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ComparisonHades vs Hades II:
Choosing Upgrades for the Next Run
Hades
Hades IIImages: Steam store (Hades, Hades II)
Both games open up lasting upgrades through repeated attempts, but this comparison focuses on paired Mirror of Night talents in Hades and Arcana arrangements within Grasp in Hades II.
We look at what to activate for the next run and what to save during combat.
Which one is for you
Hades is for you if…A fit for players who want paired Mirror talents to shape their intended playstyle, down to how they handle Cast ammunition.It also suits players who want to plan weapon and Boon combinations with the Mirror talents disabled by Routine Inspection in mind.
Hades II is for you if…A fit for players interested in rearranging their preferred Arcana within a Grasp budget.It also suits players who want to switch between saved arrangements and decide when to spend Magick on Omega moves.Screenshots
Hades
Hades II
Steam data side by side
| Hades | Hades II | |
|---|---|---|
| 97%Overwhelmingly Positive287,552 reviews · all languages | Positive reviews | 95%Overwhelmingly Positive115,575 reviews · all languages |
| US$24.99 | Price (United States) | US$29.99 |
| 58.9 hours | Playtime at review | 76.9 hours |
| Verified | Steam Deck | Verified |
| Sep 17, 2020 | Release date | Sep 26, 2025 |
| Supergiant Games | Developer | Supergiant Games |
| Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, Korean | Languages | Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, Korean |
What each game is
Hades
Hades builds each escape attempt around weapons and Boons, backed by permanent Mirror of Night upgrades.
Paired Mirror talents cannot both be active, so unlocking an alternative does not remove the need to choose.
Stygian Soul makes Cast ammunition regenerate automatically, changing the plan from retrieving it from enemies.
Golden Touch increases your money between regions based on what you keep. You decide whether to spend now or save for that increase.
Repeated defeat is not just a return to the same objective, as relationships and the story develop alongside those attempts.
Hades II
Hades II combines Nocturnal Arms, Boons and sorcery with preparation at the Altar of Ashes before a run.
At the Altar, each Arcana card’s Grasp cost helps determine which cards you activate together.
Unlocking and upgrading a card is a different decision from including it in your active arrangement.
Magick-consuming Omega moves ask you to make time to channel an attack while considering what Magick to retain for later moves.
Unlocking Spreading of Ashes lets you save Arcana arrangements and switch between prepared setups.
For experienced players
Hades
Routine Inspection in the Pact of Punishment disables Mirror talents starting from the bottom rows. Purchased talents affected by the condition will not work.
Reviewers enjoy raising Heat or choosing conditions while experimenting with weapons and Boons.
Hades II
Vow of Void in the Oath of the Unseen lowers the Grasp limit, prompting a check of whether your usual arrangement still fits.
Reviews appreciate being able to choose Arcana around the way they want to play.
Vow of Rivals changes Guardian encounters, giving another reason to reconsider a setup alongside the way you fight.
How they play differently
How do you use unlocked upgrades?
At the Mirror, you choose which talent to activate from each unlocked pair.
The Altar asks you to choose an active Arcana arrangement around card costs and the Grasp limit.
What do you keep for later?
With Golden Touch, decide how much money to spend now and how much to save for gains between regions.
With Magick-consuming Omega moves, weigh what to spend on the current attack against what to keep for the next.
How do difficulty conditions change preparation?
Routine Inspection disables Mirror of Night talents from the bottom rows, prompting you to review which talents remain available for your setup.
Vow of Void lowers the Grasp limit, prompting you to review the Arcana arrangement you bring.
What reviews praise
Hades
- Reviews appreciate the story or the conversations with its mythological cast.
- Players enjoy experimenting with build options such as weapons and Boons.
- Players find progress through upgrades and unlocks rewarding across attempts.
- Reviews appreciate adjusting difficulty conditions to choose a suitable challenge.
- Reviews appreciate how music reinforces the intensity or rhythm of combat.
- Reviews appreciate how voice acting conveys character personality or makes conversations engaging.
Hades II
- Reviews enjoy the story or the interactions with the cast around Melinoë.
- Reviews enjoy finding a preferred fighting style through combinations of weapons, Boons and other build options.
- Reviews enjoy the variety that different routes or boss encounters bring to repeated runs.
- Upgrades and newly unlocked systems give reviewers a reason to look forward to another attempt.
- Reviews enjoy music presented as part of boss encounters or scenes involving characters.
- Reviews appreciate continuing to challenge themselves by changing difficulty or choosing trials with different conditions.
What reviews flag
Hades
- Reviews criticise limited variety in locations or fights, or their growing familiarity through repetition.
- Reviewers find the runs needed for upgrades or to see the story through burdensome.
- Reviewers find build options uneven in strength or appeal.
- Reviews describe difficult encounters, including tougher Heat conditions, as frustrating.
- The need to repeat runs for small pieces of story does not suit these reviewers.
Hades II
- Reviewers find parts of the story or character writing unsatisfying.
- Reviewers find build options uneven in strength or appeal.
- Reviewers find the runs needed for upgrades or to see the story through burdensome.
- Players can find the familiar run structure and repeated encounters less fresh over time.
- Character designs do not always match reviewers’ visual preferences.
Hades II
If you're still deciding
For paired talent choices that change how you handle Cast ammunition and money, revisit the Hades Mirror and resource sections.
For arranging Arcana within Grasp and adapting to difficulty conditions, return to the Hades II Altar and Vow of Void sections.
About the data and reviews
Table values are public Steam data; prices are from the United States store. Review points come from the 100 most helpful reviews of the past year for each game, and only points raised in at least three reviews are included. They do not represent every buyer's opinion.
These opinions come from fixed Steam review samples and are separate from feature descriptions. Hades II’s story was revised after release, so the comments may refer to different versions.