Everything Different in Hades II From Its Prequel (So Far)

Hades II is more than just a direct sequel to its very successful predecessor; it's also braving new pathways with a variety of updates and changes that make this experience feel entirely new. 

While there is plenty to unlock, players will enjoy a steady pace of unlockables and permanent upgrades during their play time. For the first dozen hours or so, I was unlocking new upgrades every one or two runs, and it kept me motivated to keep coming back for more. 

Curious what's new in Hades II? Read on to find out! 

Hades II Levels: A Whole New World To Explore

The levels in Hades II are a complex labyrinth that Melinoë must navigate in order to reach her goal: confronting the Titan Chronos. Instead of the House of Hades, Melinoë inhabits the Crossroads: a cozy but rather muted region compared to the vibrant colors that adorned the house of the Lord of the Underworld. 

When leaving the Crossroads, the first three levels in Hades II you'll encounter are:

• Erebus: Similar to Tartarus in the first Hades, Erebus is an excellent starting point to get players used to the combat mechanics. 
• Oceanus: An undersea and briny region with one of the more creative bosses guarding the exit. 
• Fields of Mourning: A challenging region with prickly borders and challenging enemies. 

Without spoiling some of the cool surprises in Hades II, there are other areas to explore as well, making it a larger and more ambitious experience than its predecessor. 

Hades II Characters: Who's New? 

There is an excellent cast of new characters in Hades II, as well as many returning favorites such as Poseidon, Zeus, Hermes, and more. 

The new characters include:

• Melinoë: Princess of the Underworld (and our main protagonist!) 
• Dora: Listless Shade
• Hecate: Witch of the Crossroads
• Chronos: Titan of Time
• Apollo: God of Light
• Moros: Doom Incarnate
• Hestia: Goddess of Flame
• Odysseus: Veteran Tactician
• Hephaestus: God of the Forge 
• Arachne: Silk Weaver
• Selene: Moon Incarnate

Gifting Nectar to each character will provide the player with a valuable keepsake that can be leveled up. 

Hades II Weapons: New Armaments for Your Run Through the Underworld 

Hades II weapons are unlocked with resources that can be gathered or mined, like silver.

The first weapons you'll find in Hades II include:

• Witch's Staff: A balanced starting weapon that is useful for both melee and ranged attacks 
• Sister Blades: Dual-wield blades that are great for up-close and quick combat 
• Umbral Flames: Ranged weapon that can emit a series of flame attacks 
• Moonstone Axe: A slow, heavy axe with a large swing radius for dealing massive damage, also includes a shielding ability
• Argent Skull: Fire explosive skulls at enemies, but be strategic in your movements: you'll need to collect the skulls once they've been fired

Eventually, each weapon can be upgraded with additional bonuses to make them more effective. All the more reason to keep an eye out for any materials you can collect while adventuring.

Hades II Magick: Unleash Powerful Attacks 

Hades II introduces a magic gauge (called Magick) that can now be managed and upgraded in addition to your health. Every weapon has a powerful attack that uses magick, and Melinoë also has a binding cast that can be helpful when you need to tangle up enemies. 

Hades II Craft & Brewing: What To Do With Resources 

One of the biggest changes in Hades II is that there's now a resource collection and management system. On every excursion, players can select to bring one tool with them. The starting tools include:

• Crescent Pick: For mining veins of silver, limestone, bronze or other materials
• Silver Spade: For digging up seeds from plots of dirt in the underworld to plant in the Crossroads
• Tablet of Peace: For receiving Psyche from wandering spirits, which can be used to unlock Arcana Cards
• Rod of Fishing: For collecting fish in the underworld for trading

Melinoë can also tend patches of soil in the Crossroads that can yield helpful plants. Each plant requires a certain number of encounters to tick down before it's ready for harvesting, so make sure you plant some seeds in between each run and check in on your flora. Other materials can be concocted in the cauldron.

Resources that you collect can be used in a few key areas:

Arcana Cards
These basically replace the Mirror of Night from Hades. Unlock these cards for perks like a faster sprint, greater dodging capability, and Death Defiance to survive longer in the underworld.

Ash is the primary resource for unlocking the cards, while Psyche is the resource used to upgrade how many cards you can have active at one time. 

Cauldron
Concoct incantations to make your time in the underworld easier. New recipes will appear in the cauldron that will require everything from plants to mined resources to materials you can barter for. The Cauldron can summon perks in the underworld during your runs, as well as give you abilities that will let you explore further. 

Wondering "How to get Shadow in Hades II?" or are curious about other resources? Much of what you need can be collected in the underworld, but Shadow can be extracted from the cauldron with a specific recipe. Keep in mind it requires time to cook, so no instant gratification here. 

If you'd like to track a specific resource for gathering, you can concoct the Forget-Me-Not perk at the cauldron. This allows you to tag specific upgrades and a Forget-Me-Not symbol will appear over the resources needed during your encounters. 

Hades II Boons & Elemental Bonuses

Boons work much like they did in the original Hades, but they now have elemental infusions that can be added to them. Collect boons of the same element and you'll get a stacking effect. These appear as options once you meet certain criteria during a run and are helpful for players looking to construct a particular build.

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That's all the major changes we've found so far in the Early Access build of Hades II! More can (and likely will) change between now and the eventual 1.0 release, and we're looking forward to seeing where Supergiant takes it next.