Summary
Now thatHades 2is finally within reach, it’s on the front of every gamer’s minds. We’ve known that the sequel was in the works since it was announced back in 2022 atThe Game Awards, and we also knew that it would be releasing in Early Access some time this year. But nobody was expecting that developerSupergiant Gameswould be announcing a technical test for a small number of players or that there would bea gameplay stream showing off new weapons, boons, characters, and more.
Understandably, excitement has reached a fever pitch.Hadesis widely regarded to be one of the greatest games of all time, interpreting old and tired Greek myths with surprising freshness while incorporating non-linear gameplay into its story incredibly smoothly. Of course, playing the game is also incredibly fun, with its appropriately dynamic and challenging combat hooking players from the get go. I have a particular soft spot for the original, having picked it up while I was quarantining in the depths of the pandemic. I spent hours upon hours smashing my laptop’s keyboard instead of doing something more productive. Everybody loves Hades.
Can Hades Even Be Outdone?
That’s the problem, though. Hades is one of those breakout indies that becomes such a huge hit it almost takes on a life of its own. Supergiant had made some bangers before it, no doubt –Bastion,Transistor, and Pyre were all well-reviewed and solid games in their own rights, but Hades reached a whole new level of success and cult status that Supergiant likely could not have predicted. It’s not much of a stretch to say that Hades revolutionised the roguelike genre and left its mark on countless games that came after it. We see the influence of its combat and experimentation with narrative form in both the indie and triple-A spheres.
That’s incredible for the health of the gaming industry. Games drawing inspiration from Hades means more games that are willing to get a little weird and experimental, which rules. But it also means that Hades 2 isn’t just in competition with its forebear, but that it’s also competing with every excellent game that it influenced. Editor in chief Stacey Henley wrotean excellent pieceabout how in choosing to make Hades 2 instead of a new game, Supergiant is breaking from its tradition of using every new game to create something new and distinctive. In fact, Supergiant has historically experimented with completely new themes and mechanics with every game, and a sequel feels extremely limiting in comparison.
Sometimes The Safe Choice Isn’t The Right Choice
Hades 2 will be good even if it’s just a reskin of Hades, because Hades is excellent. But that isn’t interesting or fun, and Supergiant has proven itself to be good at making new, interesting and fun games. In today’s game industry climate, it’s hard to fault Supergiant for taking the safer route considering that nowadays, a single flop can tank a company. Hades 2 is a guaranteed money maker. What isn’t guaranteed is that it can live up to the hype and expectations that have been put on it because the first iteration was so revolutionary. The genre has already been changed forever – Hades 2, given what we’ve seen, isn’t going to change it again. In that sense, it’s already failing to live up to its predecessor.
Does this mean that Hades 2 will be bad, or not worth playing? Absolutely not. Like features lead Jade King,I will be sat and simping. But I can’t imagine that Hades 2 can possibly live up to the impact that Hades had, unless there’s something extraordinary about it that no other developer has been able to dream up yet. Maybe we all need to come to terms with the fact that Hades 2 will probably just be Hades, but slightly different.
Hades 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Hades 2 is the sequel to Supergiant Games' smash-hit roguelike dungeon crawler. This time you’ll play as Melinoë, Princess of the Underworld and Zagreus' sister, as she takes on the forces of the Titan of Time.
