Better on Hard: Hades

Videogame difficulty is a weird thing, as the level of challenge is such a personal and subjective topic.

- By Martin Heath

How does one account for a new player vs a veteran? Usually, it comes down to upping damage taken and lowering damage done, but sometimes you come across a game that somehow comes alive when the difficulty is turned up to 11. Be it with new mechanics, emergent qualities, or simply a need to be more tactical, these games manage to change a plain experience into something... more. This time, we're looking at possibly my favourite use of mechanics difference to add difficulty, Hades. Beware of spoilers.

So far in this little series discussing difficulty in our favourite electronic pastime, we've mostly looked at instances where a game has gone against “good difficulty” and opted for the easier approach of more damage or more enemies, but still emerged as a better experience. As such, I thought it's about time we explore a title that actually does follow what I'd call good difficulty guidelines.

In the isometric roguelite Hades, once you have completed your inaugural trip to the surface, you will unlock the Heat system. As you set off to brave your father's realm yet again, you are given the option to activate modifiers, which will increase your Heat level and make the journey more challenging. For example, you could give all of the enemies an extra layer of protection, give yourself a time limit, or give the bosses a few extra tricks to even the odds (more on this later).