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I resisted the urge to play Hades 2 during its early access period, but only because I wasn't completely done with the first one. As a result, jumping into the sequel after no downtime away from Supergiant's take on Greek myths has underlined how it's the exact opposite of streamlined.
Since I hadn't been keeping tabs on what was being added to the game before its 1.0 release, I was shocked to see a mana bar and several more layers of perks, resources, and build options, among other things. Aren't mainstream sequels meant to go less complicated systems and mechanics-wise while packing more content? What's going on? The nature of Hades' core fanbase made the creative swing even more baffling to me. How many people who weren't into roguelites were tricked into playing one due to its killer aesthetic and flirty characters? A lot, including my girlfriend – quote: "I don't enjoy combat" – who wants to 100% the first one before even touching 2 included.
The average studio would've pushed in the direction of keeping the more video game-y elements thin (or at least easy to grasp) while doubling down on the 'hook' that brought so many newbies into the genre. Instead, Hades 2 is Supergiant basically going: "Look, we know you're playing this anyway, and we trust you to at least give it a fair shake, so we're going all out and adding a hundred new variables." This is neither good nor bad as far as I'm concerned, but it's a bold approach worth mulling over.
More variables, more friction
Hades 2 review: "Impeccable combat and flawless characterization across a huge roster make for a follow-up that surpasses even its excellent roguelike predecessor"
Anyone who's spent most of their life playing video games is able to recognize creative patterns, such as action and RPG games becoming simpler as the crowd gets bigger. We can argue such decisions often have to do with executives trying to broaden the appeal as much as possible even if that means diluting a series' original identity. Just look at the evolution of the Dragon Age brand. Some might argue Diablo – a big series which partially informs Hades – also followed that path, yet the skills, perks, and loot actually became more complex with each iteration; go back to Diablo 2 and try to tell me with a straight face half the skill trees aren't extra stat boosts to a handful of abilities.
In a way, Hades 2 follows the Diablo sequel playbook to deliver more variance and more robust endgame potential. You have Arcana Cards, permanent meta cauldron upgrades, a thousand different resources and plants to collect, prophecies, keepsakes, weapons (and their upgrades), boons, Selene's hexes and procedural skill tree (for each run!), and even more little pieces which pile up to keep track of. Sure, the core loop of going out, winning the run or getting killed, and going back to the hub to chat with the gang and buy items and improvements remains the same, but it feels like every nook and cranny of Hades 2 is filled with stuff you shouldn't ignore.
If you're the sort of player who liked to breeze through both the respites and the action in the first Hades (a game which really encourages fast-paced play and management), this may be a lot to absorb during the early hours. By the time you start to make sense of where a build could go based on the night-limited boons and attack tweaks you find early on, it's not uncommon to have completely forgotten about situation-specific Arcana Cards you loaded up before starting the run. And if you start to mess with Omega attacks and casts seriously, that's another layer of possible synergies and split-second tactical options to consider in order to make the most of Melinoë's arsenal and skillset. Have I mentioned dashes go into upgradeable sprints now too?
Down into Hades
As an ARPG sicko, I appreciate having all these toys to play with. But I also can't help but feel that Hades 2 feels messier and looser than its predecessor. One of Hades 1's key strengths was how tight and laser-focused it was. Even if you took the "let's try to bring new players into this space" element out of the equation, it's an all-killer-no-filler kind of game, a gloriously brisk alternative to roguelite giants.
By comparison, Hades 2 is a more lumbering (albeit more polished, sure) affair; a game you have to be in the mood for. Turn away if you want to switch your brain off. Hades 2 instantly feels more demanding and grown-up, and even the narrative reflects that. The cinephile (I hate that word) in me believes this is what most great sequels should aspire to. Don't try to please the masses you've already enticed. Go wild. I don't think it really needed a mana/magic system, for example, but I respect the philosophy behind this sort of inverted iteration.
As huge AAA franchises try to offset out-of-whack development costs by sanding sharp edges off, there's something refreshing and captivating – even if it doesn't always work – about having a critical and mainstream hit evolve into something meaner.
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