Hades: Better on Switch? Plus, tips on unique character builds [Discussion post — share your tips!]
In this discussion post, I talk about why Greek god-slayer Hades feels so good on Switch and share a few tips, briefly, on creating unique character builds.
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As you know, Hades, the dungeon crawler starring Greek gods, is a Good Game everyone should play (if you’ve never played it, I’d read that link first!). It’s also made me fall in love with the Nintendo Switch again: I play 95% of my games on PC, and whenever I need precise combat controls — as you do in Hades — I prefer a mouse to a thumb-stick.
But Hades is a lot more about precise movement that precise aim, I’ve realised, and for that, a control stick is better than WASD.
(By the way, if you haven’t already, you should read Wes Fenlon’s —@wesleyfenlon’s — 2018 PC Gamer piece on how he’s been WASD-ing wrong his whole life. He hits the A key with his pinky finger, the animal).
That precision is especially useful if, like me, you like to boost your evasive ‘dash’ ability during your escape runs. The right ‘boons’ from the gods — power-ups you pick up regularly during an escape run — will make your dash deal damage, potentially lots of it, to the point where it’s often my main weapon. Boons from Zeus can strike nearby foes with lightning when you dash, and you can upgrade it for extra damage. Or, if you want defensive options, Athena’s Divine Dash deflects in all directions. Strong stuff.
Also, Hades runs generally last between 10 minutes and half an hour, which is the perfect session length for Switch in handheld mode. You can just put it down, do something else for half an hour, and pick it right back up, in a way that just doesn’t feel as going back and forth to my desk (maybe I’m just lazy, though).
Last thing on this: Playing Hades has also put me back onto the Switch in a big way. I played with it loads when I bought it, and then didn’t touch it for about two years. Now, as well as Hades, I’m finally makes strides in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017), Super Mega Baseball 3 (2020 — Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One) and Super Mario Odyssey (2017). And yep, Breath of the Wild is everything I was promised.
It got me wondering: What other games are better on Switch? I’ve always preferred platformers on Switch to PC (again, WASD is not ideal), but is there anything else I’ve been missing?
3 quick tips on creating unique builds in Hades
Most of the fun of Hades, for me, comes from crafting a unique build for each escape run (when you die, you go back to the House of Hades, lose all your boons, and have to start all over again).
Boons can be incredibly specific, and there’s tons of them — with the right combinations, you can create powerful load-outs very quickly, giving yourself the best chance of beating bosses and getting further than you did last time.
Rather than picking up the highest-level boon, or the one that sounds most exciting, it’s best, I think, to be really selective about what you grab. Here’s three quick tips on how to do that — please feel free to share your own tips in the comments below.
Focus on boosting one specific ability whenever possible (ie, your main attack, special attack, or dash). The fewer things you have to think about in the heat of battle, the better, so make it simple for yourself.
If you get a high-level boon early, build your run around it. Boons have different rarities, ranging up to ‘epic’. If you find an epic boon early, chances are you can craft a powerful build around it. Upgrade it, or pick boons that complement it.
Keep checking what boons you’ve already picked up! It took me way too long to realise you can easily check what boons you’ve already selected (you just press the minus button on Switch, if memory serves me). Whenever faced with a choice of boons, look at what you’ve already got to work out combos. Also, remember some boons override ones you’ve already picked up — the game will alert you when that’s the case.
Happy boon-ing. Until next time!
Sam