Review #044 – Hades II

Hades II is exactly what I wanted out of a sequel to what is essentially the best run-based roguelike game ever made. I was still expecting a great follow-up considering Supergiant’s strong pedigree, but holy moly—they really hit the ball out of the friggin’ park. Hades, but even better? Let’s go.

Melinoë’s Nocturnal Arms and movesets are quite distinct from Zagreus, making her feel like a completely different character. I gravitated to both the ranged Umbral Flames and Argent Skull weapons that can potentially shred through enemies with smart combinations of boons. Every arm is fun to use though—even the slow-swinging Moonstone Axe grew on me once I got used to it.

There’s lots of fun character moments and story stuff to partake in between runs and continues to be one of the game’s strengths. I also dig the new Incantation and Arcana Card upgrade mechanics that can unlock new combat bonuses—I was worried the formula would get stale but smart additions like these keep it feeling fresh. A few years ago the thought of getting a new Hades game was exciting, but actually getting a BETTER Hades? Hell yeah.