Summary
The originalHadessaw Zagreus, son of the titular Greek God of the Underworld, reach Mount Olympus in search of his mother, Persephone. It became one of the best rogue-like action RPGs around, with enough glowing reviews from critics and players alike to earn a Metascore of 93 and a User Score of 8.7. Then, Supergiant Games decided to make a sequel that could somehow match, if not surpass, the first.
Hades 2is now available in Early Access on PC, and follows Zagreus’ sister, Melinoë, as she aims to stop the Titan Chronos from waging war on Olympus, and free her father from his clutches. If they sound new to readers, then they’re not the only ones. Alongside returning gods like Zeus, Aphrodite, Demeter, and others,Hades 2introduces these newgods from Greek mythologyto help or hinder Melinoë in her quest.
Melinoë
Princess Of The Underworld
Like her brother Zagreus,Melinoëcomes from Orphic literature, which came from Thrace (chunks of modern-day Bulgaria, some of Northern Greece, and a bit of Turkey). Invoked in theOrphic Hymns, she was a ‘saffron-cloaked nymph of the Earth’ who was birthed in Cocytus, the River of Wailing.
The hymn says she took the form of a specter who’d “(drive) mortals to madness with her airy apparitions.” As such, she’s gained recognition as the Greek God of Ghosts. The hymns also claim both her and Zagreus’ father was Zeus, who shapeshifted on two different occasions to bed Persephone. But sinceHades 1established Zagreus as Hades’ son through and through, it’s likelyHades 2will do the same for Melinoë.
Hecate
Witch Of The Crossroads
It’s fitting thatHecatebecomes Melinoë’s mentorinHades 2. The Orphic Hymns associate Melinoë so much with the Greek God of Magic that some thought she was just another name for Hecate. It doesn’t help that Hecate is more well-known, as she was worshiped as one of the many protectors of households, invoked by people from Sicily to Turkey to keep their homes safe.
On top of being the god of magic, spells, and ghosts, she’s associated with crossroads. Old Greek sculptures represented her as a triple-bodied figure facing each direction at a crossroads, and the Romans used the epithetTrivia(“three-ways”) to invoke her when seeking protection while traveling. That’s also whyHades 2uses the Crossroads as her haven from Chronos.
Chronos
Titan Of Time
Hades 2’sversion ofChronoscombines the Greek God of Time with the similarly named Cronus, King of the Titans, and father of Zeus. In that, the former controlled time, and the latter became King of the Elysian Fields within the underworld. But they’re not the only ones. In ancient times, the two would often be confused for one another, to the point that people thought “Cronus” was another name for Chronos.
In the Orphic tradition, he was a separate figure born from earth and water, who produced the egg that made Phanes, the androgynous god that created the cosmos and the first generation of gods.Chronos lives on in modern timesas the figure behind Father Time, the scythe-wielding old man who represented last year giving way to Baby New Year.
Eris
Strife Incarnate
Eris, the God of Strife, lives up to her title inHades 2as, if the player is progressing too quickly, she’ll hit Melinoë with a debuff that makes her take more damage. If players can withstand it, they canmake Eris pay by fighting herat the end of the Rift of Thessaly. She doesn’t care about Chronos’ goals. She just wants to cause trouble wherever she goes, and she considers Melinoë an easy target.
Her most famous role was throwing a golden apple engraved with the term “For the fairest one” towards Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite at a wedding party. Paris, Prince of Troy, would judge who was the fairest of the three and, in giving it to Aphrodite in return for Helen, the fairest mortal woman, would start the Trojan War. No wonder Hesiod considered her “blameworthy…her no man loves.”
Nemesis
Retribution Incarnate
The reason"Nemesis"has become a synonym for enemy or arch-rival is because of the Greek god of the same name. She represented retribution, punishing anyone who dared place themselves above the gods, or by righting wrongs. For example, she avenged Echo’s rejection by Narcissus by luring the man to a pool, where he’d fall in love with his own reflection and stare at it until he died.
InHades 2, she escapes Chronos' capture, but is ordered to protect Hecate’s Crossroads, which she feels is beneath her. She’d rather test Melinoë’s abilities where, like her sister Eris, she’ll interfere in the player’s progress. She can block off chambers, take items away from Charon’s shop, and challenge Melinoë to see who can defeat the most enemies on the Underworld path.
Moros
Doom Incarnate
Like his siblings Eris and Nemesis,Moroswas born to Nyxeither via Erebus or by herself through parthenogenesis. He’s the personification of doom, driving mortals to their fate by reminding them that death and suffering are inevitable. He and his brother, Thanatos, made it out of Greek mythology and inspired Death, one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelation.
Despite that,Hades 2doesn’t make Moros all that bad. His polite if stiff demeanor makes him more tolerable than his siblings. Though perhaps, since he knows Melinoë’s fate already, he doesn’t feel all that interested in exacerbating things. He’ll give her the Fated List of Minor Prophecies if she dies after invoking the Fated Intervention. Otherwise, he’ll offer his Engraved Pin for some Nectar at the Crossroads.
Hera
Queen Of The Olympians
Ironically, on top of being the God of Women,Herais the goddess of marriage and marital harmony. Zeus’ frequent dalliances in Greek mythology often left her quite inharmonious. She’d take out her fury on Zeus’ mistresses and illegitimate children. For example, she had tried multiple times to kill Heracles since infancy. She eventually drove him mad enough to kill his family, and tried to disrupt his 12 Labors.
Hades 2doesn’t mention this (so far). In the game, she offers Melinoë the Hitch status curse, where the damage suffered by one foe is spread to every other afflicted enemy. It also turned her parents into the Titans Hyperion and Theia instead of Cronus and Rhea, to avoid making her Zeus’ sister as well as his wife. This was considered fine for gods (and onlybthe gods) in ancient times, but the game decided to sidestep it altogether.
Heracles
Mightiest Of Men
Being fair to Hera, Zeus did goad her with the boy by naming himHeracles(“Glory of Hera”) in the first place. It’s like someone cheating on their partner, then naming the illegitimate child after the partner as a mea culpa. Then again, it wasn’t Heracles’ fault he was born. Hera just went after him when her attempts to leave Zeus, and in one case overthrow his rule entirely, failed.
Heracles, better known by his Roman name Hercules, became the most famous hero in Greek mythology. When he wasn’t joining Jason’s Argonauts or saving Prometheus, he fought the Hydra, the Nemean Lion, and Cerberus as part ofhis 12 Labors. InHades 2, he challenges Melinoë to see who can collect the most Gold Crowns from enemies on their journey to Olympus.
Hephaestus
God Of The Forge
The game still includes Hera’s envy, as she hoped her child, through Zeus, would outdo Athena and Apollo, his children via Metis and Leto, respectively. Instead, she hadHephaestus, an ugly child with a disability that she rejected. But he’d prove his worth by becoming the best blacksmith in the world, forging weapons for mortal, god, and demigod alike.
Some people have taken umbrage with his custom wheelchair, but the Ancient Greeks did depict him in art with a similar device. The only issue in the mythology was whether he was born with his condition, or if it was caused by Hera (or Zeus) throwing him out of Olympus. Either way, he still made some of the most famous weapons and gear in Greek mythology, from Eros’ arrows to Hermes’ superfast sandals.
Hestia
Goddess Of Flame
Speaking of designs that got people in a tizzy,Hades 2’sHestiawas made to resemble an elderly black woman rather than, say, the cutesyanime girl version inDanMachi. YetHades 2’sdesign fits the god better. Hestia was the god of homes, hearths, and sacred and sacrificial fires. A welcoming, if fierce, fiery figure likeHades 2’s Hestia fits the theme better.
In the game, she’s the elder sister of Hera, Demeter, Helios, Selene, and Eos, and often feuds with Demeter over whom the oldest Olympian is. Hestia is older, but Demeter is on Olympus more often. In mythology, Hestia doesn’t have many stories about her, as it was said she had to stay in her abode to keep the world’s hearths going. Though it has been claimed she took part in the gods’ war against the Giants.
