Supergiant Games Reveals 3 Hours of Bewitching Hades 2 Gameplay

It’s been roughly 16 months since Supergiant Games–one of our favorite indie game studios out there today–first announced the existence of Hades 2 via a splashy launch trailer. The sequel to one of the best games of 2020, it’s the first time that the studio has directly followed up one of their IPs with another game, though the decision to do so was hardly surprising after the critical and popular acclaim that their first roguelike garnered. For more than a year, fans have basically been waiting with bated breath for any further word on Hades 2, but now an absolute wealth of new information seems to have dropped on us like a thunderbolt from the peaks of Olympus. Yesterday, Supergiant Studio Director Amir Rao and Creative Director Greg Kasavin posted a live video to the company’s YouTube page detailing not just a quick glimpse at the sequel’s gameplay, but three full hours of its technical test. You can see that video below.

This footage serves as our proper introduction to Hades 2 new protagonist Melinoë, who, like the last game’s Zagreus is essentially a minor Greek mythological deity who has here been blown up into starring status. In classical Greek myth, Melinoë is a briefly mentioned cthonic nymph or underworld denizen invoked in the Orphic Hymns, who is seen as a “bringer of nightmares and madness.” Here, she reads more like a underworld witch in training, bearing a grudge against the ancient Titan Cronus. In Greek mythology, the Titans were of course overthrown by the ascendant gods, including Cronus being eliminated by his own sons Zeus, Hades and Poseiden. No doubt we’re continuing the theme of difficult paternal relationships here, just as we saw with Zagreus and his own father in Hades.

The gameplay below features Rao using the game’s new “Magick” system, while also highlighting the new addition of a player inventory, in which Melinoë can seemingly collect spell agents for use in her magical abilities. Also appearing: New godly faces, including the likes of the sun-bringing Apollo, forge god Hephaestus, or legendary hero Odysseus, protagonist of Homer’s The Odyssey. And of course, the footage hints at what will no doubt end up being an extremely deep collection of voice acting and music from the company’s celebrated composer Darren Korb.

More Hades 2 details look to continue arriving in the immediate future as others get their hands on the Hades 2 technical test, and excitement for the game’s upcoming Early Access phase will continue to build. In the meantime, you can check out the new footage below.