Imagine
the
most
perfect
barbecue
—
a
prolific
spread
of
smoked
meats,
all
the
right
sides,
every
pie,
type
of
cookie
or
cake,
and
even
your
grandmother’s
famous
dinner
rolls.
But
there’s
a
catch:
most
of
the
food
is
kept
behind
glass
to
be
unlocked
at
a
later
date,
and
you
are
starving.
That’s
what
it’s
like
playing
the
Hades
2
technical
test.
Spoilers
for
the
Hades
2
technical
test.
Hades
2,
like
its
predecessor,
is
a
roguelike.
You
play
as
Melinoë,
the
long-lost
daughter
of
Hades
and
sister
of
Zagreus,
the
first
game’s
protagonist.
Unlike
her
brother,
Melinoë
isn’t
trying
to
break
out
of
hell.
Instead,
she’s
trying
to
break
into
it
as
Chronos,
Titan
of
Time,
has
taken
over,
kidnapping
Melinoë’s
mother,
brother,
and
father.
Reaching
the
depths
of
the
Underworld
is
a
tough
task,
with
powerful
monsters
often
stymying
Melinoë’s
efforts,
sending
her
right
back
to
the
beginning
to
try
again.
It’s
tempting
to
look
at
trailers
for
Hades
2
and
assume
Melinoë
is
a
female
reskin
of
Zagreus.
But
the
game
plays
like
a
true
sequel,
where
combat
feels
just
similar
enough
to
be
familiar
but
just
remixed
enough
to
feel
different
and
exciting.
Unlike
her
brother,
who
used
his
martial
prowess
to
escape
hell,
Melinoë
relies
on
her
magical
abilities
as
a
witch.
Her
staff
delivers
powerful
magical
bursts
at
range
while
her
sickle
and
dagger
weapon
allows
her
to
get
up
close
and
personal.
She
also
has
two
basic
magical
cast
attacks:
a
projectile
and
an
area
attack
that
roots
enemies
in
place.
New
in
Hades
2
are
what
the
game
calls
omega
casts
that
augment
your
basic
and
cast
attacks.
Instead
of
tapping
an
attack
button,
you
hold
it
down,
giving
the
attack
an
extra
oomph.
Your
omega
melee
attack
extends
out
from
Melinoë
in
a
line,
damaging
anything
in
its
path.
The
omega
projectile
cast
makes
the
attack
hit
more
enemies
harder,
while
the
area
omega
cast
not
only
roots
enemies
in
place
but
deals
a
bit
of
damage
after
a
short
time.
Each
omega
cast
has
a
mana
cost
—
a
new
resource
in
Hades
2
—
and
can
be
further
augmented
based
on
the
godly
boons
you
acquire.
Speaking
of
the
gods,
they’re
back,
there’s
more
of
them,
and
all
of
them
are
smokin’
hot.
Running
into
the
gods
has
been
the
best
part
of
my
time
in
Hades
2
so
far.
I
love
how
they
react
to
Melinoë,
the
tenor
of
their
conversation
changing
based
on
when
they
speak
to
her
and
where.
Demeter,
her
grandmother,
tells
her
how
much
she
looks
like
her
mother.
Hephaestus,
the
blacksmith
god,
insults
the
quality
of
her
weapons.
The
gods
even
have
words
about
each
other
depending
on
the
boons
you’ve
chosen.
In
one
really
cool
moment,
Hecate,
the
fire
goddess,
remarked
on
how
what
she
was
offering
me
would
clash
with
a
boon
from
Poseidon
I
had
already
picked
up.
Each
attempt
on
the
Underworld
feels
different,
not
only
for
the
different
boons
you
collect
each
time
but
for
the
different
conversations
you
have
with
your
godly
benefactors.
Since
this
is
only
a
technical
test,
the
game
only
allows
you
to
progress
as
far
as
the
first
major
boss.
However,
because
of
the
cyclical
fight-die-repeat
nature
of
the
game,
all
the
content
in
the
technical
test
isn’t
exhausted
until
you’ve
beaten
the
first
boss
at
least
five
times.
I’ve
made
it
through
one
successful
run,
and
while
I
know
I
still
have
four
more
attempts
left,
I’m
reluctant
to
try.
Supergiant
has
said
that
the
technical
test
will
run
“longer
than
a
week,
shorter
than
a
month,”
and
once
it’s
done,
early
access
will
open
up
very
soon
after.
(The
technical
test
and
early
access
will
be
on
PC,
with
console
launch
information
to
come
later.)
From
the
bit
I’ve
seen,
Hades
2
is
likely
to
be
just
as
if
not
more
thrilling
than
its
predecessor.
Wherein
lies
my
barbecue
problem.
I’m
torn
between
eating
my
fill
of
the
delicious
food
that’s
available
now
or
waiting
until
I
have
the
whole
spread
to
gorge
myself
on.
No
matter
what
I
choose,
though,
I’ll
be
eating
well.
Original author: Ash Parrish
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