SuperGiant Games has proved itself to be motivated and determined time and time again, and their first sequel, Hades 2, is no different. With it being their first, a lot of pressure has been put on them; expectations from fans old and new, as well as their own, have driven them to make sure that everything is as perfect as it can be. In May last year, they released Hades 2 in Early Access,
allowing them to truly perfect the game while also getting feedback from fans. I wrote an article earlier this year about the Early Access version, examining their efforts and applauding them, fully prepared to wait as long as possible for a full release. Game development is, of course, a long and arduous task. It would make sense if we didn't get any more news about it until next year.
But then SuperGiant announced the 1.0 release a week after my article went live, while I was in another state visiting family for my birthday. Needless to say, it was the best present ever!
Once again, SuperGiant has exceeded a lot of my expectations. The gameplay has stayed mostly the same, save for a few mechanical adjustments and changes to attack patterns here and there. The main focus of this release, though, for myself and a lot of people, is the main story. For over a year, after beating Chronos, we were greeted with a black room, ruminating on "what if" or "what could happen." Now, we know what happened, and I have a lot of thoughts about it. Yes, I will be spoiling it. Proceed at your own risk, or play the game and come back later! I can wait.
For the entire game, we're fighting against Chronos, Titan of Time, and his armies as they attempt to overthrow the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus. Our main goal is to find a way to kill him for good, preventing him from returning night after night. Despite our limited options, we managed to find an answer in the past. After defeating Chronos, you have the opportunity to speak with Zagreus in the past, in a dream-like state, explaining what has happened and trying to find a way to prevent it. Seeing the two siblings finally come together manages to flip what I've mentioned before on its head. Melinoë is getting closer to her goal; she is becoming more aggressive and callous.
Zagreus is calmer, debating if her solution is even the correct one and looking for alternatives, which is a far cry from the usual wisecracking prince of Hell we've come to know and love. But, it also isn't. Zag has always been a very empathetic person, and, despite knowing what happens in the future, he still tries to take the path where nobody gets hurt. It's fun to see their personalities clash this way, especially after the final encounter when Melinoë finds out that he spared Chronos instead.
Mel, doubtless, is furious to learn the truth, chewing him out for it, and Zagreus is attempting to defend his decision, explaining the change of heart Chronos experiences after being there to watch her grow up. Eventually, she does accept the situation for what it is, and they begin to undo the harm Chronos caused. I love this ending purely because of how risky it is. Redemption arcs have been a huge trend through media in recent years, video games being no exception, and Hades is a game about redemption, about changing your future despite your past, and supporting family during hard times. But even knowing that, it felt very jarring and unexpected. I was anticipating something more intense or dark, but I'm happy with the decision they went with. Despite appearances, Hades is a lighthearted series, after all, and this choice makes gameplay and story progression a lot more interesting, as well.
Being a roguelike, there is still more to do after the story is over. There are endless runs for us to play and new challenges and weapons to test out, and in some cases, a epilogue quest. In Hades 2, we have some things left behind that need to be taken care of. One such thing being locating the Three Fates. Teased since the first game, the Fates have always had a hand in orchestrating the events that take place in history, both regarding humans and Gods, only to be thrown into the void after Chronos began his takeover. They still managed to communicate with us through the Fated List of Minor Prophecies, guiding Melinoë to their location over time since Chronos is unable to locate them. He wasn't exactly planning on fishing them out of the abyss after he had his fun, after all. This is a fun epilogue. It's vague enough to keep you on your toes during your runs and allows the story to wrap up properly once we find them. And once we find them, they end up announcing their resignation! ... Wait, what?
Turns out, the Fates enjoyed their break so much, they tell Mel that want to continue to do nothing and leave fate in the hands of humans. This explanation seems like a cop-out, where the three lazy sisters get their moment in the spotlight and disappear as to not disrupt the status quo, but in reality, their decision is more impactful than that.
Melinoë watches them usher in a new age; an age of freedom, one where humans are able to make decisions for themselves without the input of Gods, and by proxy, allowing the Gods to continue to do what they've been doing, such as Mel and Chronos working together to enter pockets of time where Typhon and the armies of Chronos are still a threat. Even though the reveal itself is a great storytelling tool, it felt lackluster, especially after all the buildup the Fates have had throughout the entire game.
This could very well be a side effect of playing during Early Access and letting my thoughts run wild about what would happen when we finally found them, but it felt a bit flat and shorter than I would've liked. They also were a bit harsher than I expected, but I suppose I would feel bitter too after getting accused for causing events that other people were getting themselves into, like Hecate, and how she "pulled some strings" herself.
Hecate is one of my favorite mentor characters I've encountered in a long time, but a lot about her character was relatively unknown. We know that she was handmaiden to Persephone and worked closely with the Silver Sisters to train Melinoë and take Chronos down, but aside from that, not much else. Of course, we get to slowly know her throughout the game; how she is a talented witch and wise beyond her years, yet she has acted rashly and ill-disciplined when Mel agreed to spare Chronos, with Hecate even admitting herself how angry and confused she was with her decision.
It seems very out of character for her, but we soon learn why she reacted so strongly after returning from rescuing the Fates and speaking to her. When they said she "pulled strings," they weren't kidding: Hecate is the Princess from a different time! One where she escaped the House of Hades and trained in secrecy to try and kill Chronos, but something went wrong during her final confrontation with him.
Her spell malfunctioned, causing her to be sent back in time, long before the events of either game. She used this to her advantage, waiting in silence, getting close to Hades and Persephone. When the time finally came, she took the princess and hid, training her to do what Hecate had failed to do all those years ago.
Out of all the twists presented to us, this one is something I believe to be executed perfectly, with it also being my favorite. It seems like it comes out of nowhere, but I don't believe that the payoff would have been as impactful if they heavily foreshadowed it. It forces reflection on moments and conversations between Hecate and others in a different light, some that completely change meaning when you do. More often than not, Hecate was speaking from experience, attempting to prevent Chronos from winning a second time, and when he was spared, all she could think was about the time and effort spent only to fail a second time. It also puts a perfect capstone to her relationship with Melinoë. She chose to continue living the Crossroads with Hecate, who she saw as a mother, giving them both a family that they never got to grow up with.
Hades 2 is a full circle moment for SuperGiant Games. From the first moments they started working on Hades 1 to now, they poured their hearts and souls into a game which was a far cry from anything they had worked on previously and watched all their efforts be paid off thanks to their overwhelming success and popularity among gamers from all walks of life. The first update after Early Access included a message, thanking players for their support throughout development. Reading it made me feel emotional, in a way, knowing that my support helped them bring the game to life. True, I didn't program anything or make assets, but Hades 2 was a story worth telling and even just purchasing the game allowed them to tell it. Even outside the world of Greek mythos, I can't wait to see what the team at SuperGiant works on next!