The Game Awards happened a few days ago, but we're not here to talk about every details. What we're here to discuss, is Supergiant Games surprising every rouguelike players by breaking its “no-sequel” tradition in announcing Hades II releasing.

You may ask what is Hades? Back to 2020, action-roguelike Hades saw Zagreus battling his way up from Hades (the place) to meet his estranged bio-mom, Persephone. Hades was my game of the year 2020. I don't mean to say that Hades is objectively the best, because that's an impossible metric (and also Baldur's Gate 3 isn't out yet). Rather, developer Supergiant's Greek mythology-flavored action roguelike was, improbably, the game that best characterizes the year 2020.

Hades, which entered early access in 2018 and launched offical version in PC and Switch platforms, after almost two years of additional development. More than that, it is a game whose structure and story are both rooted in repeated, inescapable failure. As Zagreus, the son of Hades, you try to slash, shield bash, spear, bow, punch, and gun your way out of hell, but no matter how many demonic shades fall after (ode to a Grecian) earning your ire, you end up back where you started.

Outstanding Narrative and Character:

This review discusses Hades' story in depth and includes both minor and major spoilers. If you haven't finished the game, and I mean really finished it, and wish to avoid spoilers, probably skip those sections.

Supergiant describes Hades as a roguelike, but only because there's not really a good genre descriptor that sums up what it really is. In between action-based runs through the ever-shifting halls of Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium, and the Temple of Styx, you spend ample time talking to various gods, goddesses, shades (ghosts, basically), and Dusa, who defies categorization. Also Cerberus, who is both bigger than all other dogs and has three heads, thus making him quantifiably the best boy. You can give these characters gifts to strengthen your bonds, but just conversing with them over the course of countless runs is enough to peel back many of their layers.

You get to know these characters as 10 hours give way to 20, 30, 60, and onward. When I first encountered Achilles while playing Hades, I thought he was a dreary shadow perpetually posed against the same dull wall. Now, months later, he's like a father, brother, and maybe more to me, a font of generosity in spite of his own past failures. These slow-build interactions, which sometimes move at a speed akin to that of real-life relationships, are just as central to Hades as making a mess of Hell on your way to the surface.

Characters, in turn, react to your progress and deeds, some of which come to directly involve them. Given the number of possible permutations of your progress both through the game and with various characters, it is a mind-bogglingly complex narrative system that somehow manages to feel coherent at almost all times.

In fact everyone, including main antagonist Hades and the universally reviled Theseus, has this caring softness to them that enhances their blinding attractiveness to cosmic levels. Zagreus, full of concern for his friend Dusa, asks her if she's okay with him killing other gorgons. Asterius, slain by Theseus in life, becomes bound to him by camaraderie and respect in death. Even Megaera, after being slain by Zagreus countless times, develops a fondness for him, and warns him to be careful whenever he ventures out to escape. Everyone loves everyone else and that is just so awesome to see, especially in 2022 when even human compassion is in rare supply.

In a mythos wherein the gods are usually portrayed as hateful, backstabbing, narcissists, Supergiant made these gods beautiful—inside and out.

Amazing Game Play:

It didn't take very long for me to fall in love with Hades, Supergiant's take on the roguelike genre. It's not just that the core gameplay loop was enticing, but seemingly every aspect of the game seemed to ooze quality and egged me on to play some more. There is something fascinating about how this game feels so complete and incredible.

I used the genre of roguelike to refer to this game, but truth be told, depending on who you ask, this classification has vastly different meanings. For the purpose of this article, here's what I used the term to identify key elements of the gameplay loop: floor-based progression, random power-ups throughout the progression and start-over on death. This classification puts Hades there along with games like FTL, Slay the Spire, The Binding of Isaac, Spelunky, and many more; games that have vastly different mechanics but whose core appeals remain similar.

This basic loop is very popular nowadays and for good reason: it's incredibly compelling. The floor-based structure makes progression towards success very easy to quantify and encourages the player to push forward. Random power-ups ensure each attempt is different and presents an opportunity for synergies, making the player looking forward to those "god-runs". And the start-over on death wraps it all together. Hades supplements this with a very satisfying combat system which ensures the compelling aspects of the loop are backed up by a fun overall experience. And this is the core loop that every other element of Hades feeds into.

One of the main ways that this loop is reinforced is through the use of multiple global progression axes. More classical roguelikes only have the player expertise getting better through multiple runs. Hades gives the player ways to make each attempt easier through multiple ways. The mirror makes the player stronger, by giving them more health, starting gold, or luck for example. The weapons offer different play styles and can be further customized and upgraded. Even the rooms can be upgraded with chest and pots that grant rewards or be fit with healing fountains.

Each axis of progression requires resources that can be acquired during the runs. This method of multiple axes of progression has very strong effects on the main loop.

First, it creates two different paradigms for each run: getting as far as possible or amassing resources. This in turns reduces the amount of "bad runs" since weaker runs can be used to gather resources instead, the player still feels like they're accomplishing something. That completely discourages the player from abandoning a run, a mechanic too often seen in other games of the genre (looking at you, Spelunky).

The second effect is that with multiple axes of global progression, each player can more easily reach a state of flow. Since how far you go is based both on skill and the character's power, the player doesn't get exposed to more information than their current skill level can handle.

All in all, It's no surprise that this game is a masterpiece since it's built on every other game Supergiant has made before. It is built upon their strengths and vision and their amazing capacity for creativity and humanity. Even though the game depicts an endless fight against established power, it somehow provides much needed fun in these troubled times.

Impressive Soundtrack

For a game that imaginatively reinvented Greek mythology to craft a difficult but immensely rewarding experience, Hades required an engrossing soundtrack. Redditor Rectacrab thinks it delivers more than just that, calling the score "so so good" and highlighting pieces like "Rage of the Myrmidons" that made the Elysium sequence unforgettable.

Darren Korb may be best known as the voice of Zagreus in the game, but he has also composed the music for every Supergiant Games title, including Hades. What makes the soundtrack great is that every single floor has its own distinctive feel, often incorporating unusual instruments and different cultural influences, yet it manages to feel like a cohesive soundtrack.

Lucian has always been a popular champion in League of Legends, both in normal as well as in competitive play. His "hit-and-run" kit makes it rewarding to play when well-executed, and his mobility is a unique characteristic that other marksmen do not have.

Throughout the years, though, Lucian has lost a lot of value, especially in terms of total damage output, compared to the newly released champions. This brought Riot Games to make a substantial change to his kit in patch when a new portion of his passive called "Vigilance" was added to his kit. Vigilance grants additional bonus damage on Lucian's next two auto attacks when he is buffed or healed by an allied champion. The buff immediately brought Lucian back into the meta, with enchanter supports as his preferred duo partners.

Since then, the gunslinger has been a stable presence across all elos, having particular success at the top of the ladder, with a 51.78 percent win rate in Master and above, according to U.GG.

That being said, mastering Lucian is not an easy feat. He requires great mechanics and a strong understanding of his strengths and weaknesses. If you're looking to play him to climb the solo queue ladder, we have got you covered.

Runes

There are two main rune combinations for Lucian, each having their own pros and cons:

First Strike Lucian

Inspiration

First Strike: this keystone rune is easy to proc with Lucian and it's crucial to get ahead in gold of your enemies to be stronger during the mid game. Compared to most other ADCs, Lucian doesn't scale as well in the late stages of the game so First Strike's extra gold makes up for it. If used correctly, you will be having a great economy from the 10-minute mark since you can utilize your burst damage to gain more gold. You might lack some damage in the early game, but it will guarantee better items as the game prolongs.

Magical Footwear: this is the standard rune that most ADCs run. The 300 gold saved can be used to rush the Mythic item sooner and the extra ten movement speed is a valuable stat for a mobile champion like Lucian.

Biscuit Delivery: the gunslinger tends to burn a lot of mana in the early game to make trades and push the wave. The biscuits help him quickly regenerate mana and they can also be used in clutch situations to gain some extra health that might save him from dying.

Cosmic Insight: there aren't other runes that are nearly as effective as Cosmic Insight in this row of the Precision tree. Having the summoner spells' cooldowns lowered is always great for marksmen, especially for Lucian who can also use it offensively to quickly chase down a target.

Precision

Presence of Mind: just like for Biscuit Delivery, this rune grants additional mana to Lucian since he doesn't get any from his current build. The mana restored upon takedowns allows him to keep using his abilities and maintain his damage output constant in a skirmish or teamfight.

Legend: Bloodline: Lucian's build doesn't have lifesteal included, so Legend: Bloodline grants him some extra sustain that might become handy in the later stages of the game.

Press the Attack Lucian

Precision

Press the Attack: compared to First Strike, Press the Attack gives Lucian more skirmishing potential in the early game. The rune synergizes well with the ADC's passive Lightslinger and it works best in extended trades.

Presence of Mind: see above.

Legend: Bloodline: see above.

Coup de Grace: the extra eight percent damage to targets below 40 percent health is helpful for Lucian to quickly burst down a target. Go for this against rune if there are a lot of squishy targets on the enemy team.

Inspiration

Magical Footwear: see above.

Cosmic Insight: see above.

Bonuses: +10 percent attack speed, +9 adaptive force, +6 armor

Items
The starting items for Lucian are fairly straightforward: Doran's Blade is the most common start and it grants attack damage, health, and a little bit of sustain. In other words, you get everything you would need in one item.

If you're looking to go for an aggressive start, you can also consider buying a Long Sword and Refillable Potion. This is a higher-risk, higher-reward strategy since it allows you to get your first core item earlier, but it gives you less trading ability in the first few minutes of the lane. Losing the extra health and the sustain makes you also more vulnerable so it's crucial to not mess up during the laning phase.

On your first recall, look to get the Noonquiver since it greatly increases your trading ability, as well as the ability to push waves thanks to the item's passive. Try to always recall once you have the gold, otherwise, your recalls will not be as efficient and it might delay your Mythic Item purchase.

There's only one possible Mythic Item for Lucian and that's Galeforce. The item's passive can be used both offensively and defensively, further enhancing Lucian's innate mobility.

The item can also be used in combo with his own dash on his E to quickly reposition twice within a matter of tenths of seconds. After buying Galeforce, close your tier two boots with Berserkers' Greaves, and proceed to rush your second core item, The Collector.

While it's not used a lot by other ADCs, it's the best second item for Lucian as it matches with his own spike in the mid game we mentioned earlier. The lethality allows him to quickly pierce through the squishy targets and the execute passive is just the icing on the cake.

For your fourth and fifth items, you have two possible choices and the order of purchase will depend on the game state. If you're well ahead and are snowballing hard, get the Infinity Edge to maximize your damage output since you will already have the 60 percent critical strike chance. If you're struggling to walk into auto-attack range since enemies can take you down, buy Rapidfire Cannon since it costs 900 gold less and it allows you to poke from a safer position.

To round off the build, there are four possible items that can be bought, two damage-oriented choices and two defensive items. Lord Dominik's Regard and Serylda's Grudge amplify your total damage thanks to the armor penetration that both come with. LDR is better against tanks while Serylda is overall better if you need the passive's slow to kite your opponents.

If you're getting burst down and need some defensive stats, Guardian Angel is the go-to item thanks to its revive passive. Against a lot of magic damage, however, Maw of Malmortius will be more effective.

Last things I have to mention that no matter you want to choose Lucian as top laner or AD carry, the mechanism actually did not change too much through the years. So watch professional players' rank show is also important, here are two different videos I would like to recommend to you, hope you can enjoy them and get better. See you guys next time.

The Christmas decorations are back in Forza Horizon 5‘s Guanajuato, as we’re set out to celebrate the Horizon Holidays series.

Included within the series is also a Horizon Secret Santa event, where you’ll be rewarded with a Holiday Tree Outfit and a Lamborghini Sián Roadster if you send gifts to other players.

The cars you can unlock this week is the AMC Javelin-AMX 1971 for 20 points and the BMW M3 GTS 2010 for 40 points.

As for the series itself, you can unlock the Extreme E Odyssey 21 e-SUV 2022 for 80 points, and the Ferrari California T 2014 for 160 points.

TREASURE HUNT: DRIVING SEASON

As for the Treasure Hunt named “Driving Season”, this comes with the hint “Drive home for the Holidays in a famously green manufacturer”.

You’re required to jump into any Aston Martin car and drive for at least 5 miles.
Once unlocked, an orange circle will appear around the Playa Azul area, located at the east coast. The Chest is located within the centre of the village, within a sort of stage area with Christmas related objects nearby.

Fast travel to the Goliath race event, and immediately head to the unmarked road on your left. Drive down this path and turn right onto the marked off-road track, and the Treasure will appear on the left side of the road.

Simply smash into the Treasure Chest, and the 100FP and 3 points are yours!

PHOTO CHALLENGE #HIDEANDSEEK

This week’s photo challenge requires you to photograph the Snowman at the Casa Bella player house in Mulegé.

This house can be found on the north side of the town and directly to the south of the Mulegé sign on the map. The snowman can be found within the north-western corner of the house.

While near the snowman, simply open the camera app by using up on the D-pad and tap A to snap the picture to gain the rewards.

Upon completion, the Sleigh Bells Car Horn reward is yours. This can be equipped by heading to the car horn area in the pause menu.

SERIES 15 WET SEASON #FORZATHON SHOP HIGHLIGHTS

This week’s rewards available within Series 15’s Wet season are two cars, a hat, a car horn and an accessory, alongside the always available Wheelspins.

Both cars are available to buy from the autoshow for a cheap combined cost of 2,350,000CR. The available items from the Forzathon Shop this week are:

• Lotus Elise GT1 1997 – 600 FP

• Reindeer Antlers Hat – 75 FP

• Jingle Bells Car Horn – 75 FP

• Red Nose Accessory – 75 FP

• Porsche 911 GT2 1995 – 400 FP

• 1x Super Wheelspin – 150 FP

• 1x Horizon Wheelspin – 60 FP

#FORZATHON WEEKLY CHALLENGE BUBBLE TROUBLE

It’s confusing as to why Playground Games wants you to travel within the tiny BMW Isetta 300 Export 1957, but hey, anything to complete the playlist.

After squeezing into this micro vehicle, you’re required to reach 55mph/89kmh at any Speed Trap, earn 4 Stars at any PR Stunt, and finally wrap things up by earning 2 Stars at Danger Signs.

There are bits and pieces from the many Need for Speed games within Need for Speed Unbound, and it does a fair job of balancing these elements.

In order for franchises to last decades, they typically have to reinvent themselves a few times. Need for Speed is no exception, even though in Need for Speed Unbound, the series takes inspiration from past titles. This is certainly not a bad thing, as there is a lot to be learned from the franchise's past.

Need for Speed Unbound returns to the street racing that characterized the series during the 2000s. It also features a focus on characters which is something that became more prevalent during the 2010s. The two elements are blended well, resulting in an addictive racing game.

Need for Speed During the 2000s

For most of its lifetime, the Need for Speed series has been about exhilarating races and evading the police. However, it has changed its setting quite a bit over time, giving each of the games a different feeling. Earlier Need for Speed titles feature tracks with some urban influence, but they also wind through the outskirts of cities, allowing gamers to enjoy the stunning scenery. This is seen, for instance, with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, which was released in 2002.

The 2000s is also the decade where Need for Speed, like many arcade racers of the time, delved into street racing. It was the perfect time to do so thanks to the level of popularity that Japanese imported cars and car customization had achieved in pop culture. This era of the franchise is best represented by Need for Speed Underground and its sequel which feature hip-hop soundtracks and the ability to customize cars to make them look as flashy as the player likes.

For most of the 2000s, the franchise stuck to this identity, arguably reaching its pinnacle with Need for Speed: Most Wanted. However, the formula eventually got stale. Furthermore, street racing lost the popularity it once enjoyed. Consequently, when Need for Speed: Carbon rolled around in 2006, many gamers saw this as the beginning of a decline in the series.

In many ways, Need for Speed Unbound is a return to form for the series. It embraces urban street racing once again, features intense police chases, and gives players the option to wildly customize vehicles. In many ways, it feels like Unbound was created for gamers who enjoyed this era.

Need for Speed in the 2010s

The 2010s were a weird time for the Need for Speed series. After the fall of the popularity of street racing, the franchise seemed to be searching for a new identity. Technically, this began in the late 2000s with titles like ProStreet that tackled legal street racing, but things have only gotten weirder from that point onward.

During the 2010s, the franchise looked toward the online world and attempted to make the most of it.

Hence, gamers got titles such as 2010's Need for Speed: World and 2015's Need for Speed which attempted to reboot the series. Neither of these titles was particularly well-received. The 2010s also saw the series look past just the cars, and pay attention to the racers as well. For example, in The Run, there are sections where players get out of their vehicles and engage in quick-time events, while 2019's Need for Speed Heat, gamers can select their own playable character from a catalog of presets.

Need for Speed Unbound also focuses on characters; it allows gamers to pick their own playable character and customize them with designer clothing. However, its single-player offering is still the main attraction, and it doesn't attempt to bill itself as an online multiplayer game as other titles in the decade did. With Unbound, it appears that Need for Speed has found an identity that suits it in the modern landscape. It takes the street racing of the 2000s and blends it with the focus on characters from the 2010s. The result is a concoction of fun arcade racing that reminds players that the franchise has not yet met its demise.