Hades II

It's hard for me to properly articulate my disappointment with this game, but I'll try. First off, this is not a bad game, which is why I still recommend it. But the biggest problem with this game is that it adopted the "bigger is better" method as a sequel, and it's worse off for it. There are more levels to get through, more dialogue among characters, more side content, more abilities, more everything. But it's too much. Things lack focus. The pacing feels bad. The main story is simply not as compelling as the prequel, even though the stakes feel a lot higher. The core of the issue with the story and characters and the structure of the plot (as it evolves between runs) is that it does not feel novel anymore, because Hades 1 exists. Reimagining Greek myth in this way is no longer as interesting as it once was. I remember encountering the Oceanus boss for the first time and smiling to myself. The rest of the game is not nearly as charming. But all of that could still be compelling if the writing was actually good. But it's not. It's thoroughly researched and appropriately delivered. But ultimately there's a lot of talking that means very little. To be clear this might have been an issue with Hades 1 as well, but the whole concept was novel enough not to notice. The same grace doesn't extend to Hades II. Melinoe as a stubbornly sincere and straightforward character really starts to wear by the end. She is simply not as fun to follow through a story as Zagreus was, even though the only real difference between the two is that Zagreus had a more obvious sense of humour. I don't want to call it as bad as the slander that newer Insomniac games get, but the fact that I'm even comparing the two should tell you everything. The true ending has all the impact of a small fart by the time you finally grind enough to get there. When I finally finished the epilogue, I was certain that I'd spent far more time playing Hades II compared to the prequel, and I was genuinely shocked to find out that I was still more than 10 hours behind. I rolled credits on Hades at around 75 hours, and continued to play till I hit over 110 hours on the highest heat I could manage while completing every prophecy on the list. With Hades II, I rolled credits around 90 hours, saw the story related prophecies on the list, and realised that if I didn't do them now, I would never do them. Because I didn't want to play anymore. The difference is that I couldn't get enough of Hades 1, and I couldn't wait to be done with Hades II.

After spending a lot of time with both Hades and Hades II, I can confidently say that Hades II feels like a natural evolution of the first game. While Hades I still has the stronger emotional story and a more challenging experience, Hades II improves a lot of things in terms of gameplay, variety, and overall content. One of the first things I noticed was the art direction, The designs of several gods and goddesses that already appeared in the first game like Aphrodite, Poseidon, and Athena feel more polished and refreshed in Hades II. The new characters also have a very unique visual identity that fits perfectly with the darker and more mystical atmosphere of the game. The addition of the Arcana system makes a huge difference build possibilities, and more strategic combat options make every run feel more interesting. The inclusion of pets and the ability to grow resources through planting and gathering also adds a new layer of progression that was not present in the first game. Another huge improvement is the variety of encounters, Hades II gives you the opportunity to travel through both the Underworld and the Surface. Because of that, the enemies, environments, and challenges feel much more diverse. Every area feels like it has its own identity, and the new enemies and bosses keep the experience fresh. From my personal experience, I also feel that Hades II is more approachable compared to the first game. Hades I felt more punishing and hardcore, especially when you were still learning enemy patterns and builds. Hades II feels more balanced and gives players more tools to survive. Of course, it can still be challenging, but the overall progression feels smoother. The music is another area where Hades II improves. Hades I already had an amazing soundtrack with a stronger rock and intense atmosphere, but Hades II offers a wider variety of music styles. The soundtrack feels more mysterious, magical, and fitting with Melinoë's journey. It gives the game a completely different identity while still feeling like a Hades game. However, when it comes to story and character development, I still think Hades I has the advantage. Zagreus' journey, his relationship with Hades, Nyx, Achilles, Thanatos, and other characters felt more personal and emotionally impactful. Hades II has many interesting characters and a bigger story, but for me, the first game had a stronger emotional connection. Overall, I think Hades II is a better game mechanically. It improves the combat, adds more variety, and gives players more things to do. But Hades I still wins in terms of difficulty and storytelling. If you loved the first game, Hades II is definitely a must-play.

Combat gameplay has much more variety and is way better than the first game. There's no denying that. My only real issue is the story. It's so convoluted and you spend dozens of hours grinding character storylines and prophecies. If you don't have the luxury to go in completely blind, you'll probably end up looking up guides because some prophecies require talking to specific characters in a specific order. That makes it very easy to accidentally spoil yourself, so by the time you reach the epilogue, it has the emotional impact of a wet noodle. Another problem is that the "true" ending is locked behind an excessive amount of grinding. The game itself isn't that long. Its playtime is artificially extended by making you farm items and exhaust dialogue. By the time I finally unlocked the real ending, I was completely burned out. Instead of feeling motivated to experiment with builds or push higher Fear like I did in Hades 1, I just wanted to stop playing. The ending felt more like relief than a reward. And my biggest problem is the context of the normal ending, Chronos. The fact that he suddenly becomes good after being bombarded with false memories from an alternate timeline feels like a rushed ending to his story and a plot device pulled out of thin air. The villain who literally kidnapped and imprisoned half of your family members in time and ate his own children is suddenly a kind and loving grandfather. The game doesn't do nearly enough to earn his redemption. At the end the phrase "Death to Chronos" lost it's meaning completely. But all in all, the game is quite fun if you focus on the gameplay, that being the main attraction of the game, and it's an absolute must play if you liked the first installment.