Hades II's Road at The Game Awards 2025: Does it deserve GOTY or not?

Since its announcement, Hades II carried a weight: being the sequel to one of the most acclaimed indie games of recent years. The first Hades revolutionized the roguelike genre, gaining recognition, awards, record sales, and a passionate fan community. The game brought with it high expectations for its sequel. And everyone wondered, "How to expand such a refined, praised, and complete system?" How to deliver something new without losing the identity that transformed Hades into a phenomenon?

When 2025 arrived and Hades II was released, it surprised everyone. Supergiant Games managed to develop a bigger, more ambitious, deeper, and more engaging sequel than the first. However, in a year of competition at The Game Awards, the question arises: Will Hades II win Game of the Year 2025? And, "What would prevent Hades II from winning?"

In this article, we'll examine every detail of the game, from its narrative and gameplay to its art, impact, and innovation.

An evolution, not just a sequel

The most impressive merit of Hades II is that it doesn't rely solely on the success of the first game. Many sequels follow safer formulas, including minor adjustments and new content without altering the structure that already worked. Supergiant Games, rebuilt the experience, enhancing every aspect of the game, from its combat to its progression.

Melinoë, the new protagonist, isn’t simply a replacement for Zagreus; she brings new dynamics, powers, connections to gods, and a more strategic approach to challenges. Her movements seem ritualistic, her aesthetic is darker, her narrative motivation is different, and all of this transforms the gameplay into something familiar, yet entirely new.

Deeper, more varied, and strategic combat

The combat in the first Hades was already considered by many to be one of the best in the genre, but Supergiant has managed to surpass that level. In Hades II, each weapon has multiple forms, specializations, and aspect combinations, offering hundreds of build possibilities. The inclusion of magical rituals, cauldrons, conjurations, and new synergies with the gods further enhances the strategic aspect of the game.

The player is rewarded for their creativity, courage, and mastery of the mechanics. With the freedom to develop completely distinct approaches, from heavy magic to quick attacks, including hybrid styles, something new in the traditional rhythm of roguelikes. The builds truly feel like your own, not simply a set of random bonuses.

Engaging and rich narrative

Supergiant is known for its strong narratives, but Hades II brings a heavier and more sensitive mythological approach. The story unfolds dynamically, adapting to the player's constant attempts to overcome obstacles.

The relationship between Melinoë and the other Olympian deities is full of variations, rivalries, sarcasm, and humanity. The backdrop, the threat posed by Cronos, lends a more epic tone to the adventure.

Furthermore, dialogues, scenes, and events adapt to the player's actions, creating the feeling that each run is part of building the story.. This transforms the game into an addictive, epic, mythological, and modern roguelike.

Artstyle and soundtrack

The visual style of Hades II is an evolution from the first game, being more detailed, intense, and expressive. The scenarios bring their own narrative depth, with thematic elements such as decadence, magic, and ancestry. The character art is more elaborate, with more personality in each feature, posture, and expression.

The soundtrack was once again composed by Darren Korb and is spectacular, mixing distorted guitars, percussive elements, Greek influences, and melancholic melodies, giving it a unique, modern, and at the same time mythological musical identity. Each piece of music has its own tension and beauty, making the underworld of Olympus a sound experience.

Impact and Legacy of the Franchise

Just as the first game earned a special place in players' hearts, Hades II also created a wave of hype on social media, fan art, streams, and discussions. Fans loved Melinoë and ranked her as one of the strongest and most charismatic protagonists in recent years. This further fueled the series' influence.

Furthermore, recently, roguelikes have evolved from a niche genre to something more mainstream. Hades II helped in this transition, showing that the genre can compete with AAA productions in creativity, depth, and engagement.

Although Hades II is an extraordinary game in virtually every aspect, it stumbles and falters like any game, and in a year as competitive as 2025, small flaws can take on larger proportions. Below we’ll see what could prevent its victory.

It’s a sequel

The discussion about sequel vs. innovation is relevant when discussing scores, reviews, and awards. Although Hades II is technically superior to the first in almost every aspect, the core feeling of the game remains very similar; it has progressed, but not revolutionized. The structure of the runs follows the same logic, their progression continues to depend on repeated attempts, and the gameplay loop, although expanded, doesn't surprise in the same way.

The year is so strong that even exceptional games seem minor

2025 is packed with releases that for years were treated as "urban legends", "vaporware", or "the most anticipated game of the generation". Games with large budgets, massive marketing campaigns, advanced technical depth, and huge fanbases.

Examples like Hollow Knight: Silksong, Death Stranding 2, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had a wide reach, and however grand Hades II may be, this puts the game in a delicate place: popularity.

Furthermore, many of these titles have cinematic narratives, while Hades II maintains its aesthetic and personal style. And even though it's wonderful, it's less about "spectacle" and more about gameplay.

The roguelike structure is a point of contention

The first Hades won over a huge audience precisely because it was one of the most accessible roguelikes in history. In Hades II, Supergiant introduced a slower and more complex progression, which raised the bar for the player.

With more systems, mechanics, spells, materials, and progression levels, some elements end up sounding "confusing and tiresome" for those not fully adapted to the genre. Many players gave up because the game has a slower start than the first. The game requires a lot of grinding to unlock essential upgrades, some magic cauldrons are harder to obtain, and the initial runs are longer, feeling a bit dragged out, which ends up extending the gameplay without much variety.

Roguelikes and their weaknesses

Since Hades II is a much larger game, balancing weapons, spells, and boons (buffs) from dozens of gods and entities is no simple task. This excess of possibilities can cause imbalances; for example, weapons scale too quickly, making the game easy for some; some spells are used in few situations and then lose their usefulness; combining boons makes the game too easy too early; and bosses alternate between trivial and extremely difficult, causing an imbalance. These factors divide the hardcore roguelike audience, with some adapting and others criticizing.

The narrative pace is more casual, which may bother those seeking a "closed" story. Although Hades II has a great narrative, the arcs evolve too slowly, with narratives dependent on specific runs; some scenes only appear after certain combinations of events; there are many more characters and connections to follow; some dialogues are spaced too far apart between attempts. The result is a story that flows unevenly, depending on luck and the player's choices.

The start of the game might be annoying

The first Hades started with an immediate impact; the action was unrestrained, and the adrenaline was pumping. Hades II demands more calm, reading of texts, experimentation, and patience. It has a slower, denser beginning, dependent on both right and wrong choices.

Technical issues, though few, can be decisive

Despite its artistic impeccability, some players have reported minor performance drops in areas with many effects; collision issues in specific environments, occasional bugs in narrative event dialogues, and rare but occurring crashes.

Conclusion: Should Hades II win GOTY 2025?

The answer depends on what you consider important requirements for the winner of Game of the Year 2025. Hades II stands out for its mechanical evolution, innovation on top of an already established game, refined narrative, unique artistic and sound identity, and gameplay depth and impact within the indie scene. It’s a technical and artistic achievement, a perfect example of how a sequel should be made, reaffirming the importance of Supergiant Games as one of the most talented developers today.

On the other hand, Hades II isn’t as strong in its unprecedented cultural impact, absolute originality, cinematic scale, overall accessibility, linear narrative experiences, and historical importance.

It’s brilliant but not as revolutionary as the original and faces equally brilliant competitors. In a normal year, Hades II would probably be the winner, but in 2025, the result is unpredictable. Still, one thing is certain: regardless of the trophy, Hades II has already secured its place as one of the most important and memorable roguelikes of this generation.