| Hades 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Hades 2 Review Overview
What is Hades 2?
Hades 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to Supergiant Games’ award-winning, god-like roguelike from 2020. Set after the events of Zagreus’s countless escapes from the underworld, this follow-up shifts the spotlight to Melinoë, Princess of the Underworld, as she rises to challenge the Titan of Time himself.
With Chronos having overthrown Hades, seized control of the underworld, and imprisoned their family, Melinoë must harness ancient witchcraft and divine blessings to strike back before the Titan’s conquest reaches Olympus.
Building on the fast-paced, hack-and-slash combat and combo-driven mechanics of the original, Hades 2 expands every aspect of the experience, from a doubled cast of gods, foes, and allies, to an ambitious narrative spanning both the depths of the underworld and the heights of Olympus.
Hades 2 features:
⚫︎ 6 unlockable weapons, each with multiple aspects
⚫︎ 33 keepsakes to earn between runs
⚫︎ 9 main Olympian boon sets, with duo and legendary boons for each
⚫︎ 2 main story paths: Underworld and Olympus
⚫︎ Fast-paced, hack-and-slash action
⚫︎ High-synergy roguelike builds with immense metagame progression
⚫︎ Fully voice-acted dialogue
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Hades 2's gameplay and story.
| Digital Storefronts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Steam |
 Epic |
 eShop |
 eShop |
| $29.99 | $24.99 | ||
Hades 2 Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Captured the Charm of the Original Expanded in All the Right Ways Masterclass in Metagame Progression Simply Beautiful |
Absolute Time Sink |
Hades 2 Story - 10/10
Supergiant’s reinvention of Greek myth is as innovative and enthralling as ever. They did it once with the first Hades, who could’ve guessed they could do it again in the sequel. Even the roguelike format is diegetic to the grand tapestry of Melinoë’s epic, and that’s not even factoring in the dialogue and character writing that’ll have you falling in love with random characters again. This is a story to last the ages as much as the original myths themselves.
Hades 2 Gameplay - 9/10
There’s just no beating this game’s rewarding metagame progression system. Never have I ever encountered a game wherein even the most cooked runs can still earn you something in the long run, and not at the expense of an overall solid execution of its core mechanics either. If every person had the time to spare, they should definitely experience this game at least once.
Hades 2 Visuals - 9/10
Hades 2 already earns a great score for its unique blend of Art Nouveau stylings with classical Greek designs and maximalist detailing, but to put the design into your hands as well on top of the roguelike gameplay? Ingenious and tantalizing for anyone who hasn’t tried it. It worked the first time; there’s more of it now. What’s not to love?
Hades 2 Audio - 10/10
"In the Blood" from the first Hades set an almost impossible standard, yet Hades 2 rises to the challenge with banger after banger right from the start. Just one listen to Scylla’s electrifying tracks or Polyphemus’ boss theme is enough to prove it; this soundtrack is every bit as mythical as the world it brings to life, and with the best voice-acting I’ve ever heard to boot.
Hades 2 Value for Money - 10/10
It’s almost criminal that Hades 2 costs only $25-30 for everything it delivers: a gripping story, dozens of hours of some of the toughest roguelike combat around, a lineup of truly legendary weapons, and yes, even the chance to romance a spider. Buy it. Now.
Hades 2 Overall Score - 96/100
Mythical. Simply mythical. This game is the Odyssey to the first game’s Iliad; no mere cheap copy nor lazy follow-up. It is the natural progression of everything that made the first game click with so many people: music, gameplay, writing, and the pure soul of a roguelike. Not only did it double the first game in scope, size, and quality, it managed to do so without separating itself from its roots. One will have to try very hard to overstate the utter divinity of this game’s aura as it enters the halls of history as the best way to kill time ever.
Hades 2 Review: The Only Way To Kill Time
What can you do when faced with something that simply refuses to stop impressing? When every success feels like a mounting crescendo, one you know you’ll adore, yet somehow it keeps leaving you speechless with every note? There’s only one answer: you sit back and enjoy the ride.
That’s exactly what I did with Hades 2 throughout its early access journey. I still remember losing my mind when it was first announced in 2022; my thoughts instantly flashed back to those 60+ Heat runs from the first game.
When the playtest dropped, I was right there with everyone else, diving headfirst into Melinoë’s first steps and savoring every glimpse of what was to come. With each new update — every added god, mechanic, and character — I found myself floored all over again. And now here we are, at the finish line: the full release. I’m just as thrilled as you are to dig into everything this final build brings to a masterpiece we’ve watched come to life in real time. So, just let’s get into it.
Death to Chronos!
So, how do you follow up a game as legendary as Hades? Simple: you raise every single stake. You take the intimate, family-driven drama of the first game and replace it with a cosmic conflict so monumental that it practically doubles the runtime and content.
That might sound like the gaming equivalent of jumping the shark, but Supergiant knows exactly what it’s doing. Hades 2 doesn’t just settle for a passable premise; it delivers one that feels tailor-made for a sequel, expanding the scope without losing the heart.
In true mythic fashion, meddling from primordial forces sets everything in motion. This time, the war is against the Titans, or at least one Titan in particular. Chronos, the embodiment of time itself, has risen again, overthrowing Tartarus and imprisoning the House of Hades, sparing only Hades’ infant daughter, Melinoë.
Years later, we meet Melinoë fully grown, training under the watchful eye of Hecate to reclaim Tartarus and free her family, all while pushing back against Chronos’ siege on Mount Olympus. It’s a sweeping, high-stakes tale that makes the original’s premise look small by comparison, yet it retains the nuance and emotional grounding fans expect.
At this point, only the ending could derail what’s shaping up to be an incredible follow-up, but Supergiant clearly had that on lock, too, because not only is it satisfying and worth all the hours you’d potentially throw into it, but it is as tight and heartwarming as a sitcom despite involving literal primordial forces throwing mountains at each other.
You’d think the world was on Supergiant’s shoulders, trying to achieve such a feat, and perhaps it was, and they just ran Atlas for his drachmas.
Way More Hades, Way More Fun
Now, moving on to gameplay. Hades 2 absolutely nails what a sequel should be. It’s essentially Hades 1, but bigger, richer, and overflowing with new ideas in nearly every respect. You play as Melinoë, sister to Zagreus and the second child of Hades, who, much like her brother, wields an arsenal of deadly weapons and benefits from a steady stream of divine boons courtesy of her mountain-dwelling relatives.
Armed with both, she carves her way through the many layers of the underworld, from the dark woods of the Crossroads to the mourning fields of Asphodel, on a journey to reclaim the House of Hades and face Chronos himself. If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice a clever twist: it’s the same path Zagreus once took, but in reverse. This time, you’re venturing deeper into the Underworld instead of trying to escape it, ending each run where he once began.
That alone would’ve been a clever enough expansion on the original’s blueprint, something that would’ve brought it full circle naturally, but Supergiant goes far beyond that. The familiar hub at the Crossroads still anchors your upgrades, relationships, and metagame progression, but now, there’s an entirely separate route leading to Mount Olympus itself.
Yes, as I’ve said again and again, it’s literally double the Hades. No hyperbole, no clickbait, it’s just the first game…twice. The surface isn’t a mere reskin either; it’s brimming with fresh ideas and its own identity. The city of Ethyra alone, with its pylons and non-linear progression, is a standout highlight, and it’s followed by three more levels packed with more shock and awe, each bigger than the last. By the time you’ve seen it all, you’ll realize each path offers a full, satisfying experience worthy of the title Hades 2.
Oh, and just to sell you more on the fact that Supergiant doesn’t do half-measures, the final bosses in either route are as memorable and cinematic as that fated encounter on a snowy field against your father in the first game. I won’t spoil who you face off against because that’s half the story already gone, but trust in me when I say that it makes the original Hades fight feel like a slapping match. I’ll end this section with one clue so you can take a guess: Fathers.
Every Single Run Matters, No Matter How Cooked
Metagame progression is one of the core pillars of the roguelike genre, and striking the right balance is what defines a great deathloop. Too little thought, and you’re left with a glorified clicker game; too much, and it starts to feel like you’re managing a D&D campaign. Hades 2 threads that needle beautifully, keeping things simple yet rewarding. Every run contributes to something meaningful in the metagame, whether it’s a new upgrade, an enhancement to an old one, a story beat, an achievement, or even just a cosmetic flourish.
Of course, this approach runs the risk of burning through content too quickly, and in less capable hands, blending it all into a narrative that thrives on repetition would be a daunting task. But Supergiant has this formula down to a science. Hades 2 may very well boast the most satisfying metagame progression the genre has ever seen.
Its brilliance lies in one elegant choice: not relying on a single metagame currency. Instead, it scatters multiple currencies throughout each run, each with its own rarity, method of acquisition, and distinct unlock tied to it. This results in every run mattering; even the bad ones push you forward.
Not that you’ll have many bad runs anyway, the synergy here makes the first game’s builds look like a two-piece set bonus by comparison. With new Olympians like Hestia, Apollo, and Hephaestus joining the fray, plus mid-run boon-granting allies such as Echo, Narcissus, and Arachne, Hades 2 simply has more pieces to play with, and it knows exactly how to use them.
More importantly, though, the game fully embraces build-crafting in a way the original only hinted at, thanks to the new Arcana system. While Zagreus relied on the Mirror of Night for static bonuses, Melinoë’s Arcana cards weave a more strategic layer of customization, blending classic build-crafting with clever adjacency effects.
In essence, Hades 2 hands you every tool you need to carve Chronos a brand-new, structurally questionable backside, and then rewards you for unlocking them through its metagame. All the while, you’re swept up in a combat system so fluid and satisfying, it’s borderline alarming how easy it is to lose hours to it.
I’ve pretty much unlocked everything and, barring a few keepsakes that require specific conditions to be anywhere near useful — no different from the first game’s, honestly — nothing ever felt like it wasn’t worth the effort. Heck, you can even earn achievement statues like in the first game. It isn’t of Skelly anymore (or Captain Schelemeus for this game), but trust me, each one is worth the extra difficulty you pack on as you gladly lose hours of your life to this game.
Double the Hades, Double the Grind
Speaking of losing hours, it’s worth noting just how much commitment Hades 2 demands. With twice the number of bosses and a far grander scope overall, the dozens of hours you sank into the first game could easily balloon into triple digits here, and that’s not even accounting for a 100% completion run.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing; too much of something great is still pretty great. Just don’t expect to make quick progress if you’re playing casually. This game about defying time will happily devour all of yours. So, fair warning: if you’re not ready to be completely absorbed, mind, body, and soul, you might be in over your head.
Speaking particularly of the late game, when you’ve beaten both final bosses at least once (yes, you’ll have to do that multiple times), things really start to slow down as your runs turn from fun excursions where you see what you can unlock to tailored runs meant to maximize a specific metagame progression currency. Again, not a bad thing, just the natural progression of the gameplay, but you might wanna ring up Chronos for some extra minutes because this game’s gonna take it all.
New Ideas to Go With Legacy Systems
On the topic of unlocks and discovery, there’s no shortage of fresh ideas to dive into here, beyond just the game’s grander scale. Melinoë is a completely different hero from her brother Zagreus, and while they share the same basic controls, with normal and special attacks alongside their casts, that’s where the similarities end. Zagreus drew strength from the blessings of the gods, but Melinoë’s power flows from witchcraft and ancient magicks.
Rather than calling upon Olympians to smite her foes, Melinoë wields an upgradeable Hex granted by Selene, offering abilities that range from dependable healing to a screen-clearing explosion capable of wiping out entire rooms. She also brings new mechanics to the table, like the option to charge her attacks and a dedicated mana bar to fuel them. Even her cast ability is completely reimagined; no longer a simple blood crystal to chuck at enemies, but a magical snare that can be transformed through boons to suit your playstyle.
The game’s expanded resource system reflects that same philosophy of growth. What started as simple fishing in the first Hades has evolved into a fully-fledged gathering system, complete with farming, mining, and spirit collection. You can still fish, of course, but now, it’s just one small piece of a much bigger picture.
Love your god boons? Cool, there’s another layer of strategy to consider for them now with the Elemental Essences system, which attaches one of several elemental types to every single boon, which, in turn, may grant you additional bonuses down the line.
Wanna spruce up the hub world? Sure thing, you can do that here as well, although the Crossroads do admittedly provide more opportunities to design than the House of Hades, though I imagine that’s by virtue of being an entire outdoor area over a manor in Tartarus.
What about those NPCs you want to romance? I’ve got an emo god of doom, a tsundere goddess of vengeance, and a literal spider for you to hang out with. There’s a whole party for you to mingle with, and that’s not even considering the Olympians, other non-romanceable NPCs, and mid-run NPCs you can run into. Also, keep in mind the new ways to mingle with them instead of just giving gifts. It wasn’t in the first game, but I always did wanna go fishing with Thanatos.
And that’s the beauty of Hades 2. Whether you’re coming in as a veteran of the first game or stepping into the underworld for the very first time, you’ll find yourself constantly surprised, impressed, and delighted by how much it grows while still honoring everything that came before.
A Beauty to Rival Aphrodite’s
The final note of praise I’ll sing for Hades 2 is its presentation. The original Hades turned heads with its unmistakable style; bold yet refined, regal without excess, and utterly distinct in its vision of the underworld. Hades 2 proudly carries that legacy forward, both visually and sonically, refining every detail to a dazzling sheen.
Whether it’s the reimagined Olympians from the first game, the striking new faces among gods and mortals alike, or the intricate, layered environments that define each realm, there’s always something breathtaking to behold, even back when the game was still in early access. Now, in its full release, that artistry has been polished to perfection, earning every bit of the awe it inspires.
Supergiant Simply Doesn’t Miss
And so we come to the end of this comprehensive look at Hades 2. It is a masterpiece. I wish there was a more elegant, Homer-esque way to say it, but that’s the simple, unmistakable truth to it. This is a mastercrafted game worthy of Hepheastus’ praise and a place among the greatest video game sequels ever made, alongside Portal 2, Borderlands 2, and Half-Life 2.
More impressive still is the high bar it had to clear in the first place; a bar it left far beneath it as the quality soared to the heights of Olympus itself. This game is a journey from start to finish, with a fun little crossroads in the middle for you to pick your poison.
All of that is to say that this game is the best way to kill time, whether you’re a half-dead goddess looking to slay Chronos or a lover of all things roguelike.
Is Hades 2 Worth It?
In The Name of Hades, You Should Buy This Game
I consider it downright criminal that this game only charges you $25 - 30 for the complete saga it’s about to unload on you. That’s bog-standard for a AA indie title, but this game’s quality is head and shoulders above its asking price.
I mean, you could always throw more money at Supergiant by getting the DLC soundtrack if you really feel bad about paying so little for something so great, but even that soundtrack’s quality is gonna make you feel like you robbed them.
Very simply, this game is a steal. Perhaps not because it’s the cheapest, but for what you’re getting, this is as much value as Charon’s hoard.
| Digital Storefronts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam |
Epic |
eShop |
eShop |
| $29.99 | $24.99 | ||
Hades 2 FAQ
Does Hades 2 Support Other Languages?
Yes. Although Hades 2 primarily has English text and dubs, it includes full text translations for the following languages: German, Greek, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.
Will Hades 2 Have Multiplayer?
No. According to the game’s developers, Hades 2 was designed as a single-player experience from the very beginning, and any multiplayer additions are currently not in their plans moving forward.
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Hades 2 Product Information
 |
|
| Title | HADES 2 |
|---|---|
| Release Date | September 25, 2025 (Full Release) May 6, 2024 (Early Access) |
| Developer | Supergiant Games |
| Publisher | Supergiant Games |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam, Epic Games) Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Genre | Action, Roguelike, Indie |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | RP |
| Official Website | Hades 2 Website |
