In Hades, the pomegranate is a key item, one that grants you very real power by buffing your abilities. The pomegranate also grants unimaginable power in the real world, at least if youre the streamer Dylan Rudeism Beck. He harnessed the power of ancient fruit to beat the games final boss not with a controller but with a literal pomegranate.
You read that right: a pomegranate. Yes, the very same distressingly sour fruit youd eat to load up on Vitamin C and antioxidants.
Beck is best known for playing games via creative methods, and for concocting equally creative controllers. In 2019, for instance, he hooked up a toy lightsaber to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order that allowed for motion-controlled Jedi-ing in Respawns vaguely Souls-like action-adventure.
Spoilers follow for the end ofHades.
Earlier today, Beck posted a short clip on Twitter showing himself taking on Hades, the games final boss, with a smattering of pomegranate chunks. All the fruit is hooked up to Hades via Makey Makey, an educational tool thats meant to teach the fundamentals of computer technology but, clearly, can be repurposed for other uses. Exhibit A: replicating a mouse-and-keyboard setup and kicking the crap out of the final boss of a brutal roguelike.
Hades is an unforgiving game, where one wrong move can spell the end of a run, so using actual fruit to beat the final boss may sound impossible. But thats the draw. I love trying to do seemingly impossible stuff, Beck told Kotaku via Twitter.
Sure enough, after 33 attempts just as many as it took him to beat it sans pom, by the way he finally won.
WE BEAT HADES WITH AN ACTUAL POMEGRANATE
SEEDS EVERYWHERE
GREAT GAME @SupergiantGames ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/gAXPy5qEkF
— Rudeism (@rudeism) February 18, 2021
Developer Supergiant Games captured what were all thinking in one succinct tweet: Hah, amazing!!
It really came down to the wire. If you watch closely, youll see Beck use up all three Death Defiances thats extra lives in Hades-speak and come dangerously close to relying on the Lucky Tooth, an item that can bring you back to life with a small amount of health.
I actually miscounted the Death Defiances. I was too focused to even look, Beck told me. I was a little disappointed to see I still had one life left, to be honest. I like a close call!
This isnt the first time Beck had played Supergiants terrific roguelike with a pomegranate hooked up to wires. Just this week, he posted a video to YouTube showing off the process. He made it to the Barge of Death, halfway through Asphodel, before getting taken out by one of those exceptionally irritating skeleton monsters. Happens to the best of us.
Yesterday, though, Beck appeared to make some significant progress. In another video posted to YouTube, he took out the Bone Hydra (sorry, Lernie) and made an impressive sojourn into Elysium. This time he was killed by a chariot. That, too, happens to the best of us.
Supergiant Games / Rudeism (YouTube)
So, what comprised todays winning loadout? As far as weaponry, Beck used Varatha, the Eternal Spear, and opted for the Achilles aspect. With that aspect equipped, you can toss your spear and zip to it at the push of a button. In the typical, non-pom game, its easily one of the best weapon aspects. Not only does it mesh seamlessly with boons from pretty much any Olympian, but it also allots you some serious navigational control. Doesnt mean it helped much in this situation, though.
To be honest, I barely made good use of it, only because having to navigate the various pieces of pomegranate became really difficult, Beck said. I kept accidentally hitting pieces I didnt mean to, dashing and casting when I didnt want to. I found it easier to go all in on the attack and dash.
He also rocked Poseidons dash, but was met with some technical issues. At various points in the 90-second clip, the dash button (or, well, dash chunk of unappetizing fruit) comes loose. He also picked Aphrodites cast, but doesnt use it much, because casts are useless against Hades anyway. The rest of the build focused on Zeus and Aphrodite boons, including their duo, Smouldering Air, which automatically charges up special abilities. He also grabbed the one that boosts the power of poms. Naturally.
For this feat, Beck booted up a fresh file, meaning he didnt activate any modifiers from the Pact of Punishment. Hes considering tackling it at higher heat down the line. If he does, hell max out the Extreme Measures modifier. (Each heat level of Extreme Measures switches up how the games regional bosses behave. Turning it up all the way completely transforms the final fight against Hades. Even with a controller, that feat is considered one of the games tougher challenges.)
Oh, and in case youre wondering, yes, after winning, he ate the pomegranate.
You dont need the hundred eyes of Argos to see that Hades is a fast-paced game. Its endlessly and easily repeatable. Encounters go down with blistering ferocity. Victory is contingent on a cocktail of strategic planning, tactical thinking, and a healthy dose of luck. There are even optional settings and…
Read more
If you havent cleared a run in Hades, youre not alone. Supergiants Greek-themed roguelike is many things, but easy sure isnt one of them. Beating the game the first time will happen eventually, but the following advice should help you speed up the process.
Read more
Hades doesnt really start until you beat it. In many roguelikes, youre encouraged to play through the game ad infinitum. Hades is no different. Once you beat the final boss (well, for the first time), a new gameplay mechanic opens up, and the game fundamentally changes.
Read more