Hades 2 Review: More is not always better

When Hades released in 2020 it was my Game of the Year. For me Supergiant Games nailed it and created a Masterpiece of a Roguelike. It was a tight experience and executed in a flawless way. Hades 2 now is bigger in every way, yet I can't help but feel like it's too much of the same again.

Hades 1.5

If you ever played Hades you exactly know what to expect from Hades 2. In a typical Roguelike fashion you choose one of six weapons and start your run. In the beginning you will still be weak but with each run you will slowly unlock more permanent upgrades that will help you on future runs.

The further you get into the more complex your possibilities become. Sometimes unlocking new features simply involves playing the game more but some unlocks are attached to specific challenges like “beat boss number one with weapon xyz”. In general it's an addicting cycle and after almost every run you will get new systems to play around with.

But here comes a first small issue for me. You start out in a similar spot like in Hades. This results in the first few hours feeling very similar and most of the first unlocks feel like the same as in Hades. To me in the first few hours it felt like playing the same game again just with different levels and weapons. This changes later on as Hades 2 does offer way more systems and upgrades.

When we talk about gameplay Hades 2 pretty much feels as good as Hades did. Every move, attack or spell you do feels polished and great. It's simply a joy to play and fight. But when we speak about levels and bosses i must admit that i enjoyed the first half of Hades 2 less than Hades. To me the weapons, bosses and levels are simply a bit less fun than their Hades counterparts. In the second half you can explore the upper parts of Hades 2 and without spoiling too much I found this part of the game way more creative and fun.

What makes a sequel great?

We are currently in a really exciting timeline. With Hades 2 and Hollow Knight Silksong we got two sequels of two of the best indie games of all time in the same month. So comparing them only feels natural to me. I really thought a lot about why I enjoy Silksong so much and Hades 2 not? What does Silksong do better as a sequel?

I think for me it comes down to the fact that Silksong feels very different to Hollow Knight while still keeping its core identity. Playing as Hornet is totally different from playing as Hollow Knight. Hades 2 on the other hand feels like a very big DLC of Hades. The structure of the runs, unlocks and story all feels like more of the same.

That doesn't make Hades 2 a bad game. However it does make it less exciting to me. I can't help but wish Supergiant would have taken the same formula but put it at least into a very different setting. They have always been great at creating new worlds from Bastion to Transistor to Pyre. I think that alone would have already helped a lot with making Hades 2 feel more fresh to me.

Why isn't more always better?

I totally understand why Hades 2 gets high ratings everywhere. If i would have never played Hades and would now play Hades 2 i think i would have loved it. People who are looking for more Hades get exactly that. The gameplay is polished, the unlocks are addicting and the game has way more content to offer.

However, to me it isn't always better. The second half of Hades 2 with its overworld I enjoyed way more. I kinda wish Hades 2 would be a smaller, tighter experience. Focusing way more on all the new it has to offer and less on all the repeating factors from Hades.

Rating: Recommended