"Hades 2" played: Twilight of the Gods
Supergiant Games goes one better: The hack'n slash "Hades 2" is bigger, more beautiful and more varied than its award-winning predecessor.
(Image: Supergiant Games)
Fans of crunchy roguelites will click their tongues at the name “Hades.” Supergiant Games' gods action spectacle won a whole host of awards and spoilt fans with its clever gameplay and exciting story. After around 2.5 years in Early Access, the sequel “Hades 2” is now being released and takes players back to the world of Greek myths and legends.
Instead of Zagreus, the hero of the first installment, the focus is now on his sister Melinoe. The Titan Chronos has kidnapped Zagreus and his family and is threatening the Greek Olympus. So Melinoe grabs her witch's staff, moonstone axe, and various other weapons and carves her way through the underworld and beyond to free her brother and put a stop to Chronos. As in the first installment, the heroine is assisted by a few quirky helpers who support her with weapons and tips.
Proven gameplay
Like its predecessor, “Hades 2” is a roguelite. This is why Melinoe is immediately revived at the so-called “crossroads” after every defeat and has to start all over again. What sounds frustrating at first becomes the driving force behind the story. Here she meets all the characters that made the first part a hit. Whether it's Melinoe's strict teacher Hecate, the quick-witted Odysseus, or the grim Nemesis—all of them are excellently dubbed in English and gradually reveal an exciting story that can keep up with its predecessor, at least according to our impressions from playing the game.
"Hades 2" angespielt (5 Bilder)
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)At first glance, the gameplay differences to its predecessor are barely noticeable. From the iso-perspective, players control Melinoe through randomly generated rooms, which she clears of monsters. To achieve this, she uses a main weapon with a standard and a special attack, both of which she can recharge. Thankfully, she receives gifts from the gods after each room, which give her weapons special abilities. At the end of a region, a particularly tough boss fight awaits her.
At the beginning, Melinoe can choose from six primary weapons, such as a witch's staff or an axe. Everything that follows in battle is left to chance. Each room is created anew, and each offering dictates the style of play. The “waves” of Poseidon push the enemies away; other special abilities set the enemies on fire or shoot lightning bolts at them with Zeus' help. Other gifts upgrade weapons and abilities, and Melinoe buys further extras from the merchant Charon. Not all of these offerings have the same penetrating power, which is why a game round can sometimes be frustrating due to the random principle.
Useful new game elements
The new game elements complement the tried and tested elements without revolutionizing them. Melinoe can charge up her attacks into an “Omega” attack or conjure up a spell circle that slows down opponents and inflicts damage. She can not only avoid her opponents with a “dash,” but also sprint. This is later joined by the “Blessing of the Moon,” whose gifts she can refine in a kind of talent tree. After Melinoe has cleared a room, she can now choose between two or more paths that promise different gifts.
The most important new addition to the camp are the tarot cards. Melinoe uses them to unlock permanent buffs. This means she has more health points, becomes stronger, or can revive herself once per adventure. Initially, this only works with a few cards, but if she collects the “psyche” of ghosts on her adventure, she can expand her card deck. All these new game elements provide more variety in the stressful fight against never-ending waves of monsters.
Independently of the story, Melinoe can collect resources to brew potions or complete challenges that earn her a few bonuses. On her adventure, she makes the acquaintance of well-known figures from Greek mythology, such as Artemis, and competes with an old friend. Witty or even sarcastic dialogs with the characters liven up the plot time and again.
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With the tried-and-tested gameplay and the useful new features, the same pull that fans already know from the first part develops. Rushing through the room at lightning speed, an attack here, then dodging and summoning spell circles to slow down the enemies. It's exciting and fast-paced, but when there are flashes and bangs everywhere, it's sometimes hard to keep track.
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The visual and technical realization matches this. No matter how many monsters Melinoe is beset by, no matter whether she is fighting her way through a kind of underwater world or visiting the gloomy “Weeping Willow,” nothing jolts, nothing hampers the flow of the game. “Hades 2” perfects the familiar slaughter rather than reinventing it.
Interim conclusion
“Hades 2” is an exciting and entertaining action trip into the world of Greek myths. Once again, the mix of hack'n'slash and an exciting story with bizarre characters provides great entertainment. The few new features are useful and provide variety, but hardly change the gameplay. In fact, only fans of the original will appreciate the new game elements. Supergiant Games tweaks a successful concept without touching the originality of its predecessor. This is almost perfectly realized and, as usual, motivating, but not quite as innovative as its predecessor.
“Hades 2” is available for Windows, macOS, and Nintendo Switch 1 and 2. It costs around €30. We played the Windows version for a few hours for our play test.
(afl)
