Summer: Hades!!!!!!!!!!!
Jillian: i was actually just playing hades right before this
i’m about to get to the final fight in elysium
Summer: hell yeah
Jillian: ok so to start us off—you played hades way before me, like a while ago, and wrote about it in the newsletter
Summer: yes!!
Jillian: so why don’t you talk a little bit about what made you what to play it & why you liked it so much
take us through your hades journey
Summer: ok! so
our mutual friend pan was the biggest encourage-r of me getting it
i had seen the trailer during the nintendo indie world right before it officially dropped
and i was like ???? this game looks fucking awesome, but i was kind of hesitant because the last indie game i had bought had a game-breaking glitch
Jillian: rip
Summer: and i was like i don’t want to spend money and not be able to play lol
Jillian: i remember seeing that trailer and being like ah looks cool i guess but that’s not really my kind of game so i probably won’t play it, lol
Summer: yeah, same. i was like this combat style doesn’t seem like my thing ???? but everyone told me it was…
and it was! the game is actually exactly my thing! the way it plays with difficulty is the perfect way for me to feel consistently engaged
Jillian: so where are you at in the game currently
Summer: so i’ve “beaten” it, both escaped the underworld enough times to get the credits scene & gotten the epilogue
Jillian: oh!!!!! wait congrats
Summer: but there are still a few scenes i want to trigger before i really feel “done” with it
Jillian: there’s so much to do
Summer: THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO!!!!!!!!!
my highest heat is 11 with the trident (i have 10 with the shield and the gauntlets as well) and the idea of going higher is making me shake
Jillian: i don’t even fully know what that means yet sdkfljdsfl
i have an idea but only sort of
Summer: have you unlocked the pact of punishment? i don’t remember when it happens haha
i think maybe after 10 escapes…
Jillian: i have! i started playing about two weeks ago and have managed to escape the underworld twice thanks to god mode and lots of boons
Summer: hell yeah ok
Jillian: i think you unlock it after the first escape
Summer: that makes more sense
Jillian: i’m just not super familiar with it yet since i haven’t had a lot of escape attempts since then
Summer: how are you enjoying it?
Jillian: oh i’m loving it
so much
like i said, i didn’t think it was my kind of game
but you and a bunch of my other friends seemed to love it so much that i decided i should at least give it a shot
and i pretty much fell in love with it immediately
it’s just really really fun to play. i keep saying this, but i don’t think gameplay videos fully capture how fun it feels.
Summer: no, seriously.
it is SO. FUN. it’s EXCITING.
Jillian: the gameplay and the combat itself is a blast
we were just talking about this before but i love the range of weapons you have & how you are encouraged to switch it up each time so you never get bored with one style of playing
AND THEN you add the weapon aspects on top of it which makes it even MORE fun ok ok ok
speaking of, what’s your fav weapon and aspect
Summer: YES! and then with the pact of punishment there are new ways to make the gameplay different too!!!! it’s just endless!
OH ok my favorite is
the spear, aspect of hades
Jillian: the spear is very fun
so far my favorite weapon is the shield i think but i really like playing with all of them (except the bow and the gun lol)
Summer: but yeah i love the spear, i love that it’s both a distance and close-range weapon, i love the spinny attack, i love switching between the aspect of achilles and aspect of hades bc it’s like, Dad?
what’s your fave aspect on the shield
Jillian: i don’t know much about the different aspects yet but i just played with aspect of talos on the gauntlets and it was so fun
Summer: I LOVE ASPECT OF TALOS
it’s my favorite to use w/ the gauntlets
Jillian: i feel like aspect of chaos is my favorite shield aspect but i haven’t used them all enough to know yet
the beauty of this game……….there’s so much to do and so many ways to play it…….you will never get bored……..
plus aside from all of that the story is so good and the dialogue and the voice acting is so good
Summer: seriously!!!
Jillian: like i just love it all so much
Summer: every aspect of this game is perfect?
Jillian: IT REALLY IS
there’s not a single thing i don’t like about it truly
Summer: it’s kind of bonkers. sometimes i think about other games i love & how i don’t care about weaker aspects because of how good the rest of it is
like, the voice acting in BOTW is so cringey but it’s like whatever that’s not the point
but this one….it’s all perfect
Jillian: and from a cool indie studio too
Summer: right? like? an indie studio did this!
Jillian: the amount of awards hades has gotten this year makes me want to cry a little bit like i’m so proud……..i didn’t even make the game……i didn’t even start playing it until this month but i still feel so proud of them
Summer: same i feel so emotional…
Jillian: but like it’s well deserved! it really is a fantastic game!
Summer: imagine…creating a productive work environment that encourages people to take care of themselves and leave work at work…
produces….something incredible?
Jillian: i want to be like haha what’s your favorite part but i feel like that’s such a hard question to answer
especially without spoiling the plot i guess
Summer: but yeah. we’ve talked a lot about game play but i honestly would love to discuss story a little ??
YEAH NO SPOILIES
Jillian: yes!!! let’s do it!!!
this will be interesting because you fully know the story and i know basically none of it
Summer: so i do think that the game does an impeccable job of making sure the base mechanic of Constantly Escaping MAKE SENSE with the story
which is just…it’s so good! i’m used to games where they just pretend like you never beat the last boss
Jillian: it does! i was so curious how that was all going to work and then it happens and you’re like oh right duh this makes so much sense
and it works really well because it really sort of puts you in zagreus’ shoes where like, you want to keep escaping to find out more of the story, just like he does
Summer: exactly it’s so cool
he is such a sweet boy i love him as a protagonist
so polite…
Jillian: i love him so very much
also i’m not going to pretend i really know anything about greek mythology but it’s really fun to have characters like achilles and patroclus, and orpheus and eurydice with their own little stories
and also whatever the hell chaos is doing
Summer: i love listening to the musical Hadestown while playing this game
and just being like…what’s up with all of this why do we love these stories so much lol
but yeah it’s so ??? nice to see the way that. at its core this game is about reuniting family skldjfskldjfsk
Jillian: where is that percy jackson remake @disney
Summer: FOR REAL i can’t wait to see hades and persephone sitcom couple done right lmao
Jillian: i’ve thought about rereading those books so much this year since it seems like we’re all really into revisiting things from our childhood lately but ultimately i’m too lazy
and also maybe it’s ok for some things to stay in your childhood
Summer: LMAO i think i’m going to do it in the new year
but yeah it’s been really fun to experience greek myths in a new way
Jillian: i would be down to do a book club with you
Summer: PLS
it would be so fun
Jillian: ok great love it
Summer: ok so there are a ton of video games that use greek mythology as a basis for their story
yet i’ve never played any of them
so it was really fun to be able to experience these stories via game
AND ALSO LIKE…the way so much of it is like, Post-The Stories You Know, instead of playing through the stories…we know….
Jillian: me neither! what are some you’re thinking of
Summer: god of war is one, i watched hazem play the newest one and it’s p sick. i know there’s an ancient greece assassin’s creed too.
Jillian: wait side note does zagreus exist in greek myth or was he invented for hades
Summer: HE EXISTS
Jillian: WAIT
Summer: isn’t that crazy
i didn’t know
Jillian: that’s bonkers
DOES THANATOS?????
Summer: Y U P
Jillian: FUCUKCF
well i have some wikipedia pages to read later
Summer: so yeah! that’s the thing—everything is based in some myth
which is just…so good!
Jillian: that’s very very cool
Summer: it’s just so well done! it’s not tired, it pulls from more obscure myth, it does such a nice job making myths feel contemporary too?
like artemis isn’t an ambiguous lesbian she just is
achilles and patroclus ARE in love
Jillian: they ARE and i’m happy for them
oh what do you think about the decision to not include some of the olympians like apollo
Summer: it’s confusing
like it might have been a time thing?
Jillian: obviously it’s tricky to include everyone and have a billion characters but yeah it is a little weird isn’t it
it’s like what was he doing
Summer: which is super valid. but i’m like…did apollo just say fuck that i’m not helping my cousin
Jillian: i mean he might have
Summer: i really like the way the olympians are characterized
i like that some of the other gods / minor gods are represented in the aspects
for the weapons
Jillian: me too!
i wonder what an apollo boon would have looked like
Summer: omg right….like….he just makes music what does that help
Jillian: i feel like apollo’s boons would have been similar to dionysius or aphrodite
Summer: yeah, that would make sense. i think a hestia boon that works sort of like ares’s would have been cool, like “burn damage”
Jillian: oh speaking of boons……….what are some of your favs
i always go for artemis boons
Summer: artemis is my GIRL
literally always
i love that one that gives you extra little arrows every time you use anything
Jillian: me too!
i also really like basically all dash boons
especially poseidon’s
Summer: yes!!! poseidon has such good boons, i love his call
i also really like athena boons
Jillian: oh and ATHENA’S boons yes
Summer: i try to get one deflect every go around…
Jillian: athena and artemis are my favorites
i love to deflect everything
i also really like some of the aphrodite boons just because they are pink
and that makes me happy
Summer: i really like piling ares’s doom + any sort of revenge damage + the artemis extra arrows….it’s super chaotic
Jillian: oh yes
it’s really cool to see how they all play with each other to make you extremely powerful lol
Summer: i love talking to dionysus but his boons aren’t my favorite lol. i also always love talking to hermes
Jillian: dionysus has one boon that i got recently that i liked but i forget what it was please hold
ah, basically any of his healing boons are good
and i do like hermes boons for either giving me money or making me go fast
Summer: YEAH i love healing boons and i love to go fast
there’s this one artemis boon that gives you +1 on your cast
Jillian: i almost never go for those ones because i am constantly forgetting to use my cast
Summer: my dream build is like….poseidon call, doom on both attack and special, artemis arrows, athena cast, zeus dash…all good
i love using the cast! since i realized it’s like…zag’s Special Thing as a God it made me emotional lmao
Jillian: wait what oh that’s so cute
well now i have to use it
Summer: right….when i realized
oh i love how the codex w/ all of the info on gods & stuff is written from achille’s pov
it’s SO CUTE
Jillian: ME TOO
thank you achilles for being such a major character in this game it makes me happy
achilles father figure
Summer: it’s so sweet….dad…
before i realized what giving nectar to ppl was actually doing i was just like One for my Dog, one for my Dad
Jillian: basically skdgljsdklfsd
now i try to save them for meg and than
i’m excited to get to a point in the game where i’m less interested in actually making it out every time and more interested in just gathering materials so i can decorate the house
but right now i’m still riding the high of my tiny escape streak
Summer: omg that’s kind of where i am at
i started decorating the west hall i’m obsessed w/ making it nice for thanatos even though he’ll never use the furniture
Jillian: anything for thanatos
Summer: the only thing i don’t like about this game is that you can’t SIT
I WANT TO SIT
Jillian: you should be able to sit in every game
huge quality of life improvement
acnh was right for that
Summer: exactly…
Jillian: AND stardew valley just added it in their latest update
incredible
Summer: all games need it
i hope the next botw has it
Jillian: the people are starting to realize
all we want to do is sit
Summer: all we want is to sit and pet dog
Jillian: and fish
Summer: the Big Three
Jillian: speaking of fishing i keep forgetting that’s a thing i can do in hades
Summer: omg it’s so cute
Jillian: i’m really not good at remembering
Summer: same, i always leave before checking for a fish point
Jillian: sometimes i’ll be on my way out of a chamber and then realize that there was one
i wish zag would say something about it maybe to make you realize
Summer: oh sometimes he does
he’ll be like “oh a fishing point”
Jillian: not enough!!!!!!
Summer: i know
omg i watched this video a little bit ago on user interfaces
and it talked about this game that a lot of people complained about the player character saying things like “guess i’m done here” when there was no more stuff to loot in a room
i think it was the last of us. and it’s like
why would you complain about that
that’s GREAT
Jillian: WHY WOULD YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT
that’s literally a thing that i need
Summer: YEAH it’s like…actually these things are so useful!
Jillian: i’m all about games that lovingly hold my hand and tell me what to do
Summer: same, i feel like i don’t want to waste time in a room feeling stressed about what’s in it if i don’t need to be
and sometimes w/ hades i am going FAST
Jillian: exactly
Summer: if zag sees a fishing point…lmk buddy
Jillian: unless i have dusa’s keepsake equipped and i’m going around to check all the urns for food i’m usually not doing a full sweep before i leave a chamber
Summer: same! i love dusa’s keepsake, it’s my favorite
Jillian: it’s so good
lately i’ve been using than’s keepsake in the beginning and switching to skelly’s before elysium
Summer: have you gotten any cthonic companions yet?
Jillian: no what is that
wow there’s still so much for me to unlock in this game i love it
Summer: it’s like a little buddy that people will give you when your bond is strong enough that helps you out :)
than and dusa’s is my favorite
Jillian: that’s so cute!!!!! what
wow i can’t wait
Summer: I KNOW they’re literally like stuffed animals that help you battle klsdjfkldsjflksj
the thing about this being an indie game that’s only been out for so many months is that i’m sure there are things i don’t even Know about that i haven’t gotten yet!!!
i love it…i love discovery
Jillian: me too!!!!!! wow
so basically this game is the best and we love it
Summer: i highly recommend, also i bought the soundtrack on bandcamp and that’s been great too
absolutely my Game of the Year
Jillian: oh i should do that
the music is fantastic
Summer: sorry animal crossing i love you…
Jillian: i enjoyed a lot of games this year! especially games that i did not think i was going to enjoy that much!
between fe3h and hades i’m realizing that my ideas about what types of games are “for me” are really silly and i should just play anything that looks cool and is recommended to me by friends
no more “oh i don’t really know if i like dungeon crawlers” bullshit
Summer: yes, absolutely. i feel that way too
every game can be good as long as there are things in place to make it appealing ? for different types of gamers ?
Jillian: my next hurdle is platformers
Summer: maybe i’ll follow w/ celeste after you play it
Jillian: yes! celeste looks very good i’m excited to play it eventually
is there anything else you want to bring up, any final thoughts about why this game is the best and we love it?
Summer: music is GOOD. romance plotlines are GOOD. zag is the BEST BOY!
Jillian: THE BEST BOY oh also: god mode rocks
Summer: oh absolutely
the idea of playing with it off or with hell mode….no thanks
Jillian: like congrats to anyone who enjoys playing without it but i absolutely love god mode, as someone who wants to enjoy playing a game without it being super super difficult
Summer: thank you Hades creators who let us go through the sweet sweet plot
Jillian: we love you dearly
ok so i think i’m going to go play more hades right now and see if i can make it out of the underworld a third time (update: i did indeed make it out a third time)
Summer: hell yes
Jillian: thank you for talking about this wonderful game with me i’m so glad we get to do this
Summer: ME TOO
it is SO FUN To have fun and talk about games that are good
Jillian: right!!!
ok goodbye sweet summ
Summer: have fun friend!!!!