreus, half heartedly telling him to "keep trying lad", like a friend barely invested in the conversation.

After a few failed escape attempts, you overhear a conversation between Achilles and Nyx; your mother, in which Achilles questions your ability and whether you will ever be able to do this. Zagreus says nothing to refute his claim, Nyx tells Achilles to hold up faith, "it's all you can do", the typically quick witted character feels betrayal, so did I.

I can do this. I'll beat Hades.

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A few days ago I read a wonderful piece by Sirin Kale, written for Vogue UK titled, Is University Really Worth It Anymore? In which, they wrote frankly about the "destruction of the UK's creative sector in the space of three months". Referring of course, to the devastating impact that Covid-19 has had within the sector, going on to mention that if they were in the position now of taking up English like they did years ago, they would forgo that, instead picking a degree with more hireability when completed.

Reading it made me question whether my previous actions through University were shortsighted, which I mean, of course they were. 18 year old me had no idea what he wanted to do so picked a broad subject that he had vague interest in (Media, Journalism & Cultures), hoping that he would figure it out on the way.

He kind of managed it. Finding a love for games writing and games journalism but not much else. So, he committed and here we are today.

A blog, a global pandemic, and a dream yet unfulfilled.

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I've thought about giving up many times, feeling like it's an absolutely impossible task. Telling myself what's the point, you're going to fail anyway so why bother? Unfortunately, I listen to that voice in my head all too often.

When replaying Hades these past weeks, I connected with Zagreus, I related to that struggle, I live a struggle that feels all too familiar to his. I want to escape my personal hell and get to that all important next chapter in my life, instead of the limbo I live, with my final boss, my Hades, being my own negative thoughts.

That's when the game came together and meant so much more, Zagreus' determination is the player, without the player, he would never attempt to escape. Condemning himself to the farthest depths of hell with nothing but a vague dream and no way to achieve it.

I am an unstoppable force of determination and perserverance for a sarcastic and dry video game character, hell bent on getting him out no matter how long it takes and what dangers we both face. So then, why can't I be that driving force of perserverance for myself?

Framing it in that way helped me realise I can be and that's what I'm going to do. Time to do this, time to beat Hades.