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PaperclipPerfector  5mo ago (text post)   4073 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for September 26, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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You were born condemned, to a Sisyphean quest to seek paradise but be denied access

One of the major thematic turn-offs of Hades 2 for me is that, back in Hades 1, getting to the surface distinctly felt like a proper goal given everything you have to overcome on the way. The ...events that transpire once you finally get to the surface (to avoid spoilers) only add to the payoff; Zagreus is cursed, his kin was not meant for the surface world, and even with all his willpower he cannot manage more than a few minutes to try and come to terms with what he has found, and attempt to salvage it, before he is inevitably dragged back to the underworld and has to throw himself at the challenge again and again. There is no escape, as it were. Despite only getting a small sliver of dialogue every time you beat a run, the story still visibly progresses and you can't help but get invested in it. I think Hades 1 is easily Undertale-tier meta storytelling and one of the best in-story explanations ever for the bog standard "you must do X successful runs to get the ending", it is so immaculately arranged that you barely notice the seams, especially with the little twist of not having to fight a boss on the final run.

Compare this to Hades 2, where gaining access to the surface stages is... literally just a cheap early meta unlock for Melinoe; it is complete and total immunity, and the matter is never brought up again afterwards.

I understand this was largely gameplay-story segregation since they wanted to make the surface stages actually playable, but I still feel there should have been a better way to go about it. It solidly soured the initial impression of all the overpowered witchy bullshit for me, and so far it doesn't really get better - there does not so far seem to be a problem the protag's Quirky Cast of Strong Women doesn't immediately think of a meta unlock solution for.

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