Hades 2 Review - A New Legend is Born

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One of the near-impossible things I’ve done in my life was waiting to play Hades 2. I played the first one until there was almost nothing to do, and enjoyed every bit of it. When I learned there was a sequel on the way, I faced two choices: join now or wait until its full launch. Naturally, I caved in and played as much as I could during the early access period. Now, after diving into Melinoë’s journey through Erebus and beyond in its launch version, I can say that Hades 2 is everything I hoped for, and more, which is a massive achievement given how Melinoë had a pair of big godly boots to fill.

An Epic Family Drama

While the family drama gripped me ever since Zagreus stepped out of his room, this time, it is Melinoë’s time to shine as she tries to take down Chronos to rescue her family, including her big brother, Zagreus.

By now, many of you may already know the story and how it unfolds, but as someone jumping into this long-awaited sequel for the first time, I was glad to see some familiarity in its narrative elements, with several interactions that enhance this epic even further.

While Zagreus became one of my favorite protagonists in any roguelike, and several games for that matter, Melinoë took that #1 spot in just a few seconds. In terms of personality, I love how Supergiant Games portrayed her as a trusting, sometimes a bit too much for her own good, yet dorky and competitive deity. The vast cast of side characters also does an excellent job at elevating the narrative, with a few familiar faces and some new ones. Plus, these relationships aren’t exclusive to the conversations between quests or after runs, as you can take things a bit further by giving your favorite characters that sweet nectar or inviting them to a bath.

Underworldly romance aside, Hades 2 shines thanks to the plot that carefully unfolds as you progress through your runs, open new areas, and defeat certain bosses. Even if you’re not a fan of the challenging roguelike loop, there’s always God mode that lets you focus on the story, and one I recommend experiencing, as it is one of the best that just gets better as you realize all these little details, such as characters noticing your weapons, your interactions, and how far you’ve made it to the House of Hades and beyond.

The Loop That Keeps on Giving

The main allure of Hades 2, and the reason why I spent many nights on Hades trying to reach and beat the next boss, is its addictive roguelike loop, which is, hands down, the best in the market, at least when it comes to isometric roguelikes.

At a glance, it seems a lot like Hades in the sense that the overall loop remains the same. You pick a weapon and head to your run. Once in it, you get different rooms with varied rewards, such as Boons, which are gifts from the Gods that give you different passive effects, or any of the many materials you can use to upgrade Melinoë’s weapons, among other things.

However, once you dive deep beyond Erebus or beyond the surface, because there’s more than one place to do your runs in, you’ll notice just how elaborate the progression system is.

For instance, all Boons have been revamped to line up with Melinoë’s new weapons. All of these passive effects will tailor your play style, which is what will give some spice to your run. Take the greataxe, for example. It is the most potent weapon in the game and the one that deals the most damage. However, it is also the slowest. In one of my runs, I focused on Poseidon Boons, which added a knockback effect to my slow blows, while also upgrading my weapons to attack a bit faster, thanks to Daedalus Hammer. At a point, you can even unlock “Duo” Boons, which combine two elements to make an even more destructive effect, such as Froth and Scorch turning into Scalding damage, which is a huge DoT effect.

Regarding Melinoë’s arsenal, she possesses a diverse range of weapons, each with its own distinct play style and Omega Attacks. For the former, you start with a staff that focuses on poking enemies from afar while also launching fast but not too strong projectiles. However, once you gather some materials, you can unlock new weapons, such as a skull that fires other skulls you can then retrieve, the previously mentioned greataxe, and more. Going back to Omega Attacks, these are moves that trigger after holding a specific button and change depending on your weapon. The greataxe spins Melinoë around or sends several shockwaves in front of her, while the staff attacks in a long line or sends out a bigger projectile.

Outside of combat, Hades 2 also features a lot of materials you can grab to upgrade or unlock things back at The Crossroads, the game’s hub. One thing I loved about Hades, and by extension, Hades 2, is the fact that this game actually gives you a unique run every single time.

Take other roguelikes, for example. Often, most of the layouts inside a zone are too similar, or there’s a lack of enemy variety. Hades 2, on the other hand, ensures that only the bosses are the ones that are in the same spot, and even then, they always feel slightly different to fight due to some modifiers or varied mechanics. It is one of the few roguelikes that actually makes you feel as if you were experiencing something for the first time, which is yet another reason why it is so remarkable.

There’s No Place Like the Underworld

Your time at The Crossroads is a vital aspect of the game, as this is where you’ll unlock most of your permanent upgrades and even progress the story. It is a hub that combines critical gameplay elements with the iconic social interactions from its predecessor, making the hub not just a place to wait until your next run, but another system you need to take care of as you progress through the game. Most importantly, it is a place that, once you think you’ve unlocked everything, a new mechanic will appear, making your runs even more meaningful and giving you another reason to keep diving into the depths of these hellish halls, or rise through the heavenly landscape, depending on which gate you go through.

Initially, you’ll only have your NPCs to talk to, which will provide lore information and a few bits to progress through the story. However, the more you advance in your runs, the more features will become available to you, such as a quest board, romance, hot springs that let you take a dip with your favorite husbando or waifu, garden plots, the always-helpful cauldron that unlocks some of the game’s best upgrades, and more.

Another thing that I’ve always loved about how Hades 2 presents its gameplay loop is the fact that nothing is given to you on a silver platter. Take materials, for example. You need to gather rare reagents to craft a new weapon or mix up a concoction. If you want to find them on the map, you need to unlock the ability to track them first. The same happens with vendors or other key NPCs. Hades 2 will provide the basics, but it is up to you to unlock the rest of the content, which is a more engaging approach than simply waiting for the story to progress and automatically get a feature without any effort.

It is a welcome surprise to see that there’s always something to do after a run. Often, other roguelikes have these stale moments where you lose, and there aren’t any dialogue options or things to unlock. Hades 2 fixes this by always providing you with something new to see, whether it is a new dialogue with an NPC that talks about how your last run went or a whole new activity, provided you unlock the required item or upgrade.

The Godlike Roguelike Returns

While I dove first and already spent dozens of hours in the 1.0 version, I’m sure I have only scratched the surface, and my road to the real ending and other hidden features is a long one. Still, what I’ve seen of the launch version of the game has convinced me that we have not only the greatest roguelike of the year, but a sure contender for GOTY.

Supergiant Games has delivered one of the most memorable and addictive gaming experiences of recent memory, accompanied by a gorgeous art style, unforgettable characters, and one of the most customizable and pleasantly unpredictable gameplay loops out there. For those who’ve been with Melinoë since day one, know that the wait for the 1.0 version was worth it. And for those diving into The Crossroads for the first time, you’re about to experience the height of action roguelikes.

Review copy provided by the Publisher.

Hades 2 (PC Reviewed)

9.5 Superb

Hades 2 takes all what worked with Hades and enhances it by adding more interactions, weapons, boons, and materials to pursue, among others. Furthermore, it improves the already addictive roguelike loop to make not only of the best in the genre, but a solid GOTY contender.