One hell of a hack ‘n’ slash

BACK in 2020 when the world was in and out of lockdowns and working from home became a legitimate choice for office work, a surprising game lit up the already busy rogue-like genre, pulling us into a looping hell alongside Sisyphus himself.

That game was Hades, and with Hades 2 featured as one of our most anticipated titles of 2024, Netflix’s port of the original to IOS devices makes for a very timely return to get warmed up in the fires of hell.

Available as a free download with a Netflix subscription, Hades has arrived on iphones and ipads in pristine condition.

In fact, I originally played it on the Switch, so on the higher resolution screen of my phone, it’s looking even better.

Hades is a fast-paced hack n’ slash game where you’re trying to escape the depths of the underworld to take your place in Olympus, slaying all foes who get in your way, while upgrading your abilities and weapons along the way.

In true rogue-like fashion, when you die you start at the beginning again but with new abilities available to help you run further each time.

This mechanic ties in perfectly with the narrative conceit too.

There’s a strong narrative core to the game that keeps you hooked, alongside the compelling action and beautiful art style.

It’s one of the best of the genre and here it has been ported perfectly.

As such, action games on a touch screen come with a certain caveat – real buttons are far better suited to the game.

Yet, despite the usual format frustrations, I’m thoroughly enjoying being back in hell again, just without the lockdowns.