Hades is a beautiful game that reminded me that other things are ugly.
From Lamp posts to Lyres: How 'Hades' lights up the forgotten art of being extra.
This whole post started because I was smack-talking modern lamp posts, saying how they are uninspiring and naff…suddenly upon the worlds largest tangent I’m using it as leverage to justify why Hades was such a good game and how it’s music represented values missing in modern culture.
…What were you saying about lamp posts?
Can we talk about Hades now?
Are cosmetic additions a player’s artistic expressions?
Orpheus & Eurydice Duet - “Good Riddance”
1. …What were you saying about lampposts?
Well, hear me out. I’m going to occassionally litter the first section of this Substack with a variety of communal public items that we see when we are walking around, and their 19th century equivilent. I promise it will make sense.
I’m currently living in London, and having been here for a few years I can tell you there is a big difference between central London’s lamp post aesthetic, and the rest of London - but perhaps not as big as some of the european countries that still retain and maintain their glorious lamposts (I promise I will talk about music soon but this is important okay?)
The reason why this came up was that I was wandering around Italy with my other half a few summers ago and went off on a mini-rant about how nice the lamp posts were. The only lamp posts we would consider ‘memorable’ from the UK were ones that lorries accidentally reversed into, turning them into metal boomerang-shaped abominations, shortly covered in yellow tape, and then replaced 2-3 months later.
Are our current, bleak, plain, barely-designed lampposts a representation of modern culture’s values? Have we ultra-prioritised function and completely forgotten about artistic expression? How is it that art would be considered so expensive nowadays that it is deemed not valuable enough?
Here’s a drainpipe:
The Cultural Tutor’s blog raised an interesting point referring to gothic-built cathedrals and their custom details peppered throughout their design:
It also speaks to the *way* most things used to be made. Cathedrals weren't built to an overall blueprint with every element planned out. Individual stonemasons had the creative freedom to be imaginative, make jokes, experiment, and (it seems) enjoy their labour.
So let’s get straight to the point. ‘Things’ have both a function and an expression. I’m creating the link between reflection of a country’s values when items that once had artistic expression, no longer have an artistic expression, but instead choose to focus exclusively on function. (Those beautiful drainpipes were mass produced, for the record).
The 21st century says: What did the artistic expression really add?
2. …Can we talk about Hades now?
Okay. Hades is a standout title in the roguelike genre, influenced by Greek mythology and praised for its innovative character-driven narrative integration and fluid combat mechanics. Released in 2020 by Supergiant Games, it has been ranked as Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam, with 98% of 230,000 players rating it positively. Hades has a unique blend of narrative and challenging gameplay. It has not only garnered critical acclaim, including numerous Game of the Year awards but has also achieved commercial success, making it a beloved addition to the gaming community and a shining example of indie game excellence.
For those unfamiliar with roguelike games: Think of "Hades" as a game where you're trying to escape a giant, ever-changing maze that represents the Underworld. Each time you play, the rooms and enemies you face are different, making each escape attempt a new adventure. You play as Zagreus, who is trying to reach the surface, and along the way, you find different weapons and Olympian gods that help you fight monsters. If you get defeated, you start over from the beginning of the maze, but you're not starting from scratch. You learn more tricks and might keep some of your powers, which makes you stronger and better prepared for your next try.
The music in "Hades," composed by Darren Korb, masterfully enhances the game's immersive experience. Blending rock, electronic, and traditional Greek music, the soundtrack provides a vibrant and emotive backdrop that perfectly complements the game's dynamic action and dark themes. Each Underworld realm features distinct musical cues, from haunting melodies in the House of Hades to intense rhythms in Asphodel, elevating both combat and narrative moments. Korb's innovative score is pivotal in making every encounter feel epic and every narrative twist deeply impactful.
Throughout your attempts, you pick up various items that you can trade in for skill improvements and cosmetics. Or, function and expression respectively…
There are two currencies called ‘Gemstones’ and ‘Diamonds’ that seem to be exclusively cosmetic focused. When I was playing through Hades, I only focused on gathering resources to improve my skills to make the game easier. As soon as I had maxed out all of the skill improvements, it left only the cosmetic currency left. I then turned to using my ‘Gemstones’ to update the Underworld region, including rugs, repairing damage, candles, chairs…
3. Are cosmetic additions a player’s artistic expressions?
I noticed that I got ‘deeper’ rewards by unlocking the cosmetics. I had to walk through the Underworld quite a few times at this point. Updating of visuals made the game look and feel like it was move lived in by you, and that it was subject to your decisions given the time you spent hanging out within the hellish halls. This was only something I recognised once I had exhausted all the functional currency and there was nothing left to upgrade.
You could also purchase music to be performed in the halls from the court musician with Orpheus. A customised hellish room is a representation of a seasoned player - That’s great to look at, but what about your other senses? What about your music choices and the invisible ambience that that creates? And the acknowledgement of customising that music after your efforts playing through the game?
34.7% of Steam players encouraged Orpheus, a musical god once silenced, to sing again, and if you do the maths, you’re looking at arond 80,000 just on the Steam platform. Those people clearly saw a reward in that whether it be through completing the game 100% and inadvertently recognising the value of music…
…but they had exposure to this expression regardless.
I had to put that bit in it’s own section because that’s the whole point of this post.
When people stop being concerned with the basics of functionality (like in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) they will no doubt start to engage with elements of art and music. In Hades, to explore art is to explore the game fully. My guess is that lamp posts will only be beautiful again if we have to build them from scratch, just like the way you have to discover the full story of Hades.
Have I gone mad? Let me know.
4. Orpheus & Eurydice Duet - “Good Riddance”
This is the biggest example of where this all comes together. Some spoilers ahead.
The classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is revisited and expanded upon, offering players an opportunity to influence their tragic story. Orpheus, the court musician of the House of Hades, has ceased his music, devastated by his failure to rescue his beloved Eurydice from the Underworld. Eurydice, residing in the fiery Asphodel (a section you fight through during your escape), remains separated from Orpheus, living a solitary life steeped in melancholy yet resigned to her fate.
As you play through the game, you encounter both characters during their journey. Eurydice sings a song called “Good Riddance” everytime you visit her, and Orpheus (as mentioned earlier) can be encouraged to sing again. You can choose to intervene by relaying messages between them, gradually rekindling hope and affection. The game allows for a potential modification of Orpheus's binding contract with Hades, aiming to reunite the lovers under certain conditions.
Without going into further details, you can reunite them. If you do, you will occassionally not see Orpheus in the Underworld, but instead come across the two of them singing “Good Riddance” together as a duet.
Here’s the audio with over 3.3 million plays on YouTube alone. The below video is not even the one that Supergiant uploaded themselves! (5:44 for the actual duet part)
On Spotify, the soundtrack has locked in between 6-8 million streams per track too. This ratio is roughly the same as the percentage of people who encouraged Orpheus to sing again. I discussed the impact of Optional Music before, and this is yet another great example.
Not only have the streaming platforms seen success, but the player community have engaged deeply with the game, both with their critical reviews and many fan-creations, including this in-depth analysis Orpheus’ Lament and also a 1.1 million views YouTube video of just the metal music within this game. Hades did a fantastic job in so many aspects, with its iconic and beautiful illustration, gameplay and soundtrack.
Perhaps the people who wanted to complete as many achievements in the game (Function) or the ones who wanted to see how the narratives unfolded (Expression) both had a home in Hades.
TLDR:
Hades upholds the value of artistic expression in our increasingly functional world. It has received praise from players valuing both gameplay function and/or artistic expression through creative storytelling. Rewarding music placements woven with narrative wins again. Adding artistic expression can make even the Underworld worth re-visiting.
Also, the next time you see a nice looking lamp post, be grateful. Imagine if video games were as exclusively functional (uninspiring) as our lamp posts?