When you think of action roguelikes, Supergiant Games’ smash hit Hades likely comes to mind. Its blend of Diablo-esque isometric overhead perspective with God of War’s mythological combat and Greek god background made for a divine combo. It continues to chart in the Switch eShop’s top 20 most downloaded games.
We're getting close to launching HADES II in Early Access!🌒 A key step prior to that is our Hades II Technical Test, which we plan to begin shortly.
If you'd like to be considered for participation, you can sign up right now simply by clicking 'Request Access' on the Hades II… pic.twitter.com/BfAqWxjixP
— Supergiant Games (@SupergiantGames) April 16, 2024
Now, three years on from Hades’ release, Supergiant is prepping Hades II for Early Access release on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Today, the development company behind Transistor and Bastion has announced a tech test for Hades II, which will be done prior to its Early Access launch. It feels like just yesterday we saw the reveal trailer for the game at the 2022 Game Awards. However, the sequel to 2020’s ubiquitous action roguelike hasn’t been confirmed for Switch… yet.
The announcement of a tech test with a sign-up period is indicative of an impending release of Hades II’s Early Access launch. The test is specifically so players can find any bugs or glitches in a significantly pared-down build of the Early Access release. With that being said, Hades II is on track for a second-quarter 2024 release date. With that explanation out of the way, let’s look at why Hades II releasing on Switch would make the most sense.
The Nintendo Switch is many things. A portable console that can be played on your TV, a handheld that delivers the same gameplay you’d be experiencing in your living room, and Nintendo’s biggest success story to date. However, what the Nintendo Switch also is, is a roguelike gold mine. The style of indie game that encapsulates repeated playthroughs through either procedurally generated or ever-changing maps with a different arsenal of weapons and abilities each time has seen massive success on the Switch. Dead Cells, The Binding of Isaac, Enter The Gungeon, and, of course, Hades are all household names at this point. And the Switch has played a major role in that even being possible.
Hades’ version of this is especially potent and fits the Switch’s portability like a glove. Fight through several floors of the Underworld with a choice of six weapons acquiring different boons and relics AKA abilities that add to your base moveset and lose it all when you die. What Hades does differently and what has made it such a big hit is making death its own reward. Dying grants you progression of the story between Zagreus, Hades’ son, and Hades himself. This is also how relationships between Zagreus and the various gods you encounter in your journey are developed. This decision makes the stakes in Hades less stressful and lends the game a valuable pick-up-and-play nature. While this worked well on PC, it especially clicked on the Switch where the game saw most of its player base. It helps that the game is less intensive on the Switch hardware than the majority of its peers. The time spent in Early Access was beneficial to Hades’ success on Switch.
With Hades II, Supergiant Games’ first-ever sequel, on the horizon, it’s a no-brainer to bring it to Switch following the success of its predecessor. It would be in good company alongside Supergiant’s other action roguelikes: Transistor, Bastion, and Hades. The throughline from Transistor to Bastion to Hades is clear. The gameplay in Hades is a clear refinement and evolution of its Supergiant ancestors and retains the company’s signature hand-painted backgrounds. Hades is faster and meaner while also being both more direct and full of depth. It appears Hades II will only serve to reinforce the positive aspects of what the developer is known for.
Hades initially spent two years in Early Access before it launched on Switch in 2020 with other consoles following in 2021. If this timeline is followed for Hades II, it will be more likely that it ends up on the successor to Nintendo Switch rather than the current Nintendo hardware. However, it may be more likely that the game is being developed for Nintendo Switch to be playable on the Switch’s successor with improved performance. This would make the most sense even though a Switch successor hasn’t been officially revealed or acknowledged by Nintendo themselves.
Hades II will see us going back to the Underworld we have already spent so much time in but with new, well, everything. This time we’ll be taking on the Titan of Time as the immortal Queen of The Underworld. It appears that magic will play a major role in combat and we can look forward to reconvening with all of the Olympian Gods we came face-to-face with in the original Hades.
Hades II’s tech test begins soon and can be signed up for through Steam right now.
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Written by Matthew Powers
Nintendo has been Matthew’s preference for fun video gaming since 2004. In addition to his love for all things Mario, Metroid and beyond, Matthew also enjoys heavy metal, roller coasters, pinball machines, and being a proud cat dad.
