Update 1.0 is here, and thus it is finally time, dear friends, to take stock of Hades II.
Supergiant has once again ushered its action-RPG adventure through the perils of Early Access, this time in order to deliver a game that not only expands on pretty much everything that’s great about the original, but that throws in plenty of new ideas for good measure, too.
Hades vs Hades 2
It’s a crass question, maybe, but let’s deal with it up front and centre. Both Hades and Hades 2 are very similar, and you could easily argue that the sequel is a nothing but an elaboration of the first game. The impact of Zag’s adventure was huge on me personally, and I think it is almost impossible to raise the bar. I’m not sure the story in the sequel hits as hard as the first.
Actually, I don’t know. Maybe it’s a tie. Put it this way: if you loved the first game, there’s a seriously high chance that you’re going to love this sequel, too. The action-RPG combat is still tight and responsive, the story evolves slowly and reveals itself with calm confidence, and once again you’re presented with a broad range of boons and abilities from the Olympian gods.
In both games, these powers are equipped to certain core attacks. Thus, as you add new abilities you empower your coming adventures, ensuring that each new run feels fresh and unique as you try and find a good balance between damage output, range, and defence.
This time around your problems are bigger than a spat with dad; you’re taking on the titan Chronos, by heading down into the bowels of the underworld (instead of trying to get out of them). However, where the original game was fairly linear in terms of your path, in this sequel there are secondary challenges to seek out and even more narrative strands to gently tug at over the course of your adventures.
Chthonic, chaotic, and cool AF
Leading lady Mel is a great character, and her supporting cast also does a great job of bringing additional context to your adventures and achievements. Diversity and representation is once again an underlying strength of the series, and Supergiant delivers a wonderfully realised assortment of characters drawn from across the Greek pantheon.
The first game was an eventful story about a father and son having a battle of wills and a fight for dominance. Here the twist is more maternalistic, however, the ante is raised considerably, and while this is still essentially a big family squabble, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
That’s because Chronos, the Titan of Time, has captured nearly everyone that Zagreus used to hang out with in the original, and the odds are therefore stacked against you as you try and reclaim your birth right as a princess of the underworld.
The Olympians, many of whom you’ll remember from the first game, have their own issues this time around, which naturally you’ll be helping with, and on top of that there are loads of interesting interpersonal relationships just waiting for you to explore. If there’s one area where the first game wins out, this is probably it, however, the story here is pretty good for a sequel!
Just like the first game, there are several different resources that need to be extracted during your adventures, to be then used in the overworld, where you measure your in-game progress via an evolving garden. The items you find out during your adventures can be traded, brewed into spells, and even grown into plants to harvest later.
Sharp Aspects
Another brilliant part of Hades 2 is the variety that every new weapon brings to each run. Not only does each one have a distinct feel, there are also multiple aspects for each one, and they dramatically twist and turn each weapon’s functionality.
The various aspects bring tremendous replay value on their own, but when you start to mix and match the various weapons with different boons from the gods, that’s when you’ll start to really experience the game’s impressive range of potential build variety.
You can gently steer your build in a certain direction, not only by learning the nuances of each weapon, but by using the trinkets of specific gods to boost the likelihood of them sending you a boon or two during that run. It’s not an exact science and there are still going to be some builds that don’t quite click, but all in all I’m really pleased.
Most of the above will sound very familiar, but Hades 2 doesn’t just rehash the systems of old, either. There are new secondary attacks that you can charge during battle, allowing you to channel the power of the moon, for example. These lunar-charged powers can be evolved alongside your main abilities, and they’re one of the most significant evolutions from the first game to the second.
Overall, Supergiant has given us a toolkit that balances both the new and the familiar, and that ensures a fresh and exciting experience with every new attempt, but also one where players will feel comfortable pretty quickly. Complete newcomers will have a lot to get their heads around, but I think in this instance most people will know what’s what.
Looking good, too
From an audio-visual point of view, we have once again been treated to what I consider to be a feast for the senses. Supergiant’s brilliant artists and designers have once again built a lush and vivid world for us to explore. It looks like a comic book brought to life, with wonderful cartoon graphics and a constant stream of eye-melting effects erupting across the screen.
The character designs are also first rate. The old gods have been given a fresh lick of digital paint, and there are many more new faces to get to know. The enemies you’ll encounter are similarly stunning, from your first encounters through to your showdown with Chronos; everything has been brought to life by a studio at the top of its game.
I’m not one to swoon about production values, as they’re not often the focus of roguelikes and roguelites, however, in this instance I think it’s worth the praise. Not only does it look great, but the soundtrack is also fantastic, the voice acting very good, and the writing that holds it all together never feels clumsy or rushed.
Now, I’ve not really had anything negative to say as of yet, and I’ve been trying to think of something, you know, to balance this out. After some thought, the best I could come up with was a slight over-complication of the resources system, which at its worst means that every now and then you’re greeted with room rewards that somewhat underwhelm. It’s a balancing act, though, because I feel this way after 65 hours, but after another 100 I think I’ll probably be grateful for the added depth. We’ll have to wait and see on that one, I guess.
With new ways to play and routes to explore, boons to experiment with and trinkets to trial, Hades II is a wonderful action-roguelite that does a fine job picking up where the first game left off. If you liked the original and you have been waiting for version 1.0 then you can proceed with confidence. However, if you’re new the Hades in general, start with the original just so you’ve got all the context you need, and then enjoy playing through two of the finest video games ever made.
