Hades II

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Hades II
Developer(s)Supergiant Games
Publisher(s)Supergiant Games
Director(s)Greg Kasavin
Artist(s)Jen Zee
Composer(s)Darren Korb
Platform(s)Windows
ReleaseMay 6, 2024 (early access)
Genre(s)Roguelike, action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Hades II is an early access roguelike action role-playing game video game developed and published by Supergiant Games. A direct sequel to Hades (2020), it follows Melinoë, Princess of the Underworld and sister to Zagreus, the protagonist of the first game. Melinoë aims to defeat Chronos, the Titan of Time, with the aid of other Olympian Gods.

The game was announced in December 2022 and was released in early access in May 2024. It will initially be exclusive to Windows, though Supergiant has plans to bring the game to other systems.

Premise[edit]

See also: Gameplay of Hades

Like the first game, Hades II is a roguelike dungeon crawler game.[1][2] Set "sometime" after the events of Hades in the same universe,[3][4] the sequel stars Melinoë, Princess of the Underworld and sister to the protagonist of the first game, Zagreus.[5] Alongside her mentor Hecate,[6] she aims to defeat Chronos, the god of time.[3] Returning from Hades is "God Mode", which allows the player to gain more power after each failure.[7] New to the game is the "Magick Bar," a combat resource used for moves that recharges at the start of every fight.[8]

Development[edit]

Development in Hades II began at the start of 2021.[9] In August 2021, Hades writer Greg Kasavin said that Supergiant was undecided as to if the game would receive a sequel.[10] Hades II was revealed during The Game Awards 2022 on December 8, 2022.[11] A technical test began in April 2024 before its release to early access on May 5, 2024.[12][13][14]

Like its predecessor, Hades II features music by Darren Korb.[5] The soundtrack was made available via Supergiant's YouTube account the same day as the early access launch.[15] Jen Zee remained as art director for Hades II, following her work on Hades.[16]

Among the voice cast includes Asa Butterfield as Icarus and Amelia Tyler as Hecate.[17] Logan Cunningham, a staple of Supergiant's games, returned to voice Hades as well as Chronos and several other mythological figures.[18]

Reception[edit]

Awards[edit]

Hades II was nominated for Most Anticipated Game at The Game Awards 2023, losing to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.[19]

Critical reception[edit]

Pre-release[edit]

During the technical test, Kotaku praised the sex appeal of the game's character designs, writing that "sexiness is woven into their personalities."[20] When comparing technical test to the first game, Elijah Gonzalez of Paste commented that Hades' "blend of convincing characterization, witty dialogue, and excellent performances is alive and well here. I loved what I saw of Hades II's gameplay upgrades, but what excites me most is how it builds on this world and its characters".[21] Gonzalez opined that while Melinoë has more initial "clarity of purpose" than Zagreus, she's also "dragged down by self-doubt and the pressures of being a savior, making her a similarly complicated and engrossing protagonist".[21] Ana Diaz of Polygon highlighted the traditional expression of gender in Greek mythology and how "Hades 2 expands on this ancient Greek idea by giving us witches who are both clever and strong and who defy the stereotypical expectations of them. Melinoë herself isn't exactly a witch, but she was raised by one and she's stronger for it. [...] Melinoë's background shapes who she is as a fighter, and in turn brings a fresh experience to the game".[22]

Mitchell Saltzman of IGN rated the early access game a 9/10 despite it being "a work in progress" with missing or placeholder assets.[23] Saltzman wrote that "Hades 2 feels impossibly huge and unbelievably polished by any standard, much less an early access game. Mel is awesome, the new tweaks to the combat and progression are excellent, and it's just unbelievably feature packed with twice the content of the first. [...] But even with all that it's currently missing, what's here right out of the gate is astounding, and the thought of more coming on the way is a tantalizing treat".[23] Tyler Colp, for PC Gamer, also recommended the early access game and viewed the "current state as like playing part 1 of the full game; all the characters are fully voiced, the combat is already well-balanced, and several features are up and running. A few of the character portraits and environmental art look a little work-in-progress, but otherwise Hades 2 plays like a polished demo".[24] In contrast, in a separate review for Polygon, Diaz commented that players "super invested in the story and characters might want to wait" as many characters and story interactions haven't been added yet – "when Hades was in early access, the story changed a lot throughout the development timeline. If you want a fully realized story, and don't want to be around for the process of the team figuring it out, then early access might not be for you".[25]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Miller, Matt (December 8, 2022). "Supergiant Games Announces Hades 2". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  2. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (December 8, 2022). "Hades is getting a sequel starring the underworld's princess". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Zheng, Jenny (December 8, 2022). "Hades 2 Announced By Supergiant Games At The Game Awards". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  4. ^ Wald, Heather (December 12, 2022). "Hades 2: Everything we know so far about Supergiant Games' sequel". GamesRadar+. Future plc. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Peters, Jay (December 9, 2022). "Hades is getting a sequel". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  6. ^ Conditt, Jessica (December 8, 2022). "'Hades II' promises witchy vibes and a new immortal protagonist". Engadget. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  7. ^ Winslow, Levi (December 9, 2022). "Oh Shit, They're Making A Hades Sequel". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  8. ^ Hughes, William (April 19, 2024). "Game Theory: Hades II is already incredible, and it's barely getting started". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  9. ^ "Hades II FAQ". Supergiant Games. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  10. ^ Stedman, Alex (December 9, 2022). "Hades II Announced at The Game Awards". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  11. ^ Kennedy, Victoria (December 9, 2022). "Hades is getting a sequel, the Princess of the Underworld is heading our way". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  12. ^ Yang, George (April 16, 2024). "Hades 2 Technical Test Is Coming Soon, Here's How To Sign Up". GameSpot. Archived from the original on April 16, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  13. ^ Parrish, Ash (April 19, 2024). "The Hades 2 technical test is a trial in self-control". The Verge. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  14. ^ Parrish, Ash (May 6, 2024). "Hades II early access begins today". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  15. ^ Handley, Zoey (May 6, 2024). "The Hades 2 soundtrack is available to stick into your ears on YouTube". Destructoid. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  16. ^ Colbert, Isaiah (December 9, 2022). "Everyone's Hot As Hell In Hades II, As They Should Be". Kotaku. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  17. ^ Nelson, Will (May 6, 2024). "Hades 2 has a surprise Hollywood star appear as a new character". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  18. ^ Rose, Danielle (May 7, 2024). "Hades 2 cast and voice actors". PCGamesN. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  19. ^ Bankhurst, Adam (December 8, 2023). "The Game Awards 2023 Winners: The Full List". IGN. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  20. ^ Mercante, Alyssa (April 19, 2024). "Hades II Is The Kind Of Hot We Need Right Now". Kotaku. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Gonzalez, Elijah (April 19, 2024). "Through its Excellent First Few Hours, Hades II Entirely Justifies the Sequel Treatment". Paste. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  22. ^ Diaz, Ana (May 7, 2024). "Hades 2 is all about witches and feminine power". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  23. ^ a b Saltzman, Mitchell (May 6, 2024). "Hades 2 Early Access Review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  24. ^ Colp, Tyler (May 6, 2024). "Hades 2 is absolutely worth playing in early access right now". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  25. ^ Diaz, Ana (May 6, 2024). "Hades 2 early access is out now — but should you play it?". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.

External links[edit]

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