Hades 2 Nails the Gameplay — Its Story Surprisingly Lacks the Heart That Made Hades Unforgettable
Hades 2’s story drew a mixed reaction from one recent review that spent time with both the early access build and the 1.0 release. The reviewer highlighted specific themes that appear in the game, listed characters who figure into those threads, and noted how the game resolves its larger conflicts.
1. Review summary
2. Themes identified in the game
3. Character role and impact
4. True ending and resolution
5. Gameplay and playtime
6. Conclusion
Review summary
The reviewer reported spending substantial time with Hades 2 in both early access and the 1.0 build. They noted that the game contains many familiar Supergiant elements — voice acting, character interactions, and roguelite combat — but argued that certain narrative threads introduced early in the game are not developed before the credits. In particular, the review focused on how family and outsider themes are presented and later handled.
Themes identified in the game
The review listed several themes that appear during Melinoë’s quest. These include Melinoë’s status as an outsider, questions about what counts as family, and the issue of taking sides in a family conflict. The reviewer wrote that these themes are presented multiple times during runs but, in their experience, do not always lead to extended narrative development.
Character role and impact
The review named specific characters who appear in Hades 2 and described how they relate to Melinoë’s journey. Characters mentioned include Hecate (presented as a guardian and mentor), Chronos (whose reaction to Melinoë raises the question of allegiance), Nemesis, and Odysseus. According to the review, much of the backstory for these characters is revealed, but the reviewer said those revelations primarily serve Melinoë’s immediate goals rather than changing the relationships in meaningful ways.
True ending and resolution
The reviewer consulted the game’s true ending and reported that the ending resolves the central family conflict in a way they described as largely frictionless. In their account, the ending results in a broadly positive resolution for the involved parties, and the reviewer argued that the route to that resolution does not require prolonged confrontation among characters. The review also stated that the cataclysm behind the story is already in the past and that the antagonist is presented with little ambiguity.
Gameplay and playtime
The reviewer confirmed they invested time in both early access and the launch build, noting a specific figure of 30 hours in early access and additional hours with the 1.0 release. They reported that, despite their narrative reservations, they found the game’s core combat and build experimentation enjoyable and expected to continue playing beyond their initial playtime.
Conclusion
In short, the review presents two clear points: first, Hades 2 contains recognizable Supergiant character work and roguelite systems; and second, the reviewer felt several thematic threads introduced during play are not fully explored before the game’s true ending. The reviewer combined those observations with their playtime figures to explain why they remain engaged with the game despite their reservations.
