Hades II Review

Supergiant's 2025 sequel gives Melinoe, sister of Zagreus, a witch's kit rather than a warrior's and builds a much larger game around it. There are two directions to escape rather than one - down toward Chronos in Tartarus and up toward the surface - each with its own biomes, bosses and boon pool, so a run is a choice of campaign. Magick is the new resource, powering Omega attacks that charge for heavier versions of every move, which adds a resource-management layer the first game did not have. Cast is now a circle you place and detonate rather than a spear you throw. Around it are gathering and incantations, a crafting layer that permanently unlocks systems, and the returning Mirror-style upgrade tree. The narrative machine is the same and just as strong: dying advances the story, and the cast has an enormous amount to say. It spent over a year in early access and its full release refined the pacing that early builds struggled with.