Delightful and well-polished sequel – Gamer.no

For ten years, Supergiant Games steered clear of one of the games industry’s most popular trends – namely sequels. Despite the brilliant receptions of Bastion, Transistor and Pyre, the developer each time chose to focus on something new. That would change with Hades.

During The Game Awards 2022, Supergiant revealed that the time had come to jump on the sequel bandwagon. This week, Hades II came out in “early access”, but even though this is technically unknown terrain for the studio, it is no surprise that everything is going smoothly.

Here awaits more of what made Hades so popular four years ago. At the same time, the team has thrown in new mechanics that give the already frenetic experience even more life and excitement.

More of the good

For those who played and enjoyed the first Hades, I can safely say that the sequel will be to their liking.

It starts with the combat system, which is roughly the same. Once again, you get to grind around in arenas full of enemies, doing your best to pound the opposition while dodging incoming attacks. It’s not always easy to keep track, but as you get to know the varied enemies, you’ll also gain more control over the situations the game throws you into.

With a brand new protagonist, called Melinoë, new weapons and some new characteristics also come into the picture. The weapons, which must be unlocked before use, allow players to experiment with different play styles. The staff you start with is my current favorite, but as in the first game, there are benefits to be gained from playing with all the weapons.

Of the new features, the ability to ask is perhaps the most important. Several of the enemies in Hades II use attacks that you cannot dodge quickly enough. By holding the button, players can now run away from their problems. Through upgrades, running can also become a useful offensive tool.

Again, the look and sound of the game is absolutely impeccable. Supergiant knows how to design both areas and characters, and especially in the dialogue sequences the design team really gets to show off. The voice acting is also absolutely fantastic, with several of the same actors returning in their old roles. Also that music.

Here we are talking about an overall impression that can claim to be among the very best the gaming industry has to offer.

Trust your luck

While fans of Hades will be satisfied, there is probably little to gain for those who did not enjoy the original game. The battles are just as unforgiving and luck still plays a big role in how effective you are in battle.

For each area conquered, players receive a random selection of rewards. In particular, luck comes into play in the selection of characteristics for Melinoë. These attributes – blessings from the gods – simply don’t always go well with your weapon of choice. Weapon upgrades also vary wildly, with some upgrades almost feeling useless compared to others.

If you have luck on your side, the boss fight you’ve been struggling with can suddenly seem like a breeze. If it goes the other way, and you never get to choose the characteristics you want, the session may be over without you really getting started.

Any attempt is never completely wasted, though, and I like that Hades forces me to try new things rather than letting me find one strategy and stick with it. The experience also always comes in handy for the next time, as you hopefully know a little more about how both enemies and weapons work.

Furthermore, you almost always get various resources to use back at the base. These are used, among other things, to make Melinoë stronger, or to unlock secrets and benefits out on a trip.

As far as the level of difficulty is concerned, I basically think that Hades II seems a little easier than its predecessor. At the same time, I know the first game so well, and as the combat system feels almost identical, it’s probably impossible for me to compare exactly.

The innovations come creepingly

With all the similarities, it may seem at first that Supergiant has simply recreated the original with new characters, weapons and areas. Admittedly, as you progress, the differences in Hades II creep in.

Much of the joy of these games lies in exploration and discovery, so I won’t give too much away. However, not all of the innovations hit equally well, and I want to single out the game’s larger arenas as a preliminary point of appeal.

A little way into the experience you arrive at the area called Fields of Mourning. Instead of the compact arenas you are used to, here you have to navigate large, extended areas, each of which contains several challenges.

Part of what makes Hades Hades is precisely the fact that you are pushed into small areas full of enemies. You have to be precise and quick to succeed. When you suddenly have more space to frolic, some of the tension disappears.

Fields of Mourning is just one of several surprises Supergiant has thrown into Hades II. The developer has said that the “early access” version is already bigger than the first Hades, and that is no exaggeration. There’s a lot of games to be found here, and every time I think I’ve seen most of them, there’s always something new that pops up.

Why “early access”?

In other words, I can’t claim to have experienced everything Hades II has to offer, especially since Supergiant still plans to introduce more content over time. The roadmap for the game’s early access period includes one new weapon, another area to explore, more story and new characters.

Even though more content is on the way, it’s not entirely easy to understand why this game needs an early access period. Yes, the development team says it will take feedback from fans and adjust the experience where needed. However, what is here is already so well polished that I have a hard time believing that there will ever be any major changes.

The first Hades was different enough from the studio’s previous games that it was natural for Supergiant to work with the fans to make sure everything was as good as possible. Here, however, the foundations have already been laid and the studio probably has plenty of money to complete the development.

With “early access”, the developer ensures ongoing activity both in and around the game. With each update, players will return to see what’s new, and when the full version is released sometime in 2025, Hades II will receive another round of attention.

Feel free to call me cynical, but I honestly don’t think this game would have looked very different if the developer dropped “early access”, held back the launch for a year and released the full version when everything was ready.

Conclusion

Hades II is more Hades, which is exactly what I wanted. Those who enjoyed the previous action adventure from Supergiant Games will no doubt fall head over heels for what is the studio’s very first sequel game.

The combat system is just as frenetic and entertaining as last time, with new weapons and features that provide good variety. The game also looks and sounds absolutely incredible, and I am happy every time I meet both known and unknown characters from this game universe.

At the same time, the innovations are unlikely to convince those who did not like the original. Unforgivable battles and luck still characterize the experience, and it’s easy to get frustrated at times when things don’t go your way.

However, the biggest question I am left with is why Hades II is in “early access”. Supergiant has promised more content, but the experience itself is so well-polished and good that I basically doubt whether we will get the really big changes to how the game works. Maybe the developer could have held back the game for a year and only released it when all the content was in place?

We enjoyed the first Hades very much.
Read our review of the action game »