After a surprise announcement at The Game Awards in 2022, the sequel to Hades has finally entered its early access phase.
While it's only available on PC for now, it's given many fans of Supergiant's original roguelike hope there'll be an announcement about console devices at some point in the future.
On the developer's official website, it's mentioned how early access is expected to run "at least through the end of 2024" with a console platform release to follow:
"We do not have a release date set for the completed Hades II v1.0, and expect to be in Early Access at least through the end of 2024. We expect for Hades II to eventually be available for PC, Mac, and console platforms (though cannot confirm which platforms yet)."
So far Hades II is off to a great start on PC, with Steam users giving the game an "overwhelmingly positive" rating. Critics are praising the title, too.
No "prior knowledge" of the existing game is needed to play Hades II, but there are apparently "plenty of connections" to the original title. Here's the backstory of the sequel:
"As Melinoë, the immortal Princess of the Underworld, you'll explore a bigger, deeper mythic world, vanquishing the Titan's forces with the full might of Olympus behind you, in a sweeping story that continually unfolds through your every setback and accomplishment. New locations, challenges, upgrade systems, and surprises await as you delve into the ever-shifting Underworld again and again."
"Like her brother Zagreus from the original game, Melinoë is not a character of our own invention, and is based on an ancient Underworld deity thought to be related to Hades. What little ancient mythology exists about her was more than enough to make us want to explore her story and connection to her family, and in so doing, expand on our vision of the Underworld!"
Once again, there's no official console announcement for Hades II just yet, but hopefully, this means it's not too far away.
If you haven't played the original Hades title, it's available to purchase from the eShop. In our review here on Nintendo Life, we awarded it an outstanding score labelling it "utterly essential for all Switch owners".