Hades II Review: A Sequel That Honors and Elevates the Original

Score: 9.2 / 10 — Supergiant’s follow-up to one of the best roguelikes ever made refines nearly everything about the formula while telling an even more ambitious story.

Introduction

Following up Hades was never going to be simple. The original redefined what a narrative roguelike could be, and expectations for a sequel were correspondingly enormous. Hades II, now out of early access with its full campaign in place, largely meets that challenge by expanding the scope of the story, introducing a new protagonist, and refining nearly every system the first game established. This review covers the completed 1.0 release on PC.

Story and Characters

Players take on the role of Melinoë, princess of the underworld and sister to the first game’s protagonist, as she wages a generational war against the Titan Chronos. The shift in protagonist allows for a genuinely different tone — Melinoë’s magic-focused combat style and her personal relationship to the underworld’s cast open up new dynamics, while familiar faces from the first game return with updated roles that reflect the passage of time within the story.

The writing retains Supergiant’s signature strength: dialogue that evolves meaningfully across dozens of runs, character relationships that deepen gradually rather than through a handful of scripted cutscenes, and a real sense that the underworld is a lived-in, changing place rather than a static backdrop for combat encounters.

Combat and Roguelike Systems

Combat expands significantly on the original’s Boon-based build system. Melinoë’s ability to freely swap between two weapons mid-run, combined with a new spellcasting system layered on top of the familiar Boon mechanics, creates build possibilities that feel distinct from anything in the first game rather than a simple reskin. Witchcraft abilities, arcana cards, and familiar companions add further layers of customization that reward experimentation across many runs.

The pacing of runs feels tighter than the original, with biome design that pushes players to make quicker tactical decisions and boss encounters that demand more precise pattern recognition. Difficulty scaling through the Fated List of Minor Prophecies (this game’s equivalent of Heat) remains a smart, granular way to customize challenge without forcing an all-or-nothing difficulty jump.

Presentation

Visually, Hades II pushes Supergiant’s hand-painted art style further than any of their previous games, with richer environmental detail and some of the studio’s best character animation work. The soundtrack, again composed by Darren Korb, shifts toward a folk-influenced, witchy tone that suits Melinoë’s magic-focused identity while still delivering the high-energy combat themes the series is known for. Voice acting remains a highlight throughout, with strong performances anchoring even minor recurring characters.

How It Compares

Set against the original Hades, this sequel is a clear evolution rather than a reinvention — it takes almost everything that worked and refines it, while taking real risks with a new protagonist and combat identity rather than simply repeating the formula. Compared to other narrative roguelikes on PC, such as Dead Cells or Slay the Spire, Hades II remains distinguished by how tightly its story and combat are interwoven; few competitors manage to make narrative progression feel as inseparable from mechanical progression as Supergiant consistently does.

Pros and Cons

Verdict

Hades II is a rare sequel that expands its predecessor’s scope without losing what made it special. Between its refined combat, its ambitious story, and Supergiant’s continued mastery of narrative pacing within a roguelike structure, it stands as one of the strongest PC releases of the year and a worthy successor to one of the genre’s defining titles.