In terms of game mechanics, the sequel is also not too different from the original. This is still the same hack’n’slash roguelike, where you cut your way through rooms with crowds of enemies, assemble a character build from randomly dropped bonuses and crash test it on bosses. At the same time, there are several innovations in the gameplay of Hades 2 that deserve a separate discussion.
First Hades most often criticize for rehearsal battles and lack of content – is it a joke, in a game on tens of hours There are only four full-fledged bosses. Apparently, the developers Supergiant Games listened to the comments of the players and tried to add more nuances to the combat system.
The basic techniques in Hades 2 will be familiar to those who played the first part:
- Basic attack – a quick strike with the main weapon.
- Special Strike – a slower but powerful blow that deals damage in an area or at a distance.
- Throw — Melinoe sends a projectile that hits the area and imposes a negative effect on opponents.
- Jerk — gives Melinoe several frames of invulnerability.
However, the combat feels a little different in the sequel. Firstly, Melinoe, unlike her brother, is not a warrior, but a witch. Therefore, she relies much less on brute force and more on magic. In particular, at the start of the game, Melinoe fights with the help of a magic staff, which combines regular attacks with the launch of magical spheres and shock waves.
The arsenal of techniques has grown compared to the first part
Frame: Supergiant Games / YouTube
The latter belong to the so-called omega attacks – more powerful techniques that require more time for preparation and recovery. In the sequel, each attack has a special option, but you won’t be able to use them indefinitely: special moves spend mana, the bar of which is restored only when you move to another room – unless, of course, you have a special bonus that replenishes mana during the battle.
This gives the gameplay an additional tactical dimension: on the one hand, special techniques help to effectively deal with enemies, on the other hand, they must be used in a timely manner so as not to be wasted.
For those who prefer high-speed close combat with an emphasis on proper timing, there will also be weapons: in the game, for example, there are paired blades, a sickle and a dagger, with which fights are much more reminiscent of the first part.
And of course, new opponents await us: for example, a mini-boss who shoots arrows in a circle and stings from under the ground with his tail
Screenshot: Hades 2 game / Supergiant Games
The second notable innovation is prediction cardsserving as an analogue souvenirs from the first part. The cards provide boosts to attacks, health, and other stats – and, unlike Zagreus, who had to choose one souvenir, Melinoe can build a deck of several cards that complement each other’s effects.
Frame: Supergiant Games / YouTube
Finally, the sequel features another type of power-up: the tunics that Arachne weaves. Their effects are very similar to the bonuses that goods from Charon’s well in the first part – however, the spider gives away the tunics for free and their effects last throughout the entire race.
The extraction of useful materials was also in the original game: there we, for example, collected nectarto give it to other characters, and gemsto buy access to new rooms in the hub or levels from the Contractor.
Hades 2 has even more resources. So, the Contractor was replaced by a witch’s cauldron, where you need to mix different ingredients: silver, flowers, ashes – to add a useful object or plot event to the levels. And if you want to increase the chance that you’ll get a certain type of material, you’ll need to bring along one of the tools available in the weapons room: a tablet, a shovel, or a pickaxe.
Frame: Supergiant Games / YouTube
It will become more convenient to manage these resources: now there is a special inventory for this, where you can monitor the amount of collected materials. In addition, a dialogue diary will appear in Hades 2 – so now, if you wish, you can remember what exactly this or that character told you. A useful feature, considering that for the first Hades the developers recorded 21 thousand lines of dialogue – and there will obviously be no less conversations in the sequel.
