Hades II, the action roguelike from developers Supergiant Games, is everything a sequel should be. The original Hades is still one of the best roguelikes of all time, taking deliciously tight combat and a loop that just kept you coming back for more. Hades 2 nails both of these aspects, packed full of content that will keep any player busy for a while. It all gels together to create an experience that still proves that Hades, and now Hades 2, are the pinnacle of the genre.
Hades 2 follows in the footsteps of Melinoë, sister to the protagonist of the first game, Zagreus. The narrative comes bursting out the gate, as Melinoë sets out to save her family from the grips of the villainous time titan, Chronos. Chronos has returned from a previous defeat ages ago, now intent on wreaking havoc on the gods that sealed him in the past.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
The narrative is constantly engrossing, revealing more as the runs go by. Whether it’s a surprising glimpse into the past through an unexpected cutscene or a new piece of dialogue from a character, each new attempt brings some piece of narrative.
Hades 2 blends steep difficulty with compelling lore.
Hades 2 is tough, and it’ll still take multiple runs to get to the true ending, expecting a mastery of the action combat that delivers story as the reward. Thankfully, the bits of lore you get, even when you fail, keep the throttle on as you guide Melinoë to the truth at the center of it all.
It’s not just the core story either, as your comrades and enemies remark on what you did in the runs. If you battle a specific boss or lose at a certain area, the characters back at the Crossroads will comment on it. Odysseus and Melinoë talked at length about the threat of the rat king, moments after the encounter with the little menace ended a fantastic run I was on. It feels like commiserating with an old friend and makes the entire experience feel that much more personal.
As the night kicks off, Melinoë heads into the depths of the underworld to track down Chronos. She picks a weapon, with each one bringing entirely different play styles. Melinoë is a mage, meaning a lot of her kit is built around magic, and her weapons reflect that. Every weapon packs different attacks, specials, and combinations, and I’ve had success with every one.
Hades 2 sports all kinds of weapon and boon combinations to take your fight to Chronos.
The starting witch’s staff does great damage at a distance, and as you unlock more of the combat sandbox, each new weapon changes your approach. The sister blades—two quick daggers—deal damage quickly but require a much closer assault. The argent skulls blast projectile skulls at the enemies, dealing high damage, but you also have to pick them back up to continue the fight.
Rounding out Mel’s combat kit are a cast and hexes. The cast drops a massive circle on the ground, with the default effect slowing enemies caught inside. Hexes, which you get from the goddess Selene, are special abilities that can either heal, deal damage, or augment a part of your kit. The hexes have their own upgrade path, and as you find more boons from Selene, these moves are an instrumental part of any run.
The boons, gifts from the gods you get along the way, are all fantastic and genuinely affect gameplay in massive ways. They totally alter your starting weapon, depending on which boons Melinoë is granted. Poseidon, for example, can add waves that push and damage enemies on your regular attack. Aphrodite, on the other hand, can hit enemies with status effects that lower enemy defenses.
There isn’t a single boon that feels wasted, all playing into one another to give Melinoë a truly devastating combat sandbox when used right. Hades 2 is tough, really pushing the player to experiment with different weapon and boon combinations to find the one that a player can take all the way to Chronos.
Supermassive adds a whole second zone to Hades 2, doubling the size of the game.
Melinoë’s journey through the underworld takes her across four different zones, with plenty of mini-bosses and enemies along the way. The thing is, it’s not just the underworld that Mel needs to battle across. That half of the game is the size of the original Hades already, with Supergiant adding a second massive zone: the surface.
Olympus is under siege, trapped by Chronos’ forces. The surface takes a bit to unlock, but once you do, every night becomes a choice: do you head for the underworld to take down Chronos, or head for the surface to break the assault on Olympus?
The surface carries its own enemies, bosses, items, and more. Where the underworld has you traveling across the steampunk waterworks of Oceanus, the surface sees Melinoë hopping across ships, fighting enemies along the way. Each environment is packed with gorgeous detail, while also requiring entirely different approaches to combat. It also adds a layer of choice for the player.
Stuck on a particular boss or had some frustrating back-to-back runs in the underworld? Head for the surface to change up the pace. It avoids the similarity that can set in between runs by giving the player more options on where to go.
Every character in Hades 2 is hot and offers something valuable for building relationships.
Hades 2 could stop there, but instead, it packs in even more outside of the runs themselves. From incantations that can permanently alter the landscape, either adding to the Crossroads, giving Mel an animal familiar, or adding more healing opportunities in the midst of a run.
You can build relationships with the other gods, farm resources for incantations and upgrades, unlock tools—Hades 2 constantly throws something new at you, either mechanically or narratively.
The art is also another incredible standout, carrying forward the detailed and gorgeous art style from the original. Each new god or goddess is so, so hot, with a huge, diverse, and representative cast that makes each new conversation a visual delight.
From the witchy gothic mother figure in Hecate, to the sculpted anger of Nemesis, each new visual portrait helps you learn about the personality in front of you through looks alone. This extends to the environment, each new space densely packed and rich with detail.
Hades 2 is tight, fast, and frenetic , with so many things to do and overcome.
Hades 2 also runs like a dream on Steam Deck, consistently at 60fps without any noticeable visual sacrifice. It’s the perfect game to have on the go, quickly hopping in for runs or conversations.
Hades 2 is the perfect sequel, doubling down on everything that worked, while expanding on the world of the original. The combat is tight, fast, and frenetic, ebbing and flowing with each new encounter. It’s absolutely packed with things to do, delivering something new every run to keep the player engaged in its ecosystem.
Hades 2 is a standout experience in a year full of highlights, keeping the player coming back run after run for just one more go. The art style and graphics are as impressive as ever, a visual feast at every turn.
Hades II is out now on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam.
