Hades II Review

Supergiant Games tackles its first-ever sequel following their acclaim, as Hades II has players taking on the role of Melinoë many years after the events of the original game. Chronos has reawakened and taken control over the House of Hades, as he seeks revenge for being cast down to Tartarus, taking all the gods down alongside his rage.

The narrative takes a — very notably — darker twist than the original title, as the nigh post-apocalyptic setting following the Titan of Time's reign over the world sees our protagonist and her renegade group hide away in Erebus at the Crossroads. Passed down to Hecate from a young age, Melinoë survived the catastrophe that befell the House of Hades and was raised as a killing machine to bring down the Titan.

Though the story is far darker than the original, it never really delves into grim topics enough to be called off-putting. Yet, it's a noticeable change of tonality from Hades that isn't minor in any regard: Supergiant Games has proven to excel at making humorous dialogue, and the serious narrative feels like a paradigm shift.

While I missed the constant funny quips between characters, the narrative of "Death to Chronos" wasn't unwelcome — merely, it took a bit to get used to. The story shifts throughout its course accordingly, as characters become more or less light-hearted depending on the happenings at hand, and I appreciated whenever the dialogue would veer back to blithe.

The whole cast of characters remained enjoyable throughout, however, as Olympian, friend, and foe alike felt fleshed out and delightful to interact with. Ancient customs continue in the form of gifting Nectar, with players being able to grow the Crossroads a bit with each run, which'll eventually lead to more cutscenes and interactions with the characters.

The gameplay of Hades II feels equally split between narrative and gameplay, as a comparable amount of time is spent jumping into the Underworld to fight Chronos as is talking to everyone: at the crossroads, via Boon, throughout the journey. It's a good mixture of gameplay while mixing in a compelling narrative full of enjoyable characters, and it was a slight reprieve I enjoyed (though sometimes recoiled at, as I eagerly wanted to get to my subsequent descent).

The story is exciting, but it's the gameplay where Hades II really shines, as Supergiant Games shows off its growth as a development team by incorporating a slew of changes and additions, some of which make Hades, for all its glory and fantastic gameplay, seem almost bare-bones in contrast. There are changes aplenty, and too many shifts to highlight concisely, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on how much you liked the original's simplicity.

Melinoë's roots as a Witch of the Crossroads affect the gameplay pretty heavily, with a new bar called Magick to keep track of, which dictates how much she can use empowered versions of her attacks. By holding down the buttons for Attack, Special, and Cast, Hades' daughter can modify the attack of her numerous weapons (Olympian Boons included) by utilising a bit of Magick, making it a stronger variation.

It's a stale system and one that exists in every which title: charged attacks that deal more damage or modify it. It'll work for some, as the time and cost of depending on Magick-focused builds felt sometimes too hefty a price for sticking to the old-but-gold mashing-buttons-until-foes-go-boom style that was part of the original.

Still, it's hard to complain about a change in system that offers additional gameplay elements, and I'd be remiss to say Hades II is worse off for its inclusion — it adds to player builds in a way that allows for customising the approach to combat just a bit more. I delved into charged attacks a few times myself, and though I oft picked to sacrifice most (if not all) of my Magick in exchange for powerful, non-Magick Boons, it still offered a gameplay variation and evolution that's needed.

Hades II deviates from the first's capability to dash around consistently, even when accepting Boons from Hermes himself; instead, it opts for a strategic approach. It fits into a bit of a meta-narrative: Melinoë feels stronger and better qualified than Zagreus in every way possible, as she was raised training for a task much more arduous than his. In turn, the world feels lethal, and dashing around consistently is no longer an option; clever use of its invulnerability frames is vital for early runs.

Olympian Boons were also changed in a way that feels like a nerf, but it's true to player skill and lessens the feeling of randomisation that Hades often had. While some of the attacks feel inconsequential, it emphasises player skill over player luck while not entirely disregarding Boon effects, merely giving them a backseat. Boons are more of an addition to your skill, instead of a strict replacement for it, which leads to consistent and enjoyable runs.

At first glance, and throughout my first few hours, I scorned the combat changes and deviances from the original, but playing through with it a bit more, it feels right at home with the way Supergiant Games balanced the world. Combat feels intentional in this entry, and it’s satisfying and enjoyable once you’ve clicked with the changes that turned it from button-mashing chaos into deliberate strategy.

This is not to say that it can’t get to that feeling of godlike power, as specific builds or weapons offer more or less sway in each direction. Hades II also exemplifies how roguelite progression should feel: your experience is unique based on your skill, and the further you get, the easier the journey is.

It's in roguelite elements that the game truly shines, as there is plenty to do in every corner of the world. Melinoë can utilise various resources gathered to bolster the strength of the Crossroads by altering it, utilising Incantations; this includes narrative, decorative, and gameplay changes.

Everything moves forward, no matter how far or how little each descent into the Underworld takes you, and it feels great to die or succeed, as various elements of the world move with each victory or defeat. While not every run will be truly unique, I finished my Hades II playthrough (main narrative, though not quite the true ending just yet) in 30 hours, but meta upgrades mean that even if you haven't played 100 hours of the original, you'll eventually get enough buffs that you can do it at a time that feels right.

Past defeating the final boss for the first time, and even beyond rolling the credits, Supergiant Games filled Hades II to the brim with things to do. Defeating Chronos is just the beginning of the adventure (be prepared to do it a few more times), as the Oath of the Unseen offers unique difficulty modifiers for players who want to experience the game at a difficulty that might feel suitable for them.

Beyond that, Chaos makes a return and offers a new gameplay element in the form of unique trials. These are distinctive runs with specific builds, meta upgrades, and more that force the player into a different loadout and a different approach to the descents into the Underworld, starting with fighting the first boss without any upgrades (like a fresh-game loadout).

It's plentiful, and to unlock the true ending, you'll need to go as far as befriending a number of people. It feels great to have more to do, even if you've finished the original narrative, because Supergiant Games somehow nailed being able to add separate stories, like side quests, that don't depend on you not having completed the overarching experience. It's masterful and a show of their growth as developers, as Hades II feels welcoming to newcomers with better buffs to get them through countless descents and veterans with content past the dozen — maybe even hundred — hour mark.

Paying the entry fee of £24.99 feels like a no-brainer to get access to one of the best roguelite experiences in the market. It builds on the foundations set upon Hades and manages to keep newcomers and veterans in mind in an all-inclusive way. With over double the content of the first, a fleshed-out narrative (if a tad serious, which might be a downer for fans of the light-hearted humour), and new combat aplenty (including a superior set of weapons that feel more viable), it's hard not to recommend Hades II to everyone.