Several games, most notably God of War, have depicted the fabled gods of Greek mythology and allowed gamers to take on the legendary Olympians in combat. Hades from Supergiant Games got in on the act in 2018, and its debut shook the gaming industry, gathering a host of nominations and awards for its brilliance. Due to Hades' performance, the next installment is hotly anticipated, and Hades 2 is set to expand on Melinoe's lore. Games like Red Dead Redemption have attempted a prequel as a follow-up, but Hades 2 towing a progressive timeline is a good thing for the franchise.
It's not often an indie franchise takes the world by storm, but the roguelike spin of Hades held unparalleled appeal to the gaming community, making it a clear-cut winner of Best Indie Game at multiple award shows. Zagreus, the immortal son of Hades, was a compelling protagonist in every sense of the word, taking gamers on a battle against the odds to escape the underworld after discovering his mother's true identity. Players battled to the surface multiple times to reunite Persephone with the rest of Zagreus' family, and some expected Hades 2 to continue along that trajectory. Instead, the spotlight shifts to Melinoe, the daughter of Persephone and Zeus, tasked with defeating Chronos to prevent him from rampaging on Olympus.
Hades Blazed a Trail for Roguelike RPGs
Roguelike games are sometimes niche due to the dominant theme of dying and restarting levels. Not every player enjoys the repetitive grind of upgrading weapons and dying, and as a result, few of its games have come close to the successes of Hades. Despite this, Hades found itself transcending the confines of the roguelike genre thanks to its brand of storytelling. Not many fans expected a Hades sequel to materialize, given Supergiant Games had previously never produced a sequel for any of its games. However, the media attention and accolades accumulated by Hades demanded a change in production strategy from the developer, and a host of changes will grace Hades 2, from new characters to weapons.
With each death of Prince Zagreus, the plot thickened, and the player progression was clear for gamers to see -- an approach that distinguishes it from some other titles in the category. The characters have a defined complexity, and Zagreus' relationship with his father is the most obvious example of growth. Hades has never had the best reputation in any adaptation of Greek mythology, and Hades takes a similar approach, depicting him as an emotionally distant, disappointed father to Zagreus. However, as gamers progress through the game, the good intentions clothed behind his cold demeanor are brought to light.
Hades 2's Setting Follows Logical Reasoning
Hades 2 is set in the aftermath of the events of Hades with a focus on Zagreus' younger sister Melinoe. Melinoe shares her brother's heterochromia, with her eyes colored green and red. Unlike Zagreus, who has lived all his life in the underworld with his father, Melinoe has spent her days under the tutelage of Hecate, the Greek goddess of witchcraft. Armed with a dagger and a sickle, the sequel's protagonist is charged with the defense of Olympus against her titan grandfather, Chronos. In addition to Melinoe, Supergiant Games is also introducing a slew of new characters and weapons to grace Hades 2, such as Apollo and Nemesis.
Lack of suspense is often an issue in prequels. No matter the media type, many consumers detest spoilers, and prequels essentially tell a story from before the first entry. For instance, John Marston died at the end of Red Dead Redemption 1 in 1914 before reappearing as a main character in Red Dead Redemption 2. Natural progression is essential in story telling, and the success of a prequel depends on the game's context.
In Red Dead Redemption's case, it made sense to explore a prequel to give a detailed history of the Van der Linde Gang's exploits and the consequences of their actions. For Hades, the first game did a brilliant job at expanding on Zagreus' lore, and players followed him on a persevering journey to reunite his family. Another dose of Zagreus repeatedly climbing out of the Pool of Styx might have a less positive reception, and Supergiant Games' decision to take the franchise in a different direction is logically sound.
Granted, the approach of the sequel's protagonist not appearing in the first game is an odd spin on sequel development, but this allows gamers a chance to familiarize themselves with Melinoe in the same way that got Zagreus his accolades. Hades ended with a few loose ends, and the developer's use of a chronologically-ordered sequel makes the most sense to answer players' burning questions. Theories have run amok in the Hades fandom about Zagreus' divine status, with many being of the position that Hades' son has mortal blood coursing through his veins.
At different points in the story, characters pointed out Zagreus' red blood as an oddity, which seemed to support fan theories. However, this brings his multiple deaths in the mortal realm into question, as his mortal and Olympian heritage should have granted him the ability to survive on the surface. It is unclear whether Hades 2 will bring answers to this specific question since the focus has shifted to Melinoe and Zagreus' reappearance is uncertain, but fans can presumably look forward to other revelations in the sequel.
Hades 2 is expected to go into early access in 2023 on PC.