Hades 2 Review — A Game About Killing Time

If you ask any large gaming community which title deserves to be called perfect, many will immediately recall the original Hades. It is considered one of the finest representatives of the roguelike genre: with its striking and memorable visual style, fascinating ancient Greek setting, dynamic battles, and, importantly, a deep story delivered in an innovative way during runs and between them. Most importantly — the title had no obvious major flaws. And it is precisely for this reason that the new Hades 2 is so impressive. The sequel takes the formula of its predecessor and improves it to the extent that the first installment now feels almost like an early draft.

Like the original, Hades 2 is a roguelike with a strong focus on narrative — still a rarity for the genre.

At the center of the story is Melinoë, daughter of the god of death, Hades. She grew up far from the palace of the dead, since the underworld had been seized by her grandfather — the titan of time, Cronos. He is enraged at his descendants, the Olympians, who once rose against him and imprisoned him for centuries. In revenge, the titan has captured Hades’ family and declared war on the other gods. Melinoë, raised and trained by the witch Hecate, swore to kill the lord of time and save her kin.

In the best traditions of the first game, the story of Hades 2 continues even when the heroine dies, softening the sting of each defeat. After failure, Melinoë returns to the Crossroads — a region between the underworld and the mortal realm. Here she can always find someone to talk to about current matters: her mentor Hecate, the tactical genius Odysseus, or Nemesis, who is in constant rivalry with Melinoë. As the adventure goes on, more and more characters arrive at the Crossroads, and conversations with them reveal new details of the narrative. And the war against Cronos is far from the only topic: personal struggles and stories from the past often come up, adding depth to the characters.

The protagonist and all supporting characters are charming and, despite their divine origins, deeply human. Melinoë is a determined young woman who wants to save her family and make the world better, but the heavy responsibility weighing on her shoulders sometimes surfaces as uncertainty. This multidimensionality extends not only to her but also to others. Nemesis, for example, constantly taunts Melinoë in an attempt to suppress her own insecurities.

It is difficult to say whether the story and cast of characters are stronger in the original or the sequel. Yet Hades 2 has one crucial advantage that may allow its script to resonate with a wider audience — higher stakes. If the original tells a relatively localized tale of a family conflict between father and son, the sequel emphasizes a threat of cosmic scale. Cronos wages war against Olympus, affecting every inhabitant of the world of Hades 2. Every character underscores the importance of defeating the titan, creating a powerful narrative hook that keeps players engaged: you want to see the story through to the end and live up to the expectations of those who see Melinoë as their savior.

The developers put even more effort into holding the player’s attention than before. The first game was hardly monotonous, yet it lacked enough content to prevent some fatigue after about 15 hours. This becomes especially clear in retrospect when comparing it to Hades 2. The sequel offers far more mechanics and activities that matter both during runs and back at the Crossroads.

Melinoë, like her mentor Hecate, is a powerful witch — a trait important not only for the story but also for gameplay. At the Crossroads stands a great cauldron, where the protagonist can brew potent spells to aid her fight against the titan’s army. For instance, the ritual “Golden Source of Life” opens up a special chamber in Tartarus where Melinoë can rest and restore health during future runs. Another spell allows her to tame animals, turning them into familiars who fight by her side.

Certain spells expand the Crossroads: for example, building a tavern for spirits where new conversations with Odysseus become available, or opening access to a hot spring where Melinoë can bathe with her friends, learning more about them.

Truly powerful rituals change much more. One spell, for example, bypasses the curse of Hades’ bloodline that binds his family to the underworld, allowing Melinoë to venture not only into the realm of the dead but also up to Mount Olympus. The existence of two radically different paths adds another layer of variety to the campaign.

Crafting spells requires ingredients such as marble, obsidian, garlic, or mandrake roots. Resources are tied to regions — reagents and wildlife differ between the underworld and the surface — so players must balance their visits to both to gather everything needed.

Valuable metals are mined with a pickaxe, the most critical ingredients drop from bosses, while plants often appear as seeds that need to be planted at the Crossroads until they sprout.

Another important system is the Arcana. Before each run, players must choose which magical cards will provide Melinoë with useful bonuses, which to unlock next with a special currency called Ash, and which to upgrade. Death does not strip players of their cards, making the Arcana a mechanic that gradually reduces overall difficulty.

Some cards are incredibly powerful. For instance, a fully upgraded “Perfection” arcana gives a 50% chance that Olympians will offer Melinoë legendary or at least rare boons. This lets her become dramatically stronger in no time. An enhanced “Death” arcana even grants three extra lives per run.

And this comes in addition to returning systems like weapon aspects and keepsakes from the first game. In other words, there is always something to do. In Hades 2, you are constantly juggling tasks: gathering ingredients for another ritual, resources for unlocking new Arcana, seeds for the garden, or artifacts for weapon upgrades. Rewards are so valuable that sometimes, upon finally obtaining a rare component, you even want to die quickly just to start the next run with a new toy.

Perhaps most impressive of all is how the developers took the energetic combat of the first Hades and made it more methodical while preserving its whirlwind pace.

A mana bar was introduced, consumed by particularly powerful moves such as a massive axe slam that triggers a chain of magical shockwaves. This addition brought a new layer of resource management that increases involvement in the on-screen chaos.

Melinoë’s dashes have a slight delay, but she also has a sprint — an extremely useful ability for better positioning during battles. Many of her weapons have ranged options, and enemies frequently fire projectiles of their own, so to avoid becoming an easy target you must move thoughtfully around the arena. The original game often boiled down to chaotic dodging and attack spamming.

And then there’s the familiar. The cat for example needs to be reawakened occasionally with a dash, since it lies down to rest in the middle of battle after dealing a few hits. This adds yet another element to keep in mind while fighting Cronos’ minions.

Finally, the system of divine boons was redesigned to encourage players to use Melinoë’s entire moveset: her basic attack, special, binding spell, and mana-powered enhanced variations. All of this strengthens combat. In the first game, it was possible to build an entire run around one move — for example, stacking buffs onto basic attacks. Now, boons encourage synergy between different abilities, and enemies are designed so that ignoring parts of your toolkit is not an option. Some foes close the distance so quickly that binding spells become essential.

Hades 2 is a model sequel, one that is difficult to criticize. Yes, enemies may occasionally get stuck in corners, and in the wide-open levels of the Fields of Mourning the game’s pace can slow slightly. But overall, these are minor flaws. The second installment is polished and captivating: this is what happens when a talented studio takes a successful formula and enriches it with smart new ideas.

That said, games built on the principle of “bigger and better” rarely diverge much from their predecessors’ gameplay. So, if you didn’t enjoy the first Hades at all, the sequel is unlikely to change your opinion of the series.

But what do you think? Did you prefer the first game or the second? Share your thoughts in the comments.