Summary
Very similar to how Hades began in 2018,Hades 2kicks off its launch in Early Access. Even so, the follow-up to what’s widely hailed as one of the greatest roguelikes of all time manages to come back better than ever. Everything about Hades 2 is quite the expansion from the first game and already feels like you’re getting a finished product.
It’s everything you could hope for and more, and that’s exactly the kind of praisewe gave this Early Access version of Hades 2 in our review. There are lots of new outstanding additions that somehow manage to top what the first game achieved and make you fall in love all over again with Supergiant’s vision of the Underworld.
Hades 2 is in Early Access so any information is subject to change as its development progresses.
8New Protagonist And Updated Character Designs
Probably the first biggest change you’ll note is that you’re not with Zagreus anymore but with an entirely new protagonist for the sequel.The main character is now Melinoe, a chthonic nymph and Zagreus' younger sister, who’stasked with stopping Time(aka the Titan Chronos). She’s got a brand-new story to offer, and you might find it even more fun to explore than her brother’s.
If you are returning from the first game, you’ll also note that some of thecharacter designs for existing gods received some updates, as well as the game’s UI design. Everything and everyone now looks even more polished and improved when you probably didn’t even think it was a necessary thing to change in the first place.
7New Gods And Characters From Greek Myth
In addition to the returning gods from the original Hades, there’s also a shake-up in the roster. While you don’t have Ares, Athena, Nyx, or Dionysus, you getHera,Hestia,Apollo,Hephaestus,Selene,Hecate,Moros,Nemesis,Eris, andChronos. Most will join Melinoe with offerings of Boons that come with new curses and abilities, while others serve more as bosses and key characters in the story.
You also have an array of new and exciting characters from Greek mythology that have fun dynamics and engaging dialogue conversations with Melinoe, such asOdysseus,Narcissus,Echo,Heracles,Arachne,Dora,Medea, and evenIcarusmakes a debut! With all the returning characters included, Hades 2 already has a much bigger voice cast.
6New Weapons, Combat Abilities, And Magick System
Melinoe comes with an all-new arsenal and combat system in Hades 2. One of the biggest new features is the implementation of aMagick barin addition to your health bar. Melinoe is a witch-in-training under Hecate and has the powerto use super-chargedOmega moves and casting, the latter of which will create a binding circle to ensnare foes and keep them from moving while also dealing a good amount of damage.
Melinoe also has asprint ability, which can be modified and upgraded to have her sprint faster and have Boons attached to it to help inflict further damage on enemies.The new weapons available are theWitch’s Staff,Sister Blades,Moonstone Axe,Umbar Flames, andArgent Skull, with the Aspect system still in place for them.
5A Whole New Hub World With New Systems
Withthe Crossroads hub worldin Hades 2, you’re definitely not in Underworld Kansas anymore. Visually and exploration-wise, there are so many systems and components to it, a major upgrade over the first game’s hub, to the pointwhere you may not even want to leaveand just kill time there instead of proceeding with your actual quest of killing Time.
The centerpiece isa giant witch’s cauldron where you’ll cast incantationsthat establish new things in the Crossroads and potentially during your runs. You can nowconjure a gardenwhere you will plant seeds,set up a hot springto bathe with fellow characters in the Crossroads, geta tavernabuilt to have more bonding, and there’san Arcana Card meditation spot, where you can strategically unlock and select tarot cards that provide additional benefits to Melinoe.
4Tools, Lots Of Resource Gathering, And Minigame Expansion
Adjacent to your weapon selection spot in the Crossroads hub, you’ll seea new section where you can switch out tools. These add an entirely new dynamic and strategy to your runs since you’ll only be able to carry one tool per Night. The tools areCrescent Pick,Silver Spade,Tablet of Peace, andRod of Fishing, and they’re not all easily unlocked either.
There’s a laundry list of resources to mine and plants to pick, as well as seeds to dig up, which is where the Crescent Pick and Silver Spade come in handy. You can now use a Tablet of Peace to get lone Shades to go to the Crossroads, receiving Psyche from them in return (a clever way to add a new minigame and better utilize these background souls in the gameplay). Fishing, however, is a returning minigame from the first Hades.
3Outfits From Arachne’s Silken Fineries
If you felt that not being able to change Zagreus' outfit in the first game was something that was a missed opportunity, that gets remedied in Hades 2. One of the new characters you’ll encounter is Arachne, a fashion designer spider weaving outfits from silk. There are various kinds with different conditions, but every outfit will give armor to Melinoe.
You have theEmerald Dress,Azure Dress,Lavender Dress,Scarlet Dress,Onyx Dress, andMoonlight Dress. Each one will alter the color scheme of Melinoe’s default clothing and will remain on her for the duration of the armor, putting her back into her standard garb when it breaks.
2An Expanded Companion System
Another system that gets entirely revamped in the sequel is the companions.Before, companions worked as Summonsthat were part of the Legendary Keepsake system, each with their own conditions. Depending on the character, the companion Keepsake would appear as a unique type of stuffed animal, like Battie for Megaera, Fidi for Dusa, and Mort for Thanatos.
In Hades 2, the Keepsake system is limited to just additional perks to help you on your run, andyou instead have Animal Familiars. Currently, you can recruit the most adorable frog in all the Underworld,Frinos, and a cat namedToulayou encounter in the fountain rest spots, who provide you with extra aid in combat. You also still have occasional duo rooms with Nemesis and Heracles, and Artemis now joins the fight at random instances.
1More Environments And Enemy Variety
Even though it’s still not a fully complete game, the enemy variety and environments within the regions of Hades 2 have already shattered everyone’s expectations and are immensely well-executed. The developer even mentions on its Steam page that the Early Access stage has “more environments, foes, and fully voiced characters than the full version of the original Hades game.”
It’s really striking and impressive to see all these new original enemy designs and, not to mention, the gorgeous new art and details for all the rooms, whether it’sthe Crossroads,Erebus,Oceanus, theFields of Mourning, or those on theSurface. From the smallest and most irksome enemies likeScreamersto a wide range of mini-bosses likeShadow-Spillers,Root-Stalkers, andthe Phantom, Hades 2 never ceases to amaze.The main bosses also have some surprises in store!
