First Impressions

Going in knowing I had only two hours to sample as much of the game as possible I found that Hades II is to me, more of Hades in the best way possible. It takes all of the best things about the original game and both builds and expands on it.

Supergiant Games set the bar when releasing the original Hades and it feels like they have used that bar as a stepping stone when creating Hades II.

In terms of gameplay and the visuals, it's like stepping back into the arms of an old friend. Everything feels comforting and recognisable regardless of the new content behind it.

The dash feels exactly how I remember it did but now you can sprint when holding down the dash button. Your attacks are clean and full of power, mix them in with Melionë's Hex abilities and you feel unstoppable.

The voice acting behind each NPC is full of life and passion for the project with returning known names from the first game. And it's not just the way each character is brought to life in terms of audio, its the context and the story behind each one that makes you feel like you are on a quest with actual people.

As first impressions go, Hades II really does deliver.

Mechanics and Gameplay

As I said in my first impressions, Hades II builds and expands on the first iteration. There are a plethora of new currencies, talents, materials and boons that all add together to make your adventure through the story memorable.

Where you had Chthonic Keys to unlock weapons and talents you now have a variety of materials ranging from Ash to Titan Blood.

Talents from the Mirror of Night used by Zagreus in Hades have been replaced with Arcana Cards which require the multitude of materials to purchase/craft and are then limited to equip through the games Grasp mechanic.

Where you had recognisable faces in the Gods of Olympus and Heroes of Legend you now have extras such as Titans, Witches and Creatures of Myth such as Sirens.

Weapons are both similar and different. Where Zagreus had the Eternal Spear or the Stygian Blade, Melionë has the Witches Staff and the Sister Blades.

And yes, this is all within the first two hours of gameplay.

To Refund or Not?

At £24.99 for those of us who purchased Hades II after the game had its 1.0 update and left Steam Early Access, I think this game will be worth every penny and every minute you put into it.

Hades II offers literally hundreds of hours of gameplay and replayability and boasts visuals and audio that easily rivals Triple A games of today. It has been created with veterans and new comers alike in both story and gameplay.