What's new in Hades 2?
Season of the Witch.
Earlier this week Hades 2 developer Supergiant announced its technical test, which players can sign up for now ahead of the game hitting early access.
The developer is "close" to that initial launch, with the technical test providing players a first look at how the game will play. It's not available to all, however, so Supergiant yesterday hosted a livestream to show off what players can expect from the technical test.
So what's new? I won't give too many specific details, but note there will be some light spoilers.
Hades 2, obviously, is a direct sequel to the first game, though Supergiant has promised it stands alone and does not require prior knowledge of Hades or Greek myth.
This time, players take the role of Melinoë the princess of the underworld who's after Chronos, the titan of time - for reasons currently unknown. Flipping the original, it seems she's trying to enter Hades rather than escape, and begins her journey in Erebus where the souls of the dead await their eternal sentencing.
Melinoë is a witch, which brings perhaps the biggest shake up of Hades gameplay. Now players will have a Magick gauge to spend on powerful spells called Omega attacks, as well as resources to collect along the way to use in crafting.
As you'd expect, Melinoë's attacks and abilities can be upgraded with new gods bringing new boons. The first shown in the stream was Apollo, voiced by Colin Ryan (Alphinaud in Final Fantasy 14). And speaking of voices, there's now a dialogue log to refer back to if you missed any story.
There's a new homebase too called The Crossroads, where Melinoë can chat with adorable shade Dora, Hecate Witch of the Crossroads, and a giant frog.
Supergiant confirmed the technical test will only comprise Erebus and will feature two weapons: the Witch's Staff and the Sister Blades, which together reflect Melinoë's role as witch and assassin.
Otherwise, this is more Hades - and that's no bad thing considering the first game was Eurogamer's game of the year in 2020. There's a similar structure and narrative feel to the first game, with analogues for various characters and upgrades - the Altar of Ashes is the new Mirror of Night for upgrade skills, for instance.
What also hasn't changed is the thirst for the gods from fans. The new portraits are already generating plenty of... opinions online.
You can check out the full three-hour stream if you want to see gameplay for yourself.
Otherwise, sign up for the Hades 2 technical test on Steam.