Hades 2 Review – Supergiant Raises the Rogue-Lite Bar

In the grand scheme of rogue-lites released through the decades, it’s interesting how a game like Supergiant Games’ Hades could have such a profound impact. No, it didn’t rewrite the rules for how a rogue-lite would function, but a narrative structure that evolved naturally over runs was a novelty of sorts. The overhead hack-and-slash gameplay saw its fair share of clones, some more successful than others, but beyond that, it was the characters, atmosphere, polish, and presentation that set Supergiant’s work apart from the rest.

Now, after a lengthy early access period, comes Hades 2. It’s bigger in almost every sense, going beyond the original with its enhanced mechanical depth, extensive content, and advanced progression systems. And while it probably won’t influence a new generation of rogue-lites, Hades 2 is still a finely crafted, excellently hued work that’s a class above the vast majority in terms of aesthetics and gameplay.

“As before, various characters lend their aid, wrapped up as they are in their own war on the surface against the Titan.”

Melinoë is the star, this time, raised from an early childhood by the witch, Hecate, to slay Chronos. The latter has inexplicably risen from the dead and enslaved the House of Hades, effectively capturing her father, mother and brother, Zagreus. With the only one left with the authority to venture into the Underworld, it falls on Melinoë to bring death to Chronos.

Of course, things rarely unfold as neatly as one would like, and it’s not long before she ventures to the surface, ascending to Mount Olympus in a venerable odyssey. The narrative can become a bit muddled at times (and Melinoë, while a very good lead, is nowhere near Zagresus’s charm), especially when accounting for various schemes in the background. Nevertheless, it’s engaging enough to fuel that urge for one more run, either to see things settled or to learn more about the overall scope of the conflict.

As before, various characters lend their aid, wrapped up as they are in their own war on the surface against the Titan, and despite some returning figures taking a relatively minor role, newcomers bolster the cast in many welcome ways. Odysseus, a master tactician who’s as charismatic as he is cunning; Nemesis, who’s as angry as she is loyal to the cause. I won’t spoil the entire cast, but even the roster feels slightly less memorable than the first game, which is a nigh-impossible feat given how well-rounded it was – they still make for excellent interactions, supplanted by hundreds of thousands of incredibly voiced dialogue. It also doesn’t hurt that the character designs and portraits are simply fantastic, even if some redesigns (like Artemis) may prove a tad divisive for some.

Of course, all these characters aren’t here to just stand around and look pretty. They offer benefits to help Melinoë in her journey. This usually manifests in the form of Boons, which can alter her abilities in various ways. Melinoë’s skills are much deeper than Zagreus, from channelling casts in a circle to unleashing powerful Omega attacks with different properties. Couple this with a brand new set of weapons, the Nocturnal Arms, each with its own Hidden Aspects to alter their forms and properties, and you have a diverse set of Titan-killing tools. Initially, I felt a bit whelmed by the likes of the Witch’s Staff and the Umbral Flames, but venturing deeper into Hades 2 showcased their potential and how they can be leveraged in insane ways.

“Everything eventually clicks in place, before you’re likely obliterated and sent back to the Crossroads, trying to figure out the places to dodge when you should’ve sprinted.”

Take the Black Coat, Xinth, perhaps my favorite weapon in the game. On the surface, it serves as the ultimate counter-attacking tool, blocking most hits from the front while charging up a huge hit. However, it also unleashes missiles that can seek out foes with its Omega Special. A One Punch-Man Style build that could deal massive damage made the most sense for the former, but by dashing, you can unleash it early, effectively keeping up with faster-moving foes. Couple this with a few Boons for a chance to trigger the same punch twice, hit farther (or in a wider area), and so on, for even more big damage potential.

Or make it so that successfully blocking hits unleashes those same seeker missiles. Or, invest fully into seekers, taking a boon from Hephaestus that causes big explosive damage with each hit and reduces the cooldown as much as possible. It’s not quite Panzer Dragoon Orta, but locking on and decimating groups of enemies from afar, sometimes channelling Selene to slow down time, felt extremely satisfying.

These are only a few options for a single weapon, and it doesn’t even account for casts, which have their own level of insane builds to leverage. Of course, none of this would matter if the core gameplay of Hades 2 wasn’t so satisfying. Admittedly, it takes a hot minute to get used to the new sprinting mechanics, especially when transitioning from a dash into a sprint (and vice versa).

Everything eventually clicks in place, before you’re likely obliterated and sent back to the Crossroads, trying to figure out the places to dodge when you should’ve sprinted. The same goes for the Omega Attacks and casts, or chaining together Omega Combos for more damage. Fans of the first game who want to dash around and smack fools have plenty of avenues to do so, ignoring the deeper mechanics entirely, but they still offer a wealth of strategic depth (and several tactics that could make one’s run that much easier). That said, I did wish some abilities would flow into each other a lot better than others.

One build involved pressing F to activate a diving slam, either for invincibility frames or quick repositioning on enemies, but the delay after unleashing a big punch with Xinthe would literally and figuratively tear me apart, despite mashing the button for dear life. It’s all the more baffling considering some moves – simple slash from the Moonstone Axe into a charged spinning Omega Attack while simply holding the button down – feel so natural. And while the wealth of available Boons and upgrades sometimes feels like being spoiled for choice, I am a tad disappointed at how Dionysus ended up.

“Suffice it to say that if you’re a fan of rogue-lites, Hades 2 is well worth your time.”

Regardless, the combat is delightfully on point more often than not – hits feel satisfying while the controls become second nature matched by an incredible variety of enemies and some truly astounding boss fights (with certain foes augmented even further courtesy of the Oath of the Unseen, to a sometimes hilariously insane degree). But the excellent level design can’t be discounted either. From the Fields of Mourning, with its extensive space and treating rewards as mini-objectives or Mount Olympus, with its ascending jumps used to dive bomb onto unsuspecting enemies, each region brings something new and interesting to the table. The overall difficulty is beyond that of the first game, which can lead to extensive frustration, even before recklessly stacking Fear levels, but it makes exploiting the various tools available that much more satisfying.

Of course, the visuals are simply stunning. Environmental design, animation work, effects, character design, bosses – it all comes together so incredibly well. So does the music, from the solitary plucks while wandering the undead City of Ephyra to epic boss tracks that are simply fantastic (and that’s not even including Scylla and the Sirens, who received some new tracks throughout early access). Even if you’re jumping in for the story alone, the presentation doesn’t disappoint in terms of sheer detail and the excitement it brings.

Hades 2 is, bluntly, more of Hades 1, sure, so if you couldn’t really get into the latter, it may not exactly change your mind. But even with the addition of more regions, Boons, build opportunities, enemies, bosses, and so on, I’m impressed with how deeply it feeds into the run-based progression that made the original so endearing. Whether it’s a failed or successful attempt, I’m eager to see how the Crossroads has evolved, or if someone has something new to say or venturing to the Cauldron to see what new incantations have become available or retooling my Arcana for the night ahead or undertaking the Chaos Trials with their specific loadouts.

Suffice it to say that if you’re a fan of rogue-lites, Hades 2 is well worth your time, building on everything that made the original so wonderful and expanding on it in fresh new directions.

This game was reviewed on PC.