Jabril GoodnerSupergiant Games has done it again with Hades II. This game builds on everything that was great about the first Hades and expands on it in ways I would have never imagined or predicted.
Hades II is a roguelike action game that focuses on the choices you make within the game to influence “nights” that you partake in. These are runs within the game’s world, consisting of a series of waves of enemies that grow in strength as you defeat each boss or “Guardian.” I don’t want to over-explain the game’s basics because it’s quite popular now, and the first game won numerous “Game of the Year” awards in 2021.
The premise of Hades II is simple. You’re a hero named Melinoë in a world inspired by Greek mythology. You hack and slash your way through relentless enemies, collecting items from gods like Hermes, Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon. These items influence your playstyle, strengths, and weaknesses. Once you die, you start from the beginning, using your collectibles to level up your character and try again.
Hades II, like its predecessor, is steeped in themes of heroism, ego, redemption, forgiveness, and understanding. These themes serve as the backbone for everything you do in the game. The dramatic notion of heroism feels meaningful and familiar to those who love a good hero story with powerful, perfect, and imperfect characters.
From a game design perspective, Hades II is incredibly fun. The sound and music are exceptional, the comic book-style artwork is colorful and crisp, and the dialogue is both dramatic and charming. The action, story, bosses, and lore all work together harmoniously, building on everything that was great about the first Hades game in 2021.
However, it wasn’t until making some progress in Hades II, currently in “early access” on Steam, that I realized what Supergiant Games was aiming for with its game design: making 100% completion actually enjoyable.
Choice is the main character in Hades II. The game presents you with even more decisions that have a significant impact on your playstyle, allowing for greater player expression.
You’re constantly making choices: Which door to enter for your next encounter? Which god’s boon to accept to strengthen your character this night? Which seeds to plant? Which weapon to choose for this run? These decisions, combined with combat choices, create a dynamic experience.
One fascinating aspect is the seed planting and harvesting mechanic. As you play, you collect seeds that can be planted and later grow into plants and herbs, serving as ingredients for magical incantations that alter the world and your abilities. You can’t just wait around to collect your harvest; different seeds have varying growth times that require you to leave the garden and continue fighting in the underworld. This design makes every run feel productive, encouraging action and rewarding your planted investments. It’s the opposite of analysis paralysis — the game motivates you to keep moving, to keep making progress..
This is just one example of how the game rewards action, planning, foresight, and constant decision-making. What a great game for the new year — in 2025, when many seek to achieve more instead of idly waiting, this game reinforces the notion of compounded efforts, trial and error, gradual improvement, and working while waiting. The game design is brilliant, underscoring why games appeal to us on a deeper level; they make reminders of life lessons enjoyable, showing how small efforts and knowledge can lead to significant gains.
Hades II is all about mastery, and I’ve had so much fun with it that I’m already considering returning to the first Hades to complete it 100%.
Play Hades II, even in its early access state with ongoing updates — you won’t regret it. The first game is available on Xbox now, and Hades II is expected to arrive in 2025.