While the firstHadesput its gameplay front and center, its narrative was surprisingly compelling. A fairly simple premise on paper,the tale of Zagreus and his desire to leave the Underworldand his father’s domain actually had some real depth to it, with some pretty heavy themes revolving around a troubled familial situation. And whileHades 2is bringing a new protagonist and story to the fold, it might still carry over these themes of family.
Instead of controlling Hades' son Zagreus,Hades 2will see players assume the role of Melinoe, Zagreus' half-sister. Already, there’s an obvious familial connection in the mix, and that only continues with the game’s central plot.Hades 2’s narrative sees the Titan Chronos break free from his Underworld prison and begin his march toward Olympus, where manyGreek gods and goddesses, his children, await.
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Hades 2 Could Continue the Theme of Family and Reconciliation
The firstHadesrevolves around the troubled family dynamic ofZagreus and his father Hades. For his whole life, Zagreus has grown up without his mother, Persephone, who is believed to be missing or dead, and instead relied on his father for guidance. Unfortunately, Hades isn’t a great dad, and is fairly neglectful and condescending, seeing Zagreus as a mere vagrant. Though Zagreus has made friends in the Underworld, he still doesn’t feel like he belongs there, and his father’s neglectful attitude pushes him to attempt to escape the Underworld so that he can see the world above.
Throughout the game, Hades mocks Zagreus' attempts to leave, with every failed escape leading to dismissive and derisive comments. When Zagreus does finally make it to the end of the Underworld, he faces off against his father, and upon beating him, Hades asks that if he manages to find Persephone then could he tell her that Cerberus is doing well. It’s just a sentence, but it shows that Hades is capable of love, and it’s clear that Zagreus is taken aback by it. When Zagreus does find his mother, he manages to convince her to return tothe Underworldwith him, and the family manages to reconcile together in their own way, with Hades realizing Zagreus' worth as a person and his son.
Hades 2could carry over these themes of troubled families and unusual reconciliations. The main antagonist ofHades 2, the Titan Chronos, is the father of many of the Olympians and other gods, including Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades himself. In Greek mythology, after eating his children and being forced by Zeus to throw them back up, Chronos wages war on the gods in an event known as the Titanomachy. The gods won, and Chronos was imprisoned in the Underworld. It seems like a pretty safe bet to assume thatHades 2’s version of Chronos has a serious vendetta against his children, hence why he’s on the way to Olympus to wage war on them once more, butHades 2may end up borrowing quite heavily from the first game’s ending.
It could be the case that at the end ofHades 2, after Melinoe has stopped Chronos' rampage through the Underworld, he comes to the realization that his children aren’t his enemies anymore, and somehow manages to reconcile with them. At the same time, Melinoe may also end up reconciling with Hades, who’s been captured by Chronos. Though fans are currently unclear onMelinoe and Hades' relationshipin the sequel, it seems like a safe bet to assume that he hasn’t been a great father to her either, and the end of the game could see them reconciling in a similar way to Zagreus and Hades.
