Hades II

When the original Hades arrived, it didn’t just refine the roguelike — it set a new standard for how the genre could fold story, character, and progression into something you actively wanted to fail at. The sequel had an impossible act to follow. Remarkably, Hades II doesn’t just match that bar; it methodically raises every part of it.

You play as Melinoë, the immortal Princess of the Underworld, on a mission to bring down Chronos, the Titan of Time. From the first run, the difference in scope is obvious: where the first game funneled you through a single escape route, Hades II opens up in multiple directions, with branching biomes that feel distinct in rhythm, enemies, and hazards.

Combat and builds

The headline change is the new magick system. Alongside your weapon attacks, you now manage a pool of Magick that powers casts, channels, and a slate of new abilities. It sounds like a small addition; in practice it reshapes how every encounter plays out. Aggressive players can lean on raw weapon damage, while patient builds can root enemies, drain them, and reposition with a control-heavy toolkit.

Weapon variety is genuinely excellent. Each of Melinoë’s tools — from the twin daggers to the heavier options — supports several viable playstyles once you factor in the Boons granted by the Olympian gods. The result is a build space wide enough that two players can put 30 hours in and rarely share the same approach.

The game’s greatest strength is the way it reframes death: not as a wall, but as the mechanism by which the story and your power both advance.

Presentation

Supergiant’s craft is, predictably, immaculate. The hand-painted environments are denser and more varied than before, the character art carries real personality, and the soundtrack swings between haunting and triumphant without ever feeling repetitive across long sessions. The voice work, as ever, does an enormous amount of narrative heavy lifting between runs.

Content and longevity

This is a big game. Between the two main objectives, the resource systems, the Arcana cards, and the slow unfurling of relationships at the Crossroads, there is an almost overwhelming amount to chase. That generosity is the headline, but it’s also the one place some players may push back: the late-game incentive loops lean on grind, and if you’re allergic to that, the final stretch can feel like a chore rather than a reward.

Verdict

If you loved the first game, Hades II is an easy recommendation — it’s more Hades, yes, but it’s better Hades in nearly every measurable way. And if you’ve never touched the series, this is a fantastic, welcoming entry point into one of the finest roguelikes ever made.