It can be hard to beat, depending on your ‘skill’ with that sort of game.

If you’re really struggling, I would recommend getting the mod that allows you to ‘pick’ a particular god that you like, and it will keep giving you that god as the powerup choice. This lets you get the ‘rare’ upgrades more often, which is where the game really seems to peg its difficulty level at. RNG screws over a strategy more often than anything else in hades. Sure, if you’re really trying to be the best hades player ever, you won’t really have problems, but for more casual players it is more critical to have good upgrades.

*If you do get that mod, remember that you can switch which god you’re being given, and find a combo power that you really like. Some good choices are demeter, zeus, artemis. Demeter’s laser beams, artemis’s criticals, those do well together. Zeus’s lightning combines well with several other powers. Demeter’s cool ‘upgrade the rarity’ power is also amazing which is why she pairs well with everyone else.

If you do everything right, and don’t fuck anything up, it just works 💁‍♂️

A big part of the game is slowly figuring out what combination of weapon and boons suit you best, and what combos you can struggle through but don’t really prefer. Then you start making the best of what you get.

I definitely wasn’t winning runs in a week. You’re trying to escape the afterlife, it’s going to be hard and grueling. I have over 100 runs and the last “zone” with the Satyrs still does me in more than I’d like. Of course, I also almost always take the risks for more rewards. The trick is that I still have fun each run regardless.

At some point I did some runs focused on specific types of meta currency to grind out certain tavern upgrades, or to push through specific character’s storylines by gifting them nectar. Don’t sleep on the meta-progression and all the “side stories”. It helps break up the repetition.

As you die, and die, and die some more you’ll build your own skills, unlock some more tools through meta-progression mechanics, and unlock more of the story (and stories) almost every run whether you win or lose.

As you gift characters nectar it can effect dialog in other places and even unlock some entirely new mechnics and options during your runs.

It might not be the game for you, but it’s also not made to be blazed through and then put down. Take your time with it. Go for the challenges rather than trying to just get to the end, because the real ending is a lot farther away than you realize. You do a run or two, unlock some new story. Unlock more story a few times and you unlock a new mechanic or a hint towards a bigger thing.

So take your time. Enjoy the journey. It’s more rewarding if you take the time to engage with things on your way, even if this whole escape thing might be temporary until you get out. You’re dying enough anyway, may as well make some friends. Chat up Sisyphus, and don’t forget Bouldy either. He’s a good listener. Take on Chaos’s challenges. Did you know she’s Nyx’s mom? Why don’t they talk about each other and why have you never seen Chaos come to visit? Try to mend the bad blood between Orpheus and Eurydice. Do you want a canon bi polycule? You can do that. Want to try and teach the nearly non-verbal fury your name? You can do that too. Best to make the best of this trying to escape and ending up back at the start thing.

So you beat Hades. Now what? He’ll be back before long, just like you are when you die. What do you think he’s going to do then? Just let you go because you killed him? You didn’t let your death stop you, why would he for his?

Beating the final boss multiple times is needed to get the ending, but it’s just another step in the path. It takes multiple wins and doing side stuff (that you’re hopefully getting through naturally just as you play) to get to “the epilogue”, and you unlock one new god for and entire new “tree” of boons after your first win.

And when it gets too annoying throwing yourself at it another time, take a break and come back to it later.

I think I managed to win my first run after about 40 tries, where I got lucky with a really good build. I think it was with the rail and a couple of the bomb upgrades from the Daedalus hammer – the rocket and the 5-shot. I probably had a boon that increased special damage (Aphrodite, maybe?).

I didn’t win again until number 55-60, but then I started winning every three runs or so. Eventually, I started winning every run, regardless of weapon. Then I started dialing up the heat and winning without using Olympian keepsakes. I eventually hit 100% on Steam.

A year later, I replayed it on Xbox when it was on Gamepass, and I think I won on my 11th run. (I needed a bit of metaprogression and time to relearn the enemy patterns after being away for a while.)

My opinion is that it’s a near-perfect roguelite in terms of luck and metaprogression helping beginners, but there’s still a definite skill element. Builds that I hated when I first started eventually became some of my favorites. I feel like the learning curve wasn’t punishing, but the game wasn’t “easy” for me.

You’re fine, it’ll get easier as you get more metaprogression unlocked. Once you win once, you’ll find future wins easier. Also maybe try other weapons until you find one that jives with your playstyle.

I wouldn’t say its hard to beat, but it is hard to 100%.

Eventually you’ll get past Hades - just gotta keep at it and get upgrades/luck

I found Hades hard to beat. Yes, there’s meta progression and item combos that make it easier, but the game requires a level of mechanical skill to beat.

Don’t feel discouraged; focus on how you’re improving as you feel more comfortable with your movement.

Is it hard to beat? Yeah, kinda if it’s not your thing. But I had a lot of fun with each reset, because of all of the little subplots and character moments back at home base so I was never too disappointed when a run ended prematurely. I can tell you it took me way more than 30 attempts!

It does sounds like you might have a hard time finishing the game, but the thing about this game is to build the muscle memory required to deal with the enemies. Dodging should be instinctively, because the next level and final boss is literally chaotic, or rather bullet-hellish.

I’d say this game is much fairer than any other roguelike, which rng can be quite brutally unfair. It take me a bit longer than 30 runs to finally beat the game once, then the subsequent time is easier.

Yes. I don’t think I beat Hades until around run 80, possibly higher. You’re not doing anything wrong.

Just keep at it, and like others have said, once you do it that first time, it gets easier. I think the Adamant Rail was my first cleared weapon, but find one that works the way you like and try different combos of boons; think about the effects that might synergize with how the weapon attacks (speedy hits + flat damage, big hits + damage over time, etc.).

It really depends on your patience and tolerance for repetition. Find a weapon that suits you, the more you play the easier the game becomes due to the perks you unlock, and , whith a little practice you’ll develope a second nature as to how to deal with the enemies .

In my opinion, the most important things in the beginning are learning to move and knowing how to synegyze boons to maximize damage, you can maybe look a guide for that .

Don’t rush, have fun!

It takes a while to complete a first run especially if you’re not especially skilled. I’m a forty something that always had shit coordination and I managed to complete runs after a while. My advice would be not to obsess too much on that and enjoy the various side stories unfolding between runs.

No. There are much much much harder games to beat. Hades is quite accessible compared to the other games in the market past and present. It gets easier with the meta progression, and then you find a combo that works for your play style and you stop acting randomly and focus. Once you’re in the mental stage where you get how things work together, and you understand what weapon really works for your play style, you’ll be able to beat it. Keep at it. It is worth it. It’s not insanity.

I didn’t personally find it difficult, but I have thousands of hours in video games.