WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Hades.
Hades, the latest game from acclaimed indie developer Supergiant Games, has been making waves in the gaming world since it released last month. The game offers a twist on the roguelike genre -- a type of game where each run is randomly generated and death is permanent -- by building a story that develops with each failed (or successful) attempt to escape the Underworld.
But with four challenging stages and a myriad of punishing bosses, seeing the story to completion is no simple task. Whether you're stuck in the game or are just curious to see how it ends, here is what happens in the endgame of Hades.
The Final Boss Is Hades Himself
This probably comes as no surprise given the game's title, but it's worth mentioning that you finally face your father when exiting Styx, the fourth and final stage of the Underworld. Story-wise, Hades is pretty fed up with Zagreus' escape attempts, so he goes to stop him once and for all. Zagreus tries to reason with him by explaining he just wants to see his real mother, but Hades won't hearing any of it and they fight.
Hades is easily the most challenging boss due to his unpredictable attack patterns and the devastating amounts of damage he can deal with a single blow, so prepare to die several times. If you die, you'll return to the House of Hades (where you'll notice your father is absent from his usual place behind his massive desk) before making another escape attempt. If you succeed, you'll continue on to Greece.
The Journey to Greece and the First "Ending"
If you successfully defeat your father, you'll get to enjoy a long stroll through the mountains before arriving at a vibrantly green area in Greece where your mother Persephone resides. You get to spend some time with her, reuniting and catching up, before Zagreus begins to feel ill. Persephone comments that you must be permanently bound to the Underworld, same as Hades, and that there truly may be no escape for you. And sure enough, you die and return to the House of Hades, but not before promising your mother you'll find her again someday.
This is the first "ending" of the game, but you can continue your escape attempts and are granted the "Pact of Punishment," which allows you to adjust the game's difficulty in order to increase bounties.
The True Ending
To see the game's real ending, you'll need to beat Hades eight more times, following each defeat up with a visit to your mother to learn a bit more about her flight from the Underworld and why she never returned. Each time, like the first, is limited, as you eventually succumb to the pull of the Underworld and end up back where you started.
However, on your tenth visit to the surface, you'll find that Hades is no longer there to stop you. You are able to pass freely and make one final visit to your mother, and after a bit of dialogue, she will agree to return with you to the Underworld. Charon, the boatman who runs the store you frequent throughout the game, gives the two of you a lift downriver back to Hades as the credits roll.
Hades is a challenging experience, but the more you press on the more you are rewarded with fantastic story bits that make everything worthwhile. It's worth experiencing for yourself, even after knowing how it all ends.