Austin (already) strongly recommends: Hades II (Early Access Review)
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February 3, 2026
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"Harmony in Every Heartbeat
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After almost a year… This game is much better with time. Been playing a lot. It is a blast to play.
I only just started playing hades this week for the first time. I'm in love with the game already but so bummed because I thought Hades 2 was already out!
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I just got the game about 3 days before the most recent update (the one on Jun 26th) and as someone who did not play Hades 1 in its early days to experience the changing of content, it was SO cool to see things alter right in front of me, as this game gets more and more refined. Alls I know it: I tried to use blitz and scorch on my first few play through, they really weren’t working for me. Cut to just days later, all of a sudden, both actually feel valuable to me and since that update dropped, I’ve went from wins in the under or upper world to winning twice on both sides.
As someone who only really got into Hades 1 this year and has put 80 hours into it over the last 2 months….this game is everything I wanted. I click so much quicker with the new gameplay features here compared to when I was trying to learn how zag worked. I’m especially VERY into the omega system, boons that involve priming your mana, and also the new cast. GOD do I love the last now, I hated hades1 cast and refused to do cast builds, but now I’m in love with dropping that circle, stopping the enemies chasing me for a moment while I ready up for an attack. Add onto that aphrodites cast boon that sucks enemies in, causes weak, and now as of the new update, also damages them.
I’m 25 hours in so far, as I have no intention of stopping just yet, I’m far from bored, which is a surprise to me given that I thought having to wait for the next area of the upper world would get me to stop playing for now….but I just….I don’t wanna stop, I’m still having so much fun and I still have no many unlocks to work towards.
Best 30$ I’ve spent in a long time and while I LOVED FF7 rebirth and LaD 8……this genuinely might be topping them for my fave 2024 game, even if it’s not officially a full game yet. I love the melodrama of RGG, and I love the spectacle of FF, but this game is just pure addiction for me right now, it’s the only game on my mind, and I JUST built a new rig I made solely to finally play BG3, a game I didn’t play yet because my old rig didn’t have the SSD space needed left. So now, here I am, new rig setup, 1.3 tb of space left to install, can get Bg3 at any time….and yet all I wanna do is play Hades 2 right now (and I say this as someone who loves not just Divinity OS 2 but Divinity in general (even have a soft spot for divine divinity), so I’m very hyped to see what Larian cooked up) but I just can’t escape this game right now.
Do you ever have nights, or game sessions where no matter what game you try playing, you’re just not feeling it… Especially a long RPG style game, or you’re getting completely wrecked in a souls like game, or you’re at a point in a game where it’s a tedious fetch quest… You catch my drift. Well, the cure for that, “not feeling it” feeling is to play Hades 1 or 2. Before I know it, I’ve gone from half asleep to wide awake fully engaged wreaking havoc in Hades 1 or 2. I can’t think of a better pick up and play game that doesn’t require too much dedication. A run in Hades II can last 30 to 40 min (For me! I know you MFs are pros and can do it in 15), after the run, I am satisfied and end up going and playing those bigger RPG games, it’s like video game coffee to me. Hades games will forever remain in my top 5 fav video games of all time.
The one thing I really don't like about what I've seen of this game is Hecate's design. I'm not sure what they were going for there…
I guess it was supposed to look witchy, but it doesn't really come across very well for me other than the hat…
I like the integration of some of her symbolism, but overall I don't like it aesthetically.
I was supposed to just check out the current state of the game, play for an hour or two and wait for the full release.
36 hours of gameplay later…
Thank you for this review because it helped muly dumb ass stop approaching this game as if im playing as zagreus 😑
To Hades with starting over every time. Never again!
Happy that Transistor got a call out. Great review Austin. You truly do get the best games to review. I think that says a lot about the current state of the industry.
Dang Hecate is FIT
really enjoyed hades 1 never finished it but had a good time
Great job as always Austin, your voice is ambrosia!
I've lost friends and family to playing this game. No regrets.
You had me at hottub
As someone addicted to online shooters, this is my most hype game of the year!
9:31
I IMMEDIATELY noticed this when playing the early access.
It kinda sucks because playing really fast and dash-attack heavy in Hades 1 was really really fun, now you have to be slower and take your time way more.
they somehow made the game worse than the first one
"Less scantily clad" – Boy, you guys really don't like women's bodies huh?
Honestly the one big issue i have with this game is the crafting/gathering. I don't really understand what it adds to the game, for me it slowing the game down way to much…
I'm guessing the 3rd overworld will be Olympus itself
thanks
That's why supergiant are the GOAT
First Hades had better weapons and moves but everything else is just as good.
I want to watch SkillUp not Austin….sigh
Why not release this on consoles same time? WTF
Meh didnt care for the first one and prolly wont check this one out
Interesting that they just make this game for you to kill time.
I honestly think that Supergiant Games is the most talented studio working today. And I very much include From Software, SantaMonica etc in that statement. They really stand on the very top of the mountain when it comes to creativity and polish in video games.
This looks like the actual god of war i used to enjoy. Is there all more gameplay apart from fighting? Are there puzzles or exploration?
Shame they hate anyone but LGBTQ. Passing this one
95% of game is just like the first one justt with more woman and woke characters like Hephaestus and Hestia :/
could be a 5$ dlc…
Okay, so it's more Hades.. lot more.
Liked the first game well enough but probably in the minority with this one as it doesn't seem very exciting or different, just more of the same, just with a twist.
Also, second secret child seems little lazy but it is what it is.. will wait till a full review comes out after this pops out of the oven, fully baked to decide if it's a buy or pass.
It’s Mel and Zag. Don’t stress it lol
With all this bullshit in the game industry it’s too easy to forget that Supergiant even exists and will come through for ya
Waiting on that 1M sub Outer Wilds review 😉
Game is so good
Thanks for the great review, Austin!! Always getting the fun games. 😂
I've never bought a game while it was in early access before, but ho boy…. Hades 2 is an exception,
I've spent my weekend playing this game for almost 26 hours and haven't gotten bored in the slightest!
Very good job for Supergiant Games, I can't imagine how big the full content release will be
Hey skill up when are you gonna play the new war quest in warframe its so good better then the second dream and the war within please come back to warframe we miss the content 🫶
Love the game, been playing for the past week.. runs like a dream, no bugs, great story, 2nd boss fight is awsome.. cant wait for full release with extra content