Hades II Review

Time is a bitch

by Anthony Monroe on Jan, 18 2026 at 10:51 pm

Reviewed on Switch 2 Also on Switch, PC Publisher Supergiant Games

Developer Supergiant Games Release September 25th, 2025

Chronos is an angry and petty Titan. That’s to be expected of one who controls time. As the father of the Gods of Olympus, he’s been holding a timeless grudge against those very gods. That grudge has made its way to the Underworld. Supergiant Games excels in the roguelike genre, and Hades II continues this success. Picking up from the last game, we now follow Zagreus’s little sister, Melinoë.

Unlike Zagreus’s attempts to leave the Underworld, Melinoë must start each run, or “night,” by attempting to break into it. You see, this isn’t an escape; it’s a rescue mission. Grandfather has come calling, and most of the family has been put under lock and key, and she’s been charged with their rescue. Returning players will find a host of new weapons, boons (per run upgrades gifted by the Gods), keepsakes, sprints, and dodges waiting to help make each of the runs the best rescue attempt possible.

Six new weapons, the Nocturnal Arms, are the siblings to the first game’s arsenal, the Infernal Arms, continuing the game’s narrative of familial duty. There’s the Witch’s Staff, the Sister Blades, the Umbral Flames, the Moonstone Axe, the Argent Skull, and the Black Coat. It’s a great variety, and no one weapon feels or plays like any of the others. Add in the aforementioned boons and keepsakes, the former being items collected from other characters through gifting them various items, and the latter from the gods that make up Melinoe’s extended family.

On the gameplay front, prepare to die. A lot. Roguelikes are quite literally designed around the perfect run and getting the perfect mix of skill and luck down. You repeatedly learn new intricacies of your various weapons and how they, in turn, interact with the astounding numbers of power combos that the boons you have chosen in each encounter empower you with. The name of the game is combat variety and choice, and you will be faced with tons of both. No run will ever look like the previous one. As you make your way closer and closer to the final depths of the Underworld, or in turn power up to also fight your way to Olympus and gain the ability to proceed further on that path as well, you will face various tough bosses over and over, learning all their patterns and motives.

Speaking of the bosses and other characters you will meet, this game continues another Supergiant tradition: Excellent character design. Gorgeously illustrated, modern takes on so many mythological characters, everyone from Arachne, to Narcissus. I genuinely wish I could get an animated series or movie out of this, because the designs and characters are just that damn good. Pair that with another amazing soundtrack, complete with some songs sung by the boss during a boss fight and presentation is second to none in the roguelike genre.

At the end of the day, Hades II is gaming done right. You’re not led by the hand, you’re taught through gameplay, the story is perfection, the graphics and design are amazing, and you will keep coming back for more. Crazy weapon and combat variety, and tight combat at that, ensure that you will get that perfect run you strive for, just as Melinoe strives to save a family she has never met. I cannot recommend this game highly enough, and I gladly leave it with a perfect 10/10