Image via Supergiant Games
Lovers of Greek mythology, witchy vibes, and/or a solid dungeon crawl undeniably need to check out Hades 2. The highly anticipated sequel surprise dropped into Early Access and is already bewitching players with its challenging bosses and lightning-quick gameplay.
The Details
- Publisher: Supergiant Games
- Developer: Supergiant Games
- Platforms: PC
- Cost: $29.99(Early Access)
- Code Provided For Review: No
A Witchy Delight Packed with Greek Mythology References
Our protagonist in Hades 2 is Melinoe, daughter of the titular Hades and a powerful young witch. She is a compelling character, determined to seek revenge on Chronus for kidnapping her family and taking control of her father’s Underworld throne.
What really hooked me into the game, however, is how steeped it is in witchcraft and Greek mythology. Melinoe is trainee to none other than the powerful Witch of the Crossroads, Hecate – a clear reference to the goddess who is most closely associated with witches & witchcraft. The world Melinoe inhabits is full of magic, from the cauldron at which she casts incantations to the Arcana cards you use to level up her skills and abilities.
This magic is infused in the story in a way that truly brings the game – and Melinoe – to life. It fits nicely right alongside the Greek mythology references, often infused with a delightful tongue-in-cheek humor best encapsulated by the opening note from the developers that ends with “good luck killing Time.”
Battling her way through the Underworld to challenge Chronos, Melinoe is aided by a full pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses, each with their own personality that brings the mythology to life with a clever modern sensibility.
Whether you’re deeply versed in Greek mythology or only have a cursory familiarity from films like Disney’s Hercules, the references give the story a depth and humor that makes it sing.
Thrilling Fast-Paced Combats Needs a Slight Balance Tweak
Hades 2 finds Melinoe diving into the depths of the Underworld time and time again in true roguelike fashion. When she’s defeated, her magic brings her back to the Crossroads to try again another night. Each run gives you the chance to collect materials to improve your abilities and weapons.
The combat is fast-paced and varied, with many different enemies to face in each of the game’s areas. Choosing a different one of the Nocturnal Arms changes the feel and flow of battle in interesting ways – the slow but heavy Moonstone Axe is quite a different flavor to the fast-but-close Sister Blades.
Combining spells and testing out the different weapon options keeps the fight feeling fresh despite dashing through the same areas time and again in your quest to make it past the challenging Guardians and further into the depths of the Underworld.
For an Early Access game, so much of the content feels incredibly polished already. I rarely thought of this game as anything but fully finished… except when entering areas like Oceanus and the Fields of Mourning for the first time.
No doubt new, deeper levels are intended to be more challenging than those that came before. Even so, the balance with some of the enemies you face in these areas feels a bit off, a bit too steep an uptick in challenge compared with the skills you gained make your way through previous areas.
Given the game’s Early Access status, I’m optimistic this slight balance issue will be adjusted in the future, but as it stands it can be a bit frustrating until you’ve leveled up your skills and weapons to contend with some of those toughter baddies.
Robust Story and Well-Drawn Characters Keep The Repetition Interesting
An inherent risk with the roguelike genre is a tendency to feel repetitive. Hades 2 has an answer to the problem in the form of a dynamic, ever-shifting world and cast of characters in the Crossroads. When you return from each run, new dialogue with your companions awaits you – from the hilariously spunky shade Dora to the calm and steadfast Odysseus.
These interactions give you something to look forward to when you fail once again to defeat that tricky boss or fall prey to a random monster on the way. I kept waiting for the dialogue to repeat, for the cast of characters to stagnate, but even after countless hours of gameplay, it hasn’t.
The rich world keeps offering new tidbits about the characters who share the Crossroads with Melinoe, shedding delightful light on who these beings from myth are in this version of their story.
Final Score: 8.5/10
While a few character sketches may get a bit more polish as time goes on (Madea in particular looks a bit unfinished), the world of Hades 2 is already so robust and full of character that it feels complete and satisfying even in Early Access.
At last, I’ve found a roguelike that doesn’t feel repetitive or boring at all because there’s always some new bit of story to uncover as I try, try, and try again.
Looking for more reviews of games where you die a lot? Check out our Pepper Grinder review next, or give RKGK a try.
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