There’s another update on the Hades 2 Nendoroid at the latest Good Smile Compant Smile Fest 2024 show. While the first version shown in July 2024 was an unpainted prototype, the new version is a painted prototype that is further along in development.

The painted prototype of the Melinoe Hades 2 Nendoroid addresses some of her more unique features. For example, we can better see the colors of her two eyes. It also gives us a better idea of how her armor will look. The ultimate design of her see-through left arm isn’t addressed just yet, however. It only appeared completely painted teal for this latest version of the figure.

Here is how Melinoe is looking so far:

Hades 2 Early Access updates have been coming at a steady pace as well. Patch 3 appeared in June 2024, and it handled things like Aspects of the Nocturnal Arms and the Crossroads Cauldron. The July 2024 patch addressed Boons and Blessings.

The Hades 2 Melinoe Nendoroid is in still development, and Good Smile Company has yet to announce a launch window for it. Hades 2 is currently in early access for PCs, and there's no word yet about an exact release date for the 1.0 version.

The post Hades 2 Melinoe Nendoroid Painted Prototype Shown appeared first on Siliconera.

Chaos and comedy. Death and rebirth. Luck and, uh, running out of luck. A good roguelike doesn't treat the player like other games do. Roguelikes won't guide you helpfully along a path, or let you cinematically snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. They're more likely to dangle you deep between the jaws of defeat and fumble the rope until you go sliding down defeat's hungry gullet. This is their beauty, and it's a part of why we keep coming back for another go. Next time everything will go right. Next time you'll find the right pair of poison-proof loafers, the perfect co-pilot for your spaceship, a stash of stronger, better ropes. Next time.

Here's our list of the 19 best roguelikes on PC you can play in 2024.

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Chaos and comedy. Death and rebirth. Luck and, uh, running out of luck. A good roguelike doesn't treat the player like other games do. Roguelikes won't guide you helpfully along a path, or let you cinematically snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. They're more likely to dangle you deep between the jaws of defeat and fumble the rope until you go sliding down defeat's hungry gullet. This is their beauty, and it's a part of why we keep coming back for another go. Next time everything will go right. Next time you'll find the right pair of poison-proof loafers, the perfect co-pilot for your spaceship, a stash of stronger, better ropes. Next time.

Here's our list of the 19 best roguelikes on PC you can play in 2024.

Read more

Witchy roguelike Hades 2 got a fresh update yesterday that sees a bunch of weapons getting stompier, thumpier, and, yes, whompier. It's like the hammer of Hephaestus himself was put to work on the entire armory. The Moonstone Axe's heavier attacks now channel faster, for one thing, which could make the most sluggish of the weapons a little more viable. I haven't had a go at the re-jigged bashing yet myself but I trust from these patch notes it will be subtly noticeable.

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Hello! Welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing over the past few days. This week we return to an old series to see how it's evolved, we go to the underworld and play with the gods, and we go back to the Arkham game that started it all.

What have you been playing?

If you fancy catching up on some of the older editions of What We've Been Playing, here's our archive.

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Five of the Best is a weekly series for supporters of Eurogamer. It's a series that highlights some of the features in games that are often overlooked. It's also about having your say, so don't be shy, use the comments below and join in!

Oh and if you want to read more, you can - you can find our entire Five of the Best archive elsewhere on the site.

Which was the first game to have a dash move in it? The earliest I can think of is the Mega Man series. But was that a slide or a dash? Because although they serve similar functions, I think they're distinct things. It's tricky! Today of course, dashes are synonymous with action games, and even other kinds of games, and it's probably more common to play games with them than without them. Dashes have become a fundamental part of our gaming lexicon. But the question is, which dashes have been the most memorable - which dashes are the best?

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Hades 2 creative director Greg Kasavin said the game will be in early access "at least through the end of this year".

The much-anticipated rogue-lite sequel released into early access on PC on 6th May, though it's unknown when the game will be fully released.

Speaking to PC Gamer in the wake of the game's first patch, Kasavin detailed Supergiant's plans for the foreseeable future.

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Supergiant has discussed its first Hades 2 post-launch patch, which will be released at some point later this month.

While the team delivered smaller hotfixes periodically since Hades 2 was released in early access, this patch will include some more meaty changes, including ones focused on resource gathering and getting around.

In a post on Steam, Supergiant said it didn't want gathering resources to "feel too frustrating" for players, so this will be addressed in some fashion in the coming weeks.

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The release of Hades 2 in early access last week has given the original game a nice little player boost.

Over the weekend, the first Hades game managed to beat its own concurrent player record on Steam, with 54,240 taking on the mythological rogue-like dungeon crawler over the last 24 hours.

That's 16,491 more concurrent players than Hades' previous record of 37,749, which it set four years ago.

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Hades 2 is officially in early access, and we already know that the full release will introduce new features. This has, of course, led to some speculation, including on the sixth weapon. Fans on the Hades 2 subreddit have been deep in conversation, coming up with new ways to slay enemies across action-packed runs.

What Will The Next Hades 2 Weapon Be? These Fans Have Some Ideas

On Reddit, users are speculating on what the new weapon could be, and have come up with some interesting theories.

As you might’ve heard, Hades 2 is out in early access, offering up the much-anticipated sequel to Supergiant’s mythical (and delightfully thirsty) roguelite. Though the sheer amount of polish and Stuff in even its pre-release form might have you thinking that a full 1.0 release can’t be too far down the line, the game’s creative director reckons we’ve still got around a year to wait before it’s considered all finished up.

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Hell-wandering roguelike Hades 2 has received its first proper patch, and it does everything the developers said it would. You now sprint faster and, significantly, you can gather more than one type of crafting resource per run (as long you've unlocked the tool that lets you gather that resource). This means Melinoë can now go fishing, dig up seeds, mine silver, and gain the trust of errant shades, all in a single night's work. There is a catch though.

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Greek god pulverizing simulator Hades 2 is getting its first patch "later this month", say the developers. Two things are on their to-tweak list. First, something might change about the way resource gathering tools are used (the pickaxe you use to mine silver during a run, for example). Second, and perhaps more significant, is an upcoming change to the way Melinoë's dash and sprint work. We don't know exactly what that change is but, according to Supergiant, it has something to do with your witchy batterer's "distinct style".

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Five of the Best is a weekly series for supporters of Eurogamer. It's a series that highlights some of the features in games that are often overlooked. It's also about having your say, so don't be shy, use the comments below and join in!

Oh and if you want to read more, you can - you can find our entire Five of the Best archive elsewhere on the site.

The more I've tried to pin down the definition of a god in a game, the harder time I'm having with it. I began by thinking 'out-and-out gods only', the kind that represent the dominant powers in the games we play, whether we fight against them or with them. But the more I thought about it, the more that definition broadened, because aren't we always a kind of god when we play a game - don't we always have a kind of godlike power? We are able to die and keep trying until we've - usually - defeated a godlike boss or bosses, depending on what the game is. What does that make us if not a god? I am open to any and all arguments here, so have at it. Which gods in games do you think are the best?

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Hades 2 released in early access last night, and is already pulling in some impressive numbers on Steam for concurrent players.

At the time of writing, there are over 100,000 players making their way through Supergiant Games' first-ever sequel. It has eclipsed its predecessor, with the first Hades game currently holding a concurrent player record of 37,749 (although, it is worth noting that Hades was a timed-exclusive on the Epic Games Store, before it arrived on Valve's PC storefront).

Additionally, it appears the launch of Hades 2 may eventually boost the concurrent player record of the first game. Figures on SteamDB show that the first Hades recorded a peak of 36,043 players in the last 24 hours, closing in on its record from four years ago.

Read more

Sequels are always difficult, I imagine. How to capture the core brilliance of a thing and build on it? What to add, what to remove? I've always loved Sid Meier's rule of thirds for Civilisation games: one third remains the same, one third is improved, one third is totally new. But not every game is Civilisation.

Sequels for roguelikes, though? Cor. Difficulty cubed. This is because roguelikes, with campaigns composed of endlessly repeated runs, all with their own fine chances for variation? Roguelikes are games that already carry an infinite number of sequels within them. I have Spelunky runs even now which feel like sequels to the first game, where something unprecedented happens, and where I feel like I see the whole challenge in a new way, completely reframed. If Spelunky struggles with this, what hope for everyone else?

Hades 2 seems very happy being a sequel, even a sequel to a roguelike. Everything from the swift-pen art style and the evocative, pensive soundtrack, down to the menus and the fonts and the UI choices speak of a desire for continuity. After years of racing through baddy-filled rooms packed with classical horrors as Zagreus, there was almost no period of reorientation needed before I started racing through baddy-filled rooms packed with classical horrors as Melinoë. I've spoken to a few people about this, actually, and it's almost perverse: the sense of being right at home from the off is almost the most confusing thing about Hades 2.

Read more

Five of the Best is a weekly series for supporters of Eurogamer. It's a series that highlights some of the features in games that are often overlooked. It's also about having your say, so don't be shy, use the comments below and join in!

Oh and if you want to read more, you can - you can find our entire Five of the Best archive elsewhere on the site.

The more I've tried to pin down the definition of a god in a game, the harder time I'm having with it. I began by thinking 'out-and-out gods only', the kind that represent the dominant powers in the games we play, whether we fight against them or with them. But the more I thought about it, the more that definition broadened, because aren't we always a kind of god when we play a game - don't we always have a kind of godlike power? We are able to die and keep trying until we've - usually - defeated a godlike boss or bosses, depending on what the game is. What does that make us if not a god? I am open to any and all arguments here, so have at it. Which gods in games do you think are the best?

Read more

Hades 2 released in early access last night, and is already pulling in some impressive numbers on Steam for concurrent players.

At the time of writing, there are over 100,000 players making their way through Supergiant Games' first-ever sequel. It has eclipsed its predecessor, with the first Hades game currently holding a concurrent player record of 37,749 (although, it is worth noting that Hades was a timed-exclusive on the Epic Games Store, before it arrived on Valve's PC storefront).

Additionally, it appears the launch of Hades 2 may eventually boost the concurrent player record of the first game. Figures on SteamDB show that the first Hades recorded a peak of 36,043 players in the last 24 hours, closing in on its record from four years ago.

Read more

Sequels are always difficult, I imagine. How to capture the core brilliance of a thing and build on it? What to add, what to remove? I've always loved Sid Meier's rule of thirds for Civilisation games: one third remains the same, one third is improved, one third is totally new. But not every game is Civilisation.

Sequels for roguelikes, though? Cor. Difficulty cubed. This is because roguelikes, with campaigns composed of endlessly repeated runs, all with their own fine chances for variation? Roguelikes are games that already carry an infinite number of sequels within them. I have Spelunky runs even now which feel like sequels to the first game, where something unprecedented happens, and where I feel like I see the whole challenge in a new way, completely reframed. If Spelunky struggles with this, what hope for everyone else?

Hades 2 seems very happy being a sequel, even a sequel to a roguelike. Everything from the swift-pen art style and the evocative, pensive soundtrack, down to the menus and the fonts and the UI choices speak of a desire for continuity. After years of racing through baddy-filled rooms packed with classical horrors as Zagreus, there was almost no period of reorientation needed before I started racing through baddy-filled rooms packed with classical horrors as Melinoë. I've spoken to a few people about this, actually, and it's almost perverse: the sense of being right at home from the off is almost the most confusing thing about Hades 2.

Read more

Hades 2 had some big shoes to fill. A sequel always has the difficult task of remaining true to the previous title, but with Hades being such a complete package, it was almost hard to imagine a world in which the game could be developed or evolved in any meaningful way.

Supergiant has always been up to the task and didn't disappoint here. The playstyle of Melinoë is exactly what players had hoped for, maintaining Zagreus' fast-paced, dodge-heavy, hack-and-slash playstyle while introducing several tricks of her own. Even more than that, the playstyle is indicative of the character, giving players a glimpse into the inner workings of Melinoë even just by observing how the game has changed.

How Melinoë Changes Combat

Compared to Zagreus, Melinoë is a much more versatile protagonist. While weapons still have basic attacks, combos, dash strikes, and specials, the Cast mechanic is reworked, and three more options are added in the form of Omega moves. 

The Cast undergoes the biggest change, which highlights just how differently Melinoë approaches combat. Gone is the single-shot projectile, replaced instead with a large field that holds enemies in place. Melinoë is much more about control, understanding threats, and how to approach each situation.

Many enemies, such as the Wailers and Whispers, become much more aggressive and dangerous once they approach, sometimes requiring distance and reassessment before a player goes into melee range. There is still room to be an aggressive melee fighter, but more often than not, a cool head with an eye for openings prevails.

The other meaningful addition to combat is the addition of Omega moves and a Magick bar. Attacks, Specials, and Cast can all be charged up by holding down their respective buttons, resulting in new effects that cost Magick to use. The Omega Cast stays the same between weapons, while the weapons have unique Omega effects for each.

Because of the charge time of the moves and the introduction of the Magick bar, Melinoë can often play like a spellcaster hybrid rather than the pure weapon-focused style of Zagreus. While melee still feels strong, there will be times when players use their cast and dash out of melee, using the window created by cast to charge up a powerful Omega special. The new Omega moves provide tons of opportunities in combat, giving each weapon multiple avenues for combat and expanding how players can approach Hades II.

Combat as a Reflection of the Character

It is perhaps more important to discuss how Melinoë embodies the changes to combat, adding character to the game as a whole, not just during moments of dialogue. 

Playing as Zagreus was indicative of who he was as a character. He was new to his role, butting heads with his father, out on a rash and sudden attempt to understand what was being kept from him. His playstyle was heavier on melee weapons, requiring players to face enemies head-on, jump into danger, and prepare to use pure strength and reaction time to beat their enemies. 

Melinoë, on the other hand, feels like an evolution of Zagreus. She comes from the same family line and the same base of combat is there. The way she can dodge into melee range and start to unload feels so similar to Zagreus, but she was raised differently. She never knew her family, instead being raised by Hecate, the Witch of the Crossroads. Hecate, under the orders of Hades, raised her with the single goal of overthrowing Chronos, starting her training at a young age, both as a witch and a warrior of the house of Hades. 

Fighting as Melinoë reflects both the new emphasis on witchcraft and her preparedness for the task ahead. Using her Cast to hold enemies in place creates a much more tactical feel, allowing her to choose the moments where she'll engage. Many of her weapons feature Omega spells that deal large amounts of AoE damage, allowing her to either punish the targets she holds in place or clear her other flank while they are temporarily non-threatening. The myriad options with which she can approach combat speak to her years of training with Hecate, her time sparring with Nemesis, and picking up knowledge from the master tactician Odysseus. 

The same feel and style of the original game are there beneath it all, but Melinoë takes everything one step further. Where Zagreus was brash, Melinoë is collected. Where Zagreus was aggressive and single-minded, Melinoë is calculating and careful. It all goes a long way to prove that Hades was no fluke. Supergiant understands how to build towards a single artistic vision. Melinoë is no Zagreus, and Supergiant graciously gives us the ability to explore why.

The post What’s in a Punch? How Melinoë’s Combat Style Embodies the New Direction of Hades 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Five of the Best is a weekly series for supporters of Eurogamer. It's a series that highlights some of the features in games that are often overlooked. It's also about having your say, so don't be shy, use the comments below and join in!

Oh and if you want to read more, you can - you can find our entire Five of the Best archive elsewhere on the site.

The more I've tried to pin down the definition of a god in a game, the harder time I'm having with it. I began by thinking 'out-and-out gods only', the kind that represent the dominant powers in the games we play, whether we fight against them or with them. But the more I thought about it, the more that definition broadened, because aren't we always a kind of god when we play a game - don't we always have a kind of godlike power? We are able to die and keep trying until we've - usually - defeated a godlike boss or bosses, depending on what the game is. What does that make us if not a god? I am open to any and all arguments here, so have at it. Which gods in games do you think are the best?

Read more

Hades 2 released in early access last night, and is already pulling in some impressive numbers on Steam for concurrent players.

At the time of writing, there are over 100,000 players making their way through Supergiant Games' first-ever sequel. It has eclipsed its predecessor, with the first Hades game currently holding a concurrent player record of 37,749 (although, it is worth noting that Hades was a timed-exclusive on the Epic Games Store, before it arrived on Valve's PC storefront).

Additionally, it appears the launch of Hades 2 may eventually boost the concurrent player record of the first game. Figures on SteamDB show that the first Hades recorded a peak of 36,043 players in the last 24 hours, closing in on its record from four years ago.

Read more

Sequels are always difficult, I imagine. How to capture the core brilliance of a thing and build on it? What to add, what to remove? I've always loved Sid Meier's rule of thirds for Civilisation games: one third remains the same, one third is improved, one third is totally new. But not every game is Civilisation.

Sequels for roguelikes, though? Cor. Difficulty cubed. This is because roguelikes, with campaigns composed of endlessly repeated runs, all with their own fine chances for variation? Roguelikes are games that already carry an infinite number of sequels within them. I have Spelunky runs even now which feel like sequels to the first game, where something unprecedented happens, and where I feel like I see the whole challenge in a new way, completely reframed. If Spelunky struggles with this, what hope for everyone else?

Hades 2 seems very happy being a sequel, even a sequel to a roguelike. Everything from the swift-pen art style and the evocative, pensive soundtrack, down to the menus and the fonts and the UI choices speak of a desire for continuity. After years of racing through baddy-filled rooms packed with classical horrors as Zagreus, there was almost no period of reorientation needed before I started racing through baddy-filled rooms packed with classical horrors as Melinoë. I've spoken to a few people about this, actually, and it's almost perverse: the sense of being right at home from the off is almost the most confusing thing about Hades 2.

Read more

In the grand tradition established by one (1) prior release, Supergiant dropped Hades 2 over the weekend and we at the Electronic Wireless show podcast have all been playing and enjoying it bunches! So we wanted to talk about the game, why we're enjoying it, some of the new aspects over Hades the first, and just generally go 'Ooh, this game is fun, innit?'. Not a complex podcast this week.

James isn't here, so Nate makes up some hardware news that's very exciting and yet disturbing, while he does have a mythology-themed mini game in the tower of jocularity. Plus: the games we've been playing this week, including a cute survival horror and RimWorld, still. Also, Nate asks me to explain what the hap was heckening with Helldivers 2, and if Joel remains safe.

You can listen above, or on on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, or Pocket Casts. You can find the RSS feed here, and you can discuss the episode on our Discord channel, which has a dedicated room for podcast chat.

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My older brother (as opposed to "big"; my younger brother is my big brother, because he's built like the kind of hearty giant in a JRPG who laughs a lot and carries an anchor as a weapon, while my older brother is a loathsome scribbling wizard like myself) is a gamer in a very normal sense. He was way more online when he was younger, and is the one who got me into the games of Lucasfilm, Troika and Blizzard, but these days he plays the games he likes a lot and does not read specialist websites that tell him why he shouldn't like them. He used to play loads of League Of Legends, but the game he was most into more recently was Hades. This is because he studied Classics.

I won't tell you how many years its been since he was at university, but for many years - and still sort of now, to be honest - "liking Apollo" was a key part of his personality. It's interesting, therefore, to text him about Hades 2. Partly because he wasn't even aware it was happening.

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A bunch of us at RPS have been blattering our way through the underworld of Hades 2, which came out in early access yesterday. Naturally, our favourite gods and goddesses are emerging from our evenings of hacking and/or slashing. For me, Nemesis provides a lot of chuckles. Not because she's bright and jokey (she is frownier than a wet bulldog). But because she's determined to put the player in their place and to beat you at your own roguelike. Narratively, she fulfills a role similar to Meg in the first Hades, that of closest frenemy. But in gameplay terms, Nemesis won't stoop to something as trite as a boss battle. Oh no. She's out to mess with your build.

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I’ve been sampling Hades 2’s early access build on the Steam Deck, and my only complaint – besides the smooching frog having eluded me for hours – is that it’s giving me very little to write about, performance analysis-wise. Honestly, it fits the dinky PC so well you’d have thought Supergiant had decided to make this roguelike sequel a Steam Deck game that just happened to run on desktops by accident.

Hades the first was much the same, taking to the Deck like Hercules to Augean shit, but Hades 2 barely even gives away that fact that it’s unfinished. It doesn’t crash, stutter, or hang, and there’s no point in talking about settings when it runs at a practically perfect 60fps on max quality. Make that 90fps on the Steam Deck OLED, too. It’s just a fabulous game for handhelds, even in its earliest of early access days.

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Scylla and the Sirens are a rock band of mythical boat wreckers who insist they have tons of fans. (They do not.) As a boss battle in Hades 2 they are a deadly trio that has bested me more times in the last few hours than I care to admit. But as a sign of things to come for this early access roguelike sequel, they are an encouraging bunch of characterful malcontents. The harbingers of a confident, slash-happy action game, and another poppy adaptation of classic Greek japes.

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Hades 2 Early Access on PC

Hades 2 is finally here, and it improves upon the extremely solid core foundation which made the first game so beloved. After over 40 hours of gameplay and all the bosses defeated, it’s time to go over what the Hades 2 experience is really like as it enters early access. There’s the old, the new, the mostly good, and some of the bad.

First, let’s get the good old stuff out of the way before diving into all the new content. The combat and gameplay follow the same loop as the previous game, where you clear chambers full of enemies, pick your next room, collect rewards, and move on ahead. Most of the Boon mechanics remain the same, and only a few new Gods are added to the game.

Beyond your usual resources and reagents, you also need to gather plants and seeds throughout the world of Hades 2. They're used in many spells, so finding them is a must. Here are all the plants and seeds you can find in Hades 2, and what they are used for.

Most plants are used as materials for incantations you can cast using the Cauldron in the Crossroads. Some can be gathered by hand, but others must be grown. To grow seeds you find, you must play the game long enough to unlock the 'Flourishing Soil' incantation, which gives you two plots of soil in the Crossroads. You should get the incantation not long after gathering Moly, the yellow flower needed for it. Later, you'll be able to get even more plots for a higher plant yield.

Growing seeds in Hades 2 doesn't require water or fertilizer, just patience. Every seed will show you just how long it'll take until they're fully matured into harvestable plants. The time indicates Locations cleared. So, if the time is shown as a number 5, then you must clear five Locations in a Region before the plant is ready.

All plants, seeds, and where to find them in Hades 2

Plant seeds in Hades 2 require the Silver Spade tool to be unearthed. Look for plots of soil in each Region to get seeds. Keep in mind that if you don't take the Spade with you, you won't be able to get the seeds.

Plant Icon	Plant	Seed	Where to get them	What they're used for
	Moly	None	Gather by hand in Erebus. Can also be given by Narcissus and as an award from the Fated List.	Incantations involving dispelling and nullification.
	Nightshade	Nightshade Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in Erebus using the Silver Spade tool. Can also be given by Narcissus and as an award from the Fated List.	Incantations involving death and obscurity.
	Deathcap	None	Gather by hand in Erebus or wherever it is raining. Can also be given by Narcissus in Oceanus.	Mostly sold to the Wretched Broker for Bones.
	Lotus	None	Gather by hand in Oceanus.	Incantations involving serenity and acuity.
	Cattail	Cattail Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in Oceanus using the Silver Spade tool.	Incantations involving restoration and relief.
	Myrtle	None	Gather by hand in the Mourning Fields (Fields of Mourning).	Incantations involving love and prosperity.
	Wheat	Wheat Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in the Mourning Fields.	Incantations involving growth and respite.
	Shaderot	None	Gather by hand in Tartarus.	Incantations involving eternity and quietude.
	Poppy	Poppy Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in Tartarus using the Silver Spade tool.	Incantations involving dreams and slumber.
	Moss	None	Gather by hand on the Surface in the City of Ephyra.	Incantations involving strengthened connections.
	Garlic	Garlic Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots on the Surface in the City of Ephyra.	Incantations involving resilience and fortitude.
	Driftwood	None	Gathered by hand in the Rift of Thessaly.	Incantations involving stability and buoyancy.
	Mandrake Root	Mandrake Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in the Rift of Thessaly.	Incantations involving power and protection.
	Thalamus	Origin Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in Chaos.	Incantations involving birthright and creation.
	Golden Apple	None	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of the Rift of Thessaly.	Incantations involving beauty and fertility.
	Mystery Plants	Mystery Seeds	Rare seeds unearthed from Digging Spots in many Regions. Can also be given by Narcissus.	Can grow to become one of many different plants.

Our guide on every plant and seed in Hades 2 is not exhaustive. As this is an Early Access game, expect more changes to the guide as updates come in.

The post Hades 2 plant guide: Every seed and where to get them appeared first on Destructoid.

Progressing the story of Hades 2 means gathering materials required for upgrades and incantations. These reagents are many, and finding them all will take time. Some may not even be available until you reach late-game content. Here's every resource and reagent in Hades 2 Early Access, and how to find them.

All resources and reagents in Hades 2 and where to find them

Our list of resources in Hades 2 is extensive, but by no means exhaustive. Hades 2 is a big game, and many resources are siloed to late-game Regions. We'll go over all the ones we've found so far, along with where to find them.

Resource Icon	Resource	Where to find
	Bones	Common reward for clearing Encounters. Can be traded for from the Wretched Broker. Can be obtained by using a weapon with Grave Thirst.
	Ash	Common reward for clearing Encounters. Can be traded for with Bones from the Wretched Broker. Can be exchanged for Obol Points.
	Psyche	Common reward for clearing Encounters. Can be traded for with Bones from the Wretched Broker. Can be gathered from Lost Shades using the Tablet of Peace tool. Can be exchanged for Obol Points.
	Fate Fabric	Can be traded for from the Wretched Broker. Can be exchanged for Obol Points.
	Silver	Can be harvested from Silver Ore Deposits in Erebus using the Crescent Pick tool. Also can be given by Narcissus in Oceanus.
	Limestone	Can be harvested from Limestone Ore Deposits in Oceanus using the Crescent Pick tool.
	Glassrock	Can be harvested from Glassrock Ore Deposits in the Mourning Fields (Fields of Mourning) using the Crescent Pick tool.
	Marble	Can be harvested from Marble Ore Deposits in Tartarus using the Crescent Pick tool.
	Bronze	Can be harvested from Bronze Ore Deposits on the Surface in the City of Ephyra using the Crescent Pick tool.
	Iron	Can be harvested from Iron Ore Deposits on the Surface near the Rift of Thessaly and on ships using the Crescent Pick tool.
	Plasma	Can be harvested from Plasma Ore Deposits in Chaos using the Crescent Pick tool.
	Cinder	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of Erebus.
	Pearl	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of Oceanis.
	Tears	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of the Mourning Fields.
	Wool	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of the City of Ephyra.
	Golden Apple	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of the Rift of Thessaly.
	Zodiac Sand	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of Tartarus.
	Shadow	Creatable using the Cauldron after unlocking the Shadow Extraction incantation.
	Moon Dust	Can be traded for from the Wretched Broker. Creatable using the Cauldron after unlocking the Moonlit Essence from Shadow or Moonlit Essence from Stars incantations. Can be exchanged for Obol Points.
	Star Dust	Rewarded for clearing Chaos Trials in the Pitch-Black Stone. Can be used in incantations that unlock the potential of Arcana Cards or let you bond with Animal Familiars.
	Darkness	Can be gathered by hand in Chaos.
	Rubbish	Rewarded(?) for cleaning up after Eris in the Crossroads. Defeat Eris at least once as the Guardian of the Rift of Thessaly to have her appear at the Crossroads.
	Nightmare	Can be obtained by completing Testaments from the Oath of the Unseen. Can be traded for with Bones from the Wretched Broker after obtaining one Nightmare.

Since Hades 2 is in Early Access, expect this list to change and expand over time. Be sure to return to this page often, especially following updates. We're also still making our way through the game, so more reagents may join the list before you know it. Good luck gathering what you need.

The post All resources and reagents in Hades 2 Early Access and where to find them appeared first on Destructoid.

There are plenty of gods to go around in the Hades universe. So, it only seems fitting for there to be a God Mode, a feature shown in the original. Here's how God Mode works in Hades 2, including how to activate it. 

What does God Mode do in Hades 2?

Hades 2 God Mode is a tool designed to empower players who seek a more accessible experience. It fortifies Melinoë, adding a significant 20 percent Damage Resistance to her stats. This means that enemies will struggle to bring you down, putting you firmly in control of the game. 

With each run, your resilience in God Mode grows. Every time you face defeat, your Damage Resistance increases by two percent. For example, the first failed attempt boosts it to 22 percent Damage Resistance. You may achieve an 80 percent stat if you die enough times, similar to Hades. 

God Mode in Hades 2 can be seen as an 'Easy' difficulty setting, providing a balanced experience for players. It's particularly beneficial for those who want to delve into the game's immersive story. However, be aware that enemy numbers will remain the same, ensuring that combat still presents a fair challenge. 

How to turn on God Mode in Hades 2

To turn on God Mode in Hades 2, open Options in the menu and go to the Gameplay tab. You'll find God Mode at the top, which you can turn on and off anytime. 

If Hades 2 functions similarly to the original, God Mode shouldn't impact achievements. But since achievements have yet to arrive in Early Access, we'll have to see if that will change with the launch of the full version.

The post Hades 2 God Mode guide: How to activate it and what it does appeared first on Destructoid.

Out of the many materials worth gathering in Hades 2, Bones are arguably the most important. Yes, the purple calcium-rich litter is more useful than you realize, letting you trade in the stuff for resources that range from common to high rarity. Here's how to farm Bones in Hades 2.

Bones are a common reward for clearing enemy encounters in Hades 2, but that's hardly the only way to acquire them. You can easily up your Bones yield by following some easy steps, all the while staying cognizant of how and where Bones may appear.

Hades 2 Bones farming guide: Boons, incantation, Keepsakes, and more

There is a lot you can do to increase the amount of Bones earned in Hades 2. First off, you should consider the path of resource gathering. You should have the Crescent Pick unlocked already. If not, look for its incantation and then summon it to the Silver Pool in the Crossroads Training Ground. With that done, let's go over the many steps you can take to farm tons of Bones in Hades 2.

Enter doors with the Bones insignia

This should be a no-brainer, but if you're hunting down bones, be sure to pick the correct path. Doors that offer Bones as a reward are adorned by the item's symbol. For more on door symbols and what they mean, check out our guide.

Use weapons with 'Grave Thirst' activated

The number-one best way to farm Bones in Hades 2 is to complete an incantation that gives your weapons 'Grave Thirst'. When it's active, a random weapon is given Grave Thirst, which allows you to passively earn a small amount of Bones as you complete each Location in the game. You can tell which weapon has the bone thirst if it's engulfed in a black and red haze:

Here's how to get Grave Thirst:

• Unlock the Crescent Pick tool for one Ash
• Harvest Limestone in Oceanus, the second Region of the game
• Return to the Cauldron until you see the incantation 'Gathering of Ancient Bones'
  • Activate the incantation using 2 Limestone

With that complete, you can go out each night with a weapon hungry for Bones.

Multiply your chances with Poseidon's Keepsake

Poseidon offers you some of the best boons in Hades 2, and two are perfect for farming Bones in Hades 2. Seek out the God of the Sea and offer him Nectar for his Keepsake, 'Vivid Sea'. Equipping it increases the chances of Poseidon's boon appearing, and upgrading the Keepsake allows you to increase a Boon's rarity once per night.

During your farming runs, equip Poseidon's Keepsake and seek out the boons Ocean's Bounty and Double Up. The former boon makes it so resources gathered are worth more. But the second is key: Double Up has a chance of doubling any reward you find. Upgrading the boon to Rare ups the chance to 25%; and 30% at Epic.

Improve your odds with Arcana Cards

This is more of a late-game strategy, but one worth looking into. After all, you'll need Bones no matter your experience with the game. There are several Arcana Cards that allow you to change Location Rewards. You'll find them at the bottom-left corner of the card list:

Unlocking and activating these cards provide you multiple chances to re-roll a door reward.

Sell unwanted goods to the Wretched Broker

You'll get more resources than you need in Hades 2, so thankfully there's someone out there more than happy to take them off your hands. The Wretched Broker will trade any excess stock you have for Bones. Many incantations need things like Deathcap and Nightshade but, afterward, they end up mostly taking up space. Open up the 'Pawn Shop' tab and sell them to the Broker, along with other items, like fish you've captured, for some extra scratch.

Complete tasks for the Fated List of Minor Prophecies

Technically, this isn't a very reliable method to farm Bones since it takes a lot of time. However, completing tasks for the Fated List will reward you with heaps of Bones. Unlocking game mechanics, completing lists, and finishing story missions can award in dozens or hundreds of Bones. Keep an eye on the list and see if you can get a little bit further with each farming run.

By the way, here's how you can accomplish the task in the image above.

One final tip:

• If you don't have a door with the Bones symbol but there's one for Gold Coins, pick the latter and seek out Charon's shop. The Stygian Boatman often sells Bones for a fee.

That just about covers it all. Bones are exceptionally important in Hades 2, and their worth only increases the more progress you make as rarer resources get added to the Wretched Broker's stock.

The post How to farm Bones in Hades 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

The vast majority of resources in Hades 2 are straightforward. If you need a particular resource, you either go and find it in the wild somewhere, or you plant it and wait for it to grow in the Crossroads. You might need to bring a specific tool to harvest something, but that's as far as complexity typically goes, but not in the case of this resource. Here's how to get Shadow in Hades 2.

Where to get Shadow in Hades 2

Shadow is acquired through Alchemy within the Incantation Cauldron. Once you've progressed enough to where you need Shadow, a new tab will pop up in the Cauldron that lets you concoct Shadow with the right ingredients. The ingredients required are as follows:

• 30 Ash
• 30 Psyche
• 3 Fate Fabric

Ash and Psyche can both be acquired as side rooms on each run of Hades 2 and are hard to miss. As for Fate Fabric, this can be purchased from the Wretched Broker in the Crossroads for 60 Bones each. You can also use Charon's Obol Points to order a bulk shipment of any of the above resources. Once you have the resources, simply take them to the pot and start the process. It should take 12 Whiles to brew. Once that's passed, one Shadow will be yours.

What to do with Shadow in Hades 2

Shadow is used in two separate places. The first is the Permeation of Witching-Wards incantation, which unlocks access to the surface and opens a new side of the game. The other is in the Moonlit Essence from Shadow recipe, which converts one Shadow and one Cinder into five Moon Dust. Moon Dust is incredibly useful for leveling your Arcana Cards late into the game, so you'll eventually want to farm Shadow for it.

The post How to get Shadow in Hades 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Once you've played Hades 2 enough to start working on Incantations, you should know that this game has a lot of resources you need to collect. Some of these can be earned on any run, while others are in specific locations or require specific tools to collect. Needless to say, that resource grind will take a good while.

One such resource is hidden in the far reaches of the game but will come in handy later. Here's how to get Driftwood in Hades 2.

Where to find Driftwood in Hades 2

Driftwood is found through the surface in the Rift of Thessaly region. If you don't have access to the surface yet, you need to play until you get the right incantation to open up the path, then craft it using numerous resources. If you haven't gotten an incantation like that yet, then you don't need to worry about Driftwood or a handful of resources either.

Once you make it to the surface, progress your run until you reach the Rift of Thessaly. This region has you jumping from ship to ship as you fight various enemies, though you should keep an eye on the deck the next time you're up there. These decks have a chance to have a piece of Driftwood on them which doesn't require a specific tool to be picked up. These look like a branch that's fallen off a tree. You should find 1-2 each run provided you clear the entire Rift of Thessaly region.

What to do with Driftwood in Hades 2

Driftwood has two uses with the Incantation Cauldron in the Crossroads. The first is a healing rift that can spawn in the Rift of Thessaly, so you can get a heal before dealing with some of the more difficult encounters. The other is more interesting, opening up a fishing pier in the Crossroads where you can fish with your allies, provided you have the right item.

The post How to get Driftwood in Hades 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm switching back and forth between Hades 2 and Rotwood at the moment, which is probably why I've found myself tangled up in how the two games are similar and how they're different.

On paper, you can make them sound really quite similar: Like Hades 2, Klei's latest is an action-RPG in which you take your character and head out through a series of enemy-filled rooms, defeating all the monsters you see in each room to earn a choice of perk or upgrade of some kind. You slowly build your character for each run, then, by picking upgrades and then picking the next room based on the kind of upgrade it's going to offer. Throw in bosses and permanent character upgrades and different weapon classes and, hey, isn't that sort of Hades?

In reality, though, nobody would mistake these two games. It's a bit like how I can instantly tell whether the LA-based luxury realtor reality show on television is Selling Sunset, Million Dollar Listing or Buying Beverly Hills: sometimes the similarities are superficial, while the differences go deep.

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What are the Hades 2 system requirements? Rarely do games only offer a minimum baseline that you will need to beat, but Hades 2 is one such game, at least for now. The follow-up to the hugely successful action roguelike may change its specs throughout early access, but we don't see it becoming a problem provided you're not gaming on a moldy potato.

While you may proudly own one of the best graphics cards, Hades 2 makes it clear that such power isn't necessary. Like its predecessor, the requirements are easy to clear even for near decade-old machines, to the point where, right now, there isn't even a specific gaming CPU featured in the specs.

Earlier this week Hades 2 developer Supergiant announced its technical test, which players can sign up for now ahead of the game hitting early access.

The developer is "close" to that initial launch, with the technical test providing players a first look at how the game will play. It's not available to all, however, so Supergiant yesterday hosted a livestream to show off what players can expect from the technical test.

So what's new? I won't give too many specific details, but note there will be some light spoilers.

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Today's Nintendo Indie World Showcase event has now wrapped up, after bringing us more than 20 minutes of intriguing Nintendo Switch games from independently-minded studios.

There was no Hollow Knight: Silksong, which refuses to reveal itself despite recent listings on numerous ratings boards. There was also no sign of any familiar Nintendo franchises - which do sometimes get handed out to external indie developers elsewhere. So what did we get? Well...

Little Kitty, Big City from Double Dagger Studio, a game which looks a lot like with less of a post-apocalyptic vibe. This game is instead more about exploring, causing mischief, and helping out with jobs. Oh, and you can collect lots of kitty hats. Sold! It arrives for Nintendo Switch on 9th May.

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Nintendo's next Indie World Showcase - the cooler, more rebellious sibling to the average Nintendo Direct - will air today, Wednesday 17th April, at 3pm UK time.

That's 10am Eastern time or 7am Pacific time, if you live across the pond.

Nintendo has said to expect around 20 minutes of updates on indie games headed to Switch over the remainder of this year. Will this include the highly-anticipated Hollow Knight Silksong? There's not long to find out.

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Hades 2, the hugely anticipated follow-up to developer Supergiant Games' acclaimed 2020 roguelike dungeon crawler, is almost upon us - albeit initially as an early access release - and ahead of its arrival Supergiant is hosting a technical test, with sign-ups officially now open.

Supergiant announced a second Hades was in the works at the tail-end of 2022, this time promising a new protagonist in the form of the Princess of the Underworld, a new antagonist in the Titan of Time, and a new adventure "rooted in the Underworld of Greek myth and its deep connections to the dawn of witchcraft."

Last September brought word Supergiant would be holding a Hades 2 technical test for a limited number of players ahead of its early access release - to ensure things are running smoothly before launching to a wider audience - and the studio has now confirmed that test is set to begin "shortly", with sign-ups to get involved now live.

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Is Hades 2 on Game Pass? Fans will soon have the chance to play the highly anticipated sequel to one of the best roguelike games ever created. However, even though the early access period is imminent, chances are that it's not being considered for Game Pass just yet.

While it will probably be a long time until Hades 2 appears on our list of the best Game Pass games, we can at least predict if and when we'll likely see if it'll ever appear on a service described by many as a great deal for videogame fans. We may not get any confirmation either way until after the Hades 2 release date, but below are our thoughts on when you could expect to see the roguelike game on Game Pass.

Who are the Hades 2 Gods and characters? As you explore the underworld, a compelling cast of colorful characters are waiting to help you on your journey. Some NPCs are there to test you, aid you in mastering your skills, and sell you useful items. Gods, on the other hand, appear at random to give you special items to aid you in combat.

Whenever you start a new crawl through the dungeons of Hades 2, or pass through a gate into the next, you can interact with a randomly allocated Sigil that is usually associated with one of the Greek gods. These Hades 2 Boons grant you a choice of buff to your attack or defense, themed around the God offering their help. But which Hades 2 Gods do you have the chance to meet in the roguelike game, and just how does their Greek mythology relate to the Hades 2 story? Read on to find out.