Summary
- Hades 2 has potential to evolve the franchise into a long-running series with new protagonists and settings.
- While Hades draws from diverse mythologies like God of War and Assassin's Creed, an anthology format may not fit its style.
- Hades could be the last game in the series, remaining special without forcing a new entry for profit's sake.
It will be interesting to see how the Hades franchise develops over the years. With Hades 2 being Supergiant Games' first sequel, it's in a unique position to not only evolve and iterate upon the foundations of its predecessor, but also to establish the IP as a more long-running series, perhaps even setting the stage for some sort of anthology format, where each game features a new protagonist, characters, and settings.
Although the combat, roguelike progression, and sprawling, intimate narrative of Hades is remarkably unique, it's easy to draw parallels between it and other contemporary, AAA franchises, mainly God of War and Assassin's Creed, as these IP fold in a number of distinct, real-world mythologies and cultures, much like Hades does. But while God of War has only visited Greece and Scandinavia, Assassin's Creed has gone to numerous different settings over the years, and this diversity has formed the backbone of the series, allowing it to take players to various disconnected time periods and locations without seeming too jarring or unnatural. With Hades drawing parallels to English, Christian, and Chinese myth and legend, among others, it could conceivably take a similar approach as Assassin's Creed, but it shouldn't.
Why Assassin's Creed Is a Bad Blueprint for Hades
An Assassin's Creed-Style Anthology Format Wouldn't Suit Hades
On the surface, the Assassin's Creed formula (jumping to different mythologies, characters, and settings while maintaining a loose narrative throughline) might seem like a natural way to keep the Hades franchise going, it's not really the best choice for the experience Supergiant Games has crafted. Hades does canonize other mythologies, and time will tell if and how these references pay off in Hades 2, but their inclusion is far from major. More than anything, mentions of figures like Lucifer and Beowulf are Easter eggs tied to meaningful, optional unlockables, rewarding players who spend more time with the game and complete various side objectives.
Using these Easter eggs as the justification to pivot to an Assassin's Creed-esque anthology series runs the risk of seeming cynical, unnatural, or just generally uninteresting, as Hades would then become just another major crossover series, which are a dime a dozen. Moreover, Hades' story is rooted in Greek mythology—it's central to the duology's identity. There's no Animus-equivalent plot device or story thread to rationalize either the Hades narrative or gameplay loop with a different mythological backdrop. All in all, unless Hades 2 introduces a compelling reason to do so, the series visiting other mythologies in subsequent games wouldn't fit its style, spirit, or story.
It should be noted that Supergiant Games hasn't indicated any intention to turn Hades into an Assassin's Creed-style anthology series. This is merely speculation about the potential downsides of such a decision.
Hades 2 Could Be the Last Hades Game, and That's Okay
Many times, when a game is as successful as Hades, there's a desire to turn it into a major franchise. From a business perspective, this makes sense: it's difficult to establish a property with such mass appeal and marketability, so when a game does manage to have that 'lightning in a bottle' characteristic, it can be hard to ignore the potential profit associated with making it a long-running series. One could argue this is essentially what happened with Assassin's Creed itself—the formula was simply too promising to abandon after just a few games.
But while some games might work as evergreen franchises with a new entry every few years, Hades is special because it doesn't feel like just another blockbuster franchise. Maybe Supergiant Games has a third Hades game up its sleeve, but this should only be developed if there's a good reason to—beyond just the fact that it's an option.
Hades
- Released
- September 17, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Defy the god of the dead as you hack and slash out of the Underworld in this rogue-like dungeon crawler from the creators of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre.
BATTLE OUT OF HELL
As the immortal Prince of the Underworld, you'll wield the powers and mythic weapons of Olympus to break free from the clutches of the god of the dead himself, while growing stronger and unraveling more of the story with each unique escape attempt.
UNLEASH THE FURY OF OLYMPUS
The Olympians have your back! Meet Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and many more, and choose from their dozens of powerful Boons that enhance your abilities. There are thousands of viable character builds to discover as you go.
BEFRIEND GODS, GHOSTS, AND MONSTERS
A fully-voiced cast of colorful, larger-than-life characters is waiting to meet you! Grow your relationships with them, and experience thousands of unique story events as you learn about what's really at stake for this big, dysfunctional family.
BUILT FOR REPLAYABILITY
New surprises await each time you delve into the ever-shifting Underworld, whose guardian bosses will remember you. Use the powerful Mirror of Night to grow permanently stronger, and give yourself a leg up the next time you run away from home.
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE
Permanent upgrades mean you don't have to be a god yourself to experience the exciting combat and gripping story. Though, if you happen to be one, crank up the challenge and get ready for some white-knuckle action that will put your well-practiced skills to the test.
SIGNATURE SUPERGIANT STYLE
The rich, atmospheric presentation and unique melding of gameplay and narrative that's been core to Supergiant's games is here in full force: spectacular hand-painted environments and a blood-pumping original score bring the Underworld to life.
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Supergiant Games
- Publisher(s)
- Supergiant Games
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Roguelite
- How Long To Beat
- 23 Hours
- Metascore
- 93
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
