Compare Hades II vs The Alters

Progression is widely praised for making failed and successful runs feel useful, with steady unlocks, resources, arcana, and new systems.

Progression drew criticism from one reviewer who felt unlocks mostly reduced earlier friction rather than adding exciting new capabilities.

One review says the ending failed to land emotionally compared with the first game's credit-roll impact.

Emotional impact was consistently strong, with reviewers describing thought-provoking, personal, vulnerable, and resonant moments.

Combat is one of the clearest strengths: fast, satisfying, tactical, and deeper than before, with only scattered concerns about flow or screen clutter.

Combat-like anomaly encounters were generally seen as simple or secondary; some found them fitting, while others called them weak or uneven.

Movement earns praise for satisfying dashing and casting, though the sprint transition takes adjustment compared with the first game.

Movement drew mixed-to-negative notes, with one reviewer calling traversal cumbersome and another saying Jan could feel awkward or get stuck.

Polish is repeatedly emphasized, from early access refinement to a nearly faultless Switch version and Supergiant's overall presentation.

Polish was mixed, with notes about lacking presentation and unskippable scenes despite otherwise strong execution.

Dialogue quality is a standout, with reviewers praising the volume, reactivity, and encounter-specific freshness of character lines.

Dialogue quality was mixed: some praised meaningful character conversations, while others found the script or conversations flat and stilted.

Accessibility is praised through God Mode, story-friendly easing, newcomer support, and Aim Assist, though the game remains fundamentally demanding.

Accessibility evidence was limited and mixed, with reviewers noting useful settings but also describing the overall accessibility approach as limited.

Bug frequency is low in the cited review, which reports no bugs or crashes during the playthrough.

Bug evidence was mixed: several reviewers saw minor bugs, glitches, or stuck characters, while one reported zero bugs and another saw more disruptive issues.

Visual effects are admired for spectacle and style, though one reviewer notes heavy effects can obscure combat readability.

Visual effects evidence was mixed-to-negative in one review because close-up scenes sometimes became pixelated.

Originality is the main split: reviewers admire fresh systems but often call it safe, familiar, or more of Hades.

Originality was strongly praised, with reviewers calling the concept unique, uncategorizable, ambitious, or unlike anything else.

Grinding is a mixed point: some resource gathering pulls players into new paths, while late resource needs can become tedious.

Grind level drew negative evidence, with reviewers criticizing repetitive busywork and mindless material loops.

Resource balance is a repeated caveat: several reviewers like having lots to collect but say the currencies and materials can be too much.

Resource balance was mostly praised for satisfying pressure and strong management hooks, though some reviewers found it irritating or overly punishing.

Writing is consistently praised for character voice, reactive dialogue, and mythic interpretation, despite a few story-level reservations.

Writing was mostly praised as authentic, human, or excellent, though one negative review called it shallow and another noted occasional creaking.

Narrative reactions are mixed: some call it seamless and compelling, while others find the ending, stakes, or emotional focus weaker.

Narrative quality was one of the strongest areas, with many reviewers praising the story as compelling, thoughtful, philosophical, or emotionally resonant.

Enemy variety is praised in the review that highlights a new roster demanding quick understanding of Melinoë's tools.

Enemy or hazard variety had limited but positive evidence, with anomaly variants helping keep exploration tense.

The interface receives praise for carrying the art direction into menus and buttons, putting Supergiant near the top of UI craft.

UI design was mostly praised as clean, tactile, and not intrusive, with some interface quirks noted.

Melinoë is generally liked as a protagonist, though one reviewer finds her a bit too perfect and another prefers the first cast.

Jan’s appeal was mixed: some found him more complete, plausible, and sympathetic, while one reviewer found him unpleasant.

Load times are a platform caveat, with Switch 1 specifically called out for longer loading.

Load-time evidence was mixed-to-negative because shader precompilation was called long or repeatedly required on launch.

Menu usability has a small caveat: one reviewer struggled to locate item sub-menus, though it did not meaningfully hurt the experience.

Menu usability was generally positive thanks to quality-of-life tools, though some reviewers found navigation old or menu-jumping cumbersome.

Performance is generally excellent across PC, Steam Deck, Switch 2, and other systems, with reviewers reporting smooth or flawless play.

Performance optimization was mostly praised on reviewed builds, though one PC review reported dreadful performance.

Content variety is a major strength, especially the two-route structure, expanded biomes, more systems, and broader cast.

Reviewers generally praised the variety created by survival, puzzles, exploration, branching side quests, and genre mixing, with one caveat about restrictive base building.

Navigation/pathing is mildly criticized by one reviewer who wanted more agency and route variety.

Map and navigation design was praised for clever fast travel and tense maze-like routing that reduced backtracking.

Difficulty is seen as challenging and rewarding, but reviewers note the fast pace and fear stacking can create frustration.

Difficulty balance was mixed: several reviewers valued the pressure, but others found the stress overwhelming or the economy hard for newcomers.

Reviewers repeatedly emphasize joy, affection, and approachability, calling the game easy to love and one of the year's best.

Fun factor was positive, with reviewers describing the game as entertaining, a blast, hard to put down, or excellent from start to finish.

Animation is praised in the shorter review for making portraits, enemies, and environments pleasing to watch.

Animation quality was mostly praised for character design and subtle idle movement, though one reviewer found some animations rough.

Handheld play is mostly praised on Steam Deck and portable sessions, with one Switch portable readability caveat.

Handheld suitability had limited but positive evidence, with Steam Deck described as playable with decent image quality.

The soundtrack is repeatedly praised as spectacular, outstanding, and varied, with special attention to boss music and genre range.

Soundtrack quality was praised for its synth mood, Piotr Musial’s work, and enjoyable/chill music.

Reviewers describe the mechanics as familiar but meaningfully expanded, with witchcraft systems, richer magic use, and a few mixed notes about complexity.

Most reviewers praised the blended survival, management, and narrative mechanics as polished or inventive, though a few found the underlying gameplay basic.

The run-based roguelike loop is repeatedly praised as rewarding and addictive, though one review found its structure somewhat convoluted.

The core loop was often described as compelling, addictive, or well-designed, with one dissenting review arguing the hybrid systems failed to cohere.

The roster is praised as captivating in one review but criticized by others as less memorable than the first game's cast.

The Alter roster was mostly praised for distinct variants, though one reviewer felt not all Alters were equally useful or nuanced.

Graphics are praised as gorgeous or beautiful across reviews, with only isolated platform-specific visual caveats elsewhere.

Graphics were praised repeatedly, with reviewers calling the game gorgeous, detailed, good-looking, or visually distinctive.

Level design is praised for distinct areas, route variety, and region-specific mechanics that add structure beyond simple room chains.

Level and map design were praised for dense, hand-crafted layouts and well-crafted act-specific maps.

Character arcs and evolving relationships are praised for making the cast feel connected and worth returning to between runs.

Character development was broadly praised for distinct, evolving Jans, though one reviewer felt the alters leaned into caricature.

Environmental detail is praised for making spaces feel handcrafted, richly textured, and present in the wider mythic world.

Environmental detail was praised for adorable base rooms, dinky detail, and visually distinct alien landscapes.

Frame rate stability is praised on Switch platforms, including flawless Switch 2 performance and smooth 60 fps on Switch 1.

Frame rate stability was generally strong, with reviewers citing consistent 60+ fps, 120 fps, or stable 60 fps with only occasional drops.

World-building is praised for Greek myth reinterpretation, relationship-driven lore, and the broader conflict around the Underworld and Olympus.

World-building was praised for its strange sci-fi setting, cultural detail, and labor/corporate themes.

Controls are generally considered tight and responsive, becoming second nature once the new sprinting and omega mechanics click.

One reviewer specifically praised the controls on both controller and mouse/keyboard, with no conflicting control-responsiveness evidence.

Voice acting receives near-universal praise as top-notch, memorable, and strong enough to support the large dialogue load.

Voice acting was strongly praised across many reviews, especially Alex Jordan’s work differentiating the many Jans, with only one mild delivery caveat.

Crafting and cauldron systems are mostly viewed as thematically strong and useful, though some reviewers find the material load excessive.

The crafting and production automation earned positive evidence for reducing food and essential-goods micromanagement.

The game introduces its many systems at a steady pace, with one reviewer explicitly saying it avoids overwhelming players too early.

Onboarding was praised for introducing many systems without overwhelming the player.

Value is viewed positively thanks to the amount of content, reasonable price, replayability, and broad enjoyment.

Value for money was praised, especially around the $35 price and replayable mid-sized scope.

Replay value is high overall, with many reviewers expecting dozens more hours, though a few felt the repetition or ending reduced motivation.

Replay value was widely praised because alternate Alters, choices, endings, and remembered dialogue paths encourage repeat runs, though a few reviewers saw replay fatigue.

The presentation and hub/world atmosphere are praised as unmatched in sight, sound, and character presence.

Atmosphere was consistently praised as isolating, eerie, tense, symbolic, and thrilling.

Art direction is one of the strongest points, with repeated praise for character art, color, portraits, and Supergiant's visual identity.

Art direction received strong praise for the alien planet, visual design, and Jan/Alter presentation.

Sound design is praised for dynamic musical interaction, strong audio identity, and music that changes with combat events.

Sound design evidence was strongly positive, emphasizing exceptional audio, tension-building environmental sound, and fantastic sound design.

Age appropriateness evidence points to mature themes, with one reviewer warning about substance abuse, suicide, and self-harm.

Boss design receives strong praise for memorable fights, musical encounters, challenge, spectacle, and fair pattern learning.

Crash stability was a major issue in one PC review, which reported frequent crashes around the Quantum Computer.

Exploration divided reviewers: several found it atmospheric, tactile, or satisfying, while others found it basic, repetitive, or chore-like.

Facial animation evidence was positive, with one reviewer specifically praising how faces reflect current attitude.

Readability is the main HUD concern, especially portable mode and late-game effect clutter that can make action hard to parse.

Immersion was strong but intense, with reviewers describing deep involvement and a claustrophobic, absorbing feel.

Innovation was praised through the game’s unusual genre blend and standout sci-fi structure.

The learning curve is real, especially around Melinoë's cast and playstyle, but reviewers generally frame that adjustment as worthwhile.

Mission design received mixed evidence because one reviewer felt survival objectives and narrative goals could work against each other.

Pacing was mixed, with praise for quick days and well-timed beats offset by complaints about cyclical acts, clocks, and difficult bad-end pressure.

Switch-specific support is praised for a physical release, free upgrade path, and 120 fps mode.

Puzzle evidence was mixed: environmental puzzles earned praise, but the probe-based resource puzzle was criticized as fiddly and low-value.

Save reliability was mixed: one reviewer lost progress due to daily saves and crashes, while another appreciated nightly/location auto-saves.

Side character depth was praised in the reviews that addressed it, with the Alters described as distinct and fully realized.

The arcana card system is described as more dynamic than the previous upgrade mirror and better tied to build strategy.

Upgrade systems are praised for breadth and power growth, especially arcana and meta progression, with reviewers emphasizing flexibility.

Weapon feel is praised for distinct weapon identities that push different approaches to runs.

One review highlights extra hub and relationship activities, from gardening to familiars and sparring, as meaningful world interaction.