Be it current news or game releases in general, this May has somehow become an incredibly chaotic month for video games. And in the middle of all that chaos, yesterday saw Supergiant Games just suddenly release Hades II in early access.First announced at the end of 2022,the game’s announcement came as a shock to many, not just because nobody expected a sequel to what has arguably been the legendary studio’s biggest hit so soon, but also because it would be the first sequel to any of the developer’s games, period. And even with a Technical Test for the game last month, the sudden Early Access launch shocked many as well, likely because the shadow drop just felt so casual. But here it is now, and rather unsurprisingly, the game has already racked up tons of positive reception from players in just a day,already hitting the “Overwhelmingly Postive” mark on Steamas of the time of writing.
The launch came with an Early Access Showcase for Hades II,which you can view at the link here,highlighting a good chunk of the gameplay (in addition,a Singles Playlistfor the game highlighting Darren Korb’s soundtrack is also available on Supergiant’s YouTube page). Acting as a direct sequel to the first, this time around, players control Melinoë, the Princess of the Underworld, with the goal of killing time. Literally, as you have to stop the Chronos, the Titan of Time, who has escaped imprisonment. Much like with Zagreus, Melinoë is also another figure from Greek mythology being expanded on by Supergiant. Melinoë here is an immortal witch, and as such, themes of night, darkness, witchcraft and its connections to Greek mythology and more are clearly more present in the game this time around, from the weaponry and abilities to the locales and even the gods encountered this time around, including summoning the Moon Incarnate themselves, Selene.
While major updates are to come and provide even more additions to the roguelike action that the original had (which also began in Early Access), the showcase also gives us glimpses into new bits such as gathering ingredients for farming, saving lost souls, and even taming animal familiars. Yes, not only can you pet the animals this time around, but you can have them fight in battle alongside you. While certain parts of the game still have yet to be added (characters like Narcissus only have placeholder art for the moment, for example), Hades II has been built for Early Access with quite a good amount of content already, which would explain why so many players already seem to be enjoying it.
Supergiant Announces Hades II
So yes, as of May 6, Hades II is available now in Early Access for the Epic Games Store and Steam, where it is also Steam Deck verified. So if you’re wondering “Is Hades II available on the Switch?” then the answer is: No. Simple as that. It will likely come to consoles later with the eventual Version 1.0, but for now, the answer is two letters: N-O. For those with any other questions about Hades II and its development, Supergiant Games have sent up a handy FAQ over on their official site,which you can check out at the link here.
