Hades II is a wizarding roguelike that Supergiant Games somewhat surprised on Steam earlier this week. Contrary to First of all Hadeswhere players embody the prince of the underworld, fighting their way out of the depths of hell, Hades II hands over the weapons to the princess of the underworld, Melinoë, who must make her way further in the depths to defeat Chronos, the Titan of Time.
As fans of Hadeswe were delighted to play the early access version of this game. Even though the developers are always working to improve Hades II and add more content, it might already be the best game we've played so far this year. (And yes, that even includes Balatro.)
Although it is currently only available on PCthe game should be available on consoles for Supergiant Full Releaseprobably sometime in 2025. After playing the opening hours of Hades IIWe have some tips for beginners who are about to embark on their next journey into the underworld.
Definitely use a controller
Even though there is a giant notification on the opening screen of Hades II Stating that a controller is recommended for the best experience, we were confident that our keyboard skills would be enough to make our way to Chronos. Fake! After 30 minutes of play (and without success), we moved on to a PlayStation DualSense controllerand the game immediately clicked.
Understanding the Arcana System
Witchy themes are a truly delightful addition to Hades II, but to be honest, it took us a second to figure out the revamped power-up system. As you make your way through the different rooms, make sure you collect enough Ashes And Psyche. Then use them to gain abilities and bonuses that remain with each race attempt. The Ashes will unlock new arcana cards to choose from, and Psyche points will allow you to use more cards at once.
Slow down time
One of the first Arcana cards you'll unlock is called The Witch. Rely on this ability to get through the opening section of the game. With The Witch, every time you use the Omega variant for one of your combat abilities, you slow down time for two seconds. Although this is not the case that seems like a lot of timethis gives you extra moment to dodge and aim better.
Catch enemies with a throw
The first enemies we fought against were these monsters that aggressively chased you with a screaming attack. It's frustrating to start without success, and they sent us back to the starting point several times. In addition to slowing down time, you can try to avoid their attack by often using your spellcasting power to create a large area where enemies are temporarily stuck and vulnerable to attacks.
Gather absolutely everything
The ability to gather items during your runs is a cool new feature added for Hades II. Whether it's a mushroom or a lotus flower, most of what you can pick by hand is useful for crafting special recipes in your base's cauldron. However, some items require tools to put together. For example, you may want to unlock the Choice of croissant to extract the money that sometimes appears.
Be friendly and generous
This strategy will be familiar to Hades players, and this remains true for the second game. Yes, succeeding in combat is essential, but talking to every NPC you encounter is also important. In a spirit of generosity, offer them Nectar. In addition to improving your relationship with the character, they could return the favor and give you a souvenir with different bonuses.
Toggle God Mode
Are you going through a difficult time in your journey to defeat Chronos and just want to follow along with the rest of the Hades II history? Is there a boss fight that you've had enough of and are ready to move on to the next challenge? You can toggle God Mode at any time from the Pause screen to become immune to damage. Simply select Possibilities and activate it under Gameplay.
Just play Hades
OK, listen to us. If you haven't played the original game yet, you might really enjoy returning to it. Hades. Plus, if you don't have access to a PC, it's available on consoles. We replayed the game on Nintendo Switch for months, and it's just as awesome as 2020.
Are you a superfan of Supergiant and can't wait to play the first version of Hades II? Keep in mind that it is still unfinished and you will have fun with its predecessor. New to the franchise? While the game is still pretty fun and accessible without playing the first one, you might have an even better time playing. Hades now and let's dive into the sequel after the developers tweaked it and added more content with the full version.