If you know anything about the world of video games, you’ll know that Hades, and the more recently released sequel Hades II, have been huge hits. The first, a 2020 release, was immediately lauded for its staggering graphics and soundtrack that feels out of this world (or maybe under it?). The sequel is equally beautiful, rich in color and detail, with great characters and a deep, compelling, textured setting.
But lots of games can make similar claims to fame. What sets Hades I and II apart? We’d argue that, in no small measure, it’s the Greek myths and the world they’re tapping into. Let’s figure out why and look at where else we see this appear.
Which Other Games Invoke Greek Myths
Before we get into the why of the Greek myths, let’s figure out where else they appear. There’s little denying that, as a whole, Greek myths have retained their popularity, especially if we look beyond the world of games. Take the Percy Jackson series, immensely loved reading for teens and young adults, with book series and movies. Bam, immediately compelling, and very enthusiastically followed. Take The Thief series, less known but no less enjoyable for its fantasized reimagination of Ancient Greece, drawing obvious inspiration from the Greek myths.
And look back to the world of games: it’s not just Hades that has made a splash. Many other games make use of these themes and ideas. If you play Bitcoin slots at mBitcasino, for instance, you’ll find an absolute slew of titles playing on the Greek Gods. Try:
- Might of Zeus
- Power of Zeus Hold and Earn
- Zeus 9 Claws
- Zappin’ Zeus
- Rise of Zeus
- 7×7 Zeus
- Call of Zeus
- King of the Gods Zeus Lock 2 Spin
And on top of that, three different games just titled Zeus – the god’s name is doing all the necessary work here, immediately conveying power, excitement, and an electric (forgive the pun) atmosphere. You can see some of the Zeus-themed games here.
Head to the mBit library and you'll encounter many a Zeus-themed slot ⚡️
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But can you identify the slot behind these symbols?💬 pic.twitter.com/G8jfUwSuEq
Is that all? With more than 10 games, you might think so… but no. Zeus doesn’t get to claim all the fun. If we turn to his brother, we’ve got:
- Book of Poseidon
- Poseidon
- Poseidon’s Orb
- Poseidon’s Secret
- Poseidon’s Secret 2
- Power of Poseidon
- Poseidon’s Wrath
- Poseidon’s Treasure
- Poseidon Battle
- Poseidon’s Rising: The Golden Era
- Poseidon’s Trident Strike
- Waves of Poseidon
And more! Plus, what about the third brother, the one we started this article with? Hades has plenty of attention too, with:
- Hades: Realm of Fortune
- The Guard of Hades
- Zeus Vs Hades: Gods of War
- Hades’ Infernal Blaze
- Hades River of Souls
- Gates of Hades
- Hades
And we can go even further. How about Greek Legends or Greek Gods or Greek Pantheon Megaways? Those are just a handful of the games found in this world. You’ll also see characters like Aphrodite, who has plenty of games in her own right, as well as Apollo and Artemis, and more.
It’s pretty clear that the Greek myths offer near-endless opportunities for creativity and game creation. Why, though, do we turn to them so frequently for inspiration? Let’s explore that next!
Why Greek Myths Remain Popular
Given that we are so far removed from Ancient Greece and everything that would have mattered to their culture, it might seem kind of surprising that we have so thoroughly integrated it into our world.
There are quite a few possible explanations. One is that these myths are so very rich and varied, they speak to us on multiple levels. There’s a huge array of characters to draw from, as we’ve already seen in the brief mention above. This gives individual games like slots immediate recognition to tap into, and games like Hades plenty of exploration opportunities.
How do they personify these characters in ways that speak to their original stories? How should they talk and appear? What motivations do they have? In Hades, you meet an array of the gods, who will aid you with powers that buff your character and let you progress further and further through the underworld.
That takes us to another reason this pantheon so appeals: power. Each god has their own specialty, their own niche, with corresponding aesthetics that make them feel exciting. What power will they grant you or bring down upon you? What rewards might they offer in a slot game?
Plus, the theming becomes much easier when you tap into these existing characters. A game centered on Poseidon has immediate texture that you can use; seascapes and oceanic wonders, glittering treasure chests, powerful tridents. A title focusing on Hades, as we saw with the namesake game, is enriched with the underworld’s existing landscape, creating scope for dramatic narration, ghoulish characters, a tyrannical overlord (maybe he’s not so bad?), and more.
The instant recognition plays in the game developer’s favor; they don’t have to explain the world, because the player already knows a lot about it. They can plunge straight in and let the game flow.It’s also thought that the Greek myths speak to us on a range of different levels; they help us understand very human problems and conditions, they teach us about social values, they guide us through various stages of our lives. The connection we make with these myths on all levels is very notable, and it’s a truly amazing phenomenon that it can remain so strong across so many centuries and different cultures.
