Hades 2 1.0 Review: A Lesson On How To Improve on Perfection

“I’m Daughter of Hades; the dead shall answer to me. They may just need a little encouragement.”

It was at this moment that I fell in love with Melinoë, the princess of the Underworld and our brand-new protagonist for Hades 2.

The chthonic nymph and member of the Silver Sisters, alongside characters such as Artemis and Selene, is the reason why Hades 2 has taken on its very own life outside of being the highly anticipated sequel for 2020’s Hades.

Previously available in early access but now heading into its 1.0 version/full release, Hades 2 is officially here and it is safe to say that Supergiant Games has somehow managed to improve on perfection.

There is no denying that the roguelike action RPG genre is a hard one to crack with so many incredible titles leading the charge, and that includes Hades itself.

So it is perhaps no surprise that some fans were worried that Hades 2 would be more of the same, especially with it still being centered around a great escape aided by all of the incredible characters from Greek mythology.

Unlike Hades’ Zagreus, his sister Melinoë is not fighting to reach the surface in order to challenge her overbearing father but she is fighting to the depths of Tartarus to retake the House of Hades from the clutches of Chronos, the god of time.

When she was just a babe in arms, Chronos overthrew Hades which resulted in him imprisoning all of the characters that we grew to love in the first game. There is even a flashback scene in Hades 2 where we can see Persephone, Nyx, Zagreus, Thanatos and more suspended in a shimmering bubble, stuck in a perpetual moment of time.

I must admit, knowing that the characters I had grown to love and help in Hades were not going to feature in the sequel was a sad moment. I wanted more of the growing relationship between Zagreus, Thanatos and Meg, I wanted to hear the soothing tones of Nyx and pet Cerberus after every run.

Supergiant Games

Where Hades took place within the halls of the House of Hades, its sequel takes us to the Crossroads where denizens now reside following Chronos’ siege.

It is here that Melinoë has been raised and trained by the witch Hecate to one day come of age and fight through the layers of the underworld in order to defeat Chronos and save her family.

The Crossroads are also home to some familiar figures from Greek mythology including Doom Incarnate Moros and his sister Retribution Incarnate who can also be potential lovers for Melinoë.

There is also Hecate and her loyal familiars, the mortal tactician Odysseus, the listless shade known as Dora, another of Nyx’s brood is also present in the shape of Strife Incarnate’s Eris, the ever-sleeping Hypnos, and animated training-dummy Schelemeus.

Much like the residents of the House of Hades in the first game, these characters will be your companions, friends, lovers, enemies, teachers and even familiars and much like Hades, they are all portrayed by some incredible actors which will make skipping ahead on any dialogue pretty much impossible.

However, fans of the series will know that throughout your various runs, as well as fighting enemies, upgrading and unlocking weapons and in Hades 2’s case, harvesting resources in order to unlock upgrades for both the Crossroads and your weapons, you will also need to accept the boons of various gods and goddesses.

The mighty Zeus will aid you with lightning-based spells whereas his wife Hera will take a more slow-burn approach to her spells. The lovely Aphrodite will offer a weakness debuff alongside her boons whilst the hunter Artemis will focus more on critical hit chances.

Supergiant Games

Alongside the mighty gods who will offer their boons to aid you, you will also come across some other characters who are a bit more randomised and can be found off the beaten track.

This includes beloved characters from Greek mythology including Circe, Echo, Narcissus, Medea, Icarus, Heracles, Arachne and more.

If a character wasn’t in Hades, you can bet they are in Hades 2.

Not only that but as well as the addition of a whole new cast of characters, Supergiant Games have also managed to improve on character design which I didn’t think was possible.

Moon Incarnate Selene is a standout as the embodiment of the moon, dripping in silver and moon iconography and riding atop of a pale steed. There is also Demeter, Melinoë’s grandmother and a striking figure despite her age as wheat forms a crown around her head.

Sporting a burly figure, strong Yorkshire accent and even being wheelchair-bound which makes sense considering his story is Hephaestus who is also another brand-new standout character and alongside him is the motherly figure of Hestia with her vitiligo patterned skin and fiery personality.

Icarus is showcased as a young boy with man-made wings and a bandaged cheek, Chaos now sports a sharp white suit but the more you look, the more you will notice nods to his ability to create life and even Dionysus makes a return but that is a look which you definitely need to see for yourself.

It is clear that the art team did their homework when it comes to finding ways to represent the Greek gods and their roles whilst also providing them with enough originality and it really is no surprise that Supergiant Games has some of the best artists in the industry.

In each run, you will come across various gods who are eager to help out Melinoë with their wide selection of boons and as a result, you can adapt each run based on the type of combat you favour. Other than Hades 2 featuring some brand-new gods and goddesses, this formula is very much unchanged and that is something I was glad about.

Also much like its predecessor, Hades 2 features a variety of different weapons to choose from which each offer a unique playstyle. The Sister Blades are perfect for those who enjoy fast and accurate combat whereas the Witch’s Staff are for the mage fans out there.

Supergiant Games

The rest of the Nocturnal Arms consist of the Umbral Flames which are torches held in each hand which can send out projectiles, the Moonstone Axe, the Argent Skulls (another projectile weapon), and the Black Coat which will make melee combat a whole lot more powerful.

Additionally, weapons can be levelled up via Aspects and as a result, they can take on a different appearance. For example, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that levelling up the Witch’s Staff whilst using the Aspect of Thanatos saw the weapon take on the shape of the weapon wielded by Death Incarnate in Hades.

Thanks to the various weapons and their upgrades as well as the unique boon options, no two runs in Hades 2 are the same so even if you struggle to beat each boss and make your way to Chronos, you will not feel disheartened as you feel as though you have still achieved something.

Hades 2 also offers a lot of brand-new features and makes Melinoë’s witchy abilities tie perfectly into the story.

She is able to use a giant cauldron to craft new upgrades for the Crossroads, she is able to recruit familiars ranging from Frinos the Frog to a bird and even a polecat, she can use tarot cards to navigate the Arcana and through this, the player is able to unlock upgrades by levelling up both their character, abilities, and weapons.

The Arcana feature replaces the Mirror of Night found in Hades and it is here that you can unlock features such as Death Defiance which I know is one we all appreciate.

Melinoë can also use a range of tools to fish, dig, and mine which, in turn, will provide the player with resources to level up the Arcana, weapons and even decoration for around the Crossroads.

Supergiant games has somehow found a way to bring back the tried-and-tested formula of Hades whilst adding some features that we never even knew we were missing. This is another reason why no failed run even feels like a failure as you will have gathered resources, hoarded some Nectar to give to potential lovers or even met a brand-new familiar to recruit.

I didn’t think it was possible but Hades 2 is everything its predecessor was and more and considering I gave its early access version a 10/10, it is perhaps no surprise that my rating is unchanged.

Hades 2 is the perfect addition to the roguelike RPG genre and it offers something for everyone: challenging combat for more seasoned gamers, unique and diverse characters and designs, excellent acting, stunning world and level design and it feels as though it was made with heart and soul, especially for the Greek mythology nerds such as myself.

Pros: Challenging but fun combat, incredible characters and designs, smooth gameplay

Cons: N/A

For fans of: Hades, Dead Cells, Transistor, Enter the Gungeon

10/10: Perfect

Hades 2 1.0 launches on PC, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on 25 September. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.