The question has been burning in every roguelike fan’s mind since the sequel’s launch: Is Hades 2 better than its legendary predecessor?
After spending countless hours with both games, I’m breaking down the most impactful changes that define the Hades 2 experience and whether Supergiant Games’ latest masterpiece lives up to the original’s reputation.
Higher Stakes in the Narrative
The story hits different this time around. In the first Hades, I was wrapped up in Zagreus’s personal struggle to break out and find his mother. It felt close and relatable.
Now, in Hades 2, you’re thrown into a full-blown crisis. Kronos has won, your family is captured, and the world is so broken that the dead are climbing out of the ground.
That jump from a personal goal to a world-saving mission changes everything. You can feel the pressure on Melinoë. Every run feels more desperate, and when you fail, it stings worse. You’re not just failing to reach a family member; you feel like you’re failing the whole world.
Complete Weapon Overhaul
So, about the weapons—get ready to start from scratch. If you were hoping to grab your old favorite from the first game, you might be bummed. Or, honestly, you might get pumped, because it’s a totally fresh challenge.
Every weapon here is new, and you’ll have to learn new tricks for each one. The daggers let you attack fast, kind of like the fists did.
The big axe hits super slow and hard, and it reminds me of that heavy sword from before. But then you get something like the torches, which changes everything—you can shoot flames and spin up a shield around you.
Charged Attack System and Mana Management
Alright, let’s talk about how you actually fight. They’ve made combat way deeper this time. First off, every weapon now has charged attacks.
You’ve still got your normal attack and special, but now you can hold them down to power up stronger versions. That gives you more tools, but it also means you have to watch a new resource: mana.
See that blue bar in the bottom-left?
That’s your magic.
Melinoë isn’t like Zagreus, who could just swing forever. You have to manage that bar for your charged moves. If you blow all your magic too fast, you’re left hanging in a tough spot. It makes you think more about when to go all out.
Reimagined Cast Mechanic
Next up, your Cast is totally different. Forget shooting little projectiles. Now you throw down a circular trap that snares any enemy caught inside.
It’s less about just dealing damage and more about controlling the battlefield. It took me a second to get used to, but it’s a cool strategic tool for managing crowds.
Movement System Overhaul
Finally, how you move has been completely overhauled. Remember Zagreus’s double dash (that you could spam like crazy)?
Gone. Now you get one dash with invincibility frames, plus a separate sprint button. It means your dodge timing has to be more precise—you can’t just mash your way out of danger.
The sprint lets you move fast between fights, but in battle, everything feels more deliberate. You can’t rely on just dodging through everything; you have to be smarter about positioning.
Arcana Card System Replaces Mirror of Night
Let’s get into the big changes for how you power up between runs. Remember the Mirror of Night? It’s been completely replaced by the Altar of Ashes and its Arcana cards. It’s a whole new way of thinking about your permanent upgrades.
You unlock cards that give you different buffs, but each one costs a certain amount of Grasp to equip. You only have so much total Grasp, so you have to make real choices about which bonuses are most important to you.
Some cards even work together, like activating only if you have other specific cards equipped. One card, The Judgment, even lets you start a run with just three cards and earn more as you go.
Expanded Gathering and Crafting
And speaking of tinkering, gathering and crafting are a huge new focus. Melinoë heads out with a full toolkit—a pickaxe for ore, a spade for seeds, and more.
You’ll be stopping to mine, dig, and fish during your runs, not just fight. It makes each room about more than just clearing enemies; you’re also managing resources for later upgrades.
Dual Route System
Perhaps the most ambitious addition is the surface route. After progressing sufficiently, you unlock access to Mount Olympus, creating an entirely separate path with two additional biomes beyond the underworld’s zones.
This effectively doubles the game’s content. Each route features unique gathering materials, different enemy types, and distinct bosses. The choice of which direction to pursue on any given run adds tremendous replay value and variety.
Animal Familiars Replace Companion Assists
They’ve totally changed how companions work. Remember those powerful one-shot summons? You won’t find those here.
Now, you get a little animal familiar that sticks with you for your entire run. These cute partners are constantly by your side, helping you fight, and they’ll even run off and grab resources for you while you’re exploring. It’s like having a helpful buddy tagging along.
Each familiar you unlock does different things, and later on you can even customize how they look. They add a ton of personality and are genuinely useful. For my money, it’s one of the best and most-loved new features in the game.
Playing as Melinoë
You play as Melinoë, Zagreus’s sister, and she brings a totally different vibe to the story. Her personality, the way she talks, and how she deals with everyone—it all makes for a fresh experience.
Where Zagreus was all charming and sarcastic, Melinoë is more serious and driven. Honestly, it fits perfectly with her mission to stop a world-ending Titan. Whether you like her more than her brother is up to you, but she’s a great character in her own right and has some really fun conversations.
Infusion Boons
Alright, the boon system still works like it did—you’ve got your common, rare, and epic tiers, plus the powerful duo and legendary boons. But they’ve added something new: infusion boons.
Every god offers one of these, and they’re a lot easier to get than a legendary or duo boon. You don’t have to jump through hoops with specific build combos to find one.
But don’t let the easier access fool you—they’re game-changers. An infusion boon can completely define your whole run, adding a unique mechanic that shapes your entire strategy. Think of them as a solid middle ground: stronger than your average boon, but more reliable to find than those super-rare, build-specific ones.
Hex System Replaces Calls
They’ve completely replaced the old Call system. Now, you get Hexes from a new character, Selene.
Here’s the big difference: you don’t charge them up by just dealing damage anymore. Instead, you charge your Hex by using magic. Every time you use one of those charged attacks that drains your blue bar, you’re filling up your Hex meter. Once it’s full, you can unleash it. It’s a clever way to tie your big super move directly into your regular combat flow, rewarding you for being aggressive with your magic.
And these Hexes are no joke—they’re just as powerful, if not more so, than the old Calls. It’s a great system that feels really well-connected to the new combat.
Familiar Faces and Fresh Characters
As for the cast, you’ll meet a bunch of awesome new characters like Odysseus and Hecate. But don’t worry, you’ll also run into plenty of familiar faces. All the Olympian gods are back to offer you their boons, and old friends like Charon are still around.
It hits a sweet spot. You get enough nostalgia to feel at home, but you’re also building relationships with a mostly new crew, which keeps everything feeling fresh.
The Verdict
So, is Hades 2 better than the first one?
I think Hades 2 is just as good, but whether it’s “better” really depends on what you want. If you loved Hades and you’re hungry for more—more complexity, more systems to learn, and way more stuff to do—then this game is a knockout.
Yeah, it feels overwhelming at first with all the new resources and mechanics. But once it clicks, everything fits together perfectly. It keeps everything that made the original brilliant—the slick combat, the incredible style, the smart progression—and piles on a whole new layer of depth.
You’re not choosing a winner here. You’re choosing between two amazing experiences. Hades 2 doesn’t replace the first game; it builds on it in a huge way. If you liked Hades, you are going to love this. It’s an absolute must-play that’s already deep and is only going to get richer as players uncover all its secrets.
