Check Out: Hades 2

Talking about my initial experiences with Hades 2 via it's early access release!
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#gaming #gamereviews #hades2 #hades

[@omegalynx1750]

I wholeheartedly agree with your point that enemies, especially bosses, have attacks that are hard to parse. Also, it suffers from what the previous game suffered from: readability; the screen can be overwhelming to parse at times and you're just relying on staying as far away from enemies (or luck) to not get hit. Aside from these issues, it's a pretty good way to start an early access release! Oh, also, Amelia Tyler, the Narrator from Baldur's Gate 3, is in this game as Hecate!

[@A.Useless.Goddess]

i think that's just a side effect of these types of games. no one complains that bullet hell shooters have too many things on screen. i can't really think of many times i got hit out of nowhere because i've learned how to pay attention to *all* of the battlefield it just takes practice to learn how to dodge everything

[@flissflossgaming]

One thing I've found is incredibly important is remembering to use your magic and omega abilities. They are much more powerful than regular attacks, and slow down the battlefield while being charged (as long as you have the card active). That and there are a lot of magic regen boons that can help take your build from decent to busted since you're able to spam magic

[@MutedAggression]

I feel like some of the regen cards are traps. I got one that basically regenerated all my mana as long as I didn't move/attack for 1 second. It was pretty much useless most of the time.

[@kloka6247]

You should be using every possibile ability that has a button on it

[@cursed_ascension]

@@MutedAggression it's useless in small rooms but it's great in bigger ones because you just drop your cast to root enemies and sprint away and regen it.

[@tommytatt]

I dashed a lot in hades 1. A lot less dashing in hades 2 so that feels different

[@giampaolomannucci8281]

it IS different, we only have one dash here, of course it feels different

[@chiefinasmith]

Yeah it’s fucking with me lmao

[@mightyn8]

I personally enjoyed Hades 2, even in this early access form, way more than the original. I feel like they figured out exactly how to improve on the formula and innovate. The only reason it may seem a bit strange when playing it after Hades is that Melinoe is indeed very different from Zagreus, and so everything that comes out of that takes a bit of getting used to. I found the movements and abilities a little awkward at first, but I also remember feeling the same about Zag's moves in Hades when I first played that. I think that being a roguelike that's how it's supposed to feel - you're going to be awkward and clumsy at first, not quite understanding everything and having much to learn, but as you keep playing you get better at it and you feel rewarded for the time you put in. I'm not otherwise a fan of roguelikes, but I love Hades & Hades 2. I have to use god mode in order to be able to get to the final bosses, but that doesn't bother me because the journey there is so fun and interesting (especially the story and characters).

[@degreeskelvin3025]

It also feels more difficult than Hades 1 simply off of the fact that there's a couple more mechanics to manage now, like mana and using a cast. Enemies feel more difficult too. It's great

[@Abken.]

I agree. I enjoy Hades 2 a lot. It's a little bit more strategic and tactical and a little bit more difficult for this reason. I think it's a nice shift from the original while the good stuff remains

[@john_the_masochist2564]

I agree with a lot of this video. I will say that this game has more content and polish in EA than most AAA titles do a year after full launch.

[@Telzrob]

Very excited for this one. I'll do the same as the first one though and wait until it's done. I look forward to playing it in 2026.

[@johnlisowy2475]

I was also lukewarm about the sprint mechanic at first too, but I've come to really like if you get some boons to its speed and effect. I can become great for both crowd control and giving you a ton of breathing room when it comes to bosses!

[@ryankroskie7479]

Hades 1 is one of my all time favorite games with 150+ hours put in, so I was very excited to play this. Overall I think I enjoy it, but I defintely have two major critiques: 1.) Melinoe feels much slower and less powerful than Zag. It think has a lot to do with the fact that the new combat relies SO heavily on the new magic system, particularly its Omega attacks. (These are the charged versions of magic.) However, anyone who has played Hades can tell you, that slowing down is pretty bad. Thus the flow state of Hades combat requires you to stop in order to charge attacks in order to have the most DPS. And with the complete downgrade of dash/sprint mechanic, this leaves you so vulnerable. There are some modifiers that help, but overall it just makes Mel feel hamstrung. Additionally, the base weapon is so far just the THE best weapon because it makes the best use of all of the gameplay systems. 2.) The updated art for the gods from the original Hades also seems like a BIG downgrade, particularly Artemis, who just looks AWFUL compared to her original artwork. The new gods and characters look great though. So, even though I recommend H2, I don't think I like as much as the original in terms of pure gameplay and some art direction.

[@danebirbhaha7520]

I mean, it's early access, things will be fixed, that is the reason why it's available

[@ryankroskie7479]

@@danebirbhaha7520 Well yeah. Just making observations based on what we have available to us.

[@EPICSAWIKI]

@@danebirbhaha7520 One of the points of early access is to gauge the audiences opinions on the game before it's officially out. Critiques like these help devs figure out what does and doesn't work for their audience. However in terms of the art, I have a feeling it'll stay even in 1.0 and might be a bit locked in lol.

[@dr4kun]

Have you unlocked weapon aspects, have you upgraded the tarot cards, keepsakes and incantations? One should resist the urge to compare end-game Zagreus to early-level early access Melione. Zagreus also felt extremely weak at the very beginning of EA on a fresh save.

[@danilakalinin6261]

I like how Melinoe feels more like spellblade unlike fighter Zagreous. Sigils much more fun than throw. Overall increased difficulty is fun. But yeah, need more cooking, lots of powerups is not strong enough, no double boons in early chapters. Not all weapons feels good. I enjoy axe and staff, almost like dagger and sickle but 2 sticks is just unfanny joke.

[@kn0bhe4d]

I should get around to playing Hades 1 at some point.

[@A.Useless.Goddess]

if you have steam it's like $8-9 right now

[@kn0bhe4d]

@@A.Useless.Goddess Oh I have had it in my library since its 1.0 release. :D It's just that roguelites aren't my thing, so I've only played it for a few hours and haven't gone far. But pretty much everyone says its story is great so I want to play through it at some point.

[@nickochioneantony9288]

please, treat yourself... the roguelike elements taken half of the fun factor, the other is actually the persistent progression in the story. It doesn't matter whether you screwed up your run in the first level, the progression itself is engaging, way better satisfaction than pure roguelike such as Dead Cells or Blasphemous. I played during lockdown back then though, so I got more free time.. the game might not be suitable for quick on and off session.

[@lynackhilou4865]

@@nickochioneantony9288 hades is great but honestly i enjoyed blasphemous a lot more because it is not a roguelite but rather a metroidvania , so no procedural generation and exploration is a lot more important

[@romo7919]

@@nickochioneantony9288 calling Blasphemous a roguelite 😭😭😭😭😭 tf you on, that’s a metroidvania blud

[@joshuaknox2724]

to me hades 1 is special and i feel it didn't need a sequel just an expansion, thanks for the video Mortismal it was very informative.

[@keeganbate8935]

Playing this game felt like coming home after beating Hades I

[@EastyyBlogspot]

Ealry access when done well is a good thing i have seen some companies that rely on early access as they need the money to come in and that does not bode well. Hades though did it right. But what i did find great is its an early access sequel that improves so much right off the bat....

[@abraxis59]

Overall I am having fun with the game, but I suspect I have not progressed as far. The things I noticed from playing that make this title feel different: 1. Magic refreshes after every room. So, you are encouraged to go nuts with your "held" abilities. I like this as I don't feel the need to hoard them as emergency skills. 2. The AoE pool on the ground was the least impactful FEELING mechanic for me. It's OK for crowd control, but if I did not wait the lengthy time to power it up it just feels underwhelming. 3. Environmental damage. There are trees over all of the levels I experienced. If you shatter the trees in the direction of enemies it seems to do MASSIVE damage. It's been quite some time since I played Hades, but I think this is new. 4. I agree that it seems like there are overall fewer chances to get boons, so I found myself choosing them assuming it was one of two I would get and synergy is difficult.

[@Killbomb]

Loved Hades but I doubt I play 2 until the full release. Hopefully 1.0 will release on consoles simultaneously with PC.

[@TelperionMt]

Sounds like a fun time. I'll check out the first game first while the sequel has some more time to bake in Early Access.

[@djTachi]

See, this is more like it Thanks

[@JeannieLove]

It makes sense Melanoë would play differently from Zagreus. I wasn't sure about the weapons until I saw the Dual Blades, looking forward to messing with those, and then I really got excited when I saw someone with an Axe, I'm going to try and unlock that asap.

[@supersonicman4353]

Ngl it’s great rn but there is a small dash delay after you push the button and it’s so freaking anoying otherwise it’s so good

[@tonyspogoni]

Is there God mode in this one? I really like Hades but suck at it so God mode was a big help for me.

[@tortoiseoflegends4466]

There is.

[@tonyspogoni]

@@tortoiseoflegends4466 Dope. Thanks!

[@Darkholow]

Yes, I played with it after 20+ attempts. With God mode it took me 15 extra tries to finally do a "full run" (I'm not good at these games, but God mode option made me enjoy Hades 1) then I stopped and I'm waiting for full release.

[@Falkinger]

This game is crazy fun. Playing with controller instead of keyboard fixed the clunky sprint mechanic for me.

[@Acemont]

While it jsut as great as the original - is does need a bit more time i nthe owen. Buuuuuut - what already IS there shows a good promise and just "more Hades". Which is more then great for me.

[@ERHershman1]

I'm finding the lack of multiple dodges, and the replacement with the sprint ability, incredibly difficult to get used to. The game is fun, but as you said, it needs work.

[@HurricaneSparky]

I'm a spammy player. Gauntlets, Shield, and Sword were my go-to in the first game. I've got a need for speed when I play games like this. ;0

[@gumzster]

The combat is not great compared to the first. If you want to do damage, you need to stand still and charge an ability. Combined with the slight delay dash now have (why!?) combat just feels clunky. I also think the characters feels a bit flat compared to the original. Long way to go to 1.0, so I'm sure it'll be stellar just like the first.

[@soullesspancake7405]

I know what you mean. It doesn't have the push forward combat like hades 1

[@mrpringles6690]

I'm really missing Zags humor so far. Melinoe feels a bit too serious which can make the dialog a bit boring from time to time

[@gumzster]

40 hours in I take it all back. What an amazing game!

[@onatgz]

free comment.

[@kastian9537]

Kinda what I expected from early access.At least Supergiant seems to know how to use early acces to finish their games. Probably will wait until full release when they will optimize all of the new systems and builds.

[@firstclaw1]

Thanks for looking across the border of cRPGs. Hades seems promising, but honestly I am still happy with playing Hades and other games before I consider to jump on this one.

[@eliottdewitt893]

I'm alil dissapointed to be honest, was expecting abit more innovation in the relationship department as well as upgrading home, which is, to me, the core of hades, also I can't beleive they didn't add outfits, that woulda been an awesome upgrade, you know like how weapon aspects changed the look of your weapon, woulda loved to see something like that for outfits too, that woulda been amazing

[@sodapopinksi667]

Tbf, the relationship stuff and home customization was some of the last things they iterated on in Hades 1 in EA. They'll probably balance the game first, then slowly add more relationship stuff.

[@vojinvmilojkovic7622]

I am under impression hades 2 is "harder" but on another note I never played earlier access hades 1. the state of hades 2 is amazing tho overall. I play on autoplay based on my hades 1 experience especially with aspect of momus :3 Melinoë is kinda boring tho, but opposite to her character everyone else shine brighter. p.s live long enough to have multiple playable characters :D

[@88oscuro]

I actually 100% the first one. Doing different builds in the runs with specific weapon and god combos, was the thing that spoke to me in the first game. Will 100% wait for a full release. Great impression, thanks!

[@sharpeone4169]

Debating between buying this or V Rising...

[@oighor]

This

[@keskinischris3417]

Vrising for sure your buying a full game game and not an early Access

[@gumzster]

Definitely V Rising. Let Hades 2 cook for a bit.

[@devastatheseeker9967]

@@keskinischris3417 Early access doesn't mean bad or not worth the money. The game is mostly fine at the moment and the only major criticism outside the resources I'd give it is that a bunch of assets aren't finished...which makes sense because it's in early access.

[@ducky36F]

@@JarlBarbossathe V rising multiplayer focus is a huge put off for me, otherwise I’d be all over it

[@timmyburch6501]

🖤

[@dilsoncamacho4100]

I have had many issues with early access games before and now I don't buy early access games anymore, I didn't even get baldur's gate 3 and I won't get hades 2. I'll be there when it launches, but other than that, staying away from early access.

[@RobAtkinson-wj4rc]

I totally agree with this statement/Comment..Early Access is for people who can’t wait to play and be patient! You are paying to be a play tester for many years in some cases,and in others it can be worse where you can be getting ripped off!..Tarkov is a great example right now,but many have been leading the way. If you’re patient you can get games with all the bugs ironed out,Complete better experience! So as a PC gamer,spending money on decent hardware..Why am I going to want to run unoptimised and unfinished games. Yeah I know that some AAA studios release finished crap,and I agree..before anyone jumps on that bandwagon!!..but I don’t buy them either! It cuts both ways.. Finished and complete games and well optimised indie or AAA or anything in between.

[@InMaTeofDeath]

Even if everything turns out all right I prefer waiting since then you get the whole package all at once with all the improvements you would have wanted to be there the first time you played. Us gamers love talking about how we wish we could have our first time playing X game again and all early access does is ensure your first experience with that game is going to be less than what it could have been. The only use I see for them is using the steam refund policy to try it for a couple hours if you honestly don't know if you're going to like it.

[@MutedAggression]

This game definitely wants you to grind more than the previous game. It's fine but feels more like a rpg than a roguelite.

[@TheGronkus]

Gronk!

[@leul1551]

Mortem would you ever considering checking out Pyre? It’s a fantasy-sport team management visual novel and IMO Supergiant Games’ magnum opus but it has never seemed to get the same recognition as their other titles

[@sodapopinksi667]

Did you like it? I got a copy, but it's the only Supergiant game I haven't played yet.

[@leul1551]

@@sodapopinksi667 personally, my only criticism of the game is that the pacing at the beginning can feel slow. But if you love the characters that Supergiant create, then it’s definitely worth playing

[@MortismalGaming]

No current plans at least

[@_george84]

First review that is not 100% positive. That's why I trust you!

[@Vladutz.19]

This is not a review, bro.

[@leviledbetter9975]

this is a rare early access game that expects critiquing. they know it will sell a shit load, i believe the devs want and encourage this type of preview. they want it polished before it reaches 1.0

[@_george84]

@@leviledbetter9975 I agree with you.

[@YusifAgayev-ck1br]

@@Vladutz.19it’s more of a review than the “reviews” the bigger game journalists have put out for hades 2. I trust that mort has probably played significantly longer, and has more interesting things to say. He’ll probably put out a “after 100%” but I still trust this over other reviews, so might as well call it one

[@romo7919]

Okay that’s just silly lol

[@taigaaisaka6305]

Does each run is actually different now or is like Hade 1 where they are the same except for what skills you get? Because that's what made me bounce off hard from the first one.

[@zveznicht883]

same as Hades 1.

[@Gspi1005]

I feel like Hades 2 is in a weird place. On it own, its a decent action roguelike, however, being a sequel, it has to be compare to Hades 1 one, a near perfect game. While some of the changes are cool and fun, a lot feel either like side grades or even down grades. None of the bosses seem quite as polished, some of the mini bosses are just a pain to fight, even some of the enemy design just feel unfair. The meta progression is far slower, which on its own isn't necessary a bad thing, but it much more of an intentional grind, where as in Hades 1 you could just kinda play the game and things would progress. On a personal note, while the quality of the art is still great, I can't help but feel the levels don't look as good, all being more muted and busy, where locations in the first game really popped.

[@thomashooper2451]

It's not a question of buying Hades II. It's a question of buying it right now or waiting until full release.

[@sodapopinksi667]

I think I'm going to wait a bit like the last one. Or at least until I can get a key from a verified key seller with a discount. Only Steam and Epic directly selling it right now.

[@kaidorade1317]

I’m curious to see if Hades 2 plays like a true sequel or an expansion to the first game

[@vivi_izy3344]

I played it for about 20 hours now and in my opinion it plays like a sequel :). New weapons, new boons, new systems in place, new characters, different (more open) level design, different vibe and an amazing soundtrack to compliment all of this. But it still feels familiar because the gameplay loop is of course very similar.

[@coconutologist]

Thanks for the video. My concern with titles like these is they often succeed off the fame from their predecessor... "All of the first one, but with a whole lot more..." In this case "more" usually isn't an improvement. Onward to 400k. All glory to the algorithm. Let's hope they bake the cake.

[@catch82]

We are about a week into early access and it's already really damn impressive IMO. It's definitely "more Hades", which I will never complain about. But if it's already this good this early, man I can't wait to see where Hades 2 is in a year.

[@kelsonlewis9252]

Is the intro music from something. It sounds SO familiar. Like some old PC game or something.

[@MortismalGaming]

Its meant to sound like pillars of eternity, but legally distinct

[@kelsonlewis9252]

@MortismalGaming ohhh duh. Thanks for replying, my brain got stuck on it every video, lol.

[@View619]

The fastest recommendation I've ever given, Super Giant doesn't miss.

[@rodrigogonzalez1570]

I did like the changes loved the game even if it is early access, can't believed you didn't enjoyed it I've already invested 25 hrs lol

[@dzikdziki2983]

I am a fan of the first one but I am sceptical for this one. I'll wait until they finish it. Thanks for the info

[@oliverjones2426]

took me around 30 hours to beat chronos, starts being easier once you get the arcana upgrades and weapon aspect maxed, also the moon boon that gives life is broken cause you can basically have 20 charges by the time you get to chronos which means like infinite health, still have to beat the bosses going to the surface, pretty sure there still a lot of dialogue left. in the first hades even after 80 hours there was still dialogue. what i will say is i feel like the pacing is all over the place. the progression doesnt feel as good as the first hades, it all feels disjointed and badly put together, Chronos feels like a villain for being a villains sake and it feels way more childish than the first hades. The story feels superficial and i found myself skipping the dialogues because they just didnt grip me like the ones in hades 1 did. I feel like the bonds were really beautiful and endearing in the first one, in this one all the character feel undercooked.The 3rd and 4th stage arent really enjoyable to me, the mini bosses hit way too hard and have way too many projectiles spam that are very hard to dodge.

[@bucketfeet5567]

I tried getting into Hades 1 but just couldn't get into it

[@grandlancer]

I've tried and couldn't get into SuperGiant's previous titles. As I doubt this one will be any different, I'll pass but, I still enjoy your coverage.

[@ducky36F]

I love their style but yeah these games have a reparative nature

[@Darkholow]

Hades 2 is Hades 1 perfected. It's crazy how good this is in early access..it's almost content complete. If you enjoyed Hades 1 then this is a no brainer to get and play and get your feet wet until 1.0 release comes out. I am not a fan of roguelikes in general, but the style of Hades 1 and how it's set up the progression and story alongside the option of Godmode..really made me enjoy it to the fullest. I'm happy this option is back in Hades 2. It took me 35 attempts to finally get a full run (with Godmode on after attempt 25#) and I enjoyed every second of it. I also did a surface run as well, but that is not as long and overall it took me 25hours (funnily enough that's how much the content in No Rest for the Wicked took me). I will take a break from the game and probably just play it once it's out of early access. But what is there already is just GOTY condender level: the music, voice acting, enviorenments, smooth gameplay, amazing optimization and artstyle is all top notch. I can't wait until this releases in 1.0 so thanks for the video Mort!

[@Soulache]

I liked Hades 1 enough to enjoy it, but not enough to want a sequel. I wish they'd instead made something like Transistor again, as that one is still my favorite game of theirs.

[@thegreatmaximilian]

I love Hades 1, but for the sequel I'll choose to wait. Don't get me wrong, I'm greatful to all the Early Access players whose input will improve the game, but I want to have the best possible experience when playing the title, so I'll wait for Version 1.0

[@boombox8675]

i agree with the readability and god (apollo) forbid if u wanna use apollos cast it flashes screen and hides everything behind it. also this game new thing called hex needs alot of tweaking where i actively dont use them. and make its me but some boss fight really hate meele or dash or movement build. but just like hades 1 supergiant gonna focus more on tweaking everything now rather than making new content.

[@LTdaemor]

Dear Mortym , this is a question more than a comment , will you "check out" the huge system revamp going on in Diablo 4 ? I would certainly love a video about it if you do :) All the best.

[@MortismalGaming]

Maybe, not sure yet

[@DarkbblueIntoDepth]

I feel two major changes from the first game. The combat design is no longer an easy hack&slash game but intended to be more tactical. I can understand that the team tries to make something different from the past. But the classic design is so intuitive that the current design in Hades 2 is counter-intuitive and not very fun. The boon design feels like they want your build per run more random. We know in the first game you can literally guarantee what gods you can meet by using their tokens, so the game is not that ROGUE. This change, too, can be understood. But instead of giving me enough space to select from many viable builds depending on what random gods I meet in this run, I only get disconnected pieces and see no actual builds showing up.

[@williamschubert4819]

The game is amazing, surprising amount of very negative comments given how good it plays.

[@Melchiah28]

I don’t understand why such a successful developer studio that has really made a lot of money with the predecessor now relies on early access with the successor. Either laziness is testing the game itself or greed, or maybe both. I liked the first part better, the second one doesn’t seem to suit me.

[@sodapopinksi667]

The first one changed a ton based on user feedback. It was more barebones than this one on release. I think you wouldn't have liked the first one either in EA.

[@Melchiah28]

@@sodapopinksi667 Thats a good point.

[@anon_moose]

Greed and exploiting the rampant fanboyism of gamers. Charging people money to test your product would be ridiculous anywhere else.

[@christophertheofilos1063]

Hah, finished all of the early acces before Mort did, for once

[@snakeace0]

Its weird, this feels like a prequel. In general more downgrades than upgrades. Super weird gamedesign decisions..

[@prototypelq8574]

...really wish Supergiant made something more creative than the Hades sequel. It kind of feels like their potential is getting wasted on this.

[@anon_moose]

I hate how it became an accepted practice to just release unfinished games and charge people for it. Hades 1 did very well financially so they have no excuses!

[@ELPONCHILLOOOO]

If you don't like it don't buy it. Its a totally acceptable way to develope a game when done right, as Hades 1 and BG3 (to name some examples) demostrated. Also, player feedback is one of the main reasons to release an early access, its not only about funding

[@ProbyWaN1337]

Very ignorant take. It's early access so they can fix things and make the game better. Jesus Christ

[@raymondstewart3350]

Why shouldn't it be acceptable? The customer knows what they're buying. There's a huge difference between something that's sold as an incomplete product and we're part of the reason for purchasing. It is the desire to give feedback to developers so that they can change it and the kind of thing that so-called AAA companies do where they sell a broken game at launch with the promise of fixing it later, assuming enough people buy it.

[@Greenhead24]

Diablo4 has ruined all excitement i have for top down arpgs. The only one i am looking forward to is Path of Exile 2. And considering i have not played POE1 more than a couple hours i cant wait to totally get into the franchise from a fresh perspective. Obviously you gonna do a POE2 first impressions when it comes out and a review after.

[@andrewf6111]

Lol Diablo 4

[@kyoukai5104]

This is a rogue like... The gameplay loop is different

[@t0zu]

The perspective is where the similarities end though. D4 and POE are a completely different genre than Hades and play nothing like it. That's like saying the recent call of duty has completely killed my excitement for first person games like kingdom come deliverance 2

[@Greenhead24]

@@kyoukai5104 how? What does that mean?

[@Greenhead24]

@@t0zu i never played hades how is the gameplay different?