Greek gods of myth, deeply satisfying combat, and a story with impeccable writing and charm. Hades 2 reminds you that there still exists writers in the industry that cares about a good narrative. This game shows the industry at large exactly how it's done.
Hades 2 is the long-anticipated sequel to Hades 1. It aims to increase not only the scale of the game but also refine the depth of its gameplay. I am a big fan of the original and did a proper playthrough of it right before Hades 2 came out in early access. Needless to say, I got the sequel ASAP and played it for a bit, but I wanted to wait for the full release to really dig my claws into it.
Not only is the game a worthy sequel, but it shows the industry as a whole how crucial it is to combine good writing with satisfying gameplay. Let's dive right into it and see why.
Story:
Hades 2 takes place several years after Hades 1. During that time, Hades, the God of the Underworld, and Persephone, the Goddess of Vegetation, have had another child: their daughter, Melinoë, the goddess and princess of the Underworld. While she was an infant, Chronos, the Titan of Time, attacked and took over the Underworld, making it the starting point of his many centuries-long conquest against the Olympian Gods. However, Hecate, the Witch of the Crossroads, whisked Melinoë away to safety and began training the young princess of the underworld to take back her home and take revenge against the mighty Titan of Time.
You start controlling Melinoë in her first real attempt of many to cross Erebus on her way down to Tartarus to confront Chronos head-on.
You start controlling Melinoë in her first real attempt of many to cross Erebus on her way down to Tartarus to confront Chronos head-on.
Much like Hades 1, the sequel tells its story through its many different dialogues and character interactions that happen during gameplay and in between runs. Every character has interesting interactions and a lot of charm. As Melinoë, you are heavily incentivized to have a conversation with everyone after each run.
For some, that may sound a bit boring. However, Hades 2 continues the tradition of Hades 1, where good writing and excellent voice acting make all those scenes not only interesting to listen to but also genuinely well-acted. It never feels like you're listening to bloated or worthless dialogue, and every character has something new to say between each run.
As a main character, Melinoë is a breath of fresh air when you consider the current industry's inability to write a compelling woman to save its own life. Not only is she well-written, but she is charming, beautiful, funny, and kind. However, she is also young and inexperienced. It's very unlikely you will be able to start taking down Chronos in your first few attempts, which feels very "organic" as both you, the player, and Melinoë struggle with the challenging gameplay and gain the necessary strength and experience to succeed.
Hades 2 combines storytelling and gameplay seamlessly, making it so immersive that you don't only hear Melinoë's frustrations and struggles in her fight against Chronos, but you feel them yourself as a player, because you are growing alongside her and learning from your own mistakes.
Melinoë's growth and strength feel earned in the story because you were there from the very start of her task. There is a lot I could say about the story and the different characters, but that, dear reader, is the very reason I won't talk more about it. Hades 2's story is most enjoyable when you know next to nothing about it.
However, some of you may ask: "Do I need to play Hades 1 to understand Hades 2?" The answer is yes and no. It is a direct sequel, so a lot of characters and story elements reappear from the previous game. That being said, since Melinoë is a new protagonist, she doesn't have the same relationship with the previous characters as Zagreus (Hades 1 protagonist) did. The story is accessible and doesn't lose any new players joining in for the first time. However, you might get very interested in playing Hades 1 after you finish the sequel (which, I might add, is well worth its own experience).
For some, that may sound a bit boring. However, Hades 2 continues the tradition of Hades 1, where good writing and excellent voice acting make all those scenes not only interesting to listen to but also genuinely well-acted. It never feels like you're listening to bloated or worthless dialogue, and every character has something new to say between each run.
As a main character, Melinoë is a breath of fresh air when you consider the current industry's inability to write a compelling woman to save its own life. Not only is she well-written, but she is charming, beautiful, funny, and kind. However, she is also young and inexperienced. It's very unlikely you will be able to start taking down Chronos in your first few attempts, which feels very "organic" as both you, the player, and Melinoë struggle with the challenging gameplay and gain the necessary strength and experience to succeed.
Hades 2 combines storytelling and gameplay seamlessly, making it so immersive that you don't only hear Melinoë's frustrations and struggles in her fight against Chronos, but you feel them yourself as a player, because you are growing alongside her and learning from your own mistakes.
Melinoë's growth and strength feel earned in the story because you were there from the very start of her task. There is a lot I could say about the story and the different characters, but that, dear reader, is the very reason I won't talk more about it. Hades 2's story is most enjoyable when you know next to nothing about it.
However, some of you may ask: "Do I need to play Hades 1 to understand Hades 2?" The answer is yes and no. It is a direct sequel, so a lot of characters and story elements reappear from the previous game. That being said, since Melinoë is a new protagonist, she doesn't have the same relationship with the previous characters as Zagreus (Hades 1 protagonist) did. The story is accessible and doesn't lose any new players joining in for the first time. However, you might get very interested in playing Hades 1 after you finish the sequel (which, I might add, is well worth its own experience).
If you're a big fan of Greek Mythology, then this game and the previous one will make you giddy like a child during Christmas. Supergiant Games certainly made their own take on the mythology but also kept a lot of the original, classical elements in those stories.
Gameplay:
Hades 2 is a rogue-like action game with a heavy emphasis on understanding enemy patterns and making good decisions on your path down to Tartarus.
Melinoë starts out rather weak, but she isn't without any training. You have regular attacks, special attacks, a cast that binds enemies, and a dash that you can hold down to start sprinting. You can charge up the main three attacks to do an Omega version of them for massive damage.
While on your run, you will come across different kinds of power-ups, such as: health and magic increases, a hammer to directly upgrade your weapon, gold to pay Charon for different goods, and most important of all a Boon from a God or Goddess.
Through these Boons, you will meet the different Gods of Olympus, typically with a small dialogue scene where you get to know each and every one of them. They are all very different from each other and can drastically change your success rate of clearing a run. The available power-ups and their rarity are random; the higher the rarity, the more powerful the Boon. They can power up all of the aforementioned attacks, down to the sprint itself, but they can also give you passives.
For example, a few of my favorites were Hestia, the Goddess of the Flame, and Hephaestus, the God of the Forge. Hestia's boons make your attacks inflict Scorch on enemies or, simply put, they start to burn. Hephaestus, meanwhile, gives your attack a massive anvil strike that has a long cooldown (but the clang is so satisfying!)
These are just a few examples of the many different power-ups you can gain during a run. Hades 2 manages to balance each one so well that no matter who you get, you will have a fighting chance as long as you make smart choices, haha.
Melinoë starts out rather weak, but she isn't without any training. You have regular attacks, special attacks, a cast that binds enemies, and a dash that you can hold down to start sprinting. You can charge up the main three attacks to do an Omega version of them for massive damage.
While on your run, you will come across different kinds of power-ups, such as: health and magic increases, a hammer to directly upgrade your weapon, gold to pay Charon for different goods, and most important of all a Boon from a God or Goddess.
Through these Boons, you will meet the different Gods of Olympus, typically with a small dialogue scene where you get to know each and every one of them. They are all very different from each other and can drastically change your success rate of clearing a run. The available power-ups and their rarity are random; the higher the rarity, the more powerful the Boon. They can power up all of the aforementioned attacks, down to the sprint itself, but they can also give you passives.
For example, a few of my favorites were Hestia, the Goddess of the Flame, and Hephaestus, the God of the Forge. Hestia's boons make your attacks inflict Scorch on enemies or, simply put, they start to burn. Hephaestus, meanwhile, gives your attack a massive anvil strike that has a long cooldown (but the clang is so satisfying!)
These are just a few examples of the many different power-ups you can gain during a run. Hades 2 manages to balance each one so well that no matter who you get, you will have a fighting chance as long as you make smart choices, haha.
While you gain these power-ups, you'll be fighting through different rooms, with a small gauntlet of varied enemies and sometimes mini-bosses. After the fight, you get to choose which path you take and what power-up you will receive at the end of it. Once you get to the end of the area, you typically get a free power-up or a shop to spend your gold in, which you gained from slaying enemies. It's usually a good idea to pick the shop if you have enough gold and to meet Charon, the Boatman of the River Styx. For some reason, everyone can understand what he is saying, except for us, the player.
After your last choice, you will meet the area boss, who will challenge your pattern recognition and reaction skills. Each boss has a variety of different attacks they can use against you, and they change their tactics a bit between every run. They also react to your distance. Even after playing through the game fully and learning all the patterns, the bosses kept me on my toes because of their variety and reaction to your actions. This honestly makes repeated runs and attempts really fun and exciting; it never gets old to fight the same boss in each region.
After your last choice, you will meet the area boss, who will challenge your pattern recognition and reaction skills. Each boss has a variety of different attacks they can use against you, and they change their tactics a bit between every run. They also react to your distance. Even after playing through the game fully and learning all the patterns, the bosses kept me on my toes because of their variety and reaction to your actions. This honestly makes repeated runs and attempts really fun and exciting; it never gets old to fight the same boss in each region.
Once a run is over (whether by succeeding or failing), you will be back at the Crossroads. Most of the main story continues here, but there are several facilities lying around that you can use to gain an edge for each attempt. There is the Cauldron, where you use the different materials you have found in your runs to gain permanent power-ups to your camp or to change what you can find on your runs like, say a merchant from whom you can buy materials to gain permanent power-ups for Melinoë.
Speaking of that, in the area right before a new attempt, you'll find the Arcana meditation gate. There, you can power up Melinoë with Arcana Cards, which have a direct effect on your gameplay. For example, one of the early ones will make you cast your Omega attacks faster, and a later one will let you defy death once (or more!). You will have to upgrade your "Grasp" to be able to equip more cards. The Arcana Cards give you the biggest edge to ensuring your success at each attempt, so you are incentivized to combine and mix different cards.
That is not all, though! If you have found any Nectar and give it to the characters you meet, you can get a Trinket. These can give you an even bigger edge during a run, most notably General Schelemus' gold tooth, which gives you another Death Defiance!
You will also unlock different weapons that have drastically different playstyles. So if you're not a particular fan of the Witch Staff you start with, no worries; there will be more weapons to choose from down the line.
That is not all, though! If you have found any Nectar and give it to the characters you meet, you can get a Trinket. These can give you an even bigger edge during a run, most notably General Schelemus' gold tooth, which gives you another Death Defiance!
You will also unlock different weapons that have drastically different playstyles. So if you're not a particular fan of the Witch Staff you start with, no worries; there will be more weapons to choose from down the line.
I have only scratched the surface of the game and the many different ways it improves over time. However, it is much more fun to experience that firsthand yourself, reader, so I won't go into too much detail about how much the game changes as you play. Know this, though: it keeps on improving and adding new things, even after the main story! It is a very replayable game.
Pros and Cons:
Let's start with the pros: Hades 2 looks absolutely gorgeous. The character portraits, environments, and even the enemies are wonderfully illustrated and animated, making it an absolute treat for your eyes.
The soundtrack, handled again by Darren Korb, is also an absolute treat for the ears, much like the first game (personally, I enjoyed the first game's soundtrack more, but this is also excellent).
The gameplay is varied and deep, making each run feel distinct. Down the line, you will unlock a way to make the runs even harder for great rewards! This is a game you won't be putting down for a long time.
The gameplay is varied and deep, making each run feel distinct. Down the line, you will unlock a way to make the runs even harder for great rewards! This is a game you won't be putting down for a long time.
The writing is well done and interesting. I can't emphasize enough what a treat it is to learn about each character and their story. Plus, Melinoë is a well-written character... One can hope that the industry at large takes inspiration from this game, and learns from it.
I've praised the game a lot, but there are some cons we need to discuss. Depending heavily on you as a gamer, Hades 2 can be rather challenging, especially at the start. That is, of course, by design and fits the narrative. It will get a lot easier as you start to power up; in fact, every failure is treated as a learning opportunity!
However, what about the more skilled gamers? To ensure you don't progress too fast through the story (to the point you accidentally skip story parts), the game throws in a mechanic that only exists in the very early game: Eris, the Goddess of Strife. If you're too good, she will appear on your path and curse you, causing you to take more damage on each floor you clear until everything starts to one-shot you. Needless to say, reader, this makes the game unfairly challenging for even the most skilled players. Eris almost feels sorry for you, giving you some permanent materials you can use at the camp every time you meet her. However, that is a small consolation when your good run is effectively dead through no fault of your own.
I don't fail to see the irony in the fact that the Goddess of Strife is causing... well, a strife about this mechanic throughout the Hades community. I was honestly rather frustrated and grew an irrational (or rational) hatred towards Eris after the whole ordeal. It's a mechanic that can only appear up to around ten runs (for me it was seven), while some players will basically never see it. In Hades 1, it felt like your fault for failing runs because you were underpowered and inexperienced. Here, it's because Eris deliberately wants to make your life miserable.
For some, this could be a dealbreaker. However, it is a rather unique "story meets gameplay" situation, and it doesn't last that long. A part of me wishes they would have taken a different approach with it, or balanced the game more to make you less likely to miss story beats. In the end, it's not enough of a con to make me take away points from the game. As much as I hate it, I can only respect the developers for sticking to their guns and adding such a "punch in the face" mechanic, haha.
However, what about the more skilled gamers? To ensure you don't progress too fast through the story (to the point you accidentally skip story parts), the game throws in a mechanic that only exists in the very early game: Eris, the Goddess of Strife. If you're too good, she will appear on your path and curse you, causing you to take more damage on each floor you clear until everything starts to one-shot you. Needless to say, reader, this makes the game unfairly challenging for even the most skilled players. Eris almost feels sorry for you, giving you some permanent materials you can use at the camp every time you meet her. However, that is a small consolation when your good run is effectively dead through no fault of your own.
I don't fail to see the irony in the fact that the Goddess of Strife is causing... well, a strife about this mechanic throughout the Hades community. I was honestly rather frustrated and grew an irrational (or rational) hatred towards Eris after the whole ordeal. It's a mechanic that can only appear up to around ten runs (for me it was seven), while some players will basically never see it. In Hades 1, it felt like your fault for failing runs because you were underpowered and inexperienced. Here, it's because Eris deliberately wants to make your life miserable.
For some, this could be a dealbreaker. However, it is a rather unique "story meets gameplay" situation, and it doesn't last that long. A part of me wishes they would have taken a different approach with it, or balanced the game more to make you less likely to miss story beats. In the end, it's not enough of a con to make me take away points from the game. As much as I hate it, I can only respect the developers for sticking to their guns and adding such a "punch in the face" mechanic, haha.
Closing Thoughts:
Hades 2 is a fully worthy sequel to the original Hades, perfectly combining gameplay and story into an intense, fun, and fully engaging narrative that will continuously make you say, "just one more run!" This game was made with a lot of love and passion for gaming as a whole and perfectly shows the industry how to make a truly great game with a compelling story.
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