I can’t think about Asura without thinking about Hades, and it’s a bit unfair because Asura predates Hades, and everyone loves Hades. But they are undeniably similar. They’re both action-RPG-styled Roguelites. They’re both about being a kind of god and fighting other gods. But they’re also different.
The most obvious difference being Asura is based upon Indian mythology, whereas Hades is rooted in Greek mythology. This means it’s to Hindu epics that Indian developer Ogre Head turns, pulling from the pages supernatural beings and entities for your demon-spawn-hero to take revenge upon. And this non-Western perspective is refreshing, promoting a slightly different kind of power-ideal that’s rooted in things like chakras and shastras, and adorned with different weapons like frisbee chakrams and claw mittens and blades-on-wrists.
But the differences continue in how the game plays too. I think of Hades as being a bit like pinball. There’s a lot going on when you’re in the thick of it. Lights flash and colours fly, and numbers pop off all over the place as the level erupts around you. It’s actually quite a skill to keep track of Zagreus in amongst it. And of course it’s wonderful fun.
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