Hades II review – underworld sequel is an improvement in every witch way

PC, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2; Supergiant GamesSupergiant’s successor is exemplary sequel-craft – more doesn’t always mean better, but here variety is the spice of afterlifeFive years ago, when we were all seeking ways to take our minds off real-world events, Supergiant Games’ Hades was a welcome distraction indeed. Wayward son of the underworld Zagreus’s repeated attempts to abscond from his purgatorial prison offered catharsis at a time when none of us could leave our homes. It did no harm that it was genuinely, unapologetically sexy: all of artist Jen Zee’s character designs had abs hewn from Olympian rock, and just about everyone addressed you as if they’d seen you from across the bar and really dug your vibe. Winning the favour of these absurdly attractive Greek gods was the key to finally getting above ground. It was – apologies – a hell of an escape.And a hell of an act to follow, too. But in Hades II, composer Darren Korb delivers a thunderously dramatic score for the closing stages of your Olympian ascent that reaches a level of operatic grandeur to trump anything in the original game. Zee’s new character illustrations (including one returning favourite in a leopardskin posing pouch) are, if anything, likely to inspire even more aggressively thirsty fanart and fanfic. And writer Greg Kasavin’s wonderful script is wittier, wiser and flirtier than ever. Continue reading…Technology | The GuardianRead More