Hades II began its journey in Early Access in May 2024, gradually revealing new mechanics, characters, and biomes, and finally reached the release this fall. Players have seen the project grow literally before their eyes: from the first steps with basic systems to a major update with new gods and trials. This period was like a series of trial runs, where each version brought a different result. Now, with the release of the full version, the game has received a completed story, a real ending, and all its mechanics in their final form.
| Game | Hades II |
| Genre | rougelike |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2 |
| Languages | Ukrainian, English |
| Developer | Supergiant Games |
| Publisher | Supergiant Games |
| Link | supergiantgames.com |
Race one: a new beginning
When you start the first run, you feel that everything is familiar and different at the same time. Zagreus is gone – now it's Melinoa, his sister (or maybe half-sister, Greek myths and a puzzle – ed. note). She is a witch who takes on the burden of fighting the titan of time, Kronos (along with her grandfather, whoever her father really was – ed. note). From the very beginning, the game changes emphasis: now it's not an escape, but an attack.
The atmosphere is darker, the visual style refers to occult symbols and rituals, and the dialogues touch on themes less of family drama than of cosmic confrontation and revenge. Already at this stage you understand: the first part was a story about will, the second – about time, and this shift changes the tone of the entire game. The world emphasizes this with constant dialogues and reactions of NPCs, who comment on even the smallest details of your attempts, creating the feeling that they are closely following your every step.
Race two: Awakening the Magic
Your first gift is magic. If in the original spells were a supporting tool, in Hades II they become the center of the system. The magic circle of the curse that binds enemies can become your main weapon. And most importantly – enhanced attacks: hold down the button, spend the magic scale – and deliver a powerful blow that changes the rhythm of the battle. Spending mana, Melinoa creates the so-called omega versions of attacks.
This adds an extra layer of tension to the fight: the player is constantly choosing when to spend the resource on a powerful blow, and when to save it for control. The new system motivates more aggressive use of curses and omega attacks, because mana is restored during the battle, and the sense of rhythm becomes completely different. Compared to the first part, there is more strategic planning and balancing here – instead of instinctive button pressing, you often have to build combinations that burn magic and immediately restore it. This significantly changes the pace and makes each fight look like a miniature ritual.
Round three: weapons and a new rhythm
Hades II continues the tradition of the original, with each weapon feeling like a new playstyle. Melina has a completely different arsenal, from a heavy axe that slashes with a swing, to a skull bombard that throws explosive cores. Each weapon has its own aspects that change the style of combat.
Add to this the changes to movement – dash is now longer and has a longer cooldown than Zagreus – and the battles take on a different feel and take on a tactical dimension. Where the first game was a dance of quick dashes, here the player must more carefully plan their dodges and choose the moment for omega strikes. Each run motivates you to try a different style, because the difference between, say, two daggers and a staff is not just cosmetic, but conceptual. This combat system feels deeper and at the same time heavily depends on the case of which weapons and which set of gifts you receive during each run. And while this adds variety, it should be noted that the system has become more complex and demanding.
Race four: Gods and New Statuses
In Hades II, you'll find new allies. The pantheon is back, but now it's bigger and bolder. The familiar Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena are joined by Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, Hera, and others, who offer completely different effects: from slow burns that damage over time to marks that create combo chains.
Overall, statuses have become more important: Poison, Sleep, and Curse are not just additional effects, but the core of new builds. The statuses that stack on enemies are important because, due to the slower pace, the basis of most fights is crowd control through these attack effects. They force the player to build synergies where the new Arcana Cards, Cauldron Spells, and Boons are combined into a single system.
All of this makes each run less predictable, but also more challenging for a beginner: you often have to test dozens of combinations before you feel the true power of a particular god. But this is where Hades II shows why it's deeper: the synergies aren't always obvious, but when they work, the feeling of power is impressive.
Round five: Arcana Cards and Rituals as a New Metaprogression
You return to the Crossroads and it is here that you feel how differently the metaprogression works. Arcana cards allow you to form your own deck of passive skills. Spells in the cauldron open up new functions, and familiars add allies to the journey. This is not just additional settings before the next attempt – it is a strategy for a dozen or so future runs.
However, with depth comes routine: resource gathering, seed cultivation (yes, Hades II has a mini-farm), alchemical rituals. Some may consider this an unnecessary routine, but others will see it as the perfect cycle: failed in battle – came back and prepared better. Like in a classic roguelike: lost – but each death advances you to a new level of power.
Race six: Two Roads and New Worlds
If in the first Hades there was only one path, now the player has two routes: one leads through the underground levels, the other, which opens later, to the surface. This changes the perception of the game: each run can become a new experience, because the biomes are more contrasting and diverse. From the underwater corridors of the Ocean to the fields of Thessaly. Each place has its enemies, traps and atmosphere.
The boss fights have also grown in scale, with the Scylla and Siren battles being examples of how Supergiant have taken the direction to a new level. Not only are the mechanics here, but the music also creates tension. These changes make Hades II feel larger and less linear than its predecessor.
Race seven: Narrative and Reactivity
The main tone of the story is now more occult and feminine: Hecate, Selene, other characters of the witch pantheon emphasize the atmosphere of ritual and night. Dialogues have become even more reactive. The game remembers what weapon you chose, from which gods you accepted gifts, how you died last time. NPCs even comment if you fell too close to victory.
This creates the illusion of a living world that is watching you closely. It should be noted that at times the story can get lost in the depths of the systems, as many routine tasks must be completed between races. However, compared to the first part, this story is darker, more serious and more saturated with symbolism, and this is what gives it its personality.
Race eight: Final Battle
The release of version 1.0 brought a real conclusion to the story and added several dozen achievements. There were new secrets, additional events, expanded hub capabilities. But the most interesting thing is how the depth of the systems is revealed only after dozens of runs. Cards, spells, familiars and new routes reveal themselves in late-game content, and that's when Hades II shows its true scale.
Hades II is a long game: the more time you invest, the more interesting the combinations become and the richer the experience. There is also a remark: for those who do not like resource gathering and crafting, the late game can seem overloaded. I have not yet managed to defeat Kronos, so I need to prepare more spells and choose a better build for this. But overall, the final content emphasizes the main idea: this is a world that is revealed slowly and becomes very rich in the end. Each defeat motivates to start a new race and try a different approach.
Race nine: a Darker Myth, a More Demanding Game
Hades II is not just a sequel, but a new pinnacle of creativity from Supergiant Games. It retains the foundation of the first game - precise control, reactive dialogue, a balance of randomness and skill. But it adds magic, rituals, multi-layered progression and two paths that make each run unpredictable. It is a darker, more complex and larger world that requires more attention and time, but rewards generously. If the first Hades was a story about freedom, then the second is about a fight against time, and this fight is felt in every move, every map and every magic circle.
