Hades II manages several incredible feats that sequels rarely achieve. It lives up to its excellent predecessor with tighter gameplay. By doing so, it also manages to stand out in a genre that’s become oversaturated. There are many roguelikes to choose from, some great and some forgettable, but none in recent memory have reached the heights of Hades II.
Here’s some good news for newcomers: you don’t need to play the original to enjoy Hades II. While you should play the original since it’s one of the best games of the decade, Hades II is completely accessible to new players even if they’ve never picked up a roguelike before. Its design embodies the best test of a great game. It’s easy to learn but difficult to master. Combat is intuitive and immensely satisfying, whether you are using a charge attack or dash to wipe out a screen full of enemies. The story here is pretty self contained and there’s enough explanation for how the combat system works to help newcomers but not alienate veterans of the genre.
It’s the strategy that I love the most in Hades II. I love being able to cast a circle and fire ranged attacks, and set up a perfectly timed dash hit to be able to take out a horde of monsters. The roguelikes in recent years that I’ve fallen in love with the most are the ones that have the most ability to set up well-executed combat where you can just mow down as many enemies as possible in as few attacks as necessary. It’s a stress reliever and sets up a lot of moments where you hit the capture button on your Switch 2 to get some memorable gameplay footage. A game where you can stop and say, “Wow! I can’t believe I pulled that off!”, is well worth putting time in money into. Hades II is a prime example of that.
The game shows off the technical capabilities of the Switch 2. I mostly played in handheld mode, and I love how well the roguelike format fits that style of play. Whether on the couch while watching TV or sitting in the park, Hades II feels like it was made to be played on the go. The visuals are stunning, leaping off the screen in handheld mode and running at a silky smooth frame rate. The increased resolution and graphical capabilities of the Switch 2 allow for characters to have more detail and their design work really shows, like a living comic book. There’s the little details like spiderwebs, the leaves falling, and your footprints trailing behind you that just breathe life into the game.
The music, composed by Darren Korb and Austin Wintory, is outstanding. It pumps you up for battle and perfectly matches the action, creating that rare moment where every aspect of design, including visuals, sound, and gameplay, comes together seamlessly.
As someone with a background in theatre and performance, I have to give a special shout-out to Judy Alice Lee for her performance as Melinoë. If you aren’t heavily invested in Greek mythology, you might be asking yourself who she is, but you won’t be asking that after playing Hades II. She delivers an incredible performance that brings this new protagonist to life. Introducing a new lead character is always a risk, especially when Zangreus was so beloved in the original. Casting the right voice actress was essential to making Melinoë feel real and relatable, and Judy Alice Lee absolutely succeeds.
I love Greek mythology. In college, the stories of Greek gods and heroes in theatre were some of my favorite topics. Even if I did not love mythology, I would still be drawn to the world of Hades II because it is gorgeous. The stage and character design are fantastic. Every time I encountered one of the Olympian Gods, I would stop and admire how stunning they looked, especially on the Switch 2’s screen. In a genre as crowded as roguelikes, standing out visually is crucial. Hades II proves that gameplay is king, but gorgeous graphics can enhance the experience and storytelling.
If you’re a Switch 2 owner looking for something that shows off capabilities of the new console and has good value, Hades II is an excellent choice to spend money on. You can’t really beat a dollar per hour of excellent gameplay and beautiful presentation that supports it. In a day and age where you have to make harder decisions about what games you want to spend money on and what’s actually worth your time, Hades II is one of the easiest decisions you’ll make.
Hades II was always destined to be great because it builds on a modern classic. It’s one of the most satisfying examples of its genre and offers a lot of moments for strategy and lining up well executed attacks. It brings you into a world we have seen many times before, with gods and titans locked in battle, and makes it feel new again. You’ll become invested in Melinoë’s story and want her to defeat Chronos. It’s also so much fun meeting characters from the Greek pantheon. I always love encountering Artemis, my favorite Greek goddesses, in particular. It also shows off what the Switch 2 is capable of with beautiful visuals and flawless handheld performance. Simply put, Hades II is an excellent game that represents a bright future for both roguelikes and the Switch 2.
Hades II manages several incredible feats that sequels rarely achieve. It lives up to its excellent predecessor with tighter gameplay. By doing so, it also manages to stand out in a genre that’s become oversaturated. There are many roguelikes to choose…
Hades II manages several incredible feats that sequels rarely achieve. It lives up to its excellent predecessor with tighter gameplay. By doing so, it also manages to stand out in a genre that’s become oversaturated. There are many roguelikes to choose from, some great and some forgettable, but none in recent memory have reached the heights of Hades II.
Here’s some good news for newcomers: you don’t need to play the original to enjoy Hades II. While you should play the original since it’s one of the best games of the decade, Hades II is completely accessible to new players even if they’ve never picked up a roguelike before. Its design embodies the best test of a great game. It’s easy to learn but difficult to master. Combat is intuitive and immensely satisfying, whether you are using a charge attack or dash to wipe out a screen full of enemies. The story here is pretty self contained and there’s enough explanation for how the combat system works to help newcomers but not alienate veterans of the genre.
It’s the strategy that I love the most in Hades II. I love being able to cast a circle and fire ranged attacks, and set up a perfectly timed dash hit to be able to take out a horde of monsters. The roguelikes in recent years that I’ve fallen in love with the most are the ones that have the most ability to set up well-executed combat where you can just mow down as many enemies as possible in as few attacks as necessary. It’s a stress reliever and sets up a lot of moments where you hit the capture button on your Switch 2 to get some memorable gameplay footage. A game where you can stop and say, “Wow! I can’t believe I pulled that off!”, is well worth putting time in money into. Hades II is a prime example of that.
The game shows off the technical capabilities of the Switch 2. I mostly played in handheld mode, and I love how well the roguelike format fits that style of play. Whether on the couch while watching TV or sitting in the park, Hades II feels like it was made to be played on the go. The visuals are stunning, leaping off the screen in handheld mode and running at a silky smooth frame rate. The increased resolution and graphical capabilities of the Switch 2 allow for characters to have more detail and their design work really shows, like a living comic book. There’s the little details like spiderwebs, the leaves falling, and your footprints trailing behind you that just breathe life into the game.
The music, composed by Darren Korb and Austin Wintory, is outstanding. It pumps you up for battle and perfectly matches the action, creating that rare moment where every aspect of design, including visuals, sound, and gameplay, comes together seamlessly.
As someone with a background in theatre and performance, I have to give a special shout-out to Judy Alice Lee for her performance as Melinoë. If you aren’t heavily invested in Greek mythology, you might be asking yourself who she is, but you won’t be asking that after playing Hades II. She delivers an incredible performance that brings this new protagonist to life. Introducing a new lead character is always a risk, especially when Zangreus was so beloved in the original. Casting the right voice actress was essential to making Melinoë feel real and relatable, and Judy Alice Lee absolutely succeeds.
I love Greek mythology. In college, the stories of Greek gods and heroes in theatre were some of my favorite topics. Even if I did not love mythology, I would still be drawn to the world of Hades II because it is gorgeous. The stage and character design are fantastic. Every time I encountered one of the Olympian Gods, I would stop and admire how stunning they looked, especially on the Switch 2’s screen. In a genre as crowded as roguelikes, standing out visually is crucial. Hades II proves that gameplay is king, but gorgeous graphics can enhance the experience and storytelling.
If you’re a Switch 2 owner looking for something that shows off capabilities of the new console and has good value, Hades II is an excellent choice to spend money on. You can’t really beat a dollar per hour of excellent gameplay and beautiful presentation that supports it. In a day and age where you have to make harder decisions about what games you want to spend money on and what’s actually worth your time, Hades II is one of the easiest decisions you’ll make.
Hades II was always destined to be great because it builds on a modern classic. It’s one of the most satisfying examples of its genre and offers a lot of moments for strategy and lining up well executed attacks. It brings you into a world we have seen many times before, with gods and titans locked in battle, and makes it feel new again. You’ll become invested in Melinoë’s story and want her to defeat Chronos. It’s also so much fun meeting characters from the Greek pantheon. I always love encountering Artemis, my favorite Greek goddesses, in particular. It also shows off what the Switch 2 is capable of with beautiful visuals and flawless handheld performance. Simply put, Hades II is an excellent game that represents a bright future for both roguelikes and the Switch 2.
by Kayla Merritt
