Context is what made the first Hades so memorable for a lot of players. Every time they died as the hero Zagreus, there was always something new back at HQ from upgrades to NPCs wanting to chat. Many of them even commented on what just happened to Zagreus before he died. This was especially true when conversing with boss characters like the titular Hades.
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How many roguelikes or games in general write dialogue for bosses that change deaths in meaningful ways? That magic has not been lost on its sequel, Hades 2, which has a few reoccurring bosses for Melinoe to face. Here are the six story bosses and the two secret bosses, so far.
WARNING! Spoilers ahead.
8 Polyphemus
A Slow And Predictable Cyclops
- Area: City of Ephyra
Polyphemus is the first boss players will run into on the surface in Hades 2. That’s a new aspect of the sequel as players can perform a couple of Incantations in Hades 2 to allow Melinoe to breathe on the surface. Polyphemus is a cyclops that occupies a small city called Ephyra which has predictable movement patterns for a large boss.
He will stomp around causing ringed waves to appear which can easily be dodged. The only truly hard part about the boss is when he summons minions which can be tricky to handle on top of Polyphemus himself.
7 Cerberus
A Big Target That’s Easy To Hit And Dodge
- Area: Fields of Mourning
Cerberus returns in the sequel but in a mutated form. Chronos has transformed the lovable pup into an infernal beast that looks like he came straight out of a zombie movie. Cerberus is the third boss of the underworld, occupying a large area called the Field of Mourning.
Cerberus, like Polyphemus, is not that hard because his large body is easy to dodge. He is a bit faster than Polyphemus and he can hit stronger, but after a few attacks, Cerberus’ patterns will be simple enough to learn.
6 Charybdis
Too Many Tentacles
- Area: Rifts of Thessaly
Charybdis is one of the two secret bosses discovered so far in Early Access. Playing games in Early Access can be exciting because the exhilaration one can get from a new discovery is palpable. Charybdis has a chance of appearing in the second surface area called the Rifts of Thessaly.
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It’s a giant squid and all players have to do is attack its tentacles. There are quite a few, so wrangling them all at once is a challenge. Also, the main body has a few moves to force players to keep lively as well.
5 Uh-Oh
Is This A Bit?
- Area: Oceanus
Uh-Oh is a funny name for a boss and the encounter feels a bit off. It’s just a rat that players have a chance of encountering in the second underworld area, which looks like a level from BioShock, called Oceanus. It’s not that hard on paper since its attacks aren’t strong.
However, Uh-Oh controls a horde that will appear, and dealing with them is the challenge of this boss battle. Killing a swarm of rats in an underwater area is certainly unique for Hades 2 and not something anyone could have predicted to happen.
4 Hecate
The First Boss Proves Most Challenging
- Area: Erebus
Hecate is the first boss players have to face in Hades 2. At first, it seems like an impossible fight, like all first encounters are in roguelikes. Hecate can shoot blasts of energy l all over the place, clone herself, turn Melinoe into a sheep, and the list goes on.
After a few attempts, players can learn the patterns and easily take her down even without the aid of a healing Hex. Melinoe will prove to her master Hecate that she is indeed the superior witch now and that will be a great achievement for players to feel.
3 Scylla And The Sirens
Hard To Handle Three Powerful Targets
- Area: Oceanus
Scylla is the main boss of Oceanus in Hades 2. She will be accompanied by her two bandmates which players also have to slay. They’re not like normal minions either as they have a lot of destructive moves.
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Trying to deal with them and Scylla at the same time is a fool’s errand. That’s why it’s best to kill the two bandmates one by one while dodging Scylla. It’s hard but what makes it a fun encounter, even after numerous deaths, is that the accompanying song is catchy.
2 Eris
Raining Hell Down From The Sky
- Area: Rifts of Thessaly
Eris is the final boss of the surface, so far as that part of Hades 2 is unfinished in Early Access. She is the embodiment of strife, one of the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse. Like the version of Strife from the Darksiders series, Eris uses a gun.
She’s incredibly fast too, leaving little room for error in this boss fight. Her health bar is also quite hefty compared to all other bosses, except one, in the game. Every time players defeat her will make them feel like they completed a 5K marathon.
1 Chronos
Two Forms Equals Twice The Impossible Challenge
- Area: Tartarus
“Death to Chronos.” That’s like a prayer in Hades 2, so it should come as no surprise that Chronos is the final boss of Hades 2. He can manipulate time which is an unfair advantage especially if players get caught in his bubbles. He will even prevent players from pausing the game which is truly a mind-blowing moment.
The worst surprise though is defeating him only to find out his second form is ten times harder because of his instant kill strikes. It’s a frustrating boss battle but being able to get through it makes victory taste that much sweeter.
