All new Hades 2 abilities confirmed so far (playtest)

Supergiant Games' highly anticipated God-like Rogue-Like, Hades 2 is almost here. With the invite to playtest the upcoming Hades 2, I got the chance to experience the all-new mechanics that have been showcased so far. While it took me a few runs to get used to the feel of the new abilities, once I got the hang, it was incredibly smooth and well-made.

In this article, I have discussed all the fresh abilities and mechanics I encountered in the game. While these may be new, they felt incredibly in line with the feel and rhythm of the previous game. So until the official early access release, I hope this article will help you get your expectations set for the game. If you are not in the playtest, you can try these five games like Hades 2, as you wait for the early access.

New mechanics in Hades 2 (Playtest)

Sprint

In Hades 2, you play as Melinoë. The lost daughter of the Lord of Hades. While she is not as nimble as her brother Zagreus, she balances it out with her firepower. But Hades is a rogue-like where being slow means death.

So to tip the scales in Meli’s favor, the devs have introduced the “Sprint” mechanic. If you hold down the dash button, Meli will start running faster. This Sprint can be made stronger with various boons that can leave powerful crowd control or damage AOE attacks that affect the enemies in your path.

Ω abilities

Unleash the power! (Image via Supergiant Games)

Remember the large AOE attacks in Hades 1, that can be performed using summons like Meg and Thanatos? Well, Meli can do it whenever she wants. In the playtest, there are two weapons available. Each weapon has a short-range attack, and a long-range special, other than that you can use your cast to summon a circular area of effect that can ensnare enemies.

You can use your Ω points to ramp up all these attacks by holding down on the melee, special, or cast buttons. Each weapon has a different set of Ω abilities that can be made stronger using boons. But be careful; without proper boons or clothing, the Ω point depletes with each Ω ability used and will only be refilled when you finish the current room.

Clothing

The spider weaver (Image via Supergiant Games)

You may have seen the cutesy little spider in trailers or other publicity material. She is Arachne, the weaver, and has a very apparent crush on Meli. In your runs, you will come across special rooms, where you will encounter Arachne, busy with weaving dresses.

When interacted with, she will offer Meli a selection of clothing. These include armor as well as special effects, such as gradual Ω points generation, healing after finishing a room, and more.