The Game Awards were held on Dec. 8, bringing many new exciting announcements alongside the winners of the various awards. One announcement was a sequel to Hades. The announcement of Hades II shocked fans as there was no indication or anticipation that a sequel was forthcoming.
Hades is a wild roguelike game that takes Zagreus through the levels of the Underworld as he tries to escape. This game has shifting dungeons that change the game a bit every time the player dies and retries. This keeps the game fresh, but not everything about the game has a long shelf life. The title suffers from a few weak points revealed on replaying it.
Grinding To Unlock Abilities
One of the most essential features in Hades is the various abilities that Zagreus can unlock and upgrade at the Mirror of Night in his room. To unlock these abilities, Zagreus needs to use Darkness which he collects on his escape from the Underworld.
However, Darkness can be difficult to accumulate and on a replay, it may seem rather tedious to have to start from the beginning again to get as much Darkness as they possibly can. This can put major progress in the gameplay at a halt where the player has to constantly grind until their abilities are good enough.
Every Infernal Arms Has To Be Unlocked Again
Much like the abilities, players will have to unlock all the weapons, called Infernal Arms, from the beginning again by using Cthonic Keys. This can prove troublesome for players who are reliant on a specific weapon, and they have to grind through the game to gather enough keys to unlock their specific weapon.
This is an issue that also coincides with unlocking new abilities as keys are needed to access more abilities from the mirror than what's currently seen by the player. This does lengthen the game overall, but it can prove to be an annoyance for players who want to play the game more quickly.
The Game Doesn't Feel New
Chances are, players will have gone through each area numerous times before they actually beat the game for the first time. Roguelike games such as Hades change up each encounter area in the dungeon to make the game feel fresh and unique every time, but players will undoubtedly see the same room again at a different point.
Upon a replay, the game ultimately feels familiar and not tall new like roguelike games generally boast. This is a hard pill to swallow and can make replaying the game less interesting than it would in theory.
The Gameplay Grows Stale
One reason Hades II differs from Hades is that it will be providing far more to the actual gameplay. Players can expect heavy improvement from the first game. A harsh reality when replaying Hades is how stale the gameplay really feels.
On a first playthrough, it may feel rather fresh and new. However, on a replay, it's far too much of the same and there isn't much variety to be done once Zagreus sets out on each escape. This mixed with the dungeons not feeling new hurts the replay value of the game.
God Mode Is More Fun
Many players may opt to not use the God Mode setting and most Hades players have never discovered this mode. The God Mode makes the game a bit easier as every time Zagreus dies he takes less damage.
This is a player-friendly feature that allows all players to experience the game and story at their own skill level. However, this mode is perfect for players who are replaying Hades and don't find that they're getting into the game as much. For players who have avoided God Mode due to it sounding too easy, it may be hard to accept that it's the way to go.
The Experience Will Never Be The Same As The First
Hades, one of the best hand-drawn video games, was a blast and a fan-favorite of many in 2018. However, because the game requires so many retries that forces the player to explore and do almost everything they can on a first playthrough, the game lacks real replay value.
That's because all the experience and content can be consumed once, and it's not nearly as enjoyable on a second or third try. This is terrible for fans who loved the game and wanted to replay it to get the same experience again.
There's No In-Between Balance
God Mode does offer a nice pace for players, especially on a replay, however, even God Mode can make the game feel far too easy on a replay. The same can be true when starting out in the normal mode where the game might feel too difficult and tedious because the player has to grind for the same items again.
This makes the replay in general difficult as there is no real balance between the modes that offers a nice solution. While many fans have been wondering what they can do differently to change up their experience, it seems Hades II, the sequel seems to be the answer.
Using Different Weapons Keeps The Game Fresh
In Hades, one of the best indie games on PS5, players like to stick to what they're good at and there are a vast amount of players who used primarily one weapon throughout the entire game.
One way to keep the game fresh that many players won't like is to switch between the various Infernal Arms offered to Zagreus. Each one makes the combat different, and it's the perfect fix for those who feel like the gameplay isn't doing anything for them anymore.
It's Pointless To Gift The Same NPCs
It's easy to grow attached to many of the NPCs in Hades, especially the lovable three-headed dog, Cerberus. However, if players didn't complete a bond with every character in their first playthrough then it's better to keep the gameplay fresh by bonding with new ones.
Bonding with the same characters will make the game feel too much of the same. The only reason to really do this is if the item Zagreus gets from their bond is something the player can't live without.
There's No Story Or Lore Left To Unravel
Assuming a player has done everything possible in the game on their first playthrough then there's an incredible aspect of the game that's missing on a replay.
This is a rough reality to face, but unrevealing the same story and lore that the players have already uncovered is going to feel stale and boring. This is difficult to achieve, but the biggest Hades fans will have done it and with no more story to see, it does give less of a reason to replay the game.