Highlights
- Dive back into the thrilling underworld of Hades 2 with new additions and old favorites – a feast for fans!
- Get ready to wield blue magic as Melinoë and explore new character designs in the dark conflict of gods.
- From the stunning artwork to the addictive gameplay, Hades 2 is shaping up to be a masterpiece of the rogue-like genre.
With the Early Access release of developer Supergiant Games’ Hades 2 on Steam and the Epic Games store, players dive headfirst back into an underworld straight out of the imagination of a 21st-century Greek mythology enthusiast. Much in the same vein as its runaway success of a predecessor, released back in Q4 2018, the game is proving a huge hit with fans, implementing all the same mechanics that made the first game a community treasure along with some shiny new additions and upgrades.
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The game boasts many additions and ability expansions primed for new and returning players to whet their whistle in, but it does so in a way that’s not difficult to learn or adapt to. You’ll have the denizens of the underworld fearing your arrival in no time at all. The indie rogue-like series remains true to its core in every way that fans could have asked for, and for all the countless hordes of fantastical creatures up for slaughter, the Early Access Hades 2 has just the kind of magic that left me wanting to battle hundreds more.
It’s Really Just More Hades, And That’s Perfect
Though it’s an Early Access experience, there is way more game here than you might expect. I limited myself to a two-hour session because I’m more the type to wait until a game is fully, officially completed to lose myself in it, but given how polished, fluid, and responsive the controls and mechanics felt as I hacked and slashed my way through Erebus (the game’s first stage), I could’ve easily pressed on with little complaint. Beyond the very few unfinished NPC character models, that is. Melinoë, the game’s main protagonist and Zagreus’ younger sister, carries the same quiet wit and capable demeanor of her brother and is just as likable. To her credit, though, she’s perhaps a bit more stoic, due to the circumstances that encompass the game’s initial plot structure.
In keeping with tradition, the game immediately throws you into the fray on your first run, with barely a moment to gather your wits before you’re set upon by the horrors of Erebus. If you’ve played the Hades prequel – which, if you haven’t beforehand, you absolutely should – then returning to this universe will feel incredibly natural for fans. Muscle memory kicks right back in. Even so, it wouldn’t be a proper sequel without new features, right? Hades 2 has them in droves and in all the right places, demonstrating that the game is absolutely a fully-fledged sequel and no mere expansion.
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One thing returning players will notice immediately, in marking distinctions between Melinoë and Zagreus’ play styles, is the new addition of the blue magic meter above the former’s health bar. Whereas Zagreus’ fighting methods relied on a more physical and melee focus with a minor emphasis on magic, Melinoë proves a capable inverse, with a magical arsenal just as lethal as her brother’s (if not more). She, too, is supported by their shared family tree of Olympic gods and goddesses, along with a range of famed Greek historical and mythological figures, by way of boons, buffs, and general advice. The game features returning deities with stunning updated designs in that crisp Hades art style, including Aphrodite, Poseidon, Hermes, big boss Zeus himself, and others.
A Game So Gorgeous, Aphrodite Would Be Proud
Personally, my favorite designs (as someone who adores examining and appreciating dynamic character art and outfit pieces) are Selene, Moros, Nemesis, and Aphrodite. With the tone of this game taking a darker turn, centered around a conflict between the Olympians and the Titans, the character designs of our allies have adapted to reflect that.
Demeter, for example, dons an armored tunic, puts her braided hair in an updo in such a way as not to hinder her line of sight, and tightly grips a sickle in her left hand while her face boasts a rather serious expression. This is a stark contrast from her previous design, which held a more relaxed, calmly attentive body language. In that game, she had her hands clasped together, braids down and draped across her shoulders, her expression wizened and matronly, and no weapons in sight.
My favorite change is with her cornucopia and the wreath of leaves she wears on her back. In the original title, the cornucopia rested on her lower back and the leaves, healthy and full, craned around her head, each lightly dusted in snow. In Hades 2, she holds the cornucopia by its mouth in her right hand, and the leaves, now almost bare branches, are withered and brown. As Demeter is the goddess of seasons and agriculture, the visual change looks to be a double entendre in meaning. It’s an example of masterful attention to detail, regarding both the core inspiration of the Greek pantheon and its implementation into this particular work of fiction.
The change signifies both a change in season from winter to autumn, if not literally, then simply in reflection of both Demeter’s disposition between games, and the tonal shift of the content of the plot progression between games. If you’re paying attention, small details like this are found across every character, new and old. And I love it.
The dialogue and voice acting are just as well-written and smoothly delivered, the stages you’ll slice and dice your way through are jaw-droppingly gorgeous and dynamic with easily overlooked fine details of their own, and the music! Bewitching is not a suitable enough word. It wouldn’t surprise me if these tracks were just taken from the cutting room floor of the first game, and with how enthralling even those were alone and given the result of what we got, that would be perfectly fine with me.
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That’s not to mention the new slate of diverse unlockable weapon types, each with their own luscious animations and flashy combos, the new outfit buffs that actually change the Melinoë model mid-run, the NPC side quests and healthily paced character relationship progressions, and the meat of the game – the boss fights. On top of all of this, this is still just Early Access. This incredible slice of Greek mythology enthusiast paradise isn’t even fully completed yet. This is how you make a sequel!
All in all, the Hades series is setting the tone as one of the premier indie rogue-like series in modern gaming history. With this second iteration, as far as I can tell, its only competition is with itself. If my word alone isn’t enough for you, maybe the hundreds of thousands of active daily players singing this game’s praises will sway you to hop down to the depths yourself and see what trouble you and Melinoë can get yourselves into. Regardless, Supergiant has made history twice over now, and I can’t wait to die over and over again to take down the Titan of Time when the game is completed and somehow made even more godly than it already is.
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