Supergiant Games hands over the keys to the underworld early. Hades IIthe sequel to the studios’ critically acclaimed roguelike, is now available on PC for $30 via Early Access on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Hades II follows Melinoë, the underworld princess and sister of the first game’s hero Zagreus, on her journey to kill the Titan Chronos. The game features a rotating cast of Greek gods, from Aphrodite to Zeus, who assist Melinoë on her journey with power-ups and special abilities. Although the version of the game released on Monday is not the full, finished title, Supergiant will allow players who purchase it to carry their progress over to the final game. The company expects development to continue “at least through the end of 2024,” with updates occurring every few months.
In addition to its outstanding gameplay is the original Hades was also loved for its hot gods and open sexuality; Players could woo both female and male characters together for a threesome with the right attitude. The sequel continues at least part of this tradition with additional Greek gods whose beauty is on full display.
Hades IIThe early release shouldn’t be a complete surprise. Its predecessor was released before its full inception in late 2018; the finished version appeared in 2020. “We designed the original Hades for Early Access from the ground up, and this also applies to Hades II, our first-ever sequel,” Supergiant wrote in its announcement. “We believe everything about this game benefits from ongoing feedback, from balancing to storytelling.”
According to Supergiant, the game currently has more levels, enemies and voiced characters than even the finished version of the original game. Key areas, characters, story and more are still in development.
The early access release follows technical testing by Supergiant Last month, where members of the team played the game live on stream. Interested players could register for the test. Hades II has been in development for three years. Although it is not yet known when the final product will be ready, players who want the opportunity to help shape development can do so through feedback. “We expect to make many changes and improvements inspired by our player community and reflect these in our patch notes,” Supergiant wrote in a statement.
“The combination of our impressions as a development team, the feedback we hear from our player community, and the gameplay data we collect from players should help us get a more complete picture of how to do something Hades II the best it can be.”