Hades II

Not many mythologies get as exhaustive a contemporary treatment as the Greek mythos does. The tales of the gods, demi-gods and mortals overcoming the odds and causing all kinds of mischief (as well as Zeus’s promiscuity) have been the subject of books, movies, art and even a few musicals for as long as anyone can remember, but something can be said for the way video games present these figures. 

From Kratos giving the denizens of Olympus a light pummeling in God of War to Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical presenting us with some absolutely top-notch tunes, as well as Immortals: Fenyx Rising doing… whatever that game was trying to do (I remember whacking things and flying, but not much else!), there have been no end of adaptations – out of all of these games, however, one stands out above them all: Hades.

When a sequel to the unexpected 2020 hit roguelike was announced, many people were wondering whether lightning would strike twice – a fitting analogy given the subject – as we enter this new saga. Be warned that there will be spoilers for the first game here, so if you’ve never played the original Hades, you should probably go and do that. Don’t worry; I’ll wait. 

— MUSICAL INTERLUDE —

Welcome back. Anyway, you enter the world of Hades II as Melinoë, second child of Hades and Persephone and sister to Zagreus – unlike your brother, you were hidden away as a child following the attack of Chronos, the great titan of time and a guy who famously performed one of the wildest castrations in history (for the curious, it’s called Aphrodite’s rock, and it’s in Cyprus – look it up!). Raised instead by Hecate – the goddess of the crossroads and a master of witchcraft – Melinoë is trained to fight back against Chronos, following the road to hell to reclaim her birthright and rescue the gods.

Rest assured that exposition doesn’t get dropped on you all at once, with much of the story of Hades II being delivered through dialogue, narration and the items and environments you come across. Much like the first game, you are tied into a loop of struggle, death and rebirth, getting slowly stronger and more capable with each attempt – players hoping for a more relaxed experience will also be pleased to hear that the appropriately named “God Mode” makes its return, increasing your resistance even further between loops. 

Though similar in design, combat has been updated with new weapons and abilities, each with their own ranges, special abilities and tactics – this combines nicely with the newly introduced casts, allowing you to tap into a world of witchcraft for more damage or status effects. There’s nothing particularly different about the setup of its hack-and-slash core, but with Melinoë moving in a much lighter fashion than Zagreus, there’s certainly more of a floatiness to combat.

As with any sequel of its kind, there’s a worry that over-familiarity might make players of the first game more able to breeze through earlier sections and even complete the game in a single sitting, but thankfully there are a number of elements at play to prevent only the most battle-hardened players from accomplishing this; the first and most obvious is the way progression works within the systems of both Hades and Hades II – small, iterative progression has always been the way forward, with new boons and abilities only presenting themselves with time and progression. Outside of the standard design of the game, there are also a number of new debuffs that the game uses to slow players down – I was concerned at first about this slowing the pace of the later game for the sake of padding, but thankfully it is implemented in a way that just encourages you to work around it and find smarter ways to play.

It goes without saying that style is in abundance with Hades II – from the visceral soundscape to the visual feast that each level offers, it’s hard not to be drawn in at every turn. Sadly, the repetitive nature of the game means you will soon get used to seeing the same surroundings time and time again, but there’s enough charm in every corner of the game to keep things fresh. One thing that will never get old, however, is the character designs.

Any fan of the original will already be well equipped to tell you that the gods and legends of the Hades universe are absolutely stunning in their style and presentation; from the alluring air of Aphrodite to the stoic charm of Charon, there are many returning favourites as well as new faces joining the pantheon. Offering unique boons in each run as well as delightful dialogues, these characters all ooze charm while holding together a story that would otherwise be difficult to tell – and that’s without mentioning those oh-so-smoochable bachelors and bachelorettes that you’ll encounter.

This review would feel lacking if I didn’t include a paragraph that just talks about smooching, so indulge me for a moment. As with Hades, you are encouraged to develop bonds with the characters you meet throughout the game by offering gifts; for most of these connections, you will gain additional support and new tidbits of lore, but four characters also present the opportunity to get even closer.

With three delightful romances (and one slightly problematic one) available to you, it’s also worth remembering that the game takes place in ancient Greece, so you’re not restricted by gender or by number – if you want a polycule, you only need to ask! All of this to say you can do a lot of smooching in Hades II, with twice as many romance options at your fingertips and any number of characters that deserve your attention, as developing bonds is critical to progression. 

If I had a nickel for every sequel to a beloved indie game that released this September to critical acclaim, improved on its predecessor and increased the difficulty in a smart but fair way, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.