Hades 2: The Amazing Follow-Up to an All-Time Favorite Game
The experience of playing Hades while enduring the angst that was in 2020 was the exact balm I required. It was the only Roguelike that suited me and melded a story that played with mythology, a pantheon I'd grown up with, and an array of intense white-knuckle fighting I've ever experienced in a game. It didn't matter if I wanted to test out for twenty minutes or even 20 years; Hades was there and was filled with story twists and turns, great combat, and the best-in-class artwork to entertain and entertain me. It was and continues to be one of the most amazing games I've ever played.
Hades 2 is the sequel I didn’t expect, especially considering the first set’s excellent standard. I am shocked that Hades 2 is like this, even though I’ve had it for a long time. After spending a couple of hours playing the latest early access version and a few attempts to Chronos” life, I’m in complete shock. It polishes rough edges I’ve never considered while playing the nearly flawless predecessor. And even while it’s still not done (it’s an Early Access release), Hades 2 is a force.
Where to begin with Hades 2? Let’s start with the game’s new protagonist, Melinoe, and her unique abilities. As the game kicks off, Melinoe, along with the player, embarks on their first adventure. Hades 2, much like its predecessor, dives straight into the action, but it’s clear that it’s not a simple rehash of a successful formula. Melinoe, infused with new abilities due to her relationship with Hecate, the Goddess of Witchcraft, brings a fresh dynamic to the game.
When Hades began to launch into 1.0, The game’s protagonist, Zagreus, was equipped with various weapons; however, his actions were restricted. Zagreus had an attack, an extremely powerful move that was a dash, an attack and a throwable casting. Comparatively, Melinoe has at least more moves, as she can now charge all of her strategies into what is known as Omega moves, with distinct effects and causing greater damage. Instead of a separate, heavy attack, Mel can throw down the casting circle, which has effects that are enhanced by the boons she gathers during an entire run. This, and an extremely slow speed, frequently results in Mel appearing less agile than Zagreus; however, it is also more effective and strategic. Zag was an unorthodox combatant from start to finish, and blazing through enemies was the most effective strategy in all instances of my winning Hades runs. This is no longer the case with the sequel. Melinoe appears to be more energised to be more tactical. Hades 2 certainly plays better when I play her gear to its maximum extent.
Melinoe is also quite the armoury, with twin blades swiftly becoming my preferred weapon. Melinoe also has a fascinating set of torches that require the usage of her magical, ranged skull weapon and the more traditional axe. Although I haven’t yet played with them all and their many aspects in equal measure, I’ve witnessed enough to indicate that Supergiant didn’t sit on its laurels and devised innovative ways to cut through the hell of Hades. If you’re not fighting, Hades 2 also boasts several additional tools and features, including crafting, resource farming, additional currency, base-building, and even intense social interactions, which make the game’s early access version extremely impressive and quite intimidating.
Melinoe isn’t only Zagreus, his mechanical counterpart. However, she’s also his sister. Her need to be a part of her father in the House of Hades is a major theme of Hades 2. It’s a clever reversal of Zag’s quest to free himself from the same chains he was bound by in his first adventure. Zag was a vivid and smartmouth, which resulted in a charming and confident character. Mel isn’t distant, but at least when she speaks. However, she is likeable and has an attitude that resonates more with me. I’ve never wanted to separate Zag from the family he was born into, though it wasn’t the main purpose of Hades. However, I had to reunite Mel with her cut-off family.
The truth is that Mel and Zag have a few other moral issues: they are far from their extended family before these events start. The reasons are revealed during the events that transpire in Hades 2; Mel is not able to be with her uncles, aunts, and a host of cousins who resided on Mount Olympus, who once return for the third instalment to form friendships with Mel and help her grow throughout the long. Popular characters like Aphrodite, the symbol of love and sexual sex, come back alongside Zeus and the stunning Apollo. Hestia and Hephaestus make stunning debuts and expand the scope of Hade’s limited perception of beauty
Regarding boons, the Hades 2 pantheon is much more extensive than the last time they released it. Similar books and some powerful gods (RIP Athena) have been discarded to give way to an array of distinct capabilities. Hestia’s flames enchant enemies over time, for instance, rewarding players who spend the time to plough through enemies. This is in stark contrast to the many abilities of Athena in the first game, which made players more vulnerable and encouraged them to jump into the battle. Demeter’s ability to freeze has always been incredibly powerful, but her final-game inclusion in Hades reduced the power of her set of moves to an extent. As a result, I believe Demeter was one of the gods I encountered when I was Mel Mel in Hades 2, and her books have proved to be an integral component of my arsenal, which has solidified her place in my fight against Chronos.
Even the most well-known abilities, such as Zeus chains of electricity that crackle and Poseidon’s crashing waves, seem more impressive than their predecessors due to Hades 2’s art style, which is in some ways more stunning and vibrant than the first. You’ve never lived a powerful life until you’ve witnessed the most powerful waves rise from the swing of your axe.
The gods of Hades 2 aren’t just power-ups; they are a significant part of the story. Mt. Olympus is fighting its great-grandfather Chronos and has taken over the underworld and Hades, the family of Hades, triggering an unending war on two fronts. Hades’ representation of gods was joyful. However, it was never challenging. In the story of Hades 2, though, the gods are in action:
- Hermes is scouting behind the lines of the enemy.
- Artemis hunts down the forces of Chronos, Charon, and the River Styx are our hero’s supply lines.
- Absences such as Ares and Athena can be due to being a sign that the universe is actually currently at war and requires their attention.
- Many other gods that populate your base camp sometimes put a bit of fuel on the flame.
Nemesis, who resents her position in the Crossroads and is determined to take on sometimes, ‘will go off on a rogue, which can lead to encounters with Nemesis outside in nature. Sometimes, she’ll be in Charon’s shop and contemplating what to purchase, and if you fail to grab everything you can before her, you can get an exciting boon. In most cases, she’ll challenge the player in a game and then walk away through an exit that offers an offer you’d like. It’s similar to how the interactions with Thanatos were handled in the first game; however, the story turns Nemesis into a brash friend whose desires and loyalty clash to create memorable events. The characters in Hades 2 feel complex and real, and I’m intrigued by how Supergiant will continue to shape the characters over the early access phase.
Reliving hell
An inverted strategy enhances the story and world of Hades 2. While the first game had Zag determinedly fighting his way through the underworld, the second game will see Mel struggling to get back to her family’s home and free her from Chronos.
When the first Hades one, you could be fooled into thinking that the team was stretched thin regarding level design. Tartarus’s straight-faced chambers were eventually replaced by an array of environmental dangers in Asphodel and then expanded to a certain extent with Elysium’s calm (but extremely threateningly packed) areas before culminating in the suffocating rooms of the satyr’s Temple. Hades dealt with each of these environments with ease,tered a common game design principle, and knocked it off the field.
Hades 2 is a reversal of several of the same ideas. However, it does so with such ease that the first versions look like a boring trial. But it doesn’t end at that point, and Hades 2 successfully blows up ideas and transforms them into something more original. It is particularly noteworthy that the Fields of Mourning, which is Hades 2’s incredibly difficult third area, plays with open-ended environments with an array of smaller goals. It’s an idea that Hades two lifts from the most tightly packed zone of the first game and then tucks it into a new mould with great success.
Supergiant’s exquisite artwork has made this world familiar. Every region feels like a stark contrast to the one before, and the characters at the end are beautiful to see and an absolute blast to fight. I hope I’ll never get bored from the fight with Scylla and her group of sirens in Oceanus, which perform instruments and sing songs, battling you throughout the fight. Removing them one by one can cause their part of the ensemble (vocals and guitar, drums and so on.) to be muted, just one of the many insignificant sounds that Supergiant uses to create a sense of impact worldwide.
As I was beginning to feel confident playing the gauntlet in Oceanus and The Fields of Mourning, which resulted in several Chronos experiences, Hades 2 revealed an additional storyline in a parallel fashion and a beautiful universe and characters that I was able to meet. The story takes place above the ground in Greece and has distinct regions that challenge the norms of how a Hades level should operate, which isn’t unfinished.
The story still needs to be finished.
The main issue in Hades 2 is that it still needs to be finished. It’s true. There’s placeholder artwork all over certain characters, and some areas featured on the initial access version are clearly unfinished. Character arcs are currently in limbo while Supergiant Games works on wrapping up the game to release in 2025. There are areas we’ve not seen, dialogue we’ve not seen, and some hints that we’ll have to wait while the studio cooks. One thing is for certain: it will improve.
It’s both awe-inspiring and terrifying knowing that the game I’m preparing to spend hours with will be a surprise to me for at least one more year. Although I’m not nearly finished with my current design, I’m at peace with the games I’ve done to declare without any doubt or doubt it is a certainty that Hades 2 is a hell of a celebration for Supergiant.