How do you follow up a near-perfect game? Supergiant Games set the bar sky-high with the original Hades — Game of the Year just about everywhere in 2020. Five years on, the studio answers with a sequel that takes a simple risk: switch protagonists. Melinoe steps in for her brother Zagreus, and the gamble pays off. Big time.
TL;DR: Hades II surpasses the original on every axis. 38 hours tested on Steam Deck, a ritual system that goes far beyond mere buffs, and a warmer tone. Final score: 9.2/10.
Our verdict
Supergiant Games does not just clone the winning formula. The studio expands it, deepens it, and shifts the emotional center. Melinoe is not Zagreus 2.0: she is a witch, fights at range as much as up close, and carries a story of her own.
What we love
- Melinoe, a different protagonist with built-in magic, delivering genuinely fresh gameplay.
- The sunnier tone, less teen-angst than Zagreus’s, broadening the emotional palette.
- Every run feels new even after 38 hours of testing — outstanding replay value.
- Flawless Steam Deck performance, the ideal platform for the roguelite loop.
What truly changes
The major innovation comes down to one word: rituals. Meta-progression is no longer just stacking buffs. Each ritual reshapes how you approach a run, unlocking narrative branches, allies, tools. The sense of progression has never felt this rich in a roguelite.
A sister, not a brother
Melinoe is Zagreus’s sister, and that family bond drives the story. This is not a flight upward, it is a mission of vengeance and rescue. Hecate, the mentor, steals some of the game’s best scenes.
“Hades II does not fix Hades. It transforms it, while keeping the magic that made the original sing.”
Who it is for
If you loved the first one, dive in blind. If you have never touched a roguelite, Hades II is still the genre’s best entry point, ahead of Dead Cells and Returnal.
Final verdict
An ambitious, dense, endlessly replayable sequel. Score: 9.2/10, label Recommended.
Also on HIK Gaming: our GTA VI review, our Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty review and our Baldur’s Gate 3 best builds guide.