Tag Archives: Hades

Digital Playground

Hades is a Gift: From the Vault

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Editors Note

In an effort to keep the page going while we are in Germany, I got the idea to rerun articles from the past. From the Vault Series 2 brings an article from last Christmas about the independent game, Hades.

Introduction

Merry Christmas!

Welcome and Merry Christmas! Last year, my son bought me Hades for the Nintendo Switch on the recommendation of Chris. Therefore, truly Hades is a gift. I played the game some during the week of break. After that, I needed to concentrate on not losing my job, so I had little time for such frivolity. Then, I misplaced the game. Finally, I completely forgot about it until I realized break neared again.

I bought the game digitally in anticipation. Then, while putting my clothes away, I found the cartridge. So, if anyone wants a digital copy of Hades, I might be able to gift it to you. Send me an email and I’ll see what I can do.

What is Hades?

I never reviewed the game last year. I thought I did, but maybe I just included it in one of my Game of the Year articles at the end of the year. Hades follows your character, the son of Hades, through the land of the gods as he hacks and slashes his way to more power.

It resembles Diablo in game play. That alone gave me reason to try. I enjoyed all of the Diablo clones I played. Torchlight II became my favorite game for several months about 5 or 6 years ago. It was the subject of the lost episode 2 of the original run of the podcast.

Why is Hades a Gift?

Hades sweetens the deal with unique gameplay that follows the lore of the pantheon. One of the ways that you advance in the game is by dying. You come back and increase your abilities before plunging again into the dungeon of the Underworld. I like that wrinkle to the game. It takes a frustrating part of other games (dying and having to start over) and removes that frustration. Further, it almost makes dying an incentive. You die to take a breather from the dungeon crawling.

The game also has a unique, cartoon graphics engine that works seamlessly with the cut scenes to build a living, breathing world. The characters add to that with their own personalities based also on the lore of the gods if available. Some characters are specific to the game, but they still made me laugh more than once with their antics.

The Verdict

I played Hades again some last week. I managed to pull the Switch away from Quinn and Liam (they’ve been playing the new Pokemon game) to get a couple of games in. I still enjoyed playing even though it took me some time to get used to the controls again. In between games of Mario Party, Mario Kart, and them playing Pokemon, I hope to play more during this break. I also bought new controllers for the XBox, so I’m sure Quinn, Aiden, and I will get some Minecraft in, too. Be prepared for reports on all of it.

Digital Playground

2023 Console Look Ahead

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Introduction

After the disappointment of the PC Gaming article, I dreaded researching this one a little bit. In fact, I even considered finishing the week with a bang because I enjoyed writing the tabletop one so much more than I expected. Then, I actually searched for the games being released this year. I came up with a solid half dozen that excite me. Even so, I’ll spice this article up by treating it like an awards show. Join me, then, for 2 Guys Gaming’s 2023 Console Look Ahead Awards!

Note: I used the following list for information on these games. If some of them end up being postponed or cancelled, I blame Games Radar. I’m sure they have a much higher budget than we do and can absorb the scorn.

The “I Just Texted Chris….” Award

Earlier in the week, I realized that I wrote notes in my schedule for several tabletop games to write about for “New Year, New Games” and exactly zero video games. I searched for new games coming out and this one caught my eye.

Then, earlier today, I just texted Chris to see if he played any of them. “No,” he replied, “I own one but never played it.” He mentioned that they often get good reviews, so this game will be the first one featured on the page this year. It is also the first new release game featured, maybe ever.

The “I Miss Gran Turismo” Award

Back in the old days, I played way too much Gran Turismo. I convinced myself that I needed to get all of the gold trophies or whatever achievements they offered at the time. Then, I got stuck on one of the cornering challenges and quickly gave up that dream.

I never got over the crush that I hold for that game. Other than Out Run (yes, I am that old), it remains the only racing game I played extensively. Just looking at that screen of Forza up there gives me chills and makes me pine for those days of thunder.

The “Why Is This Only Listed for PC?” Award

I play the first one on the Switch. Why is this one only listed for PC? Also, why was this one not listed in the PC gaming article that I used for research? Come on, people! Websites run by a single individual rely on you to do the heavy lifting so we can appear more professional with less effort.

Okay, back to the original question. Where is the Switch version? Of course, I know where it is. It is in 2025 or whenever the developer finally gets around to writing the port for the Switch. Thankfully, Nintendo made it easier to program for the Switch than past consoles, but the poor Switch doesn’t get these titles until well past their prime.

The “Just Update the Main Title Already” Award

When Microsoft acquired Mojang and Minecraft, gamers lost their collective shit. Because, that’s what gamers do. They also lost their shit when Hasbro acquired Wizards of the Coast and Activision acquired Blizzard. What makes me laugh about that one is that I forever remember Activision as an indy developer for the Atari 2600 and not the behemoth that they are today.

I reserved judgement. Because, that’s what I do. While not a fan of multinational conglomerates on any level, I like it when companies get an influx of cash and know what to do with it. Blizzard made Hearthstone the best digital card game by far and Wizards expanded all of their properties far beyond mortal comprehension. Hell, I read that MtG alone is a billion dollar valuation. How does that relate back to Minecraft? Well, I’m losing my shit now. Microsoft, stop with these side projects and just update Minecraft again already.

The “Zelda is the Princess” Award

I both saved this one for the penultimate because I love Zelda (finish with a flourish, right?) and because I tried to come up with the perfect version of the old Zelda joke. I failed spectacularly on the latter. We all agree on that, right?

Also, the sad truth of it all is that I haven’t played a Zelda game since Wind Waker, I think. Yikes. So, my claim to love the Zelda games even perches precariously on a cliff, ready at any moment to fall and expose me as a fraud and a poseur. Let’s move on, shall we?

The “Most Likely to Get Me to Buy a PS5” Award

I think I said the same about the original Spider-Man and PS3. Maybe even the Miles Morales version and PS4. Maybe I have my timelines mixed up, but I always wanted to play all of the Spider-Man games. To date, I played exactly zero of them.

I bought a PS3 for Christmas one year because someone sold it used at a very good price and included a bunch of games. I never bought a PS4 because I went with the XBox One instead. So, like my Zelda claims, this one seems dubious at best. But, stay tuned. Things might change.

The Verdict

I expected little out of this 2023 console look ahead. Then, those last two sections landed with a bit of a thud. Nevertheless, I remain committed to the excitement that I found in these six games and tried to convey with the cheekiness of the 2023 Console Look Ahead awards conceit. Thanks for joining us for our annual looks ahead and stay tuned for the content for the rest of the year.

Digital Playground

Hades is a Gift

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Introduction

Merry Christmas!

Welcome and Merry Christmas! Last year, my son bought me Hades for the Nintendo Switch on the recommendation of Chris. Therefore, truly Hades is a gift. I played the game some during the week of break. After that, I needed to concentrate on not losing my job, so I had little time for such frivolity. Then, I misplaced the game. Finally, I completely forgot about it until I realized break neared again.

I bought the game digitally in anticipation. Then, while putting my clothes away, I found the cartridge. So, if anyone wants a digital copy of Hades, I might be able to gift it to you. Send me an email and I’ll see what I can do.

What is Hades?

I never reviewed the game last year. I thought I did, but maybe I just included it in one of my Game of the Year articles at the end of the year. Hades follows your character, the son of Hades, through the land of the gods as he hacks and slashes his way to more power.

It resembles Diablo in game play. That alone gave me reason to try. I enjoyed all of the Diablo clones I played. Torchlight II became my favorite game for several months about 5 or 6 years ago. It was the subject of the lost episode 2 of the original run of the podcast.

Why is Hades a Gift?

Hades sweetens the deal with unique gameplay that follows the lore of the pantheon. One of the ways that you advance in the game is by dying. You come back and increase your abilities before plunging again into the dungeon of the Underworld. I like that wrinkle to the game. It takes a frustrating part of other games (dying and having to start over) and removes that frustration. Further, it almost makes dying an incentive. You die to take a breather from the dungeon crawling.

The game also has a unique, cartoon graphics engine that works seamlessly with the cut scenes to build a living, breathing world. The characters add to that with their own personalities based also on the lore of the gods if available. Some characters are specific to the game, but they still made me laugh more than once with their antics.

The Verdict

I played Hades again some last week. I managed to pull the Switch away from Quinn and Liam (they’ve been playing the new Pokemon game) to get a couple of games in. I still enjoyed playing even though it took me some time to get used to the controls again. In between games of Mario Party, Mario Kart, and them playing Pokemon, I hope to play more during this break. I also bought new controllers for the XBox, so I’m sure Quinn, Aiden, and I will get some Minecraft in, too. Be prepared for reports on all of it.

Digital Playground, On the Tabletop

Top 5 January 2022: A Look Ahead

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Introduction

This Top 5 January 2022 article comes about a week late. We here at 2 Guys Gaming consider that a victory after disappearing for two whole months at the end of last year. Also, unless I come up with something else while writing the article, this top 5 January 2022 might be only a top 4.

Will I make it to 5? Stay tuned to find out.

Top 5 January 2022

Well, that wasn’t at all suspenseful, was it? I learned over the last few years from people that I love who suffer from anxiety that suspense is overrated.

5. Geocaching – I will talk about this more on my other page. However, it became such a part of my life over the last 3rd of last year, I’d be doing a disservice by not mentioning it here, too. I currently have two goals for the year. Finish out my 365/366 consecutive days of caching and finding 1000 caches in the calendar year. Check out the other page to keep tabs.

4. Homebrew Games – I recently hooked up my Atari 2600 emulator to the downstairs TV again. I only played a few minutes of Frostbite and Circus Convoy. The latter reminded me how much I enjoyed the other homebrew games I purchased at the beginning of last year. So, I found myself on the Atari homebrew page again thinking about what new games I want for a 50 year old video game system.

3. New Games – I actually put together a Christmas list for the first time in years. On the list, I asked for a few new games. I saw Chess Ultra at Walmart for 13 bucks and Chris recommended Hades. I also asked for the new Metroid game before realizing it cost 60 bucks. But, I got Hades and Chess. I played through a few minutes of Hades, texting Chris the whole time and can’t wait to play more. Plus, Chess is always a winner.

2. Dungeons and Dragons Duels – I talked about this in my previous article wrapping up my favorites of last year. Quinn and I never got a chance to sit down and have a session. But I remain committed to making it happen. We have the same February vacation this year. Expect an update after that.

1. MtG Commander – I also wrote about this in my year end wrap among other articles. Unlike Duels, though, Chris and I actually got to play some Commander while watching Alabama eviscerate Georgia in the SEC Championship. As it turns out, Georgia gave Bama the rope a dope in that game and turned the tide (ha ha) earlier this week. I’d have lost my house if I didn’t think the line was super fishy. But, alas, back to the point. More Commander not this weekend, but next.

The Verdict

Our top 5 January 2022 seems less intriguing than our preview last year. However, it is far more sustainable over the long run since I’m not promising to play 75 games that I’ll never even speak of again as long as we live. Also, honestly, I’m not sure what else to write this week, so it might be a bit of a dry stretch until we play Commander again next week. Plus, there will be at least three of us there! See you then.