For all my hours spent climbing out of the underworld in Hades and runs ended by the hands of Hades himself, one ability in Zagreus’s arsenal I’ve never found much use for is his cast. It sends out a red projectile to damage and lodge in an enemy, which grants the enemy a status effect, like slowing it down. Boons can enhance or change the cast, like one that turned it into a chain lightning attack, but it’s still a limited-use projectile nonetheless.
Not so in Hades 2, developer Supergiant Games’ sequel that stars Melinoë, Zagreus’s sister. Rather than yet another long-range attack, Melinoë’s cast is a magic circle that traps enemies in it. Empowering the cast with Melinoë’s magic turns it into a time bomb to blow up foes. While simple on the surface, it complements her weapons well and it’s often more worthwhile to choose boons that enhance her cast instead of her primary attacks.
Just like in the first game, combat in Hades 2 is speedy and chaotic. Some arenas are claustrophobically small, and quick enemies (like those damn schools of fish in the second level) can pounce on Melinoë in an instant. Because of this, I’ve loved using her cast as a defensive ability, plopping it down and dashing away to create some distance between Melinoë and those trying to cut her night short.
Once trapped, those foes are vulnerable to whatever you want to throw at them. Most of Melinoë’s weapons have some sort of ranged attack, meaning you can wail on your defenseless enemies until your heart’s content — well, actually until it expires in a few seconds. But unlike Zagreus’s cast, you don’t have to retrieve any ammo to use Melinoë’s cast again. Simply initiate the ability once her magic circle expires, and you’ll get yourself some more breathing room.
While I’ve been trying to experiment more with Melinoë’s weapons, after spending most Hades runs with Zagreus’s Adamant Rail firearm, I’ve quickly gravitated toward her Sister Blades, the dagger and sickle duo. They’re incredibly speedy, and the special attack, which throws the sickle like a boomerang, has great range. Using Melinoë’s magic to power up that special into a multi-dagger throw is a great way to hit multiple enemies at a distance.
Between Melinoë’s cast and the Sister Blades’ range attacks, I’ve found a strategy to cheese my way through encounters and ensure I can make it to Hades 2’s boss fights with nary a scratch. And that’s before even adding boons to the mix.
Hades 2’s gods and Melinoë’s allies are always ready to help her in her plight, and enhancing her cast is one of the many ways to mix up her builds. Applying a boon to the cast typically grants it the ability to inflict status effects; Aphrodite’s boons can make enemies deal less damage while Hestia’s enhancements can inflict scorch on enemies, a burning effect that causes them to take damage over time.
One of my favorite boons to seek out so far comes from Hera, who gives Melinoë’s attacks the ability to grant the hitch status effect on enemies. This makes afflicted foes share a percentage of damage, which comes in handy when hitting multiple enemies with the Sister Blades’ daggers. A boon from good ol’ Zeus that makes enemies trapped in a cast get struck by lightning is a classic.
While the bones of Hades are present in its sequel, Hades 2 has enough gameplay changes to offer a differentiated experience for new and returning players. Melinoë’s cast being more functional than Zagreus’s is one change I’ve been loving, and it’s saved my butt on more occasions than I’d like to admit.
