Hadesbecame the huge talk of the gaming town when it was released into Early Access in 2018. This also coincided with Epic forming their own digital storefront to rival Valve andtheir Steam network. Two years later,Hadesofficially went into its 1.0 status on PC and came to consoles shortly after.
It’s the type of roguelike that other indies inspire to be and for good reason. It was a trendsetter alongside a roguelike that came much earlier,Rogue Legacy. So, four years later, what doesHades 2bring to the table if anything? Here’s a rundown of some of the best changes, so far.
6Melinoe Has More Moves Than Zagreus
Magick Makes Combat More Versatile
Melinoe is a witch of the underworld in all senses of the word. Her beginning weapon is called theWitch’s Staff inHades 2, which allows her to launch magical balls of energy at enemies. Players get a normal attack and a Special attack with every weapon they equip and both of these attacks can be enhanced by charging them up. These charges use Magick, which is a meter above the health bar.
Furthermore, there is a fifth attack called a Cast that uses Magick too. This does not change between swapping weapons out but it can be enhanced with Boons in the game. For example, inHades 2Demeter has a Boonthat can add a freezing element to Casts called Arctic Ring. All of these improvements to combat help make Melinoe feel more versatile.
5There Are Familiars
And They’re Not Stuffed Keepsakes
In the first game, Zagreus got to equip animal companions via the Keepsake model. Keepsakes were like accessories that enhanced Zagreus in several ways.Keepsakes return inHades 2, but they don’t give Melinoe any animal companions. Instead, there is a new Familiar system.
Instead of being stoic animals, Familiars will actually march into battle with Melinoe. The first one players can get is a frog, Frinos, who can help gather Shades in dungeons and it will boost Melinoe’s health by 10. There are more Familiars to unlock inHades 2following this adorable frog, so this is just the tip of the iceberg.
4The Permanent Upgrade System
From Arcana Cards To Incantations
In Hades, players could enhance Zagreus through a magic mirror in his bedroom. These upgrades ranged from stat boosts to giving Zagreus more materials during runs. It was a fine enough upgrade system but Melinoe has more options as her system is tied toArcana cards inHades 2.
Players can equip a set number of Arcana cards before venturing out, dictated by Melinoe’s Grasp level. This can be increased, allowing players to fit Melinoe with more powerful cards. There are alsoIncantations to cast inHades 2at The Crossroads and they operate like the construction upgrades in the first game. In death, it just feels like players get rewarded more with ways to improve Melinoe over Zagreus.
3There Are More Ways To Get Boons
Leveling Up Melinoe The Right Way
Both characters can get permanent upgrades in varying ways in their respective adventures which is true for most modern roguelikes. On runs, there are temporary upgrades too referred to as Boons which were already touched on. Gods and goddesses like the aforementioned Demeter as well as Poseidon can give players a choice of three temporary upgrades to enhance weapons and skills. These Boon icons will appear randomly in the game between rooms.
A Poseidon Boon, for example, will be marked by a Trident inHades 2. There are also NPCs like Arachne who will give players Boon-like upgrades such as a dress which will give players armor points on top of health.Hades 2is just an easier game to get stronger in on runs overall thanks to the abundance of Boons and Boon-like upgrades.
2There Are More Open Areas
The Fields Of Mourning Feel Like A Step In The Right Direction
Most areas in the game contain small areas with not a lot of room to explore. There is one area where this is not true called the Fields of Mourning. It is the third area in the underworld and it features a series of large open fields.
These fields contain multiple upgrades too from Boon icons to hearts that temporarily boost health. It feels like a step in the right direction like whereHades 3could go next. An open-world roguelike is something that is not common in the genre and perhaps Supergiant Games can break the mold. For now, it’s cool to get more open areas like the Fields of Mourning inHades 2.
1You Can Explore The Surface
Go Beyond Zagreus’ Reach
One of the most triumphant moments in the first game was getting Zagreus past Hades. Zagreus wanted to meet his mom on the surface and soon after he set foot on solid Earth Zagreus realized why his father tried to keep him in the dark. Underworld gods and goddesses cannot live beyond their walls aka they will die on the surface. This is what happens to Zagreus time and time again even if players get him through multiple boss battles with Hades.
InHades 2, Melinoe finds a cure for this disability. First, players must unseal the gate to the surface with the Permeation of Witching-Wards Incantation and then the Unraveling a Fateful Bond Incantation will stop life from depleting from Melinoe on the surface. It’s like getting two campaigns in one, although the surface areas are not finished in Early Access yet. Still, it’s a cool new boundary that Melinoe can lord over Zagreus for in theHadesseries.
