Two of the most important elements of Hades that set it apart from other rogue-like games are its narrative and setting. As the young demigod prince Zagreus, players have to escape the confines of their father Hades' realm and make it to the surface. Along the way, Zagreus is assisted by the gods of Greek mythology, who give him boons that grant him unique abilities to combat the denizens of Hades itself. As players fail and succeed in their repeated attempts to escape, they find that the game has a deeper story to it than it first seems.
Supergiant Games has done a great job of seamlessly blending a Greek mythology-based story and world into a genre that isn't known for such things. Integrating the constant death of rogue-like games with the realm of the dead itself was a genius decision that paved the way for multiple avenues of world-building and characterization. Hades works extremely well due to its Greek mythology setting, but it might also be feasible in a Norse mythology backdrop.
The Hero And The Goal
Rather than players taking control of a demigod prince, a Hades set in Norse mythology should star a Viking warrior that died dishonorably. Not only does this prevent him from entering the halls of Valhalla (a place where those who died in glorious combat enter), but it also ensures that he doesn't have a free pass to the place (something the Norse gods and their kin would have). This dishonored warrior finds shame in his death, so much so that he fights through the realm of Helheim to get to the gates of Valhalla.
Standing in players' paths are the denizens of Helheim - which include lost souls and creatures that are governed by the female goddess Hel. After battling through multiple levels of Helheim's occupants, players have to defeat Hel herself before they can make it to Valhalla, which is guarded by the Valkyries. But just as Hades prevents players from truly completing the game on the first successful escape, the Valkyries in this game deem the Viking warrior unworthy and send him back to the bottom of Helheim. Only by escaping several times and acquiring enough strength can players truly complete the game and be allowed into the hallowed halls of Valhalla.
A Little Godly Help
Of course, a game like Hades wouldn't be complete without the gods themselves. The Norse gods in this game feel sympathetic toward this Viking warrior, particularly because of his accomplishments while he was alive. While the gods can't directly do anything about his plight (it would go against the rules of Helheim and Valhalla), they do provide him with boons to help him make it to Valhalla. Gods such as Thor, Frigg, Hodr, and Odin provide aid with their unique power-ups that can modify and add special skills so the warrior's arsenal. Even Hel, despite her inability to help the Viking on his first few escape attempts, eventually warms up to him and provides him with a boon of her own.
The Plot Thickens
As players make their way through the game, they begin to discover more about the Viking warrior's untimely death. As it turns out, their character was unjustly betrayed by a trusted Viking comrade who, due to a momentary pang of jealously, killed the protagonist. Players eventually find this former comrade while they are exploring Helheim, as they were killed by the Viking tribe for murdering the protagonist. This is but one of the many plot points that the Hades-like game can touch upon, alongside themes of death and the need to separate those who died in battle from those who died by other means.
Upon making it to the gates of Valhalla enough times, players can fight the Valkyries to redeem themselves and become worthy of entering the halls. This boss fight is much harder than Hel's and unlocks the true ending to the main path. Once the main story is complete, the Valkyries then offer the Viking the task of finding similar souls in Helheim and bringing them to Valhalla. Carrying these souls works much like the Pact of Punishment of Hades, as they come with various debuffs that weaken players while also granting more rewards if they complete an escape. These rewards can come in the form of new weapons, trinkets given by the gods, and more currency to spend on upgrades.
Setting Hades in a world such as this may seem odd at first, but Greek and Norse mythology share so much in common that it wouldn't be that hard to make the transition. The gods, creatures, and stories all have a long history surrounding them, and it would allow for a larger audience to get to know the Norse pantheon from an entirely new perspective. It wouldn't seem right for Supergiant Games to make a game so similar to Hades (that just isn't in their DNA), but the groundwork for a Norse-themed title is already set.
Hades is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.