A few hours with the sequel’s technical test left me hungry for more.
Surprise! Hades 2 is finally here and playable. Supergiant’s hack-and-slash, flirt-with-gods roguelike is a brief technical test away from its Steam early access debut. I’ve slashed my way through its opening area and first boss and now I need more. Even though it’s clearly in an unfinished state, it’s good. Like, really good.
A small part of me was a little hesitant to see Supergiant do its first direct sequel. Every game since 2011’s Bastion has taken us to completely different worlds with new approaches to combat. I wasn’t even a huge fan of Pyre, but I respect any game that is brave enough to mix strategic action with sports game elements à la NBA Jam. Bastion was my favorite until Hades grabbed that torch and brought it into the realm of a roguelike action game wrapped in a story about a family of Greek gods and goddesses.
After playing a few hours of Hades 2, that small part of me has been proven wrong. The world absolutely needed another Hades, and Supergiant is already pushing the first game’s satisfying loop even further than before.
Zagreus and the rest of his family are gone. In Hades 2, you play as Melinoë, his staunch young sister, as she descends into the underworld hunting for Chronos, the Titan of Time. Melinoë is just as pissed off as Zagreus—you can press a button to brood after every run—but has a much stronger command over combat from the start.
Although her basic movement mirrors Zagreus’ (plus the ability to sprint), her attacks can be modified for different effects using a new magick resource. With the Witch’s Staff equipped, you can hold the button for a special attack to transform it from a bolt of energy into a big bubble that explodes on impact. The risk, of course, is the time it takes to charge it up. Her cast ability normally drops a circle on the floor that roots enemies in place, but holding it down causes it to also deal a chunk of damage as it expires.
