Hades, the god-like, roguelike video game, has captivated players with its stunning visuals, sharp writing, and complex character dynamics. Set in the depths of Tarturus, the game’s objective is to escape the Underworld, all while interacting with a plethora of gods, villains, and characters from Greek mythology. But one of its most underrated strengths? The soundtrack. Darren Korb’s compositions for Hades blend everything from rock to folk to electronic influences, creating a musical atmosphere that feels as alive and immersive as the underworld itself.
Today, I’m taking a deep dive into The Lament of Orpheus, one of the standout tracks and one of my personal favorites in Hades.
Before we begin, here’s a rundown of who Orpheus is in Greek Mythology: Orpheus, a legendary musician and poet, falls in love with Eurydice, a beautiful nymph, but she dies from a snake bite shortly after their wedding. Devastated, Orpheus travels to the Underworld to retrieve her, enchanting Hades and Persephone with his music, who grant him permission to bring her back on the condition that he must not look back at her until they reach the surface. However, overcome by doubt, he turns to look at Eurydice just before exiting, causing her to vanish back into the Underworld forever.
In the game, Orpheus acts as a musician bound in the court of Hades, split from his lover, even in death.
Depressing right? Exactly! That’s why he sings a lament in the game.
Coming back on track, let’s finally break down The Lament of Orpheus; listen along at the top to get a feel for all the musical aspects being described.
Right off the bat, we’re hit with a lyre (commonly associated with Orpheus) and humming. This humming, encapsulates so much emotion with quite literally, no words. You can really hear the depth of sorrow and pain Orpheus is feeling.
Once Orpheus begins to sing, we can notice his phrases are ending in higher tones. Almost hanging off at the end. It seems almost as if he’s crying out to the Olympians, far above the House of Hades. Frequently, we see phrases ending on lower pitches, but this divergence from the norm gives the song a much more sincere, honest sound.
Furthermore, the manner in which the singer (Darren Korb) is using his voice, it seems that he isn’t going full out. It’s a breathy, quiet, almost strained type of sound being produced. At first, I wasn’t extremely fond of this sound, and was much more interested in the instrumentals. However, as I gave it more an more of a listen, this story of Orpheous wouldn’t have made sense with a louder, clear tone. This isn’t a singer writing a pop song for the radio, this is a character grieving in the only way he knows how to – music.
We can also notice the two main components of this song – the lyre and vocals. When taking into account the context of Orpheus’ story, this song is him singing to himself. Usually, musicians and poets were performers. But the fact this song feels so personal, is a testimony to his loneliness and strife.
To tie the song off, it ends with Orpheus repeating the line “Don’t look back”. This could be interpreted as a mix of regret and guilt. It’s almost as if he’s willing his younger self to “not look back” when attempting to save Eurydice.
Overall, we can say for certain this song is tragic. Orpheus is tragic, so of course his song is tragic. The key here, is that Orpheus is a side character. He doesn’t get many voice lines throughout the course of the game and doesn’t really interact with the main storyline. However, by listening to this one single song, we as the player are immersed in his mental headspace, his emotions, and his story.
Such is the genius of Darren Korb and Supergiant games. Hades is filled with many more incredible scores, which all enhance each character’s stories, and the overall playing experience.