As a sequel to the critically and commercially acclaimed Hades, Supergiant Games’ sequel focuses on Melinoë, the sister of Zagreus. Thanks to the re-emergence of Chronos, the House of Hades has been taken over, and her entire family seized. Raised by the mysterious witch Hecate, Melinoë trains to venture to the Underworld and slay Chronos.

Of course, there’s a lot more going on than that, and unlike the first game, players can now venture to Olympus, assisting the Pantheon with the threat of Typhon. Various new weapons and aspects are available for even more combat options, and Hades 2 introduces several other new systems, including farming, incantations, and the Arcana for equipping different passives. The combat system has also seen numerous changes, including new charged abilities that require mana.

For more details, check out our review of the PC version here. You can also learn more about the first post-launch patch, which changed the True Ending after a mixed response to the original.

Alongside the complete story, the launch version includes visual improvements (and new effects), decorations for the Crossroads, new Keepsakes, alternate Familiar styles, and 50 Steam Achievements. There’s also new music, improvements to various Nocturnal Arms, balance adjustments, and much more, with Supergiant inviting players to discover “the rest.”

Check out our review for more details on Version 1.0 of Hades 2, which we awarded a nine out of ten. Among the new releases of 2025, it’s currently the highest rated according to Metacritic with a 94 Metascore based on 35 reviews. Its Steam rating is also “Overwhelmingly Positive” with 95 percent of the currently 66,484 user reviews recommending it.

Now, after a lengthy early access period, comes Hades 2. It’s bigger in almost every sense, going beyond the original with its enhanced mechanical depth, extensive content, and advanced progression systems. And while it probably won’t influence a new generation of rogue-lites, Hades 2 is still a finely crafted, excellently hued work that’s a class above the vast majority in terms of aesthetics and gameplay.

"As before, various characters lend their aid, wrapped up as they are in their own war on the surface against the Titan."

Melinoë is the star, this time, raised from an early childhood by the witch, Hecate, to slay Chronos. The latter has inexplicably risen from the dead and enslaved the House of Hades, effectively capturing her father, mother and brother, Zagreus. With the only one left with the authority to venture into the Underworld, it falls on Melinoë to bring death to Chronos.

Of course, things rarely unfold as neatly as one would like, and it’s not long before she ventures to the surface, ascending to Mount Olympus in a venerable odyssey. The narrative can become a bit muddled at times (and Melinoë, while a very good lead, is nowhere near Zagresus’s charm), especially when accounting for various schemes in the background. Nevertheless, it’s engaging enough to fuel that urge for one more run, either to see things settled or to learn more about the overall scope of the conflict.

As before, various characters lend their aid, wrapped up as they are in their own war on the surface against the Titan, and despite some returning figures taking a relatively minor role, newcomers bolster the cast in many welcome ways. Odysseus, a master tactician who’s as charismatic as he is cunning; Nemesis, who’s as angry as she is loyal to the cause. I won’t spoil the entire cast, but even the roster feels slightly less memorable than the first game, which is a nigh-impossible feat given how well-rounded it was – they still make for excellent interactions, supplanted by hundreds of thousands of incredibly voiced dialogue. It also doesn’t hurt that the character designs and portraits are simply fantastic, even if some redesigns (like Artemis) may prove a tad divisive for some.

Of course, all these characters aren’t here to just stand around and look pretty. They offer benefits to help Melinoë in her journey. This usually manifests in the form of Boons, which can alter her abilities in various ways. Melinoë’s skills are much deeper than Zagreus, from channelling casts in a circle to unleashing powerful Omega attacks with different properties. Couple this with a brand new set of weapons, the Nocturnal Arms, each with its own Hidden Aspects to alter their forms and properties, and you have a diverse set of Titan-killing tools. Initially, I felt a bit whelmed by the likes of the Witch’s Staff and the Umbral Flames, but venturing deeper into Hades 2 showcased their potential and how they can be leveraged in insane ways.

"Everything eventually clicks in place, before you’re likely obliterated and sent back to the Crossroads, trying to figure out the places to dodge when you should’ve sprinted."

Take the Black Coat, Xinth, perhaps my favorite weapon in the game. On the surface, it serves as the ultimate counter-attacking tool, blocking most hits from the front while charging up a huge hit. However, it also unleashes missiles that can seek out foes with its Omega Special. A One Punch-Man Style build that could deal massive damage made the most sense for the former, but by dashing, you can unleash it early, effectively keeping up with faster-moving foes. Couple this with a few Boons for a chance to trigger the same punch twice, hit farther (or in a wider area), and so on, for even more big damage potential.

Or make it so that successfully blocking hits unleashes those same seeker missiles. Or, invest fully into seekers, taking a boon from Hephaestus that causes big explosive damage with each hit and reduces the cooldown as much as possible. It’s not quite Panzer Dragoon Orta, but locking on and decimating groups of enemies from afar, sometimes channelling Selene to slow down time, felt extremely satisfying.

These are only a few options for a single weapon, and it doesn’t even account for casts, which have their own level of insane builds to leverage. Of course, none of this would matter if the core gameplay of Hades 2 wasn’t so satisfying. Admittedly, it takes a hot minute to get used to the new sprinting mechanics, especially when transitioning from a dash into a sprint (and vice versa).

Everything eventually clicks in place, before you’re likely obliterated and sent back to the Crossroads, trying to figure out the places to dodge when you should’ve sprinted. The same goes for the Omega Attacks and casts, or chaining together Omega Combos for more damage. Fans of the first game who want to dash around and smack fools have plenty of avenues to do so, ignoring the deeper mechanics entirely, but they still offer a wealth of strategic depth (and several tactics that could make one’s run that much easier). That said, I did wish some abilities would flow into each other a lot better than others.

One build involved pressing F to activate a diving slam, either for invincibility frames or quick repositioning on enemies, but the delay after unleashing a big punch with Xinthe would literally and figuratively tear me apart, despite mashing the button for dear life. It’s all the more baffling considering some moves – simple slash from the Moonstone Axe into a charged spinning Omega Attack while simply holding the button down – feel so natural. And while the wealth of available Boons and upgrades sometimes feels like being spoiled for choice, I am a tad disappointed at how Dionysus ended up.

"Suffice it to say that if you’re a fan of rogue-lites, Hades 2 is well worth your time."

Regardless, the combat is delightfully on point more often than not – hits feel satisfying while the controls become second nature matched by an incredible variety of enemies and some truly astounding boss fights (with certain foes augmented even further courtesy of the Oath of the Unseen, to a sometimes hilariously insane degree). But the excellent level design can’t be discounted either. From the Fields of Mourning, with its extensive space and treating rewards as mini-objectives or Mount Olympus, with its ascending jumps used to dive bomb onto unsuspecting enemies, each region brings something new and interesting to the table. The overall difficulty is beyond that of the first game, which can lead to extensive frustration, even before recklessly stacking Fear levels, but it makes exploiting the various tools available that much more satisfying.

Of course, the visuals are simply stunning. Environmental design, animation work, effects, character design, bosses – it all comes together so incredibly well. So does the music, from the solitary plucks while wandering the undead City of Ephyra to epic boss tracks that are simply fantastic (and that’s not even including Scylla and the Sirens, who received some new tracks throughout early access). Even if you’re jumping in for the story alone, the presentation doesn’t disappoint in terms of sheer detail and the excitement it brings.

Hades 2 is, bluntly, more of Hades 1, sure, so if you couldn’t really get into the latter, it may not exactly change your mind. But even with the addition of more regions, Boons, build opportunities, enemies, bosses, and so on, I’m impressed with how deeply it feeds into the run-based progression that made the original so endearing. Whether it’s a failed or successful attempt, I’m eager to see how the Crossroads has evolved, or if someone has something new to say or venturing to the Cauldron to see what new incantations have become available or retooling my Arcana for the night ahead or undertaking the Chaos Trials with their specific loadouts.

Suffice it to say that if you’re a fan of rogue-lites, Hades 2 is well worth your time, building on everything that made the original so wonderful and expanding on it in fresh new directions.

This game was reviewed on PC.

While the developer didn’t outline everything that we can expect, it confirmed cross-saves between Nintendo Switch consoles and PC. Fans can also expect the true ending and additional bug fixes. It currently retails for $29.99 on PC, which will remain the same for Version 1.0’s release.

As for Switch 2 players, they can look forward to 1080p/120 FPS in Docked Mode and 1080p/60 FPS while playing in Handheld Mode. Compared to the Switch 1, it offers improved texture quality and visual effects.

Check out our early access review of Hades 2 for more details. You can also learn more about the latest content update, The Unseen, which added more challenging bosses and Hidden Aspects, here.

However, perhaps most important is that this will likely be the studio’s final patch before Version 1.0 when it exits early access. The latter will feature further polish and the true ending, but there’s no launch date.

Hades 2 is available in early access for PC. It features Melinoë, Zagreus’s sister, as the new protagonist. Subverting the previous game’s premise, she must infiltrate the Underworld, defeat Chronos, the Titan of Time, and save her father, Hades. However, a war is also raging on Olympus, which Melinoë can assist in.

Check out the latest patch notes here. Hades 2 is also coming to Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, though a release date hasn’t been announced.

The Flames of Ygnium have also been revamped for “smoother, snappier” play, and Selene’s Hexes can now be infused with Olympian powers, making them much more potent. Scylla and the Sirens have new songs, and various bonds can now be further courtesy of new events. Even Narcissus finally shows his face.

You can also expect the usual balance changes and improvements, from new enemy waves spawning a little bit sooner to increased damage for the Black Coat in almost every facet. Check out a dramatic reading of the patch notes below.

Hades 2 is in early access for PC with Nintendo Switch 1 and 2 versions in the works. Version 1.0 doesn’t have a release date yet, so stay tuned for more updates and announcements.

At the recent Nintendo Direct, it was announced that Hades 2 will also release for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. When exactly it will launch for the two Nintendo consoles is unclear. It isn’t surprising that the game seems to be prioritizing a Switch release over other consoles, seeing as its predecessor took a similar approach. 

Meanwhile, on its official website, Supergiant has confirmed that the game will run at 1080p on the Switch 2, and at 60 FPS on both Switch and Switch 2. The studio has also offered a bit of an update on Hades 2’s launch plans. The developer says it has at least one more major update planned for the game’s ongoing early access period, and that the 1.0 release will follow some time after that.

“We don’t yet have a release date for the full version of Hades 2,” the developer writes. The game is currently available in Early Access on computer platforms, and we have at least one more Major Update still to come, so our v1.0 launch will be some time after that. Stay tuned for more details later this year.”

In our early access review of Hades 2, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “Hades 2 isn’t just one of the best early access titles right now – it’s also a top-tier rogue-lite experience that fans and newcomers should experience immediately.” Read the full review through here.

The team will release further patches to address feedback and fix any issues arising from The Warsong Update, but it did outline some of its plans. These include hidden Aspects for the Nocturnal Arms (which will be available “next time”), enhanced regional bosses (“We want them to be able to challenge and surprise you even more”), and the rest of the story. That includes “building on various character relationships and subplots.”

While players can fully complete runs in the Underworld and Surface, Supergiant will focus on “filling out more of the game’s content categories, finishing more and more of what we started… until we’re done!”

Hades 2 is in early access for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Supergiant hasn’t confirmed whether it will come to other platforms like the first game, but that may happen once Version 1.0 plans solidify. Stay tuned for updates, and in the meantime, check out our review for early access’ launch version.

Ares’s Boons are seemingly focused on inflicting Wounds, though you can also conjure falling blades with casts and dashes. The rest of the Pantheon also has some new Boons, while others have been improved or revamped. Over 2,000 new voice lines, new events, and a brand new Familiar who provides a powerful benefit have also been added.

Other changes include a reworked Altar of Ashes (complete with new Arcana Card art), no longer having to prioritize Gathering Tools, and balance changes to the Nocturnal Arms. You can also hang out at different places in the Crossroads and share a duet with Artemis.

Hades 2 is available for PC via early access. Check out our review of the base version here. A release date for Version 1.0 hasn’t been shared but stay tuned for updates.

In a pre-Holidays Steam post, Supergiant confirmed that the next major update would arrive in early 2025 and feature the “final confrontation” of the alternate route. Another big update is coming later this year, expanding on the story and other “various parts.” However, you need to wait until Version 1.0 for the true ending.

Unfortunately, a release date will depend on “how our major updates” progress. Suffice it to say that it isn’t guaranteed for this year, though never say never. Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.

Hades 2 is available for PC early access via Steam and the Epic Games Store. Check out our review for the launch of early access, which we gave a nine out of ten and described as a “compelling, absurdly polished title that once again showcases Supergiant’s prowess in every possible way.”