MASS EFFECT VS. HADES

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**SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers for the first Mass Effect game and minor spoilers for Hades follow.

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I know, I know, what an absolutely wild title for an article, right? 

You might be wondering, what could possibly compel a person to compare a 2007 action RPG to a 2020 dungeon crawler — two games that seemingly have nothing in common? 

Well, you’re right. They probably don’t have all that much in common. In fact, the primary reason I’m comparing the two is that I played them back-to-back. My secondary reason? I went into both games with very high expectations, and only one managed to really impress me. 

Let’s start with Mass Effect. For a little bit of context, I was really excited to play this game. I had seen a lot of positive comments about it online, some even going as far as to say that the original Mass Effect trilogy consists of some of the best games of all time, and I had read about Mass Effect during my research for my essay, “Choice and Consequence”. I was expecting a significant amount of decision-making and for my actions to be impactful on the narrative and world of the game. 

The game started off strong; I was intrigued by the options in character creation that allow players to choose Shepard’s pre-service history, psychological profile, and military specialization. Immediately, it allows the player to create their own narrative around who their Shepard would be, unique from anyone else’s Shepard. As the game progressed, I appreciated the fact that there was a relatively diverse selection of dialogue options — and Shepard’s dialogue was fully voiced, something I was not expecting and had never really seen in an RPG like this before. I was also excited about the Paragon/Renegade system, especially with regards to how it affected Shepard’s Charm and Intimidate abilities; being able to influence what dialogue is available to you and the ability to navigate difficult encounters with charisma is one of my favourite aspects of RPGs. 

However, I felt that, in general, my choices didn’t really feel all that impactful or important. Occasionally, I would be given a choice that immediately had visible consequences, like choosing to save either Ashley or Kaiden on Virmire, or how to deal with Wrex earlier in that same mission. However, my issue with those choices is that it felt largely dependent on how much you cared about the characters, rather than being morally challenging. I didn’t care for Ashley or Kaiden, so that choice mattered very little to me, but I really liked Wrex, so my investment in my Charm score paid off. In fact, that choice was my favourite in the game. It felt rewarding, unlike some of the other choices I made. Namely, I wanted to try and convince Saren to step down or to join me, and made an effort to choose diplomatic or charming dialogue options in our conversations. I appreciate the ending where Saren sees reason and kills himself rather than needing to fight him until the end, but I didn’t feel that it was particularly satisfying. In the moment, I couldn’t tell whether I had accomplished something, or whether that was the guaranteed ending for Saren — especially because you have to fight him afterward anyways. Even the choice of whether to save the Council or let them die felt relatively inconsequential, seeing as nothing really happened afterwards.

With all that being said, I appreciate that there are more games in this series that I haven’t played or researched, and I might be surprised by how some of these decisions come back in later games. However, if I consider Mass Effect as a stand-alone game, most of the choices you make don’t feel as narratively impactful as they could be — and at the end of the day, I think that games should be able to stand on their own without the support of other games in their franchises. 

Beyond that, I felt pretty ambivalent about some of the other features of the game. The world was interesting, but a little too lore-heavy for my tastes, and only a few of the characters felt particularly dynamic or likable. The combat and levelling mechanics were good, and I didn’t mind the structure of the various missions, although I didn’t play through very many side missions because they weren’t very effectively integrated into the rest of the game, in my opinion. I recognize that there is a need for exploration in games like this, but it feels difficult to focus on anything other than the main storyline when it’s presented as urgently as it is in Mass Effect. You can’t tell me that the end of the world is imminent and then also expect me to have time to look for rock samples and deal with malfunctioning VIs. 

All in all, I liked the game. A solid four-star experience. I was impressed with it being a 2007 game, and I thought there were a lot of really interesting and successful aspects of the game. But I didn’t walk away from it thinking, “wow, this is one of the best narrative-driven games I’ve ever played”.

Now, immediately after I finished Mass Effect, I started Hades. I’ve been excited to play Hades since January 2021, when I watched Polygon’s “Hades is a roguelike for roguelike haters” video. Generally speaking, I have absolutely zero interest in roguelikes, but I knew the moment that I started Hades that it was going to be a unique case. I haven’t even finished the game and I know it’s a five-star.

I love everything about Hades. As someone who is fascinated by Greek mythology, I figured I would love the setting and the characters of the game, but I was genuinely surprised by how much I ended up loving those elements. The different locations of the game are stunning, and perfectly integrated into the gameplay as you navigate the different levels of the Underworld in an attempt to escape. The enemy combatants and bosses suit the environment and there are unique NPCs you can talk to and obtain boons from throughout the procedurally-generated world. The characters themselves are wonderfully dynamic and life-like, with beautiful character artwork that shows a creative interpretation of many classic figures, as well as absolutely gorgeous performances from the various voice actors. I also absolutely adored the sound design and music of Hades, something that I usually don’t pay much attention to, but clearly and significantly adds to the experience in this game. 

The gameplay is also set up in a very clever way. Framing Zagreus’s expeditions as escape attempts, something that is naturally unpredictable and difficult to achieve, is just one way that Hades makes death feel like part of the game rather than a frustrating failure. In fact, the game actually rewards you when you die; it gives you a chance to attend to your business in the House of Hades, including purchasing improvements and furnishings, upgrading your weapons and features using materials gained during your escape attempts, and speaking with NPCs who are only ever present in this place. Usually, if I died during a game’s third boss fight, I would be angry and frustrated — when I play Hades, I’m actually excited when I die because it means I have a chance at speaking to Megaera or Thanatos, or seeing Hades argue with someone. Dying progresses the narrative just as much as attempting to escape does. That’s rewarding. 

Plus, the combat in Hades is actually fun. Each weapon comes with unique moves, and the boons granted to you by various gods, goddesses, and deities ensure that each playthrough is different. Despite being a repetitive game by nature, Hades doesn’t feel tedious or predictable. You can look for patterns in your enemies’ behaviour, and favour boons with effects that match your playstyle, but the game doesn’t promise you that each playthough is going to be the same — you’re not guaranteed to encounter the same enemies, receive the same boons, or even the same boss fights. It keeps you on your toes. The game even rewards you for trying new things; using weapons you don’t frequently use and boons you’ve never accepted before. 

The other thing I love about the gameplay in Hades is that it isn’t completely separate from the narrative. It doesn’t feel like you have to choose one or the other. Many of the NPCs are only available to be spoken to if you find them at some point during your escape attempts, which gives you a chance to improve those relationships in the midst of all the fighting. Plus, improving your relationship with various NPCs can actually give you an advantage in combat through their keepsake gifts to you. As well, your escape attempts and deaths actively contribute to the game’s overall plot and character arcs — as I’ve mentioned, dying in Hades is important to the plot! It adds insight to Zagreus’s motivations, history, and relationship with his father. 

As high as my expectations were, I truly didn’t expect to love Hades as much as I do. I figured I would be able to appreciate the game for what it was and acknowledge why people like it even though roguelikes aren’t really my thing. But I genuinely adore this game; every aspect of it, from the writing to the gameplay to the art and sound design. In many ways, Hades isn’t a game I would usually gravitate towards. Normally, I would rather play a game like Mass Effect, obviously driven by its story and the player’s decisions. But in other ways, Hades is exactly the kind of game I want to play; deeply aware of the way that players experience it, witty, heartfelt, and emotional, and artistic and intentional in every aspect of the game. 

With all this being said, both Mass Effect and Hades were successful, enjoyable games that each carry with them different intentions and messages. Perhaps it’s a bit unfair to compare the two, much like comparing apples and oranges, but it’s worth noting that Hades stood out to me in a way that not many games have. If I could choose only one to recommend to others, I would have to say Hades, for its clearly intentional and thoughtful design choices and the way it has kept me thinking about it long after putting down my controller.