Hades 2 review: The ‘House’ always wins

To that point, this was an indie studio that always had a new story to tell. It had never put out a sequel to any of its previous games. Imagine the pressure on this developer when it decided to buck that trend to craft a sequel to one of the best games of the modern era, one that helped define what it means to be a roguelite.

With all of that said, Supergiant Games has not only crafted one of modern gaming’s best roguelites, it has now crafted one of modern gaming’s best sequels. It’d be cliché to say *Hades 2* is everything *Hades* was and more, but it’d also be accurate. This sequel isn’t just good, it’s godlike.

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### Time Marches On

*Hades 2* takes place years after the events of the original game, but a lot has happened in the time that has passed. Original protagonist Zagreus is nowhere to be found. Neither, for that matter, is original antagonist Hades. Instead, players are taken to a new setting called The Crossroads, where they meet a new lead character.

Melinoe is the daughter of Hades, who has spent her life under the tutelage of the all-powerful witch Hecate. The House of Hades has been taken over by Chronos, the Titan of Time, who seems to be waging a grander war against all of the gods.

It’s up to Melinoe to topple the fiend, retake the Underworld, and find her family.

That’s the gist of the story, but a lot of it is shrouded in mystery. While questions surround the whereabouts of Hades and Zagreus, there are similar questions floating around the original game’s supporting characters.

The most visible example is Hypnos, the God of Sleep, who has fallen into an eternal slumber for reasons unknown. Other examples surface over the course of the game, pointing to some of Supergiant’s most masterful storytelling to date.

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### Storytelling Through Roguelite Runs

While roguelite runs are as much about succeeding from a gameplay standpoint, there’s never a run where players don’t learn more about the story, meet new characters, push arcs forward, and come a step closer to solving some of the overarching narrative mysteries.

To this point, much of this sounds like it plays out similarly to the original *Hades*. First off, that’s not a bad thing. If you’re going to rip something off, rip off from the best—especially if it happens to be yourself.

However, as the game progresses, its scope grows wider, so much so that it surpasses that of the original game. As Chronos’ true machinations begin to take shape, it becomes clear that the *Hades* 1-style Underworld run is only the beginning.

There’s much more to explore, far more characters to meet, and more ways to interact with them.

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### New Gameplay Systems and Characters

There are additional ways to push the story, as well as gameplay progress, forward. These include:

– **The Cauldron in the Crossroads:** where Melinoe crafts run-altering spells.
– **An Arcana system:** utilizing Tarot cards that grant useful buffs.
– **An upgrade system for the Nocturnal Arms:** Melinoe’s weapons of choice.

While there’s no replacing some of the minor characters from the first game, I’ve come to love the supporting cast of *Hades 2* and the manner in which their stories unfold.

Some notable characters include:

– **Dora:** Melinoe’s roommate, who is smarter than the other Shades but also can’t remember her past and is content to live her afterlife without ever leaving her room.
– **Hecate:** A calculating leader who straddles the line between acting as Melinoe’s mother figure and her strict teacher, giving her the tools needed to survive.
– **Moros:** The incarnation of Doom, who yearns to help but is limited by what the Fates have allowed.
– **Eris:** A devil-may-care free spirit who may or may not be a double agent causing misery simply for fun.

The developers have crafted these stories carefully and mastered the pacing, offering just enough of a nugget to keep players interested and eager to make another run so that the tale can continue.

Likewise, characters found over the course of various runs are fascinating in their own way, such as Narcissus and Echo, who begin as quirky figures but reveal more depth as the game unfolds.

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### Melinoe: A New Protagonist

Melinoe will inevitably be compared to Zagreus and, in a one-on-one comparison, she’s not likely to win.

Zagreus had a defiant charm—driven by a desire to find the mother he never knew, to the point where driving his father batty was just a bonus. Their conflict was violent yet playful, almost like Popeye and Bluto’s classic rivalry.

Melinoe lacks that charm but exudes a wholesome determination defined by her lack of family. She only has a family portrait from her infancy to keep her motivated. This mission to defeat Chronos dominates her personality for the first dozen or so hours, somewhat stunting her character development.

There’s even an encounter with Chaos—returning from the first game—where they lament how much more amusing Zagreus was.

However, as Melinoe meets more characters and her relationships with the gods grow, she begins to develop more of her personality. Having spent most of her life learning to fight, she now fights for others.

Her entire life has been in service of the mission, but as the mission progresses, she yearns to be in service of others.

This transformation is evident in the gift-giving mechanic and the resulting interactions—helping others be their best selves leads Melinoe to discover more about who she is, developing into one of *Hades 2*’s most compelling ongoing storylines.

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### Connecting With Fans of the Original

One positive of using mostly new characters is that newcomers can jump in blind and enjoy Supergiant’s storytelling without feeling lost.

However, there’s much more depth for those who played the original game, which makes *Hades 2* a fabulous sequel.

– Finding Hypnos in his eternal slumber brings a tinge of heartbreak.
– Seeing Skelly graduate into a full-blown Shade commander—now Commander Schelemeus—even if he basically serves the same tutorial role, brings a swell of pride.
– There’s a sense of mystery and curiosity about the whereabouts and fates of other key characters from the original game.

This seed of curiosity blossoms over dozens of hours into a tree of fulfillment—provided players have the desire to see the journey through to the end.

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### Time Loop and Gameplay Evolution

At the beginning—and this is an important qualifier—*Hades 2* is structured similarly to the original game.

Players dive into the realm of Erebus with a chosen Nocturnal Arm, battle hostile Shades and monsters, and face a slew of bosses en route to an eventual showdown with Chronos.

The main difference is that instead of fighting upwards like in the first game, the goal here is to fight down to reach the Underworld.

Individual chamber layouts are randomized, each with their own foes, hazards, and rewards. While runs feel similar, they’re rarely the same—especially as gods and other characters offer Boons to help strengthen Melinoe in varying ways.

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### Combat and Bosses

Combat remains as crisp as it was in the original, with each weapon featuring a main attack, alt-fire, and a dash move.

It has evolved to reflect Melinoe’s upbringing as a witch:

– A **casting circle** allows Melinoe to trap enemies and can be upgraded with godly Boons.
– Players also have a **magic meter** that unleashes different attacks when holding down attack buttons.
– Magic feeds into a **Hex meter**, unlocked by the moon goddess Selene, granting special actions like healing, extra attacks, or resurrecting minor foes to fight as allies.

The combat system is easy to grasp, yet the mastery ceiling is higher than ever—offering deep engagement without losing accessibility.

The bosses are marvelously imaginative.

– The opening boss, **Hecate**, serves as a warm-up test.
– Later, traveling through Oceanus’s world, players encounter **Scylla and the Sirens**—a punk girl band reimagining mythical sirens performing a deadly rock show, cleverly integrating the game’s soundtrack.

Other bosses offer unique narrative and mechanical quirks without spoilers here.

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### Expanding the Experience: Surface Runs and New Objectives

About 10-15 hours in, the game takes a surprising turn.

After Melinoe first meets Hermes, the messenger god references a war happening atop Mount Olympus. This reveals an entirely new run on the surface, introducing a fresh objective sequence.

Players must find a way to:

– Reach the surface.
– Discover Melinoe cannot survive there as is.
– Solve the puzzle allowing her to stay above without her heritage pulling her back to the Underworld.

This adds a whole new dimension to what initially felt like a familiar roguelite experience.

Think of it as the *Second Quest* in *The Legend of Zelda*—a drastic jump in scope and design.

Level layouts change dramatically, objectives shift, and the progression from one chamber to the next unfolds differently.

The climax features a final boss on the surface that tests players like never before.

Even after equipping Melinoe for the toughest challenges, the fight is ruthless, leaving players feeling unprepared and eager for more.

This sets the stage for an even bigger climax yet to come.

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### See You at the Crossroads

As entertaining as the combat and runs are, *Hades 2* is just as engaging with everything happening between runs.

The first game briefly introduced this, with Zagreus able to talk to everyone in the House of Hades and fresh dialogue with every encounter. Parts of the House were explorable, and gift-giving was a key interaction.

*Hades 2* expands this extensively.

The **Crossroads** begins as a humble hub world but grows over time, and helping it develop is part of the game’s joy.

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### The Cauldron and Hub World Activities

The central feature of the Crossroads is the **Cauldron**.

If Melinoe has the needed ingredients, she can cast spells that affect runs in various ways—adding special stations, unlocking rest rooms, or furthering story progression.

Many Cauldron spells also unlock new parts of the Crossroads and open up additional activities, including:

– **Gardening:** Players plant seeds found across runs and use the harvest as ingredients for Cauldron spells, unlocking Arcana cards, or upgrading Nocturnal Arms.
– **Gathering materials:** Specific ingredients can be rare and may require multiple runs, making the system somewhat dependent on luck.

Among the most interesting Cauldron spells is unlocking new locations in the Crossroads that offer fresh interactions and social opportunities.

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### New Social Interactions and Romance

Within the Crossroads, places like:

– Hot springs
– A fishing hole
– A tavern

await, each tied to a relationship system.

Players can deepen bonds, and even pursue romance with certain characters, featuring lighthearted yet sincere scenes.

While the main goal remained defeating Chronos, I found myself equally drawn to personal stories—like trying to help Melinoe’s roommate, Dora, loosen up.

Admittedly, the one downside is that there aren’t enough friendship and romance options. There can never be enough love.

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### Always on Time: Legacy and Impact

The original *Hades* remains one of my favorite modern games, introducing me to a genre I hadn’t explored much before.

Since its release, roguelites have grown more popular, with many imitators emerging, including games like:

– *Returnal*
– *Curse of the Dead Gods*
– *The Rogue Prince of Persia*
– *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate*

Even add-ons like *Splatoon 3*’s Side Order DLC have dabbled in the roguelite space.

Some of these homages are better than others, and some have added distinct flavors and twists to the genre.

Few, however, have reached the critical and fan acclaim that *Hades* enjoys.

Supergiant Games helped build this genre-defining experience, and *Hades 2* only reinforces their mastery.

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### A Sequel That Builds, Not Just Improves

*Hades 2* didn’t necessarily have to improve on every aspect of its predecessor. Instead, it works to build upon it.

– The story and characters are more engaging.
– The stakes feel higher.
– Combat remains fluid, with added dimensions to deepen involvement.
– There’s plenty to do between runs that will keep you thinking long after you shut off the game.

This is what a gaming sequel should be.

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### Cross-save and Final Thoughts

Whether on PC or the upcoming Switch 2, cross-save works great—offering seamless progression across platforms.

Even after conquering Chronos and scaling the surface, there’s still so much more to do.

Every time I thought I’d figured out the game or the story, something would happen that turned everything on its head.

As the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper used to say, *“When I thought I had the answers, Hades 2 changed the question.”*

I wouldn’t be surprised if I discover something mind-blowing even after this review is posted.

There’s always something new to find in the House of Hades—a house that’s eternal and yet never gets old.
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