Hades 2 is all about witches and feminine power

During the first few minutes of playing as Hades 2′In Melinoë, players will encounter landmarks such as a bubbling cauldron, the silhouette of a pointed witch’s hat, and the glowing lines of a summoning circle. Between the new gameplay and story, Hades 2 goes all-in on the dark magic – and that’s one of the biggest differences between it and its predecessor, Hades.

The original Hades followed Zagreus, the strong but brash son of Hades who tried to escape the underworld. Now the series focuses on his sister Melinoë, a warrior raised and trained by the goddess of witchcraft and necromancy, Hecate. It’s a dramatic shift from Hades, but a welcome one. The setting and tone of Hades 2 could have tiptoed into the territory of a Halloween cliché, but the game subverts those expectations: Melinoë casts not a wand but the sharp edge of a spear, and the cloaked figure in the pointed hat happens to have a bare midriff that is shredded with six-pack abs. That is because Hades 2 presents us a witch who is smart, strong and perhaps most importantly: fun.

Hades 2 communicates a certain structure Hades. Every time Melinoë dies and starts running again, she returns to the hazy green waters of The Crossroads. There she shares a cozy, candlelit room decorated with books, pots and tiered rugs with a jovial ghost named Dora. It’s a bleak life in the shadows, but she and her allies are determined in their mission to kill the Titan of Time, Chronos. She can prepare for any attempt to kill Chronos with different types of items and upgrades, all with a witch theme (unlike her brother Zagreus). She concocts incantations using the base’s cauldron and can choose from a variety of astrology-style cards that give her unique abilities, such as Death Defiance – which revives her the first time she dies – and enhanced dash.

The witchy flourishes of the play bring Melinoë and her will to life. During the dialogue, her character art glows white in the moonlight, and the light ripples with a subtle effervescence. She stands confidently, with her arms outstretched, and although she is still learning, her voice and posture radiate a sense of courage that can only come from being trained by Hecate and also being the bloodline of a powerful king . She means business – and her attitude gives me the confidence to take on a tough match. Melinoë also represents a unique approach to understanding witches of the time.

In traditional Greek mythology, women and witches typically wielded a specific type of power and influence. Joel Christensen, professor of classical studies at Brandeis University, wrote about how witches appear in ancient Greek myth were “almost exclusively women” and these stories were partly about navigating gender roles in a patriarchal society. As Christensen writes:

Fear of women’s power was an essential part of the ancient fear of witchcraft. Moreover, this fear was based on traditional expectations about the capabilities inherent to one’s gender. As early as the creation story in Hesiod’s ‘Theogony’ – a poem originating from a poetic tradition between the eighth and fifth centuries BC – male gods such as Cronus and Zeus were depicted as having physical strength, while female figures were endowed with intelligence. Women in particular knew about the mysteries of childbirth and how to raise children.

Image: Supergiant games via Polygon

In this way of understanding gender, as it was depicted in ancient Greek myth, men are strong and women use their intelligence and guile to deal with violence. Hades 2 builds on this ancient Greek idea by giving us witches who are both smart And are strong and who defy the stereotypical expectations of them. Melinoë isn’t exactly a witch herself, but she was raised by one and that made her stronger.

Hades 2Melinoë’s gameplay retains the core elements of the original game, such as Boons and the ability to choose between different weapons, but Melinoë’s magic brings with it an expanded set of powers compared to Zagreus. She has a ‘magic’ bar that she can use to use enhanced versions of her attacks, and she can cast magical AOE spells that can ensnare her enemies and give her buffs. Additionally, Selene, the goddess of the moon, can also grant Melinoë a hex that gives her an additional attack on top of her other one, which works as an ultimate. Melinoë’s background shapes who she is as a fighter, and in turn brings a fresh experience to the game.

And it’s not just Melinoë. Other characters also play with the typical tropes of witchy and fantastical women. Scylla, a sea monster that Melinoë meets at the end of the second part, defies the stereotypical expectations of the fantasy creature. Instead of exuding a stereotypical feminine beauty, she puts on clown-like makeup and drapes herself in her tentacles. She’s a formidable boss in her own right, and instead of singing in soft feminine tunes, she forcibly belts out lead vocals in a rock band consisting of Sirens, pictured here with drums and electric guitar. It’s a welcome change and shows us what a fantasy world inspired by Greek mythology looks like when we embrace the power of women, rather than fearing it.