Summary
Hades 2finally launched in early access this past May, earning a welcome reception from fans of the original. Indeed,Hades 2builds upon its predecessorin a number of important and exciting ways, making it a more than worthy successor even in its technically unfinished state.
The amount of contentHades 2currently offers should be taken as a good sign, as developer Supergiant Games intends to significantly expand its features, mechanics, and narrative with gradual updates leading up to its 1.0 launch. The game doesn’t even have a proper ending yet, so it’s safe to say that it will see some significant updates throughout 2024 and early 2025. One area that Supergiant may want to hone in on is the animal familiar system, which is among the most pleasant surprises thatHades 2brings to the table and has more growth potential than many of the game’s other features.
Animal Familiars Are Among Hades 2’s Best New Features
At the time of writing,Hades 2allows players to recruit two animal companions: Frinos the frog and Toula the cat. After casting the Faith of Familiar Spirits incantation at the Cauldron in the Crossroads, Melinoe will be able to gift these animals Witch’s Delight, which entreats them to join her on the battlefield and lend her their aid. Each of these familiars offers unique passive buffs and perks.
Increases Melinoe’s max health
Increases fishing spot spawn rate
Occasionally hops on enemies, dealing damage
Occasionally claws enemies, dealing damage
These perks can be further upgraded by gifting additional Witch’s Delight resources, further fleshing out the game’s multi-tiered progression system. For players looking to be aspowerful as possible inHades 2, familiars are not only an effective resource sink, but a unique one, standing apart from the expected weapon or ability upgrades carried over from the first game. These animal companions are a charming and fun addition to theHadesformula, but they have plenty of room to grow.
How Supergiant Can Expand the Animal Familiar System
The most obvious way that the familiar mechanic can be improved is by simply adding more animal companions. Frinos and Toula are cute and effective, but they don’t offer a whole lot of variety on their own. This is especially true once players upgrade them fully, which doesn’t take long, since each passive buff or perk can only be upgraded twice. AsHades 2continues to growahead of its full launch, an increase in the number of animal companions would mean more playstyle flexibility and additional, rewarding avenues for progression. In the same vein, additional buffs for each familiar, alongside greater upgrade potential, would let the system shine even brighter.
At the risk of jumping the shark, Supergiant could also delve deeper intoHades 2’s mythological rootsfor additional familiars. Creatures like griffins, chimeras, and pegasuses are obviously more fantastical than the relatively grounded, albeit overpowered, frog and cat that exist in the game currently, but they could provide unique and lore-accurate alternatives. Of course, this could pose some issues with balancing, and they have the potential to outshine Toula and Frinos, but it’s an option that should be considered nonetheless.
Hades 2’s meta progression systemsare among the most significant ways it stands out from its predecessors, as each new resource or upgrade can provide either a meaningful improvement or a fresh spin on one of Melinoe’s builds. Animal familiars are some of the best manifestations of this cross-run progression model, so Supergiant shouldn’t shy away from fleshing them out.
Hades 2
WHERE TO PLAY
The first-ever sequel from Supergiant Games builds on the best aspects of the original god-like rogue-like dungeon crawler in an all-new, action-packed, endlessly replayable experience rooted in the Underworld of Greek myth and its deep connections to the dawn of witchcraft. BATTLE BEYOND THE UNDERWORLDAs the immortal Princess of the Underworld, you’ll explore a bigger, deeper mythic world, vanquishing the forces of the Titan of Time with the full might of Olympus behind you, in a sweeping story that continually unfolds through your every setback and accomplishment.MASTER WITCHCRAFT AND DARK SORCERYInfuse your legendary weapons of Night with ancient magick, so that none may stand in your way. Become stronger still with powerful Boons from more than a dozen Olympian gods, from Apollo to Zeus. There are nearly limitless ways to build your abilities.MINGLE WITH (MORE) GODS, GHOSTS, AND MONSTERSMeet a cast of dozens of fully-voiced, larger-than-life characters, including plenty of new faces and some old friends. Grow closer to them through a variety of new interactions, and experience countless unique story events based on how your journey unfolds.EVERY RUN IS ITS OWN ADVENTURENew locations, challenges, upgrade systems, and surprises await as you delve into the ever-shifting Underworld again and again. Reveal the mysteries of the Arcana Altar, tame witchy familiars, and gather reagents using Tools of the Unseen to get closer to your goal.THE PERKS OF IMMORTALITYThanks to a variety of permanent upgrades and the return of God Mode, you don’t have to be a god yourself to experience whatHades IIhas to offer. But if you happen to be one, you can brave escalating challenges for greater rewards, and prove just how divine you really are.
