Summary
Almost every book, film, or video game franchise has a body of lore to form the backstory and improve player immersion, but some games lean into the practice more than others.Hades, the runaway Roguelike hit from Supergiant Games, is one example. Not only does it contain its own unique story and characters, but it also includes the rich and exciting lore of the ancient world, with Greece being the focus but other locations and cultures making appearances as well.
Hades 2,the much-anticipated sequel, is still in Early Access, but follows in the footsteps of its detailed and beautifully-rendered predecessor. One of the most distinct and obvious lore pieces players will see immediately is Melinoë’s painting of her family; a portrait of her parentsand older brother, Zagreus,is in her private tent. However, severalother distinct lore pieces in the game are harder to find and recognize.
5The Flame Of Hestia
Goddess Of The Eternal Flame
A few notable gods that didn’t appear in the originalHadesare here to help Melinoë in the second installment, and one of them isthe fiery Hestia,who has an attitude to match her title. In the game, she’s the Goddess of Flame, but in real-life Greek lore, Hestia was the guardian of a specific fire, the one that burned in every home as an “eternal” flame.
Folks didn’t exactly have lighters and matches back then, so starting a fire could be awkward. It was easier to keep a fire burning all the time, and even better to have a god with attitude looking after it. Hestia is one of the first new gods players will meet inHades 2, and her Boons focus on the power of fire withsome handy AoE abilities.
4The Golden Apple
How Does Odysseus Feel About This?
Eris is the Greek goddess of Strife, and she appears as a boss inHades 2. As her name suggests, she has a reputation for starting trouble, the most famous example being the time she used a beautiful trinket to start the Trojan War. She simply placed it on the banquet table of the gods and declared that the most important goddess should have it as an offering, then disappeared.
As she planned, the powerful goddesses Athena, Hera,and Aphrodite foughtover which of them would possess the beautiful apple. When Paris decided that Aphrodite should have it, he was given Helen of Troy as a reward. Thus the Greek kings, with Odysseus of Ithaca among them, amassed their armies to get her back.
InHades 2,The Golden Appleis areward for killing Erisin the game and progressing through the Realm of Thessaly. It’s a valuable currency that is used to unlock new Arcana Cards and is filed under the Greeneries category in Melinoë’s inventory.
3Hypnos
Now In A State Of Perpetual Sleep
Speaking of lore pieces from the previous game,Hypnoswas one of the most familiar faces in the originalHades. His sleepy face was always dozing by the Pool of Styx, and he was often the first person Zagreus would meet upon getting killed and returning to the House of Hades.
Of all the characters that were in the House of Hades, it seems that only Hypnos managed to escape the Titans' attack. However, he’s deep asleep, and can’t tell Melinoë anything about what happened until she wakes him up. Hypnos might be part of the main quest to discover not only what happened to Hades, but how Melinoë can return there.
2The Power Of Hekate
Hidden In Plain Sight
Modern people associateHecatewith medieval views of witchcraft, partly thanks to her appearance as part of a grotesque ritual in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In Greek lore, Hecate wasn’t just the goddess of witchcraft but also the guardian of necromancy, night, crossroads, and ghosts.
As the legends describe, Hecate inHades 2is depicted in hunting clothes, like boots, a cape, and a wide-brimmed hat. She has distinct animal familiars, a polecat and a black dog, both of which appear in the game, standing to the right of the cauldron.
Hecate aided Demeter in her search to find Persephone, and upon finding her, became a close friend and mentor to the Queen of the Underworld. This might explain how and why Hecate was able to escape with young Melinoë, taking her to the Crossroads and hiding the child from the Titan Chronos when he attacked the realm of Hades.
1The Titanomachy
A Real-Life Legend
The ten-year battle between the Titans andthe Olympian godsto decide who would control the universe was known as theTitanomachy. References in the firstHadesgame that Zeus makes to killing his father, Cronos, were part of this epic event.
Although the actual term hasn’t appeared in Early Access yet, it seems that the Titanomachy forms the basis of the setting and plot ofHades 2. Melinoë makes a reference to Mount Othrys in a conversation with Odysseus, and this real-life location is said to bethe home of Chronosand Rhea, along with many other Titans who were fighting the Olympians. “Death to Cronos” is also used as a common greeting and farewell by Melinoëand her companions at the Crossroads.
