There are few times where I’d find myself encouraging of a game developer, especially one that’s built a reputation on delivering creative, unique experiences with each subsequent game, to go straight into a sequel off the back of a hit. It is inevitable, however, and in the case of Supergiant Games and Hades II, I can’t say that I mind one bit.
I’ll admit it took me a hot minute to click with the first Hades, but once I did I was in for good. Once the game hooks you into its compelling and consistently rewarding loop, where each nigh-inevitable death offers a tease of a glimpse of something more to find if you just go for one more run, you are forever in its grasp. Having (im)patiently waited for Hades II to drop on PS5, my regular platform of choice, it’d been a while between drinks, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt so comfortable slipping back into a cycle of punishment like I have here.
Which isn’t to say that Hades II is overly familiar. It is, of course, built on the same foundations as the original and picks back up all of its greatest qualities, but there’s an enormous amount of new here, as well. For starters, we’re playing as Melinoë, sister of the first game’s Zagreus and therefore daughter of Hades himself. And where Zagreus’ eternal fight was with Daddy Underworld, Melinoë’s mission skips a generation as she seeks to defeat their grandfather and the titan of time, Chronos, who’s taken the rest of the family prisoner.
This quest shakes things up in a number of ways, most immediately in that players now start their journey in the Crossroads, which sits somewhere between the underworld and the surface world, meaning Melinoë now has the option of fighting back down into Tartarus or up toward Mount Olympus. Guided by Hecate and a gaggle of gods and other faces both new and returning, this is a hugely expanded adventure that, much like the first game, seems to just keep going and going the more you play.
While combat is familiar, though augmented by a fantastic collection of new weapons and boons with plenty of new wrinkles and mechanics to discover, Supergiant has had a bit of a toy around with the formula of the various pseudo-procedural stages you’ll fight through to either face down Chronos in the underworld or assist the gods in their fight against his armies on Olympus.
The Fields of Mourning, for example, trade the usual confined rooms and corridors for a big, open space where multiple fights and rewards are waiting, while the City of Ephyra works like more of a hub location with multiple rooms to explore before you’re allowed to continue. I’m not fully convinced on some of these, the Fields in particular feel a little undercooked and annoying to navigate, but the variety is certainly appreciated. New ideas and mechanics keep things interesting as well. I enjoy the animal familiars, pets ranging from a cat to a dog, a raven and even a frog, each bringing their own unique benefit to exploration or battle when you take them with you into a run.
Back at the Crossroads, each completed (see: failed) run continues to slowly eke out more and more new goodies to discover, folks to house and things to do. Even with dozens of hours of progress it’s clear that there’s still so many layers yet to peel back, and it’s this longevity and moreish nature that made the first Hades such a presence in my library, the sequel no doubt setting me up for even greater time sunk. The economy of resource items, upgrades, home customisation and all of the other bits that flavour the experience are similarly expanded. The pace at which new things are thrown at you and the brevity of their introduction can be a little daunting, especially if you’ve had a big enough break from Hades to not recall a lot of the existing ideas, but the beauty of Hades II is there’s so much else to do while you figure everything out.
Speaking of beauty, hoo boy is Hades II a looker. And not just thanks to a massive uplift in presentation with even more lush environments, fluid animations and an all-around more accomplished aesthetic. That’s all true, but what struck me more than anything is how much hotter everyone is in this. In case it wasn’t clear to this point, Supergiant has really honed in on what people loved about Hades for this sequel, and that includes all the scorching hot gods, goddesses and god-elses. Everything about the art, the writing and the acting in this game is noticeable horny, and often also flatly hilarious or endearingly charming, but mostly just very horny. And I’m here for it.
I think it was when I first reached the game’s second boss in the descent run, a fight against a mythical girl band called Scylla and the Sirens – whose song about clawing out my eyes and drowning me to death can be deconstructed by defeating the various instrument-wielding members – that I realised just how special Hades II is. It’s bigger and better in every conceivable way, without losing any of the personality or core game feel of its predecessor. For as unfortunate as it might be to see a talented developer tackle the sure financial bet of a sequel, this particular game is a shining example of why sometimes that’s the right idea. Hades III, now, please!
Reviewed on PS5 and PS5 Pro | Review copy supplied by publisher
Great
- Combat still rules, now just even moreso
- An expanded scope with descent and ascent runs
- Animal familiars are a great addition
- Looks and runs superb on PS5
- Everyone is really bloody hot
Not great
- I will never be as hot as these people
- Some area gimmicks don't quite work as well