While it announced details and sign-ups for the upcoming technical test, Hades 2 recently received some surprise gameplay from the build. Supergiant Games’ Greg Kasavin and Amir Rao are on hand, playing through the first area and showcasing new weapons, enemies and gameplay features.
The story sees the Titan Chronos seemingly kidnapping Hades and his family. It’s up to Melinoë, Hades’ daughter, to save them. Given her training as a witch, her play style is vastly different from Zagreus. She can sprint along with dashing and charge her Basic, Specials and Casts for Omega versions of the same, dealing more damage but consuming Mana.
The Underworld has undergone some changes, and there are new enemies to combat, like Howlers, who can impair you with their screams. Fortunately, you have new weapons – like the Witch Staff and Sister Blades, the only two in the technical test. Each has unique abilities, the former allowing for more ranged damage and hanging back, while the latter is all about aggression, quick strikes and dashing through enemies.
By gathering materials on runs, Melinoë can unlock new Arcana Cards. These provide upgrades like slowing time when charging Omega Attacks. Nine cards will be available in the technical test, but plenty more will be available in early access.
The technical test for Hades 2 is coming soon and will last longer than week and potentially less than a month. Though early access doesn’t have a launch date beyond Q4 2024, it will begin after the test winds down.