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By Khloe Wilkerson
If Hades II is about anything, it’s defiance. Against fate, against family, against time itself. Supergiant Games returns to the Underworld with a sequel that burns brighter, fights harder, and dives even deeper into the mythology it helped revive. You play as Melinoë, the red and green-eyed daughter of Hades and Persephone, and the new Princess of the Underworld. She’s fighting to reclaim what’s being taken: her family, her home, and her future. That’s because the Titan of Time, Chronos, has broken free from imprisonment and plunged the realms into chaos.
From the moment you take control, the game throws you straight into the thick of it. Hades II wastes no time teaching you the rhythm of its combat: it’s fast, tactical, and alive. You’ll kill the shadowy enemies using a variety of weapons: the Witch’s Staff, a long, elegant polearm that blends melee strikes with ranged magic. The Sister Blades are swift and brutal for up-close duels, and later weapons like the Argent Skull which lets you charge devastating projectiles. Each weapon feels distinct, and each changes the tempo of battle. Melinoë’s combat style is equal parts aggression and grace like spellcraft performed mid-fight.
What makes every encounter so satisfying is how much control you have over your build. Between runs, you’ll visit the Crossroads, a mystical hub where the witches of the Underworld gather. Here you can brew spells that grant permanent bonuses and use gathered materials to unlock new abilities. You can also draw the Arcana Cards, a tarot-like system that alters your stats and playstyle. This layer of customization lets players craft wildly different approaches. You might favor spellcasting, relying on ranged attacks, or go all in on aggression, weaving quick sprints and special attacks to control the flow of combat.
Every area in Hades II feels like a living world with its own rhythm and dangers. The early regions, like the Fields of Mourning, are eerie lands, filled with undead soldiers and corrupted Shades (dead souls) that move in structured formations. Each area culminates in a boss fight that feels handcrafted to test what you’ve learned. For example, Scylla and the Sirens are one of the most memorable encounters, a deadly trio that sings mid-battle, forcing you to fight to the beat of a pop-metal track. It’s both bizarre and exhilarating. Later, when you finally confront Chronos, his battle is an endurance test against time itself. The ticking motif woven into the soundtrack and his time-slowing attacks create an almost poetic sense of urgency.
The game constantly pushes you to experiment. Each run gives you Boons from the Olympian gods, divine upgrades that shape your abilities. One run might grant you a lightning-charged dash from Zeus, while another gives you a charm-infused cast from Aphrodite. These blessings don’t just add flavor; they completely alter the combat feel. The thrill comes from seeing how they combine. A single run might turn into a fireworks show of spells, shields, and summoned familiars if you build it right.
And yes, you will die–many times. But Hades II makes failure feel meaningful. Every death sends you back to the Crossroads, where new dialogue, new lore, and even new relationships unfold. Melinoë’s mentors, especially Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, guide her growth, often commenting on your choices and mistakes. The story isn’t something you unlock after you win; it grows with every loss, every conversation, every small act of rebellion. It feels like the world remembers you, not just as a player, but as a person struggling against destiny.
The writing deserves special praise because every line of dialogue feels lived-in. The Olympians aren’t just helpful benefactors; they’re messy, emotional, and deeply human despite their divine status. Hermes jokes through chaos, Artemis speaks with quiet thoughtful replies, and Hecate’s tough love adds both weight and warmth. Melinoë herself is different from her brother in a way that’s less reckless, more thoughtful, but just as fierce. She doesn’t fight just for rebellion’s sake; she fights because she must. Her journey feels deeply personal, a story of burden and resilience rather than freedom.
From a design perspective, Hades II is stunning. The art style builds on the foundation of the first game but feels more intricate and ethereal. The Underworld is no longer just red and black fire; it’s a fusion of midnight blues, ghostly greens, and gold. Each room looks painted by hand, yet moves with the fluidity of animation. The character designs are expressive, detailed, and the characters are rife with the divine energy that gives each conversation emotional texture.
The audio work ties it all together. Darren Korb’s mix of ancient instruments, electronic beats, and ritualistic chants, is truly an experience. The battle against Chronos uses a ticking-clock motif that subtly speeds up as the fight drags on, driving home the idea that time itself is your enemy. Meanwhile, the Scylla boss fight’s full-blown pop-metal anthem is a perfect balance of humor and intensity. It makes you want to win just to hear the final note. Outside of combat, the tracks hum softly, letting you breathe before diving back into the chaos.
Performance wise, Hades II is very smooth. The animation work during combat is crisp; attacks have weight, dodges have fluidity, and spells burst with satisfying impact. Even in late-game areas where multiple enemies fill the screen, the framerate stays steady. The little details like the way Melinoë spins her staff before a fight or how enemies disintegrate into shimmering dust makes every moment feel alive.
Mechanically, the biggest shift from the first game is how the sprint mechanic replaces the old dash system. Instead of spamming dashes to escape danger, you now hold a key to sprint continuously, which adds a sense of flow and encourages better positioning. There’s also a mana system tied to Melinoë’s magic: casting spells consumes mana, but it recharges over time or through melee attacks, forcing players to balance aggression and defense.
Where the game falters slightly is in its mid-game difficulty curve. Around the third and fourth regions, the challenge gets harder, forcing players into a grind for resources and upgrades. It’s still enjoyable, but the sudden jump can break the pacing for those used to steady progression. However, it feels intentional in that it reflects the story’s theme that power that must be earned, not given.
As you push closer to the final confrontation, you begin to feel what Hades II is really about: perseverance. Every failed run, every upgrade, every whispered conversation between Melinoë and her allies, build toward a story of endurance. The world isn’t just testing your reflexes; it’s testing your will. When you finally stand before Chronos and hear the clock begin to tick, it’s not just another boss fight. It’s dealing with everything you’ve learned about time, control, and the inevitability of loss.
Hades II is myth and motion, story and soul, fury and grace all woven together. It’s the rare sequel that doesn’t just build on what came before; it evolves it. And as Melinoë stands, weapon in hand, against the god of time himself, you realize that Hades II isn’t just about escaping the underworld–it’s about rewriting it.
Bronx native Khloe Wilkerson is in her second year of high school. In Middle School, she won our college scholarship twice in a row after completing our games journalism and narrative classes.
