After being announced back in late 2022, Hades 2 is well on its way to release as its developer Supergiant Games has released part of the game as a technical test, allowing those selected through the game’s Steam page to test the first part of the game. Thankfully, the content included in the technical test is enough for Supergiant’s Creative Director Greg Kasavin and Studio Director Amir Rao to showcase the game themselves with a three hour livestream.
The livestream, which can be watched on Supergiant’s YouTube, gives those eager for a look at the upcoming title plenty of time to get a feel for the game’s new protagonist, Melinoรซ, Princess of the Underworld, as well as the gameplay, new mechanics, and new designs for the characters based on the gods of Greek mythology.
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The Characters of Hades 2
Melinoรซ, a witch and assassin, is the sister of the original Hades’ main protagonist, Zagreus. During the livestream it was noted that players don’t necessarily have to have prior Hades experience to enjoy Hades 2, despite the second title being a direct sequel.
The differing gameplay style for Melinoรซ isn’t the only change, as there are new gods joining the mix and even some of those returning have completely new designs. A massive draw to Hades has always been the character designs, particularly those of the gods themselves. In the technical test players are able to encounter a number of these characters, the interactions with the protagonist unique depending on various factors impacting the game, as well as dialogue regarding one another. Joining Melinoรซ in Hades 2 are:
- Aphrodite
- Apollo
- Arachne
- Artemis
- Charon
- Demeter
- Dora
- Hecate
- Hephaestus
- Hestia
- Hypnos
- Moros
- Nemesis
- Odysseus
- Poseidon
- Schelemeus
- Selene
- Zeus
The official website for Hades 2 notes that Supergiant intends to launch the game in Early Access in Q2 2024 on Steam and the Epic Games Store, with the full release yet to receive a launch date. As for an exact timeline on the test and Early Access, Supergiant has noted “longer than a week, shorter than a month,” and that they “likewise don’t know exactly when” Early Access will launch, as this is dependent on how long the test runs.
As mentioned, the technical test includes the first part of the game up to its first boss, but that doesn’t mean you only get to play it through once. The test information notes that if you clear this section multiple times and experience everything the section has to offer (which will apparently be four or five times through), you will be recommended to stop until you can play Early Access.
Hades 2 is Supergiant’s first sequel, and the developer notes “With each of our projects over the years, we’ve aimed to take on a new challenge that stretched our team’s creativity and taught us more about how to make games well together. One such challenge we’ve long considered was to try and make a sequel that could somehow re-capture the sense of wonder and delight of its predecessor. Some of our all-time favorite games achieved this! The question is, can we? Hades 2, with its new perspective on a shadowy and alluring aspect of Greek myth, is our opportunity to find out.”
From the footage and early reactions from those lucky enough to be selected for the technical test, it looks like Supergiant’s first sequel is going to be a giant hit.ย
