Battle beyond the Underworld using dark sorcery to take on the Titan of Time in this bewitching sequel to the award-winning rogue-like dungeon crawler.
Hades II is the early-access sequel to Supergiant's Hades, starring Melinoe, a magic-wielding protagonist fighting to save her family from Kronos. He considers the original a masterpiece and finds the sequel a true sequel rather than DLC, keeping the feel while twisting the mechanics. He calls the current early access build fantastic, and even bigger than Hades 1. It becomes his first S tier of the night, and he likes it more than the original, though he is pausing until full release and suggests newcomers may want to wait.
Liked
Keeps the original Hades feel while feeling like a real sequel, not a DLC
Melinoe as a magic user changes pacing: longer dash, running, mana, chargeable attacks
Arcana cards replace the mirror with far more build and permanent-ability customization
Two full paths (surface and underground) with entirely different biomes and monsters, both feeling full
Developers actively take player feedback and change mechanics in each update
Voice acting, art and a deeper, more serious story with flashbacks are excellent
Wider resource/crafting currencies (seeds, minerals, fishing) that tie into route choice
Disliked
More complicated mechanics than Hades 1, losing some of the first game's simplicity
Wonders whether building two paths was necessary versus one path with double the content
Many currencies and systems are hard to grasp without seeing them
Still in early access, so he recommends newcomers consider waiting for the full release
Top 10 of 2024 (#3)
Hades II is Supergiant's action roguelite sequel, still in early access in 2024, where Melinoe fights to rescue her family from Kronos. He calls it one of his top games of the year and keeps the original as a long-time favourite. He finds it slightly slower and more complex than the first game, and more reliant on meta-progression and grind, which he enjoys. He is unsure the dual-path (underworld or surface) split was necessary, but finds it an impressive inclusion and praises the developers for listening to feedback.
Liked
New mechanics added while keeping the feel of the original
Hack-and-slash combat that still feels good despite Melinoe being more of a magic user
Hub full of NPCs, permanent upgrades and cosmetic options that keep players engaged between runs
Story is more serious, which he prefers
Large amount of content for an early access game, at least as much as Hades 1
Start-of-run choice between underworld and surface, each a complete world with its own biomes, enemies and bosses
Developers keep listening to player feedback and updating the game
Disliked
Everything is a bit more complex, which may not suit every player
Meta-progression needs multiple ingredient types, making it more grindy and longer to finish
Unsure the two-path split was needed versus doubling content on one path
Some players may be disappointed by changes from the first game
What players say
Supergiant Games' isometric action roguelite sequel to Hades, in which Melinoe, witch princess of the Underworld, fights through Underworld and Surface routes to kill the Titan of Time, Chronos.
Hades II is received as a near-universal success. Steam shows roughly 95.7% positive (about 123.7k reviews, Overwhelmingly Positive), PC Metacritic is 94 from 46 critic reviews with no mixed or negative scores, and Wikipedia cites 99% of critics recommending it on OpenCritic. Most players and critics say it improves on the original in combat depth, build variety, content volume, art and music. It left Early Access (launched May 2024) for a full release on Sep 25, 2025, then came to PS5 and Xbox in April 2026. The main fault line is the story ending and some repetition or grind in the late game, not the moment-to-moment gameplay. Third-party estimates put it at 2-5 million Steam owners and over $100M gross revenue (estimates, not audited).
Players love
Combat is praised as faster, deeper and more skill-driven than Hades 1, with critics calling it some of the best action combat in games
Weapon variety (multiple distinct weapon types with aspects) plus the Magick bar and Omega moves give many viable build styles
Boons, Hexes and the Arcana (tarot) system combine into varied, experimental builds; progression is allocated after a run, which pulls you into the next one
Art direction, character design, Darren Korb's music and the voice acting are singled out by both critics and players
The witchy, tarot and Greek-myth setting feels fresh rather than a reskin; Melinoe has a distinct feel from Zagreus
Huge content volume and replayability, with reviewers reporting hundreds of hours and still seeing new dialogue
Story and dialogue are woven into the run loop, with witty characters and reactive bosses (e.g. Chronos and Scylla reacting to pausing or muting music)
Supergiant's polish and responsiveness to feedback, from a long Early Access period to post-launch ending patches, is widely appreciated
Common complaints
The ending is the most criticised element: Rock Paper Shotgun noted the game did not end with Chronos being killed as advertised, and Final Weapon called it extremely disappointing
Many Steam negative reviews call the narrative resolution weak or an anticlimax, even while praising the gameplay
Players complained that Zagreus and the Hades 1 cast overshadow Melinoe in her own game
Some feel the boon system is less tightly tuned for synergies than in Hades 1, with some weapons or builds feeling weaker or too limited
Several users feel it is a polished more-of-the-same iteration rather than a leap, with a familiar boon, weapon and gifting loop
Some negative reviewers find the progression loop hollow or unrewarding after long play
Several negative reviewers say the supporting characters feel static, with little growth or plot twists compared with Hades 1
Can feel tedious
Resource farming and the many runs required to reach the true ending are called padding by some Metacritic users
Repetitive boss encounters and limited level variety over long playtime
Some players dislike specific weapons as too limited or uninteresting, and feel the loop wears thin after 100+ hours
What's unique
Two separate routes, an Underworld path and a Surface path, instead of one descent (Erebus/Oceanus/Fields of Mourning/Tartarus vs Ephyra/Thessaly Rift/Mount Olympus/Summit)
Magick bar that recharges by attacking, used for casts and Omega moves that pin or control enemies
Witchcraft systems: Hexes channelling Selene's power, plus a tarot-style Arcana deck with Fear-style difficulty
Gathering and crafting resources in the Crossroads and between runs, with a larger hub and overworld feel
Story told through run-by-run reactive dialogue, with a sequel that took years of Early Access updates (Olympic, Warsong, Unseen)
Players want
A more satisfying, better-paced story conclusion and payoff for Melinoe specifically (Supergiant added extra scenes and an option to revert to the pre-ending state about a month after launch)
Less reliance on returning Hades 1 characters; more focus on Melinoe's own arc
Tighter boon and weapon balance so every weapon feels worthwhile and build synergies are clearer
Reduce the resource farming and number of runs needed to reach the true ending
More variation in levels and boss encounters to cut down repetition over long playtime
Summarised from Steam reviews and community discussion.
Steam tags
ActionRogue-likeRogue-liteHack and SlashRPGAction RoguelikeMythologyDungeon CrawlerAction RPGIsometric
Tier list Part 3 (2025)
Hades II is the early-access sequel to Supergiant's Hades, starring Melinoe, a magic-wielding protagonist fighting to save her family from Kronos. He considers the original a masterpiece and finds the sequel a true sequel rather than DLC, keeping the feel while twisting the mechanics. He calls the current early access build fantastic, and even bigger than Hades 1. It becomes his first S tier of the night, and he likes it more than the original, though he is pausing until full release and suggests newcomers may want to wait.
Liked
Disliked