Mary loves fast fights and Greek mythology. In Hades 2, she gets exactly that – and even more of it now.
I am a huge fan of myths and tales of gods. I devour every book by Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan faster than my dinner. So it’s no wonder that I love the Hades games as well. I put over 80 hours into the first one back then and have broken out of the Greek underworld more times than I can count.
So the early access release of Hades 2 in early May 2024 has, of course, completely captivated me.
In the Fight Against Time
Hades 2 is the direct sequel to the beloved roguelite from Supergiant Games. The developers already made hits before Hades with games like Pyre or Bastion, which convinced fans every time with fast fights, well-written characters, and a gripping story.
In Hades 2, we play the witch Melinoe, the immortal princess of the underworld. She fights her way through Tartarus to reach the Titan Chronos, who has settled into the divine throne of the underworld. We need to find out what has become of Zagreus, the hero from part 1, and his father Hades.
In the fight against various monsters, gods, and Chronos’s minions, Melinoe relies on a whole arsenal of different weapons and spells that she can upgrade after each death on the way to Chronos.
94 % Positive on Steam
The deal with early access games is often that we can buy a pretty early version of the finished game, but this often offers very little content at the beginning. Of course, this is also a game still in active development.
Hades 2, however, is an absolute prime example of how an early access can already captivate players for hours on end. This is also reflected in the Steam reviews:
Y2k notes in his Steam review:
At first, I thought it was worse than part 1, now I think it’s twice as good.
Conga Dispenser comes with even fewer words and more praise, writing on Steam: ‘I accidentally played for eleven hours straight.’
Now the second major update has arrived, named The Warsong, which finally adds the big showdown in Olympus to the game. Furthermore, we finally meet the old acquaintance and god of war Ares again.
Additionally, there is, of course, a new part of the main story, a new animal companion, many changes to the weapons and bonuses, and new looks for some of the menus. You can find the complete list of patch notes on Steam.
To play through the current main story thoroughly, you will probably need more than 30 hours. This corresponds to the scope of some full-price games at release.
Of course, you can also wait until version 1.0, but I warmly recommend Hades 2 already now. Especially because playing through again after a new update is incredibly fun and never gets boring.
Every run through Tartarus or later Olympus feels different. Each time you get a little further than in the previous run, it’s rewarding and satisfying. And every new update in early access makes me come back. Plus, you can’t go wrong with the price of 29 euros.
What is Planned for the Future
When Hades 2 will be released in its 1.0 version is still not determined. In the update notes on Steam, the developers mention that they are already planning a third major update. This is expected to be released in a few months. I’m guessing June.
In the upcoming updates, there will be a deepening of weapons and bosses, so that Hades 2 becomes even a bit more complex and perhaps harder as well. Additionally, the story and side quests with the characters will, of course, be expanded.
But as I said: Even now, Hades 2 offers more than many full-release games. And if you love fast fights, challenges, and Greek gods, you should strike now and face Chronos’s army.
Editorial demon Cortyn felt similarly recently:
‘I find it so funny that an indie studio manages to surprisingly release a game that is already a thousand times better in the early access phase than many AAA games.’
Writes Heisenbug on Steam and truly hits the nail on the head. Hades 2 is already incredibly extensive and exemplary in quality and quantity for how happy an early access can make its players.
Why You Should Play Hades 2 Right Now
Since May 2024, quite a bit has happened. For instance, besides many smaller updates and balancing patches, in October 2024, the first major content patch was released with a new region (the Olympus), new characters, weapons, and items.
Now the second major update has arrived, named The Warsong, which finally adds the big showdown in Olympus to the game. Furthermore, we finally meet the old acquaintance and god of war Ares again.
Additionally, there is, of course, a new part of the main story, a new animal companion, many changes to the weapons and bonuses, and new looks for some of the menus. You can find the complete list of patch notes on Steam.
To play through the current main story thoroughly, you will probably need more than 30 hours. This corresponds to the scope of some full-price games at release.
Of course, you can also wait until version 1.0, but I warmly recommend Hades 2 already now. Especially because playing through again after a new update is incredibly fun and never gets boring.
Every run through Tartarus or later Olympus feels different. Each time you get a little further than in the previous run, it’s rewarding and satisfying. And every new update in early access makes me come back. Plus, you can’t go wrong with the price of 29 euros.
What is Planned for the Future
When Hades 2 will be released in its 1.0 version is still not determined. In the update notes on Steam, the developers mention that they are already planning a third major update. This is expected to be released in a few months. I’m guessing June.
In the upcoming updates, there will be a deepening of weapons and bosses, so that Hades 2 becomes even a bit more complex and perhaps harder as well. Additionally, the story and side quests with the characters will, of course, be expanded.
But as I said: Even now, Hades 2 offers more than many full-release games. And if you love fast fights, challenges, and Greek gods, you should strike now and face Chronos’s army.
