We’re taking a look at Hades 2, the successor to the roguelike we saw a few years ago. The game went into Early Access on May 6th, 2024 on Steam. We were looking forward to this—of the community page the other day we mentioned how the technical test had wrapped up, and we were looking forward to Early Access soon. In other words, right according to schedule. I want to share my impressions on what I like and what I don’t, how it compares to the first game, and whether it is worth buying in Early Access or waiting until full release in this video.
First off, though, a little about the story and setting. I don’t want to get into too many spoilers here, as this is pretty big for the game, but I will say you play as Melanoë, Zagreus’s sister from the first. You’re seeking revenge for some pretty awful things that have happened to your family, and the goddess Hecate’s helping you make that happen. The Crossroads is the name of the area serving as the hub of the game.
Similar But Different Gameplay in Hades 2
The format of the gameplay remains very similar to the first game. You play the game, go farther, unlock more and more things, with story elements revealed around you. Very familiar, if you have played Hades—these games really unfold in much the same way, which is just fantastic. They haven’t changed that much in the sense of storytelling and game design. If you loved Hades, one of my favorite games, you will be in familiar territory here. Not much has changed mechanically.
Mana to Cast Spells in Hades 2
Not everything changed though. For example, instead of Bloodstones, you use Mana to cast spells and special abilities now. Mana is just another resource which you have to keep managing while you are exploring. You can refill it in many ways: through perks, armor, picking up orbs, or looting nodes that give you Mana. It’s a resource that does not naturally regenerate on its own, so you need to time charged special attacks or casts strategically rather than spamming regularly.
Gods and Goddesses — Boons in Hades 2
Although most gods and goddesses seem to be from the first, I’m not sure if all of them will make it into the final game. The game isn’t complete yet, with the developers mentioning in their roadmap—something I shall get into detail about later—more characters and powers will be added. The power-ups or boons in the game are not quite as interesting to me as those in the first game. But that could be because I haven’t seen them all yet, and we know more will be added along the way. The powers will likely get tweaked and become more interesting closer to the game’s full launch.
New Weapons in Hades 2!
There’s a handful of weapons to choose from, most of Hades. These weapons are not those Zagreus has used in the first game, so you’re going to master all of them once more, and that is just great. Doing so does not take a long time—you just need to collect a certain amount of materials for each one. Some need more materials from later areas of the game, so you’ll be unlocking them continuously as you play. The developers have mentioned they will be adding at least one more weapon later on, so there’s at least one more to look forward to. Every weapon has different upgrades to change how their regular attacks and specials work, which you can mix and match when grabbing hammer upgrades. Such a significant portion was of Hades working out how to use each weapon effectively, and it is precisely the same in Hades 2.
Graphical Fidelity Got An Upgrade
Graphically, it feels like Hades 2 is even prettier than the first game. While it retains a very similar art style, it at least looks like the game has even higher resolution, and depth, and is of even better quality than before. The game contains exactly the same sort of art style that was such a huge part of what made Hades so great but with an apparent ramping up of that quality. I really love the look of Hades 2.
Music
Music plays a huge part in Hades 2, as does the voice acting. Both are top notch so far. In some places, the music is just a slight variant of what it was in the first game, which really appealed to me. The voice acting for the gods, goddesses, and general characters is very good. Amelia Tyler does an excellent job playing the role of Hecate, who happens to be one of the major characters guiding you through the game. She also narrated Baldur’s Gate 3 and is plain fantastic in this game. If you loved her voice in Baldur’s Gate 3, you will feel at home here in Hades 2. SuperGiant Games’ has already put up the full soundtrack of Hades 2 on YouTube. You can check it out right here.
Familiar Faces and Features
One of the things that I did appreciate are the callbacks to the first game. For example, Artemis helps you on the landscape by attacking enemies. Although this is a new feature, it’s not all that different from the first game. There’s also a version of Skelly to help you train, with a very similar, if not the same, voice actor. You can upgrade it and buy things from the vendor in The Crossroads, much the same way you could in Hades. These Hades throwbacks are nice. You might think this isn’t the old Skelly we came to know and love from Hades 1. His name is Schelemeus. Might be thinking this is a different character. Turns out, he’s the same old Skelly Zagreus trained with. If you played the game countless times, gifted him enough nectar and had a boastful of interactions with Skelly, Zagreus eventually called Skelly, Schelemeus. The more you know…
Hades 2 Roadmap and Early Access
The developers provided a roadmap indicating Early Access will last at least through 2024, which means at least eight months—we’re currently in May—and it could go longer. Don’t worry; I don’t think it will be January 1st when it launches. While there is a huge content update coming later this year, the full release will not be in 2024. While the first Hades was in Early Access for a really long time, I doubt Hades 2 will be there that long. The developers know from the first game what the people like and are more than likely just staying close to that. They’ll be tuning variables, weapons, powers, level design, etc., according to Early Access feedback, but it probably won’t need as much tuning as the original game did.
Should You Play Hades 2 Now or Wait for the Full Release?
This brings me to the question: should you play Hades 2 now, or wait for the full version? Although I’ve loved the game so far, Hades is really built upon failure as part of its storytelling. There are things that happen when you die, which makes me wonder if you will be able to get the most out of it if you play it now. The story’s still being added in; there are missing weapons, powers, and areas. Want it to replay a bit when you pick it up again at launch, or try to remember what was going on?
Conclusion
This is a tough question, and it really is difficult to give a definitive answer. Hades 2 is in pretty good shape for Early Access, and it is actually fun to play. I did not encounter any problems while playing, and it is an enjoyable experience. Because of the way that this game was designed and the way the story unfolds, you may miss some of the story.
Worth noting here, that the devs didn’t guarantee save compatibility at the 1.0 launch. They’re doing everything possible to make sure saves will transfer, but it’s not promised. So, if you play now and then decide to wait for the full release, you might have to start a new play through.
If you don’t mind going through the story a second time, I definitely recommend playing it now. But if you want something complete and polished, it might be better to wait until the full game comes out. Hades is made for multiple playthroughs, but do you want to get two-thirds through and then start over later? That’s something you’ll need to weigh for yourself.
I’ll likely play a bit to familiarize myself with the game, but really, I’ll have to wait until the full release to really dive in and have the complete experience. Hades was a game that did an absolutely fantastic job with Supergiant Games, winning a myriad of awards and considerations for Game of the Year. I’m really hyped to see what they do with Hades 2.
To those of you playing Hades 2, what are your impressions so far? Are you enjoying it as much as I do? And to those who haven’t picked up yet, are you planning to at some point, or will you wait for the full launch?