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Let me be very honest with you right from the startā¦ I didnāt enjoy Hades 2 at first. Yeah, I know. Everyone online is calling it a masterpiece, the next evolution of roguelikes, GOTY potential and all that. But when I booted it up I caught myself thinking: āMaybe I should just play Hades 1 again instead.ā But hold onā¦ because things changed. Big time. Let me walk you through it.
Hades 2 drops you into a bigger, darker, deeper world than the first game. MelinoĆ« takes center stage instead of Zagreus, and right away you can feel the difference in tone and pacing. Everyone is calling it richer, more ambitious, more detailed, better lookingā¦ you name it. But to be fair? It didnāt click for me in the beginning. I felt off. The pacing threw me off. The new systems felt like too much. I genuinely thought: āYeah nope, give me the comfort of Hades 1 again.ā
Letās get this out of the way: the visuals are stunning. Supergiant went all-in on detail, shading, animations, lightingā¦ everything feels alive. The characters look sharp, the environments are insane, and the overall vibe hits harder than ever. It just didnāt pull me in immediately. Weird, right? Because itās gorgeous, but my brain was still stuck in Hades 1 mode and needed some adjusting.
So hereās where things flipped. I kept going. I did a few more runs, stubborn as always, and somewhere around run 4 or 5 it suddenly clicked. The combat felt smoother. The magic system started to make sense. The boons and builds got exciting. The world opened up and felt massive. All those āthis feels weirdā moments transformed into āok waitā¦ this is actually really goodā moments, and from that point on? I was hooked. Big hooked. āItās midnight but one more runā hooked.
Things I Loved (after actually giving it a chance)
The world is bigger and deeper than Hades 1
Combat feels more layered with witchcraft and new abilities
Environments are beautiful and immersive
Characters and story hit harder the more you play
That classic roguelike loop? Itās still here and stronger than ever
The replayability is insane. The builds feel fresh. The game rewards learning without being unfair (wellā¦ mostly).
Things That Annoyed Me at First
Early game pacing feels slower than Hades 1
Some systems feel overwhelming until you learn them
You might die a few times simply because youāre used to Zagreusā flow
he adjustment period is real
Honestly though, the game expects you to take your time with it. Once you accept that, everything improves.
Hades 2 went from ānot feeling itā to āwhy did I play 5 hours straight?ā It wasnāt love at first sight for me, but once I got comfortable with MelinoĆ«ās style, the witchcraft, the new mechanics, and the larger worldā¦ it grabbed me completely. If you loved Hades 1 you might need a moment to adjust, but trust meā¦ give this game a few runs and youāll see exactly why everyone is calling it a top-tier sequel.
Hades II Review
9.5/10
Final Notes: Hades 2 isnāt a game that hooks you instantly, especially if youāre coming from Hades 1, but it rewards patience and persistence. Once you settle into MelinoĆ«ās rhythm, explore the deeper world, and experiment with the new combat and magic systems, the game reveals its brilliance. Itās visually stunning, mechanically rich, and packed with replayability, and while the early adjustment period can feel slow or overwhelming, itās worth pushing through. By the time it clicks, youāll understand why this sequel is being praised so highly and why itās so easy to lose track of hours in its world.
9.5
Pros
Beautiful and detailed world
Great combat with more depth
Tons of replayability
Solid story and strong characters
Cons
Takes time to get into