I've got mixed feelings on this one. Big fan of the original Hades. I know most people probably play these games because the gods are hotties, but I really enjoyed the roguelite progression in the first one. They struck a great balance between getting more minor upgrades after each run, while also making each run harder via the Heat system. And that's still mostly the case here, so I really like that about this game too.
But besides that this sequel appeals less to me than the original. The minor buffs you got in Hades 1 are now cards that you have to manually select which buff you want and which you don't. And this is just super boring to me.
'Hmm, do I want the upgrade that gives me 2% more magic per combat or the one that gives some of my attacks 3% chance to deal double damage?'
Nothing feels more amazing than buying a new card that sounds interesting only to not have the grasp to equip it.
The game already gets more difficult the more you play, with this game's version of the Pact of Punishment. So fiddling around in boring menus deciding which cards to select, which resource tool I use for this run, and which keepsake fits best here each and every time became very tedious very quickly.
I'm sure the designer of this game could in excruciating detail explain why making all the buffs like this is more 'fair' than just stacking them over the whole game like in Hades 1. But the way I perceive it, the game almost feels overdesigned. Every, little, thing is optimized and tested to be either too good or too bad. And it just flattens the experience for me. Getting a boon is a pick between a bunch of options that aren't going to feel great when I pick them up. They're again just minor buffs that are just good enough to not make the game feel unfair.
I won't go over every mechanic that's in the game or I'll never finish this log, but as a final example I want to highlight the new weapons. None of them felt exciting to use when I first picked them. They were all kinda eh. Not good nor bad weapons. Maybe with the exception of the torches. That one just feels lame to use. And now your attacks, specials and cats have an OMEGA version that use a limited magic-type resource each combat. These are far cooler but again limited use. So now there are twice as many things to upgrade and dillute the pool of boons with. It's rare when I find a cool synergy in this game, while it happened almost every run in Hades 1.
A new region that's been added is one where the maps are huge and you can roam around in freely. Whatever good pacing there was in your run grinds to a halt here, as I'd look around every corner of the map to find the rewards that were necessary to continue. It's not like the game would be too short if there wasn't a scavanger hunt in the middle. The bosses are way beefier than they were in the original and already do a great job padding the game out further. Especially the last two bosses will often do attacks that force you to stay back and wait until it's safe to damage them again.
Credit where credit's due, the final boss is amazing aesthetically. It's much more grandiose than the snow fight with Hades. Love it!
I'll give the game another shot when it's out of EA and update this log with my final thoughts.
But besides that this sequel appeals less to me than the original. The minor buffs you got in Hades 1 are now cards that you have to manually select which buff you want and which you don't. And this is just super boring to me.
'Hmm, do I want the upgrade that gives me 2% more magic per combat or the one that gives some of my attacks 3% chance to deal double damage?'
Nothing feels more amazing than buying a new card that sounds interesting only to not have the grasp to equip it.
The game already gets more difficult the more you play, with this game's version of the Pact of Punishment. So fiddling around in boring menus deciding which cards to select, which resource tool I use for this run, and which keepsake fits best here each and every time became very tedious very quickly.
I'm sure the designer of this game could in excruciating detail explain why making all the buffs like this is more 'fair' than just stacking them over the whole game like in Hades 1. But the way I perceive it, the game almost feels overdesigned. Every, little, thing is optimized and tested to be either too good or too bad. And it just flattens the experience for me. Getting a boon is a pick between a bunch of options that aren't going to feel great when I pick them up. They're again just minor buffs that are just good enough to not make the game feel unfair.
I won't go over every mechanic that's in the game or I'll never finish this log, but as a final example I want to highlight the new weapons. None of them felt exciting to use when I first picked them. They were all kinda eh. Not good nor bad weapons. Maybe with the exception of the torches. That one just feels lame to use. And now your attacks, specials and cats have an OMEGA version that use a limited magic-type resource each combat. These are far cooler but again limited use. So now there are twice as many things to upgrade and dillute the pool of boons with. It's rare when I find a cool synergy in this game, while it happened almost every run in Hades 1.
A new region that's been added is one where the maps are huge and you can roam around in freely. Whatever good pacing there was in your run grinds to a halt here, as I'd look around every corner of the map to find the rewards that were necessary to continue. It's not like the game would be too short if there wasn't a scavanger hunt in the middle. The bosses are way beefier than they were in the original and already do a great job padding the game out further. Especially the last two bosses will often do attacks that force you to stay back and wait until it's safe to damage them again.
Credit where credit's due, the final boss is amazing aesthetically. It's much more grandiose than the snow fight with Hades. Love it!
I'll give the game another shot when it's out of EA and update this log with my final thoughts.