In Hades 2, defeating Chronos and reclaiming the Underworld is your primary goal. But with those stunning character portraits and compelling dialogue, naturally, the game couldn’t go without a little romance. Many characters in Hades 2 offer a relationship dynamic that you can build up over time. But it’s not always clear who is ready to take things to the next level. Thankfully, the full release includes a helpful built-in guide to uncover your status with every relationship option, from friendship to something more.
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Because most characters will accept gifts and offer Keepsakes in return in Hades 2, it can be tricky to parse who is romanceable. Alas, that will mostly be uncovered as you level up each individual relationship. But whether Melinoe will consummate romantic love or simply build a close friendship, increasing your bond with the various inhabitants of the Crossroads and beyond is well worth your time. This will uncover more story and nuance, while also offering some steamy scenes in the hot springs. Here’s how to keep track of your relationships in Hades 2.
How to Unlock the Hades 2 Relationship Guide
In the full release of Hades 2, Melinoe has a useful Book of Shadows to keep track of insights like how many times you’ve faced certain foes. This journal can also help guide your relationships, thanks to a specific incantation. Once you cast Empath’s Intuition, you will be able to see how many hearts you’ve earned with each character. This helpful journal page will also include details about what gift that person would like to receive next, to guide you through each stage of friendship… or something more.
To cast Empath’s Intuition, you will first need to play until this incantation is unlocked for you. Gift Nectar and gather materials until you see this incantation listed at Melinoe’s cauldron in the Crossroads. It should unlock once you’ve received 7 Keepsakes and harvested Myrtle a few times. Then, you will need to gather the materials to cast Empath’s Intuition, which are:
- 1 F-Fabric
- 3 Myrtle
You can buy F-Fabric from the Wretched Broker in the Crossroads, and it will also occasionally appear as a reward in other scenarios. Arcane, for instance, offers a woven outfit that gives F-Fabric when selected. As for Myrtle, this can be harvested in the Fields of Mourning. So, you’ll need to defeat Scylla and the Sirens and progress to this third region of the Underworld to harvest it. I find having the Reagent Sensing incantation helpful here, as it’ll make sure you don’t miss it in the vast expanse of the Fields.
Once you have these ingredients, you can cast Empath’s Intuition at Melinoe’s incantation. Then, you will be able to see helpful relationship insights in Melinoe’s Book of Shadows.
Where to View Relationship Insights in Hades 2
After casting Empath’s Intuition, you can review your relationship progress with any character in the Book of Shadows. However, they will only appear in its pages once you have given them at least one gift of Nectar. So, if a character will accept gifts but isn’t showing up yet, try giving them some Nectar and you should gain a page dedicated to that person. For Guardians, the page will show up after you face them for the first time.
To view your relationship insights, you will need to open up the Book of Shadows. You can do this using the up button on the Switch/Switch 2 directional pad, or the C key for PC. If there’s a corresponding entry, it should automatically open to the correct page. So, if you stand in front of a Selene Boon and open the Book, it will bring you right to Selene’s page.
If you want to peruse all of your relationships at once, you can manually search for the characters. The Book of Shadows divides these relationships into a few categories:
- The Unseen – mainly characters who make their home in the Crossroads
- The Olympians – most of the primary Greek gods and goddesses who offer boons
- The Rest – other characters you may meet, such as Arachne, Cerberus, etc.
If a character has the potential to build a relationship, whether romantic or platonic, their entry will display a series of hearts at the bottom. They will fill in as you give that character gifts, so you can quickly see your relationship progress. However, the real treat here is the line beneath those hearts. Your Book of Shadows will give you insight into whether that person is ready for another gift, along with which item they might like. If this section is missing, that character does not have a relationship storyline to build. Alas, we cannot romance Scylla, despite the fact that I haven’t gotten her song out of my head since I first heard it.
Early on, most characters will only accept Nectar. But as you unlock more advanced options, you can gift Bath Salts to invite a character to the Baths with you, Ambrosia to visit the Tavern, etc. These options are only available with a closer relationship, and are the primary way to progress romance or friendship storylines in Hades 2.
Unfortunately, it’s not immediately obvious from these entries whether someone’s relationship path will be romantic or platonic. You can start to figure that out based on the dialogue as you gift your way to more hearts in the Book of Shadows. Regardless, this guide is well worth unlocking so you can fine-tune your approach to befriending and building bonds with the characters you meet in Hades 2.
Who are you going to try and get to know better in Hades 2? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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