Yet another gem from Supergiant Games, Hades II, is undoubtedly the best roguelike game of 2024.
Hades II has been the most anticipated roguelike game ever since it was announced in 2022, and this year, Supergiant Games has surprised us all with an Early Access release on Steam. Supergiant Games‘ first Hades, the first game in the Hades series. Hades was described as one of the “greatest games of all time” by several outlets.
With its rising popularity and fans demanding more, and with great games under its name, such as “Pyre” and “Tales of Phantasia” as well as the original “Hades,” the developers working on the new Hades II seemed very promising.
Melinoe, Zagreus’s sister, was born after the events of the first game; thus, you don’t play as him again. The titan Chronos seized control of Hades’ kingdom and usurped the throne, causing her family to perish in the underworld. Melinoe has been brought up with a single purpose: to achieve Death to Chronos after being spared the fate of her family.
With the support of her mentee, the titan Hecate, and an ensemble of new and returning gods, shadows, and everyone in between, Hades II gets right into a riveting plot that will keep you glued to your seat between runs.
Despite the fact that you will be mostly exploring Hades’ depths once more, this time on a journey that goes downward rather than upward, the fact that each of the game’s biomes is distinct from the settings in the previous game ought to come as a relief to you.
By exploring different routes, you can discover new locations that exhibit Supergiant’s own graphical style, which is distinguished by vivid colors and characters that are one of a kind. The third biome stands out from the others at the time since it does away with the confined battle sections and instead adopts a more open exploration style.
This can make it rather difficult to find your way forward in the game. On the other hand, this is a rather minor flaw in what is, for the most part, a fantastic simulation of hell. These parts of the game are made even better by the nostalgic revisiting of old locations in the later, more dramatic parts of Hades II.
It comes as a surprise that there is more than one way to run in Hades II; a new option to run appeared a few hours into the game, which means that you are not restricted to merely sprinting through Hades. Supergiant is demonstrating how ambitious it is with its first sequel by choosing which storyline to follow and how much stuff it adds to the whole bundle. This illustrates how ambitious the studio is.
Despite the fact that the majority of your time in Hades II will be spent exploring dungeons, the intermissions also play a significant role in the game. In the sequel, the Crossroads serves as a safe haven between Mount Olympus’s base and the depths of Hades, just like the House of Hades did in the first game. In this area, you have the ability to construct a wide range of bases, each of which has a unique influence on the effectiveness of your runs.
A large cauldron that is bursting with activity can be found in the center of the Crossroads. Within this cauldron, you can combine resources to open up new locations, stores that can assist you, and new kinds of materials that you can gather on runs.
You can plant seeds in a small garden and watch them expand as you go. With the assistance of the cauldron that was discussed earlier, you will be able to satisfy your requirements for additional growth in the future. Recruits are equipped with familiars, players have access to a training ground where they may work out, and there are multiple shops where you can stock up on supplies to ensure that you perform at your best during each run.
Instead of watering down the story or adding unnecessary fights that become old fast, this adds to Hades II’s already massive storyline, filling it with encounters that make me gasp and pause the game in my tracks in wonder.
As Chronos ensnares me in a remake of Asphodel from the first game, I can’t help but smile; the familiar, almost sentimental sensation brings me rushing back to the first time I experienced Hades. As I go upon a haunted cruiser headed for Olympus, I’ll be met with an onslaught of enemies determined to see me dead.
With little room to maneuver, the action becomes increasingly chaotic, and Hades II manages to discover ways to break from its formula—all while staying true to its roguelike genre roots. Hades II’s expansion is like receiving two Hades games in one; it’s much broader than anything I could have imagined.
More than merely skills and advantages from the Gods and Titans, the Boons system now provides a wider range of options thanks to the introduction of new characters. You now can harvest elements from the Boons of your choosing. Even though these essences do not perform any magical functions on their own, the Olympians will occasionally bestow upon you an infusion boon that will increase in magnitude in proportion to the number of elemental essences that you have accumulated.
In accordance with the new Path of Stars system in Hades II, you can now customize my Hex, which is a powerful skill that has a limited amount of time. I am able to make a complete change for every run. In light of the fact that these elements have the potential to influence my advancement, I rapidly realized that I must carefully analyze my choices before moving forward.
In order to activate this, you will need to spend a certain quantity of Magick, which is displayed above your health bar. Additionally, you can use it for more powerful Omega assaults if you hold down the relevant button. The consequence of this is that Melinoë transforms into a wrecking ball, which considerably improves Zagreus’s already limited combat capabilities.
Melinoe’s offensive toolset has grown significantly, which is a perfect example of this phenomenon. She possesses the same three sorts of attacks as her brother, which are standard, special, and cast. Prior to runs, the types of your standard attack and special attack are determined by the weapon that you choose to use.
Already, there’s a great variety here; the basic Witch Staff strikes a solid balance between safe far melee assaults and those that necessitate more daring techniques, like the Sister Blades, whose limited range makes you meet your foes head-on before you can escape to safety. Melinoe’s cast is light years ahead of Zagreus’s unwieldy red diamond projectile.
Zagreus’s projectile is ungainly. Melinoe is able to cast a ring that, in accordance with her witchcraft, confines enemies within it for a brief period. This makes it an excellent option for managing crowds at its default level. If you have divine blessings, however, you have the ability to significantly improve it. This will allow you to transform the protective snare into an offensive area-of-effect spell that can either damage foes or kill a large number of them.
Through the combination of these skills with extra boons that improve your normal armament, you are able to develop a combo of powers that is extremely devastating. The five weapons that are now available to you in Hades II, along with this new standard casting ability, allow you to already have a significant deal of control over the way your runs are played. The employment of each weapon, on the other hand, is both emotionally and strategically satisfying.
However, in the sequel, a whole new system is also introduced since, in the first game, guns were the only aspect that played a role in combat. Not only does Melinoe have access to three different combat abilities, but she also can use an all-new Omega attack, which significantly increases the level of complexity of the combat system. You typically only have a brief window of time to channel the fearsome skills that each weapon possesses before releasing them, and each weapon has its own distinct set of incredible capabilities.
When you engage an Omega attack with the same button press, the Sister Blades will allow you to teleport to a distant foe. On the other hand, the Witch Staff will allow you to unleash a wave of damage in front of and behind you when you channel its standard attack.
The power behind each of these Omega skills comes from magic, a new resource that you will need to carefully manage in order to get the most out of your construct. Due to the fact that magic is replenished between chambers, it is recommended that you make strategic use of it during the present battle rather than putting it away for a boss at a later time.
At any time, you can unleash Omega assaults, and when you use up the additional skills that a boon provides, they seem even more powerful. As a result of the dramatic impact that magic has on Hades II, the gameplay and ambiance of the game have been radically modified, resulting in the original becoming relatively simplistic in comparison.
The numerous gifts that Melinoe has acquired from the gods of Olympus have resulted in an increase in the range of her fighting tactics during battle. One can observe both familiar and unfamiliar faces, including Hermes and Aphrodite, among others. To give just one example, Hestia gives Melinoe her flame-damaging boons so that she might learn damage-over-time tactics.
Additionally, Hera’s Hitch curse, which is tough to master, enables you to deal damage to allies who you have marked at the same time. Utilizing the elemental skills that are bestowed upon you by each boon, you have the ability to experiment with various combinations in order to maximize your gameplay duration.
The expanded diversity of boons and the increased number of methods to apply the themes of old ones throughout the abundance of new attacking possibilities in Hades II make each run seem believable and exciting.
This is due to the fact that there are more ways to use the themes of old ones. Certainly, it is possible to have a run in which the unpredictability of the boons brings about the failure of your endeavor; however, given the wide range of weapons and skills that are available, I would be shocked if this occurred more frequently than it did in the original game.
As you cultivate deeper connections with the numerous Hades II Gods and persons distributed over the Crossroads, Melinoë’s mysterious history gradually unravels, allowing the player to skillfully assume her role. While you are taking a swim in the hot springs with Dora, the listless shade, she will gradually unveil her own origin tale as you interact with this whimsical and, to tell you the truth, entertaining spirit.
When you give someone like Moros bath salts, on the other hand, he will immediately get irritated by the experience. He is unable to maintain the cool serenity that the God of Doom often possesses despite the fact that he makes an effort to be courteous and to reject your attempts. In a way that is not overt, Melinoë is an appealing woman.
Because of her beautiful character and her ability to accomplish things that other gods might only dream of, her coworkers, with whom she interacts nightly, worship her without reservation. Her colleagues are her colleagues. She continues to keep a low profile, as if she is unaware of her invincibility, despite the fact that she is unquestionably unbeatable.
All of Hades’ characters have personalities that are completely developed and developed to their maximum potential. Rather than being dependent solely on the player, they not only have their own areas but also interact with one another, which means that they are not limited to only the protagonist character.
With Hades II, it is more informative than ever before to listen in on discussions that are taking place. I have the impression that I have gained a great deal of knowledge about the personalities and the events that have transpired up until the present day, such as the collapse of the House of Hades, from these seemingly insignificant yet significant interactions that are easy to overlook.
Now, the graphics of Hades II are what I was amazed at, as previously in Hades, the graphics were already mind-blowing, but this one surely did blow my mind. I noticed the game had a different vibe and a shift in the color pattern, which made Hades II feel more lively and more engaging.
The soundtrack of Hades II is great—I have no complaints at all. The sound graphics surely don’t disappoint, and a gamer like me would definitely enjoy listening to it while I’m playing the game.
In a manner that its predecessor nearly accomplished, Hades II flawlessly perfects the roguelike genre. This version of the game is fantastic as is, with or without the upcoming additions. On the other hand, they will add an indescribable level of magic to an already spectacular event.
