Jakarta: If the first *Hades* was a family drama about a son trying to run away from home, *Hades II*, the sequel from Supergiant games released this year, is a war epic about a daughter trying to break in. This game review will discuss in more detail one of the games nominated for The Game Awards 2025.
In *Hades II*, we play as Melinoe, Princess of the Underworld and younger sister of Zagreus from the previous game.In contrast to her brother, who is relaxed and humorous, Melinoe is a serious character, trained, and carries a heavy burden. The premise of the story is much heavier.
Chronos, the Titan of Time and grandfather of the Olympian gods, has risen again, taking Hades, Persephone, and Zagreus captive, and taking over the House of Hades.Melinoe, raised in hiding by the goddess of magic Hecate, has one single goal: Defeat Time.
This shift in narrative is very pronounced. The dialog is heavier, reflecting the desperation of the ongoing war. Melinoe’s interactions wiht the Olympian gods-like the more pragmatic Zeus or the competitive Nemesis-add emotional depth beyond her predecessor. Despite this, Supergiant’s trademark humor is still present through characters such as Dora, the sarcastic ghost who inhabits Melinoe’s tent.
The most radical change in *Hades II* lies in the combat mechanics. Supergiant didn’t just copy Zagreus’ hack-and-slash system.Instead, they introduced a system of Magick (Mana) and Omega Moves.In addition to the health bar, Melinoe has a Magick bar that is used to activate Omega attacks-powerful charged versions of Attack, Special, and Cast. This mechanism fundamentally changes the rhythm of the game.
While Zagreus relies on fast reflexes and dash-spamming, melinoe demands a more tactical and calculated approach. Players must be clever in positioning themselves to channel Omega’s attacks while avoiding enemies,making the battle feel more methodical but still brutal.
The movement system has also been overhauled. Zagreus’ double dash is replaced by a single Dash that continues into a Sprint if the button is held. While this allows for quick navigation of large areas, some veteran players may find these transitions a little less responsive or “heavy” than the first game, especially when trying to dodge rapid projectile attacks.
Melinoe’s arsenal,called Nocturnal Arms,offers a great variety of play styles. Starting from the balanced Witch’s Staff for medium range, Sister Blades for super fast melee attacks, to the heavy but deadly Moonstone Ax.
Each weapon has an Aspect that drastically changes how it effectively works. Such as, Aspect of Pan on Sister Blades allows players to fire highly effective homing blades, making it one of the favorite builds in the community.
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