| Hades 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
| Release Date | |
|---|---|
|
May 6, 2024 (Early Access)
More Details | |
| Genre | |
| Action, Roguelite, Indie | |
| Platforms | Price (MSRP) |
 |
$29.99 |
| Developer | Publisher |
| Supergiant Games | Supergiant Games |
| Number of Players | Age Rating |
| 1 | TBA |
| Time to Finish | Cross Platform |
| 50-60 Hours | No |
| Official Website | Hades 2 Website |
Hades 2 Latest News
⚫︎ Hades II Proves Lightning Can Strike Twice (Wired)
⚫︎ Hades 2 Early Access Apparently Already Has More Content Than Hades 1
⚫︎ Hades 2 Already Feels Like the Sequel I Wanted (Inverse)
Hades 2 Overview
Hades II (or Hades 2) is the official sequel to the critically acclaimed Hades game released back in 2020. Developed by Supergiant Games, this is the studio’s first official sequel in its more than decade-long existence. Similar to how the first title was announced, Hades 2 was revealed as a surprise during the Game Awards. Unlike Hades 1, however, where early access for the game was shadow-dropped upon its announcement, Hades 2 released into early access on May 6, 2024. It is planned to be updated continuously until its full release.
Hades 2 takes place some time after the events of the first game, although it hasn't yet been revealed how long. The game stars Melinoë, the daughter and second child of Hades and Persephone, and the younger sister to Zagreus, protagonist of Hades 1. In contrast with her brother, Melinoë spends her waking moments training under the tutelage of the Goddess Titan of Magic and Crossroads, Hecate. She hones her craft of witchcraft in order to grow powerful enough to achieve her mission–kill Time itself. The Titan of Time, Chronos, has taken over the Underworld, including the House of Hades, bringing upon chaos upon the domain of Hades. However, her family up on the surface are also at constant attack from Chronos’ undead forces. Melinoë now takes it upon herself to fight a battle on two fronts, one where she races down to the depths of the Underworld, and one where she climbs up to the heavens of Olympus.
Melinoë, similar to her brother, traverses through randomized areas, enemies, and rewards to reach her goal. However, she has a completely different moveset and a variety of new weapons at her disposal. Due to her being a witch, she also has access to Magick, imbuing her attacks and abilities to perform unique and powerful attacks known as Omega Moves. Lastly, whenever Melinoë finds herself falling in battle, she musters the last of her strength to cast a spell and transport herself back to safety. This is a huge distinction from Zagreus’ apparent immortality from resurrecting from repeated deaths.
| Steam |
Epic |
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| $29.99 | |||||
Hades 2 Gameplay
Hades 2 iterates from its predecessor as an isometric action roguelite where one must traverse through randomly-sequenced rooms, now called ‘Locations,’ with enemies to defeat. Clearing out a location’s enemies grants Melinoë a random reward among resources, currency, or upgrades. The most powerful of all rewards are Olympic Boons, where some return for the sequel, but now includes more never-before seen Gods. The various God Boons serve to affect or completely alter Melinoë’s wide array of abilities during combat, such as her staple ‘Cast.’ Activating her Cast summons a circle around Melinoë, trapping all foes within in place and allowing her to either hail them with attacks or reposition for a better angle. Melinoë can quickly reposition or evade attacks by dashing, but only once. However, she is capable of continuously sprinting at a higher speed, further contrasting the first game, where Zagreus’s primary way to dodge was through his multiple dashes.
The biggest aptitude Melinoë has that differentiates from her brother Zagreus is her knowledge of Magick. She can infuse her main actions of Attack, Special Attack, Cast, and sometimes Sprint, with Magick to perform Omega Moves or other special moves, making them more powerful or act completely different altogether.
Hades 2 Reviews
On the Path to Godhood Once More
Hades 2 immediately managed to wow audiences just from releasing a small Technical Test to serve from the first taste for players. We at Game8, pronounced it as a God-like sequel in the making, praising its level of polish and variety in terms of gameplay and visuals, as well as intrigue with the plot. Digital Trends similarly reviewed the Technical Test and spent over a hundred hours, and reached the conclusion that the worst thing about it is how it could replace the original and make it worse.
Eventually, Hades 2 released as an early access game, and even then already had more content than its predecessor combined. IGN were also astounded, as they felt that Hades 2 was enormously packed with content and unimaginably polished for an early access game, giving it an early ‘Amazing’ at 9/10. Rock Paper Shotgun entices players to still play through even in its unfinished state filled with placeholders, as it’s very easy to pick up and get obsessed with. Eurogamer praises its ability to act as a sequel to a roguelite with fresh story and gameplay features, pointing out how difficult it is to get right.
Players on Steam have voted in high regard with an aggregated rating of Very Positive on both Recent and All reviews. The majority of players commend the game for having a deep pool of content to explore with minimal bugs for an early access game, but plenty are still apprehensive due to its stark differences with the first game, alongside its still unfinished state.
Hades 2 Announcement Trailer
Announcement Trailer
Hades 2 was formally announced as a surprise during 2022’s Game Awards, similar to how its predecessor debuted. However, this time around, it did not include a shadowdrop of an early access build, but instead featured an animated cinematic and brief glimpses of the new protagonist, Melinoë, in and out of combat.
Hades 2 Trivia
⚫︎ Hades 2 is Supergiant Games’ first sequel, as the studio has always worked on a new IP after the previous.
⚫︎ The game, similar to the first title, puts the spotlight on a lesser-known figure from Greek Mythology, this time the Goddess of Ghosts and Nightmares, Melinoë.
⚫︎ Hades 2 takes place after an undisclosed amount of time after Hades 1, perhaps decades due to Melinoë’s age.
⚫︎ Although the Hades franchise is concerned with Greek mythology, the official title of the sequel, "Hades II," uses the Roman numerals. This has been pointed out by the studio themselves and have teased that there will be a reason in-game that explains it.
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