Revolutionary video games are a rare breed these days. Of course, what can be considered “revolutionary” varies depending on who you ask. But if you ask me, a video game earns that honor when it not only redefines its genre but also sets new standards for the future titles. When I think about such games released during the past few years, Hades is the first name that comes to my mind. At first glance, Hades doesn’t seem to belong in that conversation. But if you stare at it long enough, you begin to realize that Supergiant Games has indeed made a revolutionary game.
The “roguelike” tag is enough to scare off many potential players, but Hades not only emerged as one of the biggest hits of its time but also revolutionized storytelling in its genre. In roguelike games, death is as inevitable as it is in real life. You go on a run, meet your demise, respawn at the beginning, and then rinse, repeat, armed with newfound experience and improved skills/tools. What sets Hades apart from the others is the Underworld, the respawn point where you not only gear up for your next run but also hear more of the story. Every time Zagreus “dies” and starts anew, the characters inhabiting the Underworld have some new bits and pieces of story to share. This clever approach turns repeated deaths – especially during the first few runs when they’re more frequent – into less of an annoyance and more of a, dare I say, fun experience.
Hades’s revolutionary storytelling, along with its fun and engaging gameplay made it one of the most successful releases of its time, to the point that it outshined the release of The Last of Us Part II and even earned a number of GotY awards along the way. This rather lengthy introduction is meant to remind you just how big of a shoe Hades 2 needs to fill. Hades 2 stars Melinoë, Zagreus’s younger sister, who’s tasked with rescuing her brother, along with their parents, Hades and Persephone, from the clutches of Chronos, the Titan of Time. So, instead of a story of hope and redemption, this time we get a classic revenge story. But the hub-based storytelling formula of the first game remains unchanged. With the “wow” factor of this type of storytelling diminished, and Hades 2 still being in its Early Access stage, it’s rather difficult to fairly compare the two games in terms of storytelling.
Comparing the two in terms of gameplay is much more straightforward, however. Unlike Zagreus, whose fighting style was dictated by the weapon he was wielding, Melinoë can use magic as well, which allows her to perform new types of special moves and also gives players more versatility in making their builds. But it doesn’t end there. There are also more weapons to choose from, meaning players have more different playstyles to test out and more freedom to fine-tune their build however they want to. However, where Hades 2 really distances itself from its predecessor is the progression system.
The original’s rather simplistic progression system was dependent on one single resource that was relatively easy to acquire. Hades 2 uses a new system based on Arcana Cards, special items that grant specific abilities to Melinoë. However, players cannot simply stack different Arcana Cards to make an unbeatable character. There are two limitations. First, creating new cards requires resources, meaning that players sometimes have to choose between their favorite power-up and the resources needed for unlocking the next card. Second, at the start of the game, there are only 10 slots available for equipping Aracana Cards, which doesn’t sound like a whole bunch when you consider that some cards occupy two or three slots. Players can acquire more slots, but, you guess it, that requires resources as well.
Like most sequels, Hades 2 is bigger than its predecessor in every aspect. There are more locations to explore; Melinoë can survive longer in the human world, which itself is fun to explore; are there are more side quests to complete. If what you wanted was more of everything in the original, you’ll be pleased with the sequel.
It’s worth reminding that Hades 2 is still an early access game. It’s not crazy to say that the full release version will be a better game. Having said that, even in this state, Hades 2 seems to be an upgrade to the original in many aspects. It’s a more aesthetically pleasing game with more freedom to try out different builds and playstyles and offers more of everything that its predecessor had. So, is it a revolutionary game just like its older brother? No. Is it a fun and engaging gaming experience? Hell yeah (no pun intended)! That is, considering the fact that it is still an early access game. Is it a worthy successor for one of the best video games of the past few years? Hades 2 doesn’t re-invent the wheel; it doesn’t need to. It takes the tested formula of the first game and improves upon it in every aspect. So, yes. Hades 2 is indeed worthy of the name it carries.
Rating: 90/100
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