As someone who put over 200 hours into the original title, you can imagine how honored I was to be one of the first to get early access to Hades II. Here are my very first impressions of the game during technical access, from its combat and upgrades to its characters and story.

Hades’ biggest selling point is its roguelike combat, and Hades 2 has somehow managed to perfect what had already been perfected down to a science. Hades 2 features roguelike, hack-and-slash combat that’s no different than its predecessors. You’ve got your divine blessings to make each run more unique, and a randomized room of enemies to keep you on the edge of your seat.

What I will say is that this game feels infinitely more challenging compared to Hades. It’s the way Erebus, the first floor, feels like I’m traveling through a fusion of Asphodel and Elysium, the later floors of Hades. The enemies are shielded after the second room and they spawn just as infinitely as the warriors of the Elysian Fields.

Fortunately, Melinoe enters the Underworld stronger than she was in her last run. Like the Mirror of Night, Melinoe can unlock Arcanas, which permanently increases the effectiveness of her kit (attack, cast, dash) and her HP and Magick bars. I'll talk more about Magick later.