Even in its Early Access incarnation, Hades II makes for a much better game than the original did.

I think one of the problems that rogue-likes face is repetition, and I've felt it with Hades a lot. Even meaningful weapon changes didn't really help with location and enemy fatigue setting in.

Hades II is basically Hades, but More, and one thing it does that elevates the game for me is giving you a choice of what to approach. Not too long after starting you'll have access to three distinct branching choices leading you into different directions: two distinct worlds with their own enemies, bosses, and gimmicks, as well as the trials that ask you to complete a certain area with specific requirements.

While I'm not sure I like most of the new characters as much as I liked the cast of the original game, the progression is much more interesting. Arcana system, for example, while a little convoluted at first, is an incredible improvement over toggling one out of two options.

Hades II isn't a revolutionary sequel, but it's definitely a welcome evolution over a very solid rogue-like that I find easier to lose a lot of time with.