Greek mythology has been around for thousands of years and its traditions have inspired artists working in nearly every medium. What brings me joy is that each writer, visual artist, director–or in the case of Hades 2, a team of game developers–can explore a unique vision of the characters and events they choose to highlight. With the sequel to its popular hack-and-slash roguelite Hades, Supergiant Games explores the worlds of Greek gods from the perspective of Melinoe, the princess of the Underworld.
As the playable protagonist of Hades 2, Melinoe shows players a new side of life in the Underworld. Unlike her brother Zagreus, the young witch didn’t grow up with her family in the main palace. She instead lives in a ramshackle camp on the outskirts of Hades’ domain. The distance between her and her loved ones is palpable, and her only connection to her family is a single drawing enshrined in Melinoe’s make-shift room. The game starts when Melinoe, brooding yet powerful, decides to save her family from the Titan of time, Kronos, and finally close the gap that’s always separated them.
Yet Hades 2 is far from the only modern reinterpretation that hones in on the women of Greek mythology, and Melinoe’s plights soon reminded me of another story that follows a Greek goddess and witch: Madeline Miller’s Circe. Published in 2018, this retelling follows the story of the goddess Circe, a witch who was banished to the island of Aeaea by Zeus. If you’ve read The Odyssey, you might know the character as the duplicitous sorceress who transformed Odysseus’ men into pigs. However, Miller’s book gives the reader the chance to imagine the events from her side of the story.
