Hades II

Hades 2 carefully sandwiches more nuance between the original roguelike’s kinetic combat, gorgeous visuals, and heartfelt narrative. With each end comes an opportunity to clear an obstacle, deepen a bond, and inch closer to thwarting Chronos.

95%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, stability

97% User Score Based on 66,391 reviews

Critic Score 92%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

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About

Hades II is a single player hack and slash game. It was developed by Supergiant Games and was released on February 28, 2024. It received very positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Discover Hades II for PS5 on the official PlayStation website. Hades II, the first-ever sequel from Supergiant Games, builds on the best aspects of the original god-like rogue-like dungeon crawler in an all-new, action-packed, endlessly replayable experience rooted in the Underworld of Greek myth and its deep connections to the dawn of witchcraft.

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97%

Audience ScoreBased on 66,391 reviews

story3.9k positive mentions

grinding705 negative mentions

Hades II significantly expands and refines gameplay with deeper mechanics, varied weapons, smooth tactical combat, and multiple routes enhancing replayability.
The game features stunning, vibrant visuals with a distinctive art style, excellent voice acting, and a phenomenal, atmospheric soundtrack that complements the gameplay and story.
Exceptional optimization delivers smooth, stable performance across platforms, including lower-spec hardware, with minimal bugs and fast load times enhancing the overall experience.

The story and character development are seen as fragmented, with an unsatisfying or rushed ending and many unresolved or dropped narrative arcs frustrating players.
Grinding and resource management are notably extensive and repetitive, often feeling tedious and slowing progression, detracting from game flow and enjoyment.
Some gameplay elements feel unbalanced, with frustrating insta-kill mechanics and occasional visual clutter that affects clarity and player experience.

story
10,985 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The story in Hades 2 expands on the original with grander stakes and a larger cast, offering rich character interactions and mythological depth, though many find it less engaging, more fragmented, and with a weaker or rushed conclusion compared to Hades 1. While the narrative progression is intertwined well with gameplay and praised for voice acting and writing, the pacing can feel slow and some side quests suffer from gating and randomness, causing frustration. Overall, the story remains compelling enough to motivate continued play despite criticisms of its complexity, uneven development, and an ending that divided players.
- “The story unfolds piece by piece after every death, weaving character-driven drama directly into the core gameplay loop. Every run feels fresh, and the way the story unfolds bit by bit makes dying actually exciting.”
- “The story, characters, music, visuals, all ooze that 'supergiant games' soul. The storytelling and character interactions feel natural, and the narrative arch the story takes is compelling. Even after finishing the story, the game continues to offer fresh challenges and new content.”
- “Like the first game, the roguelike elements are worked into the story progression itself, helping meld gameplay and story together and keep things fresh between runs. The story is compelling, emotional, and consistently engaging, with excellent voice acting and writing.”
- “The ending to the story and lack of payoff for almost every single setup has soured the game so badly I don't have the motivation to play it ever again.”
- “[spoiler] All of the years of training, all of melinoë’s struggles amount to nothing because in the last 20 minutes of the main quest zagreus appears, decides to spare his grandpa (abusive murderer who literally released an uncontrollable unkillable monstrosity that will destroy the world given a chance) and forces that choice on melinoë, who is angry for all but two seconds before giving in and letting chronos be. It's a story where nothing matters and it’s the most betrayed I felt with a video game.”
- “Every NPC storyline is dropped, from prometheus to arachne to echo, none of them get a satisfying ending, or at least one that justifies all the time needed to invest in their storylines. All of this doesn’t change my love for the game nor the hours I’ve put into it; it does however sour the experience greatly and makes me regret all the hours I’ve let the dialogue play and paid attention to plot threads.”
gameplay
10,582 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
57%
2%
Hades 2 significantly refines and expands on the original's gameplay, introducing deeper mechanics, more varied weapons, new combat elements like mana and arcana, and multiple distinct routes that enhance replayability. The combat is praised as smooth, tactical, and addictive, with a high skill ceiling that rewards experimentation and build diversity. While some players note a learning curve and occasional complexity, the gameplay loop remains compelling and is widely regarded as an improvement over the first game, delivering a satisfying and richly layered roguelike experience.
- “Hades 2 is a phenomenal game, building on the blocks left by the original hades, it adds multiple new mechanics and doubles the size of its world, with no compromises made to the gameplay elements like god interactions, story beats, weapons & variants or post-game.”
- “The gameplay is crisp and addictive, the art style is stellar, and the characters and voice acting are second to none.”
- “The gameplay loop is still just as fun and the writing and petty quips of the gods are good generally speaking.”
- “The weapons are super lame, the gameplay is repetitive and very soon the only thing left is to try to beat 16+ difficulty with some kitchen knife through a bullet hell.”
- “The overall feeling is total absence of balance and shallowness of gameplay in favor of illusion of content.”
- “Two phases, very hard but the real problem: several cheap insta kill mechanics that are basically impossible to predict or survive in your first time there, meaning this is again another artificial difficulty element put there to stop you once again from having an organic natural fun.”
music
5,099 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
42%
1%
The music of Hades 2 is widely praised as exceptional, with Darren Korb delivering a phenomenal and diverse soundtrack that enhances the game's atmosphere and intensifies combat. Fans especially highlight the dynamic and memorable boss themes, such as those of Scylla and the Sirens, whose songs are integrated into gameplay and widely celebrated. While some prefer the original's soundtrack slightly more, the sequel's music stands as a major highlight, perfectly complementing the art, story, and gameplay to create an immersive and emotionally resonant experience.
- “From the very first descent, the soundtrack once again composed by Darren Korb creates a tonal identity that is both familiar and distinct.”
- “Darren Korb once again knocking it out of the park with the soundtrack, so many good tracks in here, and so much symbolism within them, each track fitting its atmosphere very well, my 3 favorite soundtracks being 'Olympus Aflame', 'The End of Time', and 'Mother of All Storms'; I can probably rant about how good the soundtrack is for a long time but to be honest I don't want to write a college thesis.”
- “A certain musical trio boss is the absolute jewel of the soundtrack, with no less than 8 catchy rock, pop and metal songs with cool choral riffs and unforgettable lyrics.”
- “The music sounds like it just showed up for its shift at the minimum wage factory, and the gameplay feels absolutely anemic and rudderless from the outset, barely able to present a challenge due to the basic enemies simply being poor mechanical designs for the game format, with some enemies being outright non-threats due to melinoe's spammable ranged attack.”
- “I think my biggest gripe is that the soundtrack seems to be a step down from the first game and the mixes on all the songs seem a bit off and unpolished to me which sucks a little cause the first game had an amazing soundtrack.”
- “Banning music and voice acting really brings it all to life but some song transitions are a work in progress, with the music feeling less energetic and more repetitive compared to the first game.”
graphics
2,717 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
42%
1%
Hades 2 features stunning, vibrant visuals with a distinctive and refined art style that builds upon and often surpasses its predecessor, maintaining a captivating mythological aesthetic while introducing a darker, witchy tone. The graphics are praised for their crispness, smooth animations, and rich environmental detail, though some note occasional visual clutter and placeholder art in early access. Overall, the game's artwork, combined with excellent voice acting and a phenomenal soundtrack, delivers an immersive and visually striking experience that complements the fluid and satisfying gameplay.
- “Beautiful artwork, vibrant and atmospheric like the first game, with stunning hand-drawn visuals, beautiful animations, and an incredible sense of atmosphere.”
- “The unique art style of Hades returns in this game, feeling even more refined and polished, showcasing superb character designs and lush, dynamic environments.”
- “The graphics are stunning, blending beautiful, intricate hand-painted art with smooth animations that bring the entire mythological world to life.”
- “Compared to the cohesive, almost painted looking style of Hades, this game's visuals rely more heavily on 3D assets, which tend to look completely out of place in the beautiful scenery.”
- “The aesthetic has degraded, opting for blander, unfinished-looking designs with extremely heavy-handed lens flares and particle effects to cover over the rough edges.”
- “The current visuals are too chaotic, making it difficult to distinguish the direction of enemy attacks or even locate the enemies themselves.”
grinding
737 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
Grinding in this game is notably more extensive and complex than in its predecessor, involving a wide array of resources, farming mechanics, and meta-progression elements that often feel tedious and time-consuming. While some players find the grind rewarding and integral to progression, many others describe it as excessive, repetitive, and frustrating—especially in late-game content and completionist tasks—leading to a slower, more cumbersome experience. Despite improvements in gameplay and variety, the heavy emphasis on grinding and resource management can detract from the overall flow and enjoyment for some players.
- “This is an amazing sequel to Hades. The characters are amazing, the combat system has so much variation yet is still simple to grasp, and the progression is fairly balanced so you aren't grinding for items.”
- “Progression: rewarding, not grindy.”
- “Hades is a great game with fun progression, a fun gameplay loop that isn't too grindy and is hyper rewarding, has incredible combat, and feels great to play.”
- “Where this cuts into the design like a cold knife is that the game stacks odds heavily against the favor of the player, forcing them to experience the story at the intended pace, resulting in feeling that runs have little chance of success and you're just grinding for resources.”
- “A complete downgrade in almost every aspect to the first game, except story and characters which are stellar, hades 2 greatly increased grinding requirements with many different resources needed from the start, some only obtainable by RNG, making progression grind heavy and frustrating.”
- “The fact that during one run you receive minimal amounts of one resource, are limited to one tool, and cannot change it between stages makes grinding resources extremely frustrating.”
replayability
665 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
48%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with numerous players praising its vast variety of weapons, builds, and god boons that make each run feel fresh and unique. The addition of two distinct routes and diverse gameplay options further enhances its near-infinite replay value, keeping players engaged for hundreds of hours. While some note a minor dip in post-story motivation, the core gameplay loop, rich content, and dynamic character interactions make it one of the most replayable roguelikes available.
- “Dynamic combat, compelling stories, a wide variety of roguelite elements, endless replayability—Hades II is excellent.”
- “Replayability: the unprecedented variety of boons (blessings) and the crafting system mean that every single playthrough feels completely fresh and new.”
- “The replayability is off the charts, and the game constantly teases me with "just one more run."”
character development
570 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
51%
4%
The character development in this game presents a mixed reception: while the character designs, voice acting, and artistic presentation are widely praised as stunning and engaging—often considered an improvement or equal to the first game—the depth and progression of character arcs receive criticism for feeling fragmented, underdeveloped, or sidelined compared to the original. Some reviewers appreciate new characters and their emotional growth, but many note a lack of impactful development, unresolved story threads, and a maintenance of status quo that limits meaningful evolution, affecting overall narrative satisfaction despite strong visual and auditory character portrayal.
- “In every way, hades 2 surpasses the previous title in character development; watching Melinoë's relationships grow brought me to tears.”
- “Dialogue shifts and deepens with every interaction, making the character development feel organic and personally earned.”
- “Every run they feed you more and more delicious nuggets of story, character development, relationship building, etc. and like the first game, the combat and general mechanics are so smooth and satisfying.”
- “The story feels very fragmented and lacks the charismatic character development of the first game.”
- “Also, a lot of the drama/character development is undercut by the fact that the game must maintain a status quo, so you get some oddities like a totally pointless sidequest where Melinoe is given a method to permanently destroy a boss, something that would be very helpful in her task of killing Chronos, but you already know she's going to back out of the nanosecond the quest appears because the boss still needs to be there for gameplay reasons.”
- “There is no sense of struggle, no character development.”
humor
424 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in this game is a mixed bag compared to its predecessor: while it retains sharp, witty, and occasionally hilarious dialogue—especially through side characters like Dionysus and Nemesis—the new protagonist Melinoë is more serious and less overtly funny than Zagreus, leading to a tone that is often more solemn and less consistently humorous. Fans appreciate clever references, character interactions, and playful mythological twists, but many feel that the game lacks the original’s snappy sarcasm and comedic charm, making the humor feel more subdued and less central overall.
- “The writing is nuanced, funny, and clever, and the voice actors really seemed to be enjoying it, making it like a stage play.”
- “Genius is perhaps the best word to describe these dialogues; it's like an interactive poem, with several layers and nuances, funny without being obvious, and to my surprise, it only got better as it progressed.”
- “Adding more dynamic gods and goddesses brings a fresh layer of interaction and unpredictability, and the character dialogue remains one of the best parts of the game—it's sharp, funny, and often surprisingly heartfelt.”
- “Right from the start, our main character Melinoë is a weak-willed, annoying, grating, mindless, unfunny, and pedantic drone.”
- “Skelly somehow turns into one of the most annoying people to talk to in the camp, like a joke that has been recycled and reposted thousands of times in the most unfunny and unoriginal places on the internet.”
- “This game has good visual animation, good music, and good story, but it is just not funny.”
emotional
341 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
Reviews highlight Hades II's emotional storytelling as heartfelt and richly developed, with sharp, witty writing and superb voice acting that deepens player attachment to its characters and mythology. While many find the sequel's narrative compelling and emotionally resonant, some note it lacks the profound emotional impact and cohesion of the original, especially regarding its ending and certain character arcs. Overall, the game delivers moments of genuine warmth, poignancy, and humor, sustaining a strong emotional connection amid its challenging gameplay.
- “Hades II isn’t just a sequel — it’s a studio doubling down on its strengths while daring to expand its mythology, mechanics, and emotional range.”
- “The writing remains razor-sharp: witty without being glib, emotional without melodrama.”
- “The relationships you build, the secrets you uncover, and the subtle growth of Melinoë herself create a loop that’s as emotionally rich as it is mechanically sharp.”
- “The most boring storyline in my gaming history, a bloody disgrace compared to the first part.”
- “Too much to grind for nothing, boring story due to the spaghetti dialogue tree.”
- “I think that the nature of this sequel has really limited the amount of new story beats they can introduce and frankly I just don't care about the mechanics of this game in service of a bad, boring story.”
atmosphere
261 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
46%
3%
The atmosphere in this game is widely praised for its immersive, richly detailed world, enhanced by stunning hand-drawn art, a dynamic soundtrack by Darren Korb, and a consistent mythological tone. While some note a darker, more serious and sometimes gloomier vibe compared to the original, most appreciate the depth, style, and emotional weight it adds, maintaining Supergiant’s signature blend of atmosphere and storytelling. Overall, the atmosphere significantly enhances player engagement and is a key strength of the game.
- “Hades II somehow takes everything that made Hades a masterpiece and pushes it further—bigger builds, deeper lore, sharper combat, and an atmosphere so thick with style you can practically breathe it in.”
- “Hades II is a stunning game that captivates you from the very first moment with its breathtaking art style and atmospheric music.”
- “Combined with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, it creates an immersive atmosphere that draws you in from the moment you start playing.”
- “In all aspects except atmosphere, this game is better than the first one, especially gameplay.”
- “Story, dialogues, atmosphere and characters were pretty boring to me, especially after the first Hades.”
- “And just in general there are many missing things that will ruin the atmosphere, and just doesn't give the same feeling as Hades 1.”
optimization
255 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
42%
3%
The game is widely praised for its exceptional optimization, delivering smooth and stable performance across a range of platforms including PCs, laptops, Mac systems, and the Steam Deck, even on lower-spec hardware. Players consistently report high frame rates, minimal bugs or crashes, and efficient coding that enables long play sessions without overheating or stuttering. This level of optimization, combined with quick load times and seamless gameplay, enhances the overall experience and sets a high standard for early access titles.
- “I was initially worried about how it would run on a thin-and-light laptop, but the optimization is phenomenal.”
- “For players like myself who don’t have a dedicated powerful gaming PC, the near-perfect optimization of Hades 2 for lower-spec hardware feels like a gift from the developers.”
- “It has all the same mechanics, except a better story, more fluent combat, and is optimized better.”
stability
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
5%
61%
Hades II offers a generally stable and polished experience across multiple platforms, including PC, Steam Deck, and Linux, with smooth performance and minimal crashes even in early access. While some users report occasional bugs, freezes—especially related to menus or idling—and rare glitches, these issues are infrequent and often manageable, with the game running smoothly for the vast majority of players. Overall, the stability is impressive for an early access title, outperforming many full releases in terms of reliability and performance.
- “Worthy follow-up to Hades, this was a lot of fun and 100% bug free for me.”
- “The game already has such polish, no glitches, endlessly repeatable.”
- “For an early access title it plays smooth and through my 7 hours or so of play have been bug free.”
- “The game occasionally crashed, and there was one instance where I spent an hour troubleshooting why I couldn't start a run only to find that the cookies in my web browser were causing the issue.”
- “The game is buggy; boons and things will just randomly stop working mid-run for no reason.”
- “I did find that the game freezes if you are 1) playing on Mac, 2) open a menu that's not the main menu (i.e. selecting a boon), and 3) let it idle for about 10 minutes.”
monetization
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
27%
65%
The game’s monetization is widely praised for its absence of microtransactions, DLCs, ads, and exploitative practices, standing out as a genuine, passion-driven sequel rather than a cash grab. Reviewers appreciate the fair pricing and no intrusive monetization, highlighting it as a refreshing exception in an industry often plagued by corporate bloat and aggressive monetization schemes.
- “It feels AAA without the corporate bloat, microtransactions, and seasonal battlepasses.”
- “They care, they deliver quality and quantity, they fairly price their games, no microtransactions, no fluff, all love.”
- “Fun, with tons of content and replayability, no bugs, no microtransactions and a great price!”
- “The more I play, the more it feels like a cash grab because they had all the successful components from the first game but dropped the ball on every aspect.”
- “It feels more like a cash grab rather than a sequel to a game with 10m+ copies sold.”
- “This feels more like a quick cash grab than a genuine attempt to make a great game and move the genre forward.”