Oh no, Hades 2 is already sick as hell to play and it hasn’t even entered early access yet
Surprise! Hades 2 is finally here and playable. Supergiant’s hack-and-slash, flirt-with-the-gods roguelike is a brief technical test away from its early access debut on Steam. I fought my way through its opening area and first boss and now I need more. Even though it’s clearly unfinished, that’s fine. As, Alright.
A small part of me was a little hesitant to see Supergiant make its first direct sequel. Every game since 2011’s Bastion has taken us to completely different worlds with new approaches to combat. I wasn’t even a huge fan of Pyre, but I respect any game brave enough to mix strategic action with sports gaming elements a la NBA Jam. Bastion was my favorite until Hades took that torch and brought it into the realm of a roguelike action game wrapped in a story about a family of Greek gods and goddesses.
After playing Hades 2 for a few hours, that little part of me was proven wrong. The world badly needed another Hades, and Supergiant is already pushing the first game’s satisfying loop even further than before.
Zagreus and the rest of his family are gone. In Hades 2, you play as Melinoë, his loyal younger sister, as she descends into the underworld in search of Chronos, the Titan of Time. Melinoë is just as angry as Zagreus – you can press a button to brood after each run – but has a much stronger handle on combat from the start.
Although his base movement mirrors that of Zagreus (plus the ability to sprint), his attacks can be modified for different effects using a new magic resource. With the Witch’s Staff equipped, you can hold the button to launch a special attack to transform it from a bolt of energy into a large bubble that explodes on impact. The risk, of course, is the time it takes to recharge it. Its casting ability normally drops a circle on the ground that immobilizes enemies, but holding it down also causes it to deal a lot of damage when it expires.
Hades 2″ technical test
My brain obsessed with building action RPGs has already started connecting the dots.
You can’t play Melinoë exactly like Zagreus because the creatures you face are nastier than the ones I remember from the first Hades zone. The stages fill up with ghosts spitting projectiles and throwing fists at you in rapid succession and the only way to deal with it all is to prioritize the most dangerous ones. It’s easy enough to dash between them in the early sections using his dodge (which leaves a trail of stars that retracts to visually communicate its short cooldown), but once enemies have armor on top of their health, you must carefully look for openings. in their barrage of attacks.
The Boons are back and can change every layer of Melinoë’s abilities, just like they did to Zagreus. Poseidon – who still has extreme uncle energy, don’t worry – turned my sprint into a tidal wave that crushed enemies as I encountered them for a small magic cost. I didn’t get to take advantage of Apollo’s magic-restoring boon while you stand in your trap circle during the same run, but my building-obsessed brain has already started connecting the dots. My splash sprint always synergized with a second boon that made my circle move with me, blocking enemies in my path.
Just like the original game, you will die a lot. But don’t worry, this is your ticket to the other half of the Hades experience: the chance to talk to some incredibly sexy gods and maybe even romance them. Each death sends you to The Crossroads, an outdoor hub with characters who will help you understand what happened between Hades 2 and the original Hades.
Hecate, who, by the way, is voiced by Amelia Tyler from Baldur’s Gate 3, has already won first place for Best New Character for me. She’s a big, bad witch with a set of chiseled abs on full display. After one of my runs, I was able to peek under her shell during a flashback sequence where she teases a young Melinoë as they played hide and seek. This Hecate seems to have disappeared and replaced by a mentor figure who needs to see her apprentice succeed where she failed. Which is why, I guess, she steps in as the game’s first boss to make sure you’re ready for what’s ahead. Certainly, placing massive expectations on your adopted child will have no long-term consequences. Certainly.
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Also at The Crossroads is a large cauldron for brewing incantations using the materials you find on each run. There are flowers to pick and metals to mine which are used to unlock new weapons, equip passive bonuses for each run, and invite new NPCs to The Crossroads. I made myself a pickaxe for mining, started a small garden to grow plant matter, and revealed an arcane card that healed me every time I entered a new stage. Even though you’re supposed to research Chronos, you’re encouraged to spend a few runs gathering materials for upgrades that will make your life a little easier. Oh and God Mode is back if you prefer to gain damage resistance after each death to concentrate on the story.
It’s all here. Supergiant has perfected its ability to quickly hook you into its story and give you exciting reasons to dive back into a race like it did in the first Hades. It will be extremely difficult to wait for the Early Access period to end.
I felt an intense urge to start all over again, just to see what other types of powers I could combine.
I knew Hades 2 had me firmly in his grip as I switched to Melinoë’s dual-wielding blades over the staff. Switching from long-range hits to quick hits and a sustained special attack that teleports you behind enemies was like playing a new class in an RPG, just like the original game’s arsenal of weapons. Hestia’s boon was infusing them with flames and suddenly every enemy I hit was melting under powerful damage while I was on the other side of the screen. This run didn’t go particularly well, but I felt an intense urge to do it all over again, just to see what other types of powers I could combine. In other words: it’s over for me.
You can sign up for Hades 2’s technical test on its Steam page now, and Supergiant says it’s launching into Early Access very soon.
News Source : www.pcgamer.com
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