Hades II Review — Time and Tribulations

Though the genre is named after the 1980s title Rogue, I personally believe that no other game has been as influential to the roguelike genre as Hades, Supergiant’s 2020 Greek-mythology-infused title about a young man rebelling against his father. It was my introduction to the roguelike genre, so I may be a little biased, but the critically acclaimed title sparked a ton of interest in the genre to the point where it seems to have almost spawned an entire subgenre of its own. It is no surprise then that Hades II finally released to as much hype as it did. Far more than just a sequel, however, Hades II builds on the original formula and expands on it, doubling down on the elements fans loved while shifting the themes and stakes in a way that makes Hades II stand out above the original.

Again, it’s hard not to be a little biased as I write this review. I personally ended up putting an ungodly amount of hours into the first Hades, with an entire period of my life where I would play nothing but. The game captured my attention and held it with a vice grip, with its clever combination of bullet hell mechanics and god-specific boon trees, tying a set of thematically appropriate powers for each god’s power-ups to encourage combos and build experimentation in a way many roguelikes don’t. The game even appealed to those who weren’t into complex builds or flashy combat, as hundreds of lines of dialogue provided a wealth of narrative content for players more attracted to the cast of fantastic characters. All of these gameplay elements prominently return in Hades II.

To be blunt, all Hades II had to do to win me over was fail to disappoint, something I’m sure is true for many other fans as well. The fact that it goes above and beyond my expectations is the real surprise here.

Rather than being more of the same, Hades II expands on everything I loved about the original. The terrific boons that made up the heart of the gameplay have been expanded with new god powers and reimagined versions of the originals. Generally speaking, the power-ups are stronger, flashier, and more fun to use across the board. This is to say nothing of other combat mechanics, which have been expanded with the addition of powerful mana-using special attacks, charged abilities, Selene’s special abilities, and a reworked Cast, which now provides more utility and some unique functions when paired with boons, overall creating a far more interesting power than Zagreus’ wimpy projectile. The game also features a whole new set of weapons, the main modifier for combat, creating entirely new move sets, and once again, feeling more powerful and fun than the weapons in the original.

The game also takes a narrative shift, featuring a more serious tone and harsher stakes. The goddess Melinoe, younger sister of Zagreus, has lost her entire family to the titan Chronos and was raised by a coven so she might one day enact her revenge. The game has you charging into the underworld rather than climbing to the surface, right up until it suddenly allows you to visit the mortal realms, greatly expanding the world of Hades and revealing the dire situation it is in.

That’s right, the game features not one but two separate campaigns to challenge, with the above-ground run serving as a sort of time trial as Melinoe fights against the suffocating curse that forbids her from stepping foot on the surface. It adds a ton of variety and extra content to the game, and you can thankfully take on both modes interchangeably once you unlock the surface content fairly early on.

If there was a feature I was less than thrilled about, it would be the gathering system. Now, in order to obtain many of the items in the “hub” area of Hades II, you have to collect materials from the campaigns and bring them back when your run fails. This mechanic adds more reason to explore during your runs but can feel like a chore before too long, simply adding more currencies to collect. This is more apparent when items require materials that can only be found in later stages or materials that spawn exclusively in the overworld. I am thankful at least that these extra currencies are scattered through a stage and are not loot rewards clogging up the pathways between each area.

I am almost disappointed to admit that this review is essentially a long, uninterrupted glazing of Hades II. I would have loved to interject a paragraph with some kind of criticism or suggestion for improvement, but such commentary fails me. I could lie and say it is disappointing or inferior to the original, but for the sake of my credibility I must admit that I enjoyed Hades II to a near embarrassing degree. The game is excellent, and I’m deeply impressed by how much it has improved since I originally bought it the day it released to Early Access.

Great job, Supergiant. Now, Hades III, when?

Hades II was reviewed on the PC. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Hades II is available on Steam, Epic Games, and Nintendo Switch.