Hades developer Supergiant Games has done many things that other small developer studios could only aspire to; namely, having a countdown timer in the main menu of their title letting users know when the next massive update is to be launched for everyone to explore.

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Granted, Supergiant Games has a few remarkable achievements under their belt already; the titles Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre might cause a raised eyebrow.  All of those titles are readily considered masterpieces in their own right, from dialogue to combat, and Supergiant Games is once again appearing on the cusp of greatness with Hades.

The isometric rogue-lite features the Immortal Prince of the Underworld attempting to escape Hell, and join his brethren (and possibly mother) on Mount Olympus.  The denizens of Hell stand in your way at every turn as you attempt to climb out, run after run, and many bosses have cheeky dialogue about having slain you in the past run, or runs prior.

While an Early Access title, it’s already one of Supergiant’s best; tight action hosted in an elaborate world of Greek mythology, complete with promiscuous gods and demi-gods all sleeping with each other in the closest thing they had to Jerry Springer in BCE times.

To the update: the most recent update is titled The Long Winter Update, and brings with it a bundle of content that will take a few moments to entirely digest.

First and foremost, we have the newest god in game; the Goddess of Seasons, Demeter.  Demeter is the sister of Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus, and Chiron; she herself has also given birth to seven lesser gods such as Persephone. In Greek mythology, she is considered to be the Goddess of Harvest, and survived Roman adaptation into Ceres with her original domain intact; harvest and fertility, generally.  So in lore, she didn’t necessarily bring Winter every year; that responsibility fell to the Horae, who were also the gatekeepers to Olympus.

Nevertheless, she brings Winter to the title Hades, along with a decidedly aged appearance which would have many Grecians curling their toes; as the Goddess of Fertility, she was typically depicted as young and beautiful.  She brings eleven new boons for players that will champion her, and four new duo boons.

The update also brings a fishing rod, allowing young Damascus the ability to fish throughout the dungeon crawl.  What great game doesn’t have fishing?  Catching special fish to deliver to the Head Chef may bring about something unique for players that show affinity towards the mechanic.

Prices have been increased throughout the Underworld, and health has been slightly debuffed.  The Guan Yu (legendary spear of Chinese origin) aspect is available for the Eternal Spear item, and there are a slew of new upgrades for the Daedalus Hammer.  Finally, a huge array of decor options have been unlocked to make your chambers a bit more…stylish for one of his rank.

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Along with a bundle of tweaks, nerfs, buffs, and expansions onto pre-existing mechanics, it all culminates in a massive patch worthy of the godly title.  If you have any interest in roguelites and Greek mythology, there’s never been a better time to dive into Hades, and start murdering your way out.