Feel like a Greek goddess over and over again.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/72565/hades-ii-switch-2-review
On one of the dozens or runs I've started in Hades II, I was trying a new weapon for the first time, the twin flames, having just unlocked it. The early rooms left me feeling like I wasn't going to get very far; this loadout wasn't clicking with me. But then all of a sudden, it was. A few upgrades and boosts later and I had turned into a whirling dervish of rotating torches, and I ended up getting significantly further into the game than I had before. This is just one aspect that makes Hades II nearly impossible to put down: at any moment, you can make something out of nothing, turning despair into triumph.
A follow-up to 2020's Hades, the sequel trades hero Zagreus for heroine Melinoe, who also happens to be Zagreus’ sister. This family affair sees Melonoe aided by a cavalcade of Olympians, including Hermes, Artemis, and her Headmistress, Hecate, among many others. Your primary objective is the defeat of Chronos, the Titan of Time, who has imprisoned Melinoe's family. Much of the enjoyment of the story comes from the interactions between you and the rest of the cast, which serve as a drip feeding of plot details, world building, and relationships. The narrator, none other than Homer (of Illyad and Odyssey fame), adds a delightful flavor, especially when Melinoe takes the opportunity to call out one of his mistakes.
The roguelite action gameplay revolves around traveling from room to room within a specific biome on your path to Cronos. Each biome has a particular theme, unique enemies, and a boss to conquer at the end. To defeat enemies you encounter you have a basic, usually more close range strike, a special attack that typically offers more range, and a cast that places a circle on the ground to various effects, like slowing enemies or gradually damaging them. Completing a room typically offers a reward to help you power up, either for that run or future ones. Compared to the first game, Hades II features a variety of currencies and items to earn and collect that can unlock different bonuses and buffs to increase your chances of successfully meeting and defeating Cronos. One neat mechanic is Arcana cards that can be unlocked and then activated up to a certain limit (which can also be raised), and these grant healing, extra attack power, and other perks. As an RPG man myself, I prioritized upgrading the hub world, unlocking new weapons, and opening up as many possible benefits as I could.
Hades II makes each run feel meaningful, from both a narrative and gameplay standpoint. While you don't earn experience points, you gain valuable insight into the different boons and upgrades available to you on each trip through the Underworld. Maybe the icy powers of Demeter are helping you keep your distance from more aggressive enemies, or you might prefer the lightning-based attacks that Zeus bestows with his boons. Every run is different because you don't know what power-ups you're going to find. And when you're tired of going down to the underworld, you can instead go up, to another set of biomes and a path to Mount Olympus, provided you've jumped through a few alchemy-based hoops.
A major aspect of progression in Hades II centers on collecting materials and ingredients to craft weapons, potions, and other objects to fulfill requirements assigned to Melinoe by her neighbours in the hubworld sanctuary: The Crossroads. Sometimes you finish a run and check off a box or two; sometimes you make it further than you ever have and come home to a bounty of changes and new faces. And those new faces are happy to receive gifts or make small talk, with the former unlocking individual trinkets that can also be leveled up, in addition to individual relationship meters that can also grow over time. It wouldn't be unfair to say that there's maybe too much to keep track of, too many different flowers, stones, meters, and currencies. But for those who don’t mind that juggling or having lots to do and collect, Hades II is an incredible playground.
The aesthetic of Melinoe’s world, including the sights, sounds, and other characters, is unmatched. The Crossroads represent such a perfect contrast of being both alive but also full of underworld theming. The art style of the gods and goddesses but also the enemy bosses contribute so much vibrancy and vitality to the visual experience of Hades II, and for good reason when a game’s loop revolves around repetition. You genuinely want to see people pop up from time to time for another bit of flavor text or to see how they can impact your next run. The voice acting imbues every character with a sense of realism and purpose, from Hecate’s instructive chiding to Chronos’ cocky antagonizing. The presentation works all the way through, and the Switch 2 performance is flawless. Nintendo’s latest console ends up being another perfect home for this roguelite darling.
It will take me dozens more hours to see all of what Hades II has to offer, and that’s not even considering some specific endgame challenges it adds after you complete your first run. I am fully invested in squeezing all of the story juice from this delicious fruit, and that’s primarily due to how masterful the gameplay feels. Moving, dashing, attacking, and casting are all incredibly satisfying, and it’s rare to see any video game so skillfully combine gameplay with aesthetic and story. Without a doubt, Hades II lives up to its predecessor, and surpasses it in a number of ways. While it can at times be overwhelming in terms of collectibles and crafting materials, there are also so many ways to enjoy the experience, through options like God Mode and Aim Assist, or just grinding out in-game achievements and other unlockables. Ultimately, my first complete run through the first Hades signalled the end of my time with that game, but for the sequel, it felt more like I was just getting started.
Topic: Hades II (Switch 2) Review (Read 34 times)
