GamesRoguelikeHadesHades 2Roguelike witchcraft from a master’s spellbook: in Edge 398, Supergiant explains the secret sorcery behind its first-ever sequel, Hades IIWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRoguelikeHadesHades 2Roguelike witchcraft from a master’s spellbook: in Edge 398, Supergiant explains the secret sorcery behind its first-ever sequel, Hades IIWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future)
As many an indie-game developerhas already attested– Hades II’s stealth launch into Early Access caught a lot of people off-guard. But then why not start as you mean to go on? After all, surprise is one of the most important ingredients of a Roguelike. And when you’re making a sequel, springing such shocks becomes that bit harder.
Little wonder, then, that Supergiant Games spent plenty of time weighing up the pros and cons of a follow-up to its enormously successful underworld adventure. In an extensive interview with the developer, we discover that it had similar conversations after the warm critical and commercial reception that greeted its debut game, Bastion – before it pivoted to make the sci-fi-themed action-RPG Transistor instead. This time, though, a follow-up made even more sense, since there were plenty of mythological characters left over from the first game whose tales hadn’t really been told.
“Even as someone who has been interested in Greek mythology since I was little, I’d never heard of [Zagreus] before working on Hades,” creative director Greg Kasavin tells us – and for that reason, it made sense to expand the story of another. “We were drawn to [Melinoë] in the same way,” he says of Hades II’s witchy protagonist. “There was just enough classical mythology to set our minds racing, but not so much that her story is already defined.”
In Edge 398, we find out why Final Fantasy was a major inspiration, how Supergiant embraced every aspect of witchcraft, which of Hades II’s characters serves as a microcosmic example of the studio’s approach to sequel-making and much more. There are fascinating insights, too, from art director Jen Zee, who discusses the game’s iconic character designs, many of which adorn our 16-page feature.
Elsewhere in the issue, we examine the fine print of videogame lore, and explain why this optional text is often required reading. We talk to the developers of multiplayer games to find out what happens when the servers are switched off for good – and, in one case, when they’re unexpectedly turned back on. Derek Yu and BlitWorks discuss the making of Spelunky 2, while Bromley’s Splash Damage is the latest subject of our studio profile. And there’s a double dose of Fallout: the TV series comes under the spotlight, while we take a look back at Fallout 4 in Time Extend, and explain why Bethesda’s oft-derided RPG has revealed its depths over the years.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”