Trained by Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, Melinoë can use Magick during combat and cast mystical spells that assist her in her quest to kill Time. But what are all the Hades 2 Incantations,? and what kind of rewards do they offer???

There are dozens of Incantations in Hades 2, which can only be unlocked at the Crossroads Cauldron. Most Incantations are inaccessible until you pass some kind of prerequisite. You'll either have to meet or defeat a certain enemy, progress in a new Region/Location, become better friends with an ally, or find yourself in dire need of s?omething. Some Incantations also come to Melinoë as if shared by a greater force. Regardless of how the spells appear, they're all incredibly useful in Melinoë's fight to defeat Chronos and free her family.

All Hades 2 Incantations and Rewards

Below, you'll find the list of all Incantations in Hades 2 and what they offer on activation. Every Incantation requires?? materials; you can't make a good stew without ingredients. Again, keep ??in mind that most Incantations won't be available until they're needed. Often, that means you'll only be able to learn them once you've made enough progress in your quest. Keep playing, and soon you'll gain access to the whole list.

The early-game Incantations require materials that don't take long to locate and gather. With Gathering Tools, you should be able to acquire enough ingredients during the first in-game week to unlock a large portion of the Incantation list. The further down you go, however, t?he more expensive the Incantation, and the more danger you'll be ?in when searching for the necessary resources.

A large, yellow exclamation point will hover over the Crossroads Cauldron if you have enou?gh ingredients to unlock an Inca??ntation.

There are also rare resources created via Alchemy, which are included below the Incantation list.

??????????????????????????These two guides should help you discover what you need for Incantations:

• Every Plant and Seed guide
• All Resources and Reagents guide

All Alchemy recipes in Hades 2

Like with Incantations, you learn about Alchemy and obtain recipes as you progress through the ?game. There's at least one recipe tied directly to story progression, so it'?s important to check the Alchemy tab at the Crossroads Cauldron every chance you get. Thankfully, there aren't as many recipes to learn as there are Incantations. Unlike Incantations, Alchemy can be used as often as needed.

Completing Alchemy recipes takes time, which is indicated by something called 'While'. Learn more about While and how it passes by reading our helpful guide.

The post All Hades 2 Incan?tations and th?eir rewards, explained appeared first on Destructoid.

Daedalus Hammers rank among my absolute favorite upgrades in Hades and Hades 2. They have the power to change the behavior of weapons in entertaining ways and are often the key part of a winning build. Here are the best Daedalus Hammer upgrades for each weapon in Hades 2.

There are five weapons in Hades 2, and each comes with its own set of Daedalus Hammer upgrades. Said Hammers will alter how your weapons work, either by changing the way they attack or by affecting your other abilities in some substantial way. Let's just say that, if you spot the Hammer symbol on a door, you should absolutely go for it unless you feel your build is good enough. If you're chasing down those Hammers, scroll t??o the section below to find out which ones we recommend the most.

Hades 2: Best Daedalus Hammer upgrades for each weapon

As mentioned, there are five weapons in Hades 2 with? unique Hammer upgrades. We'll go over each weapon along with what I feel to be t??he best upgrades you can obtain. I decided to go with three upgrades per weapon and offered suggestions where applicable on how best to wield them.

The Witch's Staff

The Witch's Staff brings a good balance of Magick ability and attack power, either of which (or both at o??nce) can be improved with Daedalus Hammer upgrades. If you're rocking the staff, look for these d?uring your next run:

• Extending Wallop

  • The upgrade increases your attack range and deals 100% additional damage to foes at a distance. This is perfect for the non-melee-focused Staff.

• Aetheric Moonburst

  • Your Omega Special gains a Power Shot that deals +50% damage and restores 20 Magick. This upgrade allows you to get into the flow of attacking and regaining Magick.

• Dual Moonshot

  • Though not as powerful as the Double Moonshot it replaced, Dual Moonshot is still strong for those who have confidence in their dodges. Your Specials fire two projectiles but with a 40% reduction in range.

Sister Blades

The Sister Blades are my fav?orite weapons in the game. Why? Well, not only are they fun to use, but their Daedalus Hammer upgrades are some of the most impressive in the game. Consider these next ??time you rock the blades:

• Spiral Knives

  • Your Specials deal +20% damage and your Omega Special fires up to 16 shots around you in a circular pattern. Combined with the Aspect of Pan, Spiral Knives is an absolute killer of elites and Guardians.

• Melting Sickle

  • Perfect for encounters with armored elites, Melting Sickle causes your Special to destroy 50% of any Armor based on the total amount.

• Dancing Knives

  • This upgrade makes it so your Special moves deal 15% more damage and each hit will bounce toward up to two more enemies.

Truth be told, most (if not all) Daedalus Hammer upgrades for the Sister Blades are incredible in their own right. You could replace my list above with any other combination and you should do just as well or even better, depending on your build. Mix and match, and just enjoy the stabbing.

Umbral Flames

As the most maligned of Melinoë's weapons, figuring out the best Umbral Flames' Hammer upgrades is a bit tricky. I do feel these are the best for the? ?time being:

• Sustained Spark

  • The Umbral Flames can be hard to use since you need to channel attacks, and often in close range to enemies. Sustained Spark helps by allowing you to move 20% faster while you charge Attacks.

• Mega Spark

  • This upgrade works on the idea of the former, allowing you to fire your Attacks 20% further for +30% more damage.

• Rising Coil

  • With Rising Coil, your Specials grow larger and deal up to 25% more damage the longer they are active. Your Special is something you should be using often with the Flames, so the more damage, the better.

Moonstone Axe

Ah, the Moonstone Axe, my beloved. It's fun to create builds for the Moonstone Axe, as the?? damage it deals can knock the wind out of most foes and bosses alike.

• Psychic Whirlwind

  • Psychic Whirlwind almost feels like a win button to me. When equipped, you can continue using your Attacks and Specials while your Omega Attack is active. This causes your damage to increase exponentially and even lets you dash around. It's bliss.

• Giga Cleaver

  • This upgrade lets you fire off your Omega Special twice in a row for +15 Magick. If you're basing your build around the Omega Special, Giga Cleaver is a necessity.

• Seething Marauder

  • The Omega Attack is my favorite with the axe, so something like Seething Marauder is ideal. It's an upgrade that causes your Attacks to deal 60 damage to foes all around you. Combine this with the Psychic Whirlwind and maybe Apollo's Boons and you are a hurricane of blades and death, my friends.

Argent Skull

As weird as it is, I actually adore the Argent Skull weapon. It's deceptively powerful and has taken me to some satisfying victories in Hades 2. To earn your own wins with the Skulls, look for these upgrades to? try:

• Twisting Crash

  • Twisting Crash activates the Omega Special move again, this time bringing the waves back toward you. It allows you to dish out twice the damage whenever you use the move.

• Bolstered Array

  • The Argent Skull fires magical "skulls," called Shells, to damage enemies. By default, you get three shots before you need to pick the Shells up or wait for them to return. Having only three shells makes good aim and patience critical for using the Skull. Bolstered Array eases things up by adding two more Shells, letting you spam for damage or fire and reposition yourself for another attack.

• Mega Driver

  • I will deny any accusation that I chose the Mega Driver upgrade merely due to my love of Sega's greatest console. But I won't say that the thought didn't cross my mind. Mega Driver is a top pick for me, a person who uses the Omega Special of the Argent Skull as often as he breathes. The upgrade allows the move to travel further while dishing out an additional 50% damage. For those who love scooting across the screen with the Skull, this one's for you.

The Black Coat

If you ever thought about how a rocket-fir?ing jetpack would fare in ancient Greece (who hasn't?), wonder no more. Xinth - The Black Coat is an admittedly anachronistic weapon that allows Melinoë to zip around the screen softening up foes with a barrage of rockets befor??e delivering a devastating punch. To increase the weapon's immense power, try:

• Ripper Rockets

  • Ripper Rockets grants your Special Attacks +5 Power for up to five consecutive hits on the same enemy. Armor or not, the upgrade helps you shred enemies if you focus on Special damage.

• World Collider

  • Want to know what happens when worlds collide? In the context of the Black Coat, we're talking hundreds of points of damage (or more, depending). When equipped, World Collider gives your fully-charged Omega Attack +100 Power damage. Float like a butterfly, sting like a freakin' cannon.

• Counter Barrage

  • The Black Coat has many great hammer upgrades, which made things more challenging for me. But for the third choice, I have to go with Counter Barrage. When used, Counter Barrage allows you to automatically fire five Omega Special rockets while blocking. It's a one-two punch between rockets and a, um, punch that sends enemies reeling. Runner up: Launcher Frame.

Keep in mind that this list is subjective and liable to change. For the most part, the best Daedalus Hammer upgrades in Hades 2 are the ones that suit your play style and build the most. The list above, however, does contain what I feel to be the absolute most essential upgrades, so I encourage you to check them out on your way to kill Time.

The post Best Dae??dalus Hammer upgrades for each weapon in Hades 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

In the original Hades, you could unlock Aspects for your weapons, changing their form and function in a way that made each run feel different. It could even have been the difference maker. You can unlock Weapon Aspects in Hades 2 as well, and here's how.

Weapon Aspects are unlocked in Hades 2 after receiving the Aspects of Night and Darkness Incantation. It's offered to you by Hecate, but not freely. You'll have to ??prove you earned it first.

Hades 2: How to unlock Aspects for main weapons

It'll take time to unlock Weapon Aspects in Hades 2. In my experience, I didn't get the Incantation until I was roughly 20 hours into the game and had seen most? of the available Regions. The game is also a bit clandestine regarding unlocks, so I'll go over what I did to finally get the Aspects of Night and Darkness.

Here are some things you can do ?to try and get t?he Weapon Aspects Incantation to appear:

• Reach every Region in Hades 2, including those on the surface (here's how to go above).
• Collect surface resources such as Bronze, which is used for the Incantation.
• Unlock all available weapons (here's how).
• Defeat Hecate as the Guardian of Erebus with each weapon at least once.

Hecate often hands over new Incantations as you progress. Early on, you'll get many offered after your fights and conversations with her. She'll do the same for the Weapon Aspects Incantation, but you may need to be patient. If you've completed the above tasks and haven't received the Incantation yet, keep playing through the game and making progress.

Hecate will soon bring up the responsibility of ?the Nocturnal Arms and wil?l gift you the Incantation.

To unlock new Weapon Aspects in Hades 2, activate the Aspects of Light and Darkness Incantation at the cauldron in the Crossroads.

The incantation requires:

• 5 Bronze
• 1 Nightshade

The list of ingredients is thankfully short. Bronze is gathered from Bronze Outcroppings on the surface Region of the City of Ephyra. You'll need the Crescent Pick, which you should have unlocked by now. Nightshade is plentiful, but if you need seeds you can find them in Erebus.

Once you activate the incantation, head down to the Crossroads Training Grounds to unlock weapons and their Asp?ects. Enter the weapons me??nu in the Silver Pool. You should now see multiple tabs. The first is an anvil, which allows you to unlock new weapons. Select the weapon tabs to upgrade that Aspect's unique ability even further.

How to unlock and upgrade Weapon Aspects in Hades 2

Unlocking and upgrading Weapon Aspects in Hades 2 requires raw materials you can gather in the various Regions or via trials. The default Aspect is the Aspect of Melinoë, but each weapon comes with two additional Aspects to unlock. Weapon upgrades can require Guardian materials, such as Cinder, along with other resources like Lime, Ash, or Adamant. Select a weapon tab and look for the list of requir??ed materials at the bottom-left portion of the screen.

Nightmare is a required resource for upgrading some Aspects. It is also the most difficult to collect. To get Nightmare, you must take the Oath of the Unseen. You can find the Oath of the Unseen standing between the two gates after it's unlocked. Completing runs rewards you with Nightmare, which you can spend on upgrades. Follow our guide for more details.

How to unlock Chaos Trials

Once you start unlocking Aspects, you can use them during the Chaos Trials. Find out how to scry the Pitch-Black Stone to unlock Chaos Trials here. Doing so will earn you a rare resource?? called Star Dust.

Best Weapon Aspects in Hades 2

There are three Aspects per weapon in Hades 2, but which ones are the best? Honestly, the answer is mostly subjective. After all, the Aspects change up the weapons' behaviors and functions in such a way that the best ones for you are what jive with you the most. But in all my dozens of hours playing the game, I feel you can'?t go wrong with the choices below.

Best Witch's Staff Aspect

The Aspect of Circe is the best weapon Aspect for the tried-and-true Witch's Staff. ??It's an ideal Aspect for magic-heavy runs, which are common with the Staff. After 12 Attacks or Special attacks, you gain Serenity, which causes Omega Moves to be more powerful and restores Magick. Later upgrades increase the damage you deal with Omega Attacks while Serenity is active. You may not feel the effects of the Aspect early on in your run, but during late-game Regions, it comes in clutch during hectic boss battles.

Best Sister Blades Aspect

There's not much argument to make here: The Aspect of Pan is nearly unbeatable as the best weapon Aspect for the Siste??r Blades. This Aspect allows you to chunk off the health of any enemy standing in your Omega Cast. It's especially vicious against enemies with large health pools, such as elites and Guardians. With Daedalus Hammer upgrades like Concentrated Flurry or Spiral Knives, the blades will r?each their maximum lethal potential.

Best Moonstone Axe Aspect

I had a hard time choosing what I feel is the best weapon Aspect for the Moonstone?? Axe, since I tend to swap between two quite frequently. I'm a fan of the Aspect of Thanatos, which increases attack speed critical chance when using Omega Moves. But it really only starts to shine in the late game for me, so the balance tips toward the Aspect of Charon as the axe's best. The Aspect all?ows you to dish out explosive damage, which is especially great on Guardians and elites. Try it.

Best Umbral Flames Aspect

The Umbral Flames aren't often my first pick, but the Aspect of Moros improves them significantly. Holding down attack allows you to leave flames lingering around the battlefield. This allows you to set traps for enemies, leading them into a minefield that d??etonates the moment you set it off with a Special attack. Holding down your Special to cause flames to circle you, and tapping regular attack creates a pocket of explosions in?? front of Melinoe. It's powerful enough to wipe out even the most stubborn enemies.

Best Argent Skull Aspect

Now, I'm a fan of the Argent Skull, no matter the Aspect. It's just great. But my favorite Aspect to use for it is the A??spect of Persephone. It enhances the power of your Omega Special, which can be used to cause massive damage while retrieving spent Shells. ?The Aspect increases the damage output greatly, which can be increased via upgrades. The additional time given to Omega Casts is also great, especially if you're running for Apollo or Demeter Boons.

Best Black Coat Aspect

I'm not ashamed to say that I've long since been a Path of Stars fan. Selene's Boons are mighty when used correctly, though their popularity seems to be in flux with the Hades 2 community. Regardless, the Aspect of Selene for the Black Coat makes my lunar fanboyism feel vindicated. With a game plan, the Aspect can be astonishingly powerful. Head out into the night with the Moon Beam Keepsake to complete a full path from the start (Sublime skill included). Use items like the Death Arcana and look for boons that increase Omega damage. Wit?h luck, you can end up with a build capable of dishing out damage in? the thousands.

The post How to unlock Weapon Aspects in Hades 2 – Best Aspects list appeared first on Destructoid.

Melinoë may be a goddess and Princess of the Underworld, but she's also a witch in Hades 2. And what kind of witch does their witchy business without an animal familiar by their side? Well, in Hades 2 you can get an Animal Familiar to join you on you??r journe?y.

You can get an Animal Familiar in Hades 2 after unlocking the proper Incantation. The issue here, sadly, is that the Incantation won't come your way for quite some time. It took me around 20 hours before the game began hinting I could have an animal friend join me on my adventure. Of course, the moment I figured it?? out I set out to get a familiar as ?fast as I could. Wouldn't anyone?

Hades 2: How to unlock Animal Familiars - Incantation and more

Getting the Incantation for an Animal Familiar in Hades 2 req??uires some steps. The game isn't very open in telling you the correct path to follow, but I will share what I accomplished leading up to unlock the feature.

Follow these steps to unlock familiars:

• Unlock and cast the Incantation Woodsy Lifespring to create a hidden glade in Erebus.

  • Gather the materials Silver and Moly and keep playing until the incantation in the Cauldron's menu.

• Gather both Nectar and Lotus at least once.
• Discover the hidden glade in Erebus. If you've made the right progress, Raki the raven should appear near the exit. Greet the raven before going to the next Location.
• Next, fight Headmistress Hecate in Erebus until the topic of animal familiars arises. After you win the fight, Hecate will give you the incantation Faith of Familiar Spirits.

If any listed situations haven't happened yet, keep playi?ng the game and making progress while keeping the steps in mind.

Once you've received th?e Faith of Familiar Spirits Incantation, you'll need to cast it at the Cauldron. To cast Faith of Familiar Spirits, go to the Cauldron in the Crossroads and complete it using 2 Nectar and 1 Lotus. You can gather Lotus by hand in the Oceanus region.

Casting the Incantation gives you one Witch's Delight, food used to convince an animal to beco??me your familiar. After choosing a familiar, you get the incantation Beast-Loved Morsel which lets you make +2 Witch's Delight. It costs 1 Star Dust and 2 Lotus to create.

Now, it's time to pick your first companion.

All Animal Familiars in Hades 2

There are four animal familiars in Hades 2. Each take?s different steps to unlock, but they can all be yours in time.

• Frinos

  • Likely your first familiar, Frinos the frog is available for you to bond with as soon as you have Witch's Delight. You'll find Frinos in Melinoë's tent.

• Raki

  • Raki the raven appears in the Erebus rest area after it becomes available. During your second meeting with Raki, you can bond by offering a Witch's Delight.

• Toula

  • Toula the cat reappears on the dock at the start of the Rift of Thessaly after greeting her once. During your second meeting, you can bond with Toula using a Witch's Delight.

• Hecuba

  • Hecuba can be found standing guard in the NPC Room of the Mourning Fields. Bonding with her, however, takes some dedication.

How to bond with Hecuba the dog familiar in Hades 2

Hecuba is the Animal Familiar of Headmistress Hecate, and her loyalty isn't easily won. To unlock Hecuba as a companion, you'll need to finish a set of requirements that the game isn't keen on explaining (as per the norm). In my efforts to get Hecuba, I ???completed these tasks:

• Bonded with Frinos, Raki, and Toula.
• Brought all familiars on journeys above and below while using their gathering abilities at least once.
• Upgraded each familiar at least once.
• Spoke with Hecate about her Familiars after meeting Hecuba at least once.
• Met with Hecuba twice in the Fields of Mourning.

After following these steps, Hecate eventually invited me for a chat in the Crossroads in which she discussed how Melinoë "ensured the safety" of her Familiars. Hecate brings up her Familiars, Hecuba the dog and Gale the polecat, and mentions they "are willing to watch over you." Once the conversation finishes, you'll earn Hecate's permission to bond with Hecuba and Gale.

Return to the NPC Room in th??e Mourning Fields. If Hecuba is there, you should have the option to bond with her. Hecuba will appear with the other Familiars in the Cross??roads.

How to equip an Animal Familiar, and what they do

Once bonded to Melinoë, Animal Familiars appear in the Training Grounds at the Crossroads near the Gathering Tools. To bring one on your journey, get close to them and press the Invite button (RB on an Xbox ??pad and the E key on a keyboard) when you see it above thei??r head.

Animal Familiars are incredibly useful to have by your side. They provide Melinoë with a "bond" abilities that can consist of a small passive buff, a defensive or offensive move, and a free use of a particular Gathering Tool.

Frinos

• +10 bonus max Life.
• 1 use of the Tablet of Peace.
• Occasionally absorbs a ranged shot that would have struck Melinoë.

Raki

• Pecks foes for 5 damage and Marks them for a curse. A marked enemy has a +15% chance to take critical damage for one hit. Mark disappears after six seconds.
• Bonus critical chance: +1%
• 1 use of the Crescent Pick.

Toula

• +1 bonus Death Defiance that resurrects Melinoë and restores 10 health.
• 1 use of the Rod of Fishing.
• Sprinting near Toula will cause her to attack the nearest foe for 99 damage, but there is a cooldown.

Hecuba

• +15 Bonus Max Magic.
• 1 use of the Silver Spade.
• On occasion: Stun an enemy for one second, digs up Healing and Magic items.

How to upgrade Animal Familiars in Hades 2

Animal Familiar abilities and buffs can be upgraded after completing the Bravery of Familiar Spirits incantation. The Incantation should come available not long after you start bonding with your first familiar companion. It costs one Wool and three Wheat to cast the Incantation, which? gives you a Witch's Delight and the ability to powe?r up your pals.

To upgrade Animal Familiars in Hades 2, approach the familiar you wish to power up and pick the Treat option. Keep in mind that you can only upgrade Animal Familiars in?? the Crossroads.

Each familiar has three b??ond abilities you can upgra?de three times.

• Frinos: Add +10 more Max Life, +25% bonus to Lost Shade gathering, or +10 damage when leaping onto foes.
• Raki: Add +1% Critical damage chance for each upgrade, a +25% increase bonus to Outcropping gathering, or +25% increase toward pecking foes to Mark them.
• Toula: Restore an additional +10 Life after using her Death Defiance, increase +25% bonus at Fishing Spots, or strike an enemy +1 times.
• Hecuba: Gain an additional +15 Max Magick, increase bonus +25% with Digging Spots, or stun foes 15% more often.

Later, you'll get a new incantation called 'Attending a Faithful Beast'. The incantation upgrades the familiar's harvest ability, ??letting you a +2 bonus to Tool uses. Attending a Faithful Beast requ??ires 1 Tears, 1 Wool, and 4 Wheat to complete.

The post All Animal Familiar in Hades 2 – How to get and upgrade appeared first on Destructoid.

Keepsakes return in Hades 2, allowing you to customize your loadout with passive buffs and blessings that may save the day. Unlocking Keepsakes uses the same method in the sequel, so that means you better stock up on Nectar. Here are all Keepsakes in Hades 2 and how to get them.

Keepsakes are items that grant things like passive buffs and are offered by some NPCs in Hades 2. They can be equipped before a run and can be swapped between Regions after activating ?the ??necessary incantation. Each Keepsake can be leveled up in rarity twice, making them even more powerful.

Keep note that this guide may include spoilers; scroll at your own risk.

Hades 2: All Keepsakes and how to earn them

There are 29 Keepsakes to gather in Hades 2. You can claim ?them by gifting Nectar to allies and, erm, frenemies in the Crossroads and the Regions beyond. Like with the original, most of the time you'll have to first make a character's acquaintance before you get the option to offer them Nectar. Generally, by the time you meet with a character a second time, you should be able to earn their Keepsake �so long as they like you.

Check below for the list of Keepsakes in Hades 2, who offers it, and what it does.

I've bolded the parts of the description that will improve when the Keepsake's rank increases. Scroll to the bott?om for tips on how to earn two hard-to-get Keepsakes from a couple of onery sisters.

Keepsake Icon	Keepsake Name	Gifted By	Effect	Character Location
	Silver Wheel	Hecate	While you Channel your Omega Moves, everything moves slower for 1.5 Sec.	Crossroads
	Knuckle Bones	Odysseus	The next Guardian loses -5% Life. You take -15% damage from Guardians.	Crossroads
	Luckier Tooth	Schelemeus	After you fall to 0 Life, automatically restore 51 Life once this night.	Crossroads
	Ghost Onion	Dora	Whenever you exit a Location, fully restore your Life, up to a total of 50 Healing this night.	Crossroads
	Evil Eye	Nemesis	Deal +20% damage to the last foe that vanquished you.	Crossroads
	Engraved Pin	Moros	After you fall to 0 Life, become Impervious for 10 Sec. If no foes remain, restore 30 Life.	Crossroads after summoning
	Discordant Bell	Eris	After each Encounter, you deal +0.5% damage, but also take that much more.	Crossroads after fighting the Rift of Thessaly Guardian
	Gold Purse	Charon	Gain +100 Gold Crowns once this night.	Crossroads, Underworld, Surface
	Metallic Droplet	Hermes	You move, strike, and Channel 20% faster for the next 200 Sec.	Underworld, Surface
	White Antler	Artemis	For the next Region, gain +20% chance to deal Critical damage, but you have 30 Max Life.	Underworld, Surface in random Locations
	Moon Beam	Selene	A reward from Selene is likely. The next Path of Stars you find grants +3 upgrades.	Underworld, Surface
	Cloud Bangle	Zeus	A Boon of Zeus is likely. You can Rarify his Common blessing once this night.	Underworld, Surface
	Iridescent Fan	Hera	A Boon of Hera is likely. You can Rarify her Common blessings once this night.	Underworld, Surface
	Vivid Sea	Poseidon	A Boon of Poseidon is likely. You can Rarify his Common blessings once this night.	Underworld, Surface
	Barley Sheaf	Demeter	A Boon of Demeter is likely. You can Rarify her Common blessings once this night.	Underworld, Surface
	Purest Hope	Apollo	A Boon of Apollo is likely. You can Rarify his Common blessings once this night.	Underworld, Surface
	Beautiful Mirror	Aphrodite	A Boon of Aphrodite is likely. You can Rarify her Common blessings once this night.	Underworld, Surface
	Adamant Shard	Hephaestus	A Boon of Hephaestus is likely. You can Rarify his Common blessings once this night.	Underworld, Surface
	Everlasting Ember	Hestia	A Boon of Hestia is likely. You can Rarify her Common blessings once this night.	Underworld, Surface
	Gorgon Amulet	Athena	While you have no Death Defiance, Athena may apear once this night with at least Common Boons.	Mount Olympus
	Fig Leaf	Dionysus	Most Encounters have 50% chance to be blissfully free of any foes, 1 time(s) this night.	NPC Room in Mount Olympus
	Lion Fang	Heracles	Deal +30% bonus damage, but lose 5% of this after each Encounter.	Random appearance in Locations in the City of Ephyra
	Blackened Fleece	Medea	After you take 250 damage, your Omega Moves deal +20% damage.	NPC Room in City of Ephyra
	Crystal Figurine	Circe	After the next Guardian, activate 1 random inactive (Rank) Arcana Card.	NPC Room in Rift of Thessaly
	Silken Sash	Arachne	Gain +20 Armor. While you have at least 1 Armor, gain +2 Armor after each Location.	NPC Room in Erebus
	Aromatic Phial	Narcissus	Fountains restore +20% Life. The next makes 1 random Common Boon of yours Rare.	NPC Room in Oceanus
	Concave Stone	Echo	After choosing a Boon, 25% of the time randomly take 1 more, once this night.	NPC Room in the Mourning Fields
	Experimental Hammer	Icarus	Gain 1 random Daedalus Hammer that lasts for 10 Encounters.	Random appearance in Locations in the Rift of Thessaly
	Transcendent Embryo	Primordial Chaos	Gain a random Common Chaos blessing once this night. Every 8 Encounters, replace it.	Random appearances in the Surface and Underworld via Chaos Door

How to get the Keepsake of Nemesis

There will occasio??nally be a tough nut to crack, like Nemesis. She takes a while to accept offerings from Melinoë, her ?longtime rival. Keep speaking with her and tempt her with the Nectar as a gift, and soon enough she'll grumpily accept and give you her Keepsake in return. If you're having trouble, continue progressing the story while checking up on her. She'll submit to Melinoë's charms eventually.

How to get the Keepsake of Eris

Eris, Nemesis' cavalier sister, is another character whose Keepsake is tough to earn. You'll need to make your way onto the surface of the game and cast the Incantation that allows Melinoë to stay there indefinitely.

To get the Keepsake, you'll have to face off against Eris, who'll fight you as the Guardian (boss) of t?he Rift of Thessaly �the second Region on the surface. Win or lose, your match with Eris should convince her to visit the Crossroads. She's been allowed to stay there, but had been off on some wild tangent or another until now.

Eris appears in the Crossroads and proceeds to taunt you and throw Rubbish on the ground. Yeah, she's kind of a brat. But with her at the Crossroads, you can gift her some Nectar for her Keepsake: Discordant Bell. She's far more willing to take the Nectar than Nemesis, which is good seeing as Eris' flighty personality means she's not at the Crossroads all the time. Eris also has a relationship path with Melinoë, so be sure to give our Relationships guide a look.

Best Keepsakes in Hades 2

We now have the full list of all the Keepsakes in the game. But, ah, what are the best Keepsakes in Hades 2? It's a big question, and most answers will be subjective. It can depend on your weapons and play style, or if you are delving into a resource run without much desire to beat t??he final threat. That's okay, and I have some ideas on the latter.

But there are some Keepsakes I find myself using more than others. These can?? certainly be regarded as the best the game has to offer if you're playing it to finish regular runs.

Luckier Tooth

Among all the Keepsakes in your possession, arguably the best is the one that keeps you alive and puts you back in the fight. The Luckier Tooth, gifted by Schelemeus, is the equivalent of one Death Defiance, bringing you back to life while restoring a chunk of health. At max level, you'll heal for 101 Life. Also, it should be pointed out that this is the, eh, upgraded version of Skelly's Lucky Tooth from the first game, luckier in that it gives you one more life point. Thanks, Skelly.

Knuckle Bones

Gifted by Odysseus in the Crossroads, Knuckle Bones is an exceptional Keepsake for those of you who may struggle against the late-game Guardians of Hades 2. At its default, the Keepsake makes it so the next Guardian you face lo?ses 5% Life. Leveling it up adds 5% to that total, up to a maximum of 15% ??Life. You'll also take -15% damage from said Guardian, giving you what feels like a small health buff.

Silver Wheel

The Silver Wheel has seen some changes, but no matter the form it's still one of the best Keepsakes in Hades 2. Presented by Headmistress Hecate, the Silver Wheel slows time momentarily as you charge your Omega Moves. For a game that so favors fast, twitchy movements, having a moment to breathe and think of your next move is ideal. If you're getting frustrated with a speedy boss or a Region swarmed by mobs, co?nsider taking things a bit slower with the Silver Wheel.

Ghost Onion

I consider the Ghost Onion, the Keepsake gifted to you by our friendly tent spirit Dora, to be a great one to use if you're feeling that early-game struggle. Hades 2 is hard, make no mistake about it. In those starting hours, I had many runs where ??I was barely limping into Oceanus. The Ghost Onion heals you after exiting a Location up to a certain amount. I don't feel the Keepsake is worth it after you learn the dance, but it's fantastic for those who still fumbling with the steps.

Engraved Pin

Moros, the bringer of Doom, also brings you this Keepsake after gifting him a bottle of Nectar. Despite being?? the?? one thing all mortal men fear, Moros is actually a pretty chill dude and more forgiving than you'd realize. His Keepsake is the epitome of this, as dying with it equipped gives you one more chance at life �if you earn it.

At 0 Life, the Pin keeps you alive and invulnerable. Clear the room of enemies in under ten seconds and you gain 30 Life. If equippe?d, the Pin basically makes it so you don't die or lose a Death Defiance if you have one charged. You can view it as a second chance for your second chance, allowing you to save a precious Death Defiance for another fi??ght.

Moon Beam

Do not sleep on the Path of Stars! The Path of Stars upgrade tree is one you should definitely consider for each and every run. Some upgrades let you increase your dodge chance percentage or give you more speed and damage. One gift can heal you and make you temporarily invulnerable after putting in some points. Moon Beam, given by Selene, m?akes her gift more likely to appear and gives you +3 upgrade points to put toward your next Path of Stars visit. The amount of points increases every time you upgrade the Keepsake.

Transcendent Embryo

Like deals with Chaos, using their Keepsake is a gamble; one that can pay off. Equipping the Transcendent Embryo grants you a Chaos Boon that gets replaced after eight encounters. You can end up leaving the first Reg??ion with a powerful Boon that buoys your entire run. If you're willing to take the chance, the Transcendent Embryo is an excellent Keepsake.

How to upgrade Keepsakes in Hades 2

You upgrade Keepsakes in Hades 2 merely by using them. Each Keepsake has three levels, which you achieve after completing a c?ertain amount of Encounters.

All Keepsakes in the menu tell you how many Encounters you have left to clear before they level up. Level 2 requires you to finish 25 Encounters, while Level 3 is acquired after clearing 50. In total, you'll need to complete 75 Encounters with a Keepsake equipped to fully max it out.

The post All K?eepsakes in Hades 2 and how to get them: Nectar gift?? guide and best Keepsakes appeared first on Destructoid.

Not all things in life are free, which sadly carries over to video games. For rogue-lites such as Hades 2, you'll need to work hard to gather resources and materials to unlock new content. In this case, it's the elusive Adamant Ore, found in the coldest regions of Hades 2.

It's time for Mel to grab some warm-weather gear, as Adamant is an ore found only at the top of the world: Mount Olympus. The Location takes a lot of time to reach, as it can only be accessed after traveling far on the surface. You must firs?t defeat the Guardian of the Rift of Thessaly, who blocks the path to the mythical mount. Oh, ??but be sure to bring a pickaxe along with some fur boots.

How to find and gather Adamant Ore in Hades 2

Every region in Hades 2 contains an ore you can gather; on Mount Olympus, that's Adamant. To get Adamant, you'll need to visit and explore the Mount Olympus region. Ore deposits are randomly placed in every area, so you'll have to stumble on one by chance. Luckily for you, the likelihood of finding the ore isn't low. You'll likely find at least?? one ore node, but don't fret if you don't. The next visit could have what you desire.

• If you need to know how to reach the surface world, be sure to check out our guides on how to get there and how to survive.

Adamant Ore is black in color and appears on Mount Olympus as a crystalline structure jutting out of stone. It looks similar to Glassrock found in the Fields of Mourning but is comprised of sm??aller stones. You can often find them on the edges of a room.

You should have the Crescent Pick unlocked at this point, but you can gather Adamant Ore without it. However, I'd suggest bringing the pickaxe along if you're in need of the ore. Using the Crescent Pick guarantees you gather more Adamant per ore d?eposit. Adamant is needed to unlock some neat stuff, so gathering as much as possible as quickly as possible should be your goal once you reach Mount Olympus.

Where to use Adamant in Hades 2

Adamant is required for certain crafting recipes in Hades 2 but let's be honest, most players need it to unlock the sixth and final weapon in the Arms of Night, the Black Coat. The Black Coat requires two Adamant and two Cinder to unlock via the Silver Pool. Once you have it in your arsenal, you can consider yourself fully stocked, locked,?? and ready to rock.

Adamant is also used for the Frozen Lifespring Incantation. Frozen Lifespring, like the other Lifesprings you can unlock, creates a room that contains a healing pool and possibly some resources in Mount Olympus. It's exceptionally useful, especially for those fighting for their life on the chilly mountain. Frozen Lifespring requires three Adamant and three Iris, a flower you can also gather in Mount Olympus.

You can check how much Adamant you have by opening up your menu and choosing the Reagents tab.

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Hades was an excellent rogue-lite, greatly supported by a charming and likeable cast. The sequel returns with many familiar faces, but introduces some new ones as well. Here are all the Hades 2 voice actors and the characters they play.

Developer Supergiant Games isn't wiping the slate clean with Hades 2. Many gods, demigods, and other characters from the original game are returning in the sequel, bringing their voice actors in tow. The protagonist Melinoë will indeed receive help from allie??s?? who aided her brother in the prior game.

All voice actors and characters they play in Hades 2

There are nearly 40 characters in Hades 2, and almost as many voice actors. Some characters are voiced by the same (very talented) person. Logan Cunningham, for example, returns as Hades and Homer the Storyteller but is also voicing the new game antagonist Chronos. And Po??lyphemus. We may as well put Cunningham in? his own category.

All new characters in Hades 2 and their voice actors

Hades 2 introduces many new names and faces into the game's universe. Granted, they're all from our own universe by way of Greek mythology, but still. Some of t?he new characters may be welcome surprises, so be sure to at least meet them all before scrolling down the list. No one likes?? to be spoiled, after all.

All returning characters in Hades 2 and their voice actors

Unconfirmed returning characters

The list of unconfirmed characters includes those who have been hinted at, but it's currently unknown how or if they'll make their presence known in the sequel, as well as those who haven't shown up. For the most part, you should expect some of these characters and their respectiv??e voice actors to appear in some form or another.

• Zagreus and Skelly, played by Darren Korb

  • Zagreus is Melinoë's brother and one of the family members she's attempting to rescue from Chronos. It's highly likely he'll be in the game, but probably not as a playable character this time.
  • Skelly is sadly absent in the sequel and is totally not Schelemeus, the charismatic and respected hero who may be a skeleton wearing a beard. Wait a minute.

• Megaera, played by Avalon Penrose

  • Meg is certainly hinted at in Hades 2. We'll see if Penrose returns for the character.

• Nyx, played by Jamie Landrum

  • Nyx is an important character in the original Hades and is a prisoner in Hades 2.

• Ares, played by Cyrus Nemati

  • The god of war seemed to be absent from the technical test gameplay, but that doesn't mean he's out for good. Nemati's other character Dionysys has made a return, so perhaps Ares also has a chance.

• Persephone, voiced by Laila Berzins

  • The queen of the underworld and wife to Hades is a major part of Melinoë's quest (especially since she's her mother), so she'll likely show.

There are many other characters in the original game, but their inclusion in Hades 2 isn't a given. Characters like Asterius, Sisyphus, and Dusa certainly have many fans, but their role may end up only relegated to the first game. But Supergiant Games clearly loves the story of Hades and the characters therein, so maybe they'll make some kind of appearanc??e in the en?d.

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Few things in Hades or Hades 2 are more satisfying than unlocking a brand-new weapon to play around with. And there's nothing like having plenty of choices in the matter. Here's every weapon available in Hades 2 and how to unlock them.

There are six weapons in Hades 2. The first one is free, but the others require you to gather materials, summon them to Crossroads, and have them join your arsenal. A few are rather easy to conjure early on, but others will take a bit more effort on your part. Yeah, it's pretty much just how it was done in the original Hades.

Hades 2: All weapons and how to get them unlocked

You begin with your first weapon already unlocked in Hades 2. The Witch's Staff is available from the start of the game, which thrusts you into combat fresh as a morning fart and just as easily dissipated. To view the unlockable weapons in the Arms of Night, you need to travel down to the second level of the Crossroads and activate the large sigil on the ground. This is the 'Silver? Pool', in which you'll find the list? of the available Nocturnal Arms and info on how to unlock them.

Here are all the weapons in Hades 2 Early Access and how to get them unlocked:

Icon	Weapon Name	Desription	How to unlock
	Witch's Staff	Strike with a quick close-range Attack, or long-range Specials and (Magic) Moves.	Default weapon
	Sister Blades	Slash with furious Attacks, or strike from afar with a flurry of Specials.	1 Silver
	Umbral Flames	Launch damaging ranged Attacks as you move, or Specials that orbit around you.	3 Silver 3 Cinder
	Moonstone Axe	Deliver slow but devastating Attacks, or defend and retaliate with your Specials.	15 Silver
	Argent Skull	Blast foes with explosive Attacks, and retrieve the Shells with lunging Specials.	2 Glassrock 1 Bronze
	Black Coat	Use your fists to soften enemies up, or guard then retaliate against attacks. Hold the Special attack for homing missiles.	2 Cinder, 2 Adamant

You can view the first four weapons in the list right from the start. But from what I can tell, the Argent Skull won't become unlockable until you progress far enough into the game. You may need to pass through the wards opposite your usual exit ?for the first time??, as that's where you'll find the ingredients needed to get it summoned.

Either way, keep progressing and soon it should appear in t??he list of Noctu?rnal Arms.

How to get weapon unlock materials in Hades 2

To begin unlocking weapons in Hades 2, you first need to get the Crescent Pick. It's easy enough to do; in the same place you unlock weapons, change to the 'Gathering Tools' tab. The Crescent Pick can be unlocked from t??hat menu for a mere 1 Ashes. Unlock the pick and get it equipped, then leave the Crossroads and make your way down. You should find a stone covered in glittering, silver crescent m??oons almost right away:

Silver ore gives you three Silver each, which is more than enough to unlock arguably? the best weapon in the game: the Sister Blades. Fifteen Silver will unlock the Moonstone Axe, which hits like a truck.

How to get other materials

• Cinder is awarded by defeating Headmistress Hecate, the Guardian of Erebus. You need 3 Cinder and 3 Silver to unlock the Umbral Flames weapon.
• Glassrock (called G. Rock in-game) can be found in the third area, the Fields of Mourning. Look for large, black stone.
• Once you're able to get through the wards, you can find the second material needed to unlock the Argent Skull. Bring the Crescent Pick and search for Bronze in the shape of a pile of what looks like brown Greek armor.
• Progress on the surface for long enough to reach Mount Olympus, where you can gather Adamant Ore with the Crescent Pick.

With all those materials gathered (and a bit of time), you should be able to unlock every weapon in of Hades 2.

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The Greek Pantheon is massive, and the original Hades gave its famous (and infamous) gods and goddesses a fresh, new take. Its sequel reintroduces quite a few, but not all. However, Hades 2 makes up for the difference with new gods. Here are all the gods in Hades 2, listed.

There are many gods and goddesses in Hades 2. Most of them are fairly well known, and a sizable amount will be familiar to those who played the original. Some are sadly missing from the sequel, but the fresh cast members may soon become new favorites. I'm including Titans in the mix,? as they pre?date the gods of Olympus.

All gods in Hades 2

Some of the gods in Hades 2 don't arrive until you make significant pr?ogress in the game and story. With that in mind, I'll consider them 'spoilers' and put them near the bottom of the list. Scroll with care.

Hades 2 is in Early Access and the devel?oper is likely to add more gods to the roster over time. Keep your eye on this page for updates and the game continues to expand.

The post All gods in Hades 2, listed appeared first on Destructoid.

Beyond your usual resources and reagents, you also need to gather plants and seeds throughout the world of Hades 2. They're used in Incantations, so finding them is a must. Here are all the plants and seeds you can find in Hades 2 and what they are used for.

Most plants are used as materials for Incantations you can cast using the Cauldron in the Crossroads. Some can be gathered by hand, but others must be grown. To grow seeds you find, you must play the game long enough to unlock the 'Flourishing Soil' incantation, which gives you two plots of soil in the Crossroads. You should get the incantation not long after gathering Moly, the yellow flower needed for it. Later, you'll be abl??e to get even more plots for a higher plant y?ield.

Growing seeds in Hades 2 doesn't require water or fertilizer, just patience. Every seed will show you just how long it'll take until they're fully matured into harvestable plants. The time by something called 'While', which indicates how long it will take until the seeds grow. Learn more about While here.

All plants, seeds, and where to find them in Hades 2

Plant seeds in Hades 2 are unearthed by using the Silver Spade tool. Look for plots of soil in each Region to get seeds. ??You can unearth seeds without taking the Spade on your journey, but you won't gather as much seed. If you need certain seeds, it's smart to take the Spade to the respective Region in which they can be found.

Plant Icon	Plant	Seed	Where to get them	What they're used for
	Moly	None	Gather by hand in Erebus. Can also be given by Narcissus and as an award from the Fated List.	Incantations involving dispelling and nullification.
	Nightshade	Nightshade Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in Erebus using the Silver Spade tool. Can also be given by Narcissus and as an award from the Fated List.	Incantations involving death and obscurity.
	Deathcap	None	Gather by hand in Erebus or wherever it is raining. Can also be given by Narcissus in Oceanus.	Mostly sold to the Wretched Broker for Bones.
	Lotus	None	Gather by hand in Oceanus.	Incantations involving serenity and acuity.
	Cattail	Cattail Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in Oceanus using the Silver Spade tool.	Incantations involving restoration and relief.
	Myrtle	None	Gather by hand in the Mourning Fields (Fields of Mourning).	Incantations involving love and prosperity.
	Wheat	Wheat Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in the Mourning Fields.	Incantations involving growth and respite.
	Shaderot	None	Gather by hand in Tartarus.	Incantations involving eternity and quietude.
	Poppy	Poppy Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in Tartarus using the Silver Spade tool.	Incantations involving dreams and slumber.
	Moss	None	Gather by hand on the Surface in the City of Ephyra.	Incantations involving strengthened connections.
	Garlic	Garlic Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots on the Surface in the City of Ephyra.	Incantations involving resilience and fortitude.
	Driftwood	None	Gathered by hand in the Rift of Thessaly.	Incantations involving stability and buoyancy.
	Mandrake Root	Mandrake Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in the Rift of Thessaly.	Incantations involving power and protection.
	Thalamus	Origin Seeds	Unearthed from Digging Spots in Chaos.	Incantations involving birthright and creation.
	Iris	None	Gather by hand on the Surface on Mount Olympus.	Incantations involving wisdom and divination.
	Olive	Olive Branch	Unearthed from Digging Spots on the Surface on Mount Olympus.	Incantations involving peace and fidelity.
	Golden Apple	None	Rewarded for defeating the Guardian of the Rift of Thessaly.	Incantations involving beauty and fertility.
	Mystery Plants	Mystery Seeds	Rare seeds unearthed from Digging Spots in many Regions. Can also be given by Narcissus.	Can grow to become one of many different plants.

Our guide on every plant and seed in Hades 2 is ?not exhaustive. As this is an Early Access game, expect more changes to the guide as updates come in.

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As if we weren't all bogged down by October releases already, Supergiant Games has surprise-launched the next chapter of the Hades 2 story with the Olympic Update. The massive update brings more weapons,?? familiars, gods, and story content to the ??game.

The patch notes released for the update are absolutely dizzying and, as expected, are given the black bar treatment for spoilers. It makes sense considering that the Olympic Update expands the game with a new area to explore and more story to unveil. For those who have scraped up everything Hades 2 had to offer up to t?his poi?nt, rejoice. You have a great reason to return to the Crossroads.

Hades 2 Olympic Update expands the story and brings back fan-favorite gods

If you've seen the trailer above, then you likely already experienced what we in the business refer to as the "wandering eye syndrome." Indeed, Dionysus is making his Hades 2 debut??, and the boon he seems to be bringing is barely being held back by leopard-spotted swim briefs. Athena is also returning, hopefully with her exceptional deflection boo??ns.

Your arsenal in Hades 2 is fully complete with a new weapon, while some older arms got changed. A new Nocturnal Arms called the Black Coat is now available to unlock. It appears to be akin to an ancient jetpack with homing rocket special attacks. Speaking of which, Sp??????????????????????????ecial attacks have been reworked for the Witch's Staff, Sister Blades, Umbral Flames, and Moonstone ?Axe.

The Crossroads is getting updated in a big way. The expansion not only brings more Incantations, but you will be able to unlock "dozens" of cosmetic items to decorate the place Melinoë calls hom??e. Unlocking them requires you to use a "new system," which we'll have to check out soon.

Animal Familiars have received an update as well. There are two more animal friends to bring to? the Crossroads, though the patch notes don't hint at where you can find them. Toula the cat's initial Erebus appearance has been changed to "somewhere farther away." You'll also need to complete a new Incantation called Bravery of Familiar Spirits in order to upgrade Familiars.

The Olympic Update contains so much more than the above. There are reworks for the Altar of Ashes and Keepsakes, additional conversations, and more upgrades for the Daedalus Hammer, Hexes, Well of Charon, and Shrine of Hermes... I can go on. Rather than that, you should take a look at the patch notes before diving back into the game.

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Supergiant Games has released Patch 4 for Hades 2, but the notes are much shorter this time around. The patc?h brings additional changes to Boons and Daedalus Hammer upgrades, while addressing some concerns brought about by Patch 3.

In June, Supergiant mentioned it was slowing things down to focus on the next Major Update, but in dev?elopment, there are always things that need fixing. In this case, the team writes in its patch notes that Patch 4 is aimed at clearing up "various issues we've observed since our previous patches, which we wanted to alleviate before our first Major Update later this year."

Hades 2 Patch 3 was quite significant, adding new Incantations wh??ile reworking or replacing a list of Boons and Blessings. Patch 4 is a continuation of this effort, but more subdued this time around.

Hades 2 Patch 4 notes bring changes to Boons

Hades 2 Patch 4 once again reworks ??upgrades. Zeus' 'Spirit Surge' has been reworked, for example, as has Hera's 'Engagement Ring'. Her 'Family Trade', however, has been replaced by a Boon that allows your Omega Cast to damage enem??ies when they spawn into the fight.

Check out the Boon changes below (courtesy of Supergiant Games):

• Lightning Lance (Zeus): improved targeting while using gamepad controls
• Spirit Surge (Zeus): reworked; now whenever you use magick, a surrounding foe is struck by lightning
• Sworn Strike (Hera): slightly reduced bonus from Poms of Power
• Engagement Ring (Hera): reworked; inflicts Hitch on foes, and any slain in the circle deal area damage
• Family Trade (Hera): cut from game; replaced withâ€?!-- wp:list -->

  • Rousing Reception (Hera): new! Your Casts damage foes as they enter the Encounter, wherever they appear (this effect was previously innate to Engagement Ring)

• Golden Rule (Hera X Poseidon): now applies a multiplicative global damage bonus, rather than a flat bonus only to Attacks and Specials
• Beach Ball (Poseidon x Apollo): added greater damage and area scaling over a brief charge-up duration
• Mint Condition (Hephaestus): invulnerability effect now resets between Encounters in same Location

Daedalus Hammer changes

Patch 4 is bringing changes to Daedalus Hammer upgrades, reworking a number of them for every weapon in the game. I am also happy to report that my picks for best Daedalus Upgrades in Hades 2 have been spared by Patch 4, save for one. Destructive Array for the Argent Skull once performed 50% Attack damage every 2.5 seconds. Now, the Shells only ??dish out said damage when they land.

Here are the Daedalus Hammer changes:

• Mirrored Thrasher (Staff): removed Life penalty; now requires Magick instead
• Skulking Slice (Blades): reduced bonus damage striking foes from behind
• Escalating Ambush (Blades): cut from game; replaced withâ€?!-- wp:list -->

  • Wicked Onslaught (Blades): new! Adds power to Attacks

• Melting Shredder (Axe): increased damage to Armor
• Inverted Spark (Flames): now also causes projectiles to linger for longer
• Whirling Coil (Flames): projectiles no longer spin in place; renamed from Origin Coil
• Crushing Comet (Flames): cut from game; replaced withâ€?!-- wp:list -->

  • Triple Comet (Flames): new! Your Special fires more projectiles

• Destructive Array (Skull): now deals a percentage of your Attack damage whenever your Shells drop
• Rocket Bombard (Skull): increased damage

Patch 4 addresses dozens of bugs and other issues, most of which ??came from comm??unity feedback. Check out the notes for the full list.

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Yesterday's Early Access patch for Hades 2 will have to hold you for a while. Developer Supergiant Games is pausing patches for the indie game, though for a great reason. The first Major Update is coming later this year for Hades 2, and it's bringing story content.

Supergiant Games revealed the news in a reply on X. When ask??ed about the story's continuation from a fan, the developer said it's coming in the "first Major Update later this year." The company didn't confirm a window, saying there isn't "a specific date for it at the moment." I'll take it.

The p??atch notes confirmed that the developer is working on the Major Update only from here on, meaning pat??ches will take a back seat for a while.

"Though we'll continue monitoring your feedback, we're now focusing on our first Major Update slated for later this year," the team wrote in the notes. "Thank you for playing!"

Hades 2 is getting more story content in an update later this year

Oh, sweet story content! It's no secret that games that launch in Early Access aren't complete, and often have a long road ahead to their 1.0 launch. Hades 2 was remarkably content-rich for an Early Access game, but it still slammed the doors shut to anyone who ventured too deep into its story. It sounds frustrating, sure, but there was already so much to experience? that we didn't really mind it too much. Regardless, I'm looking forward to continuing Melinoë's fight against ol' Grandpa Time.

Of course, even with the Major Update bringing story content to Hades 2, that doesn't mean it's the end. It'll just be the next big milestone for the Early Access rogue-lite and the team at Supergiant. There's still plenty left on the road ahead, and we won't likely be able to experience it to its fullest until the 1.0 launch. Supergiant reconfirmed yesterday that it plans to keep the game in Early Access until "the end of this year," alluding to 2024. I'll be there, looking for the whereabouts of my boy.

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Patch 3 has arrived for the Early Access build of Hades 2, with some lengthy patch notes in tow. The patch brings many changes to godly Boons and Selene Hexes, while adding new UI icons across the board. For thos?e demanding a buff to Hestia's Scorch, today is your day.

Su?mmer has arrived for Hestia who, like?? many of her Olympian fellows, received welcome changes to Boons. Hestia's Scorch damage has been increased for every Boon that uses it, which is good news for fans of damage-over-time effects.

Dozens upon dozens of Boons have been changed in Hades 2 Patch 3, with some getting reworked or replaced completely. The patch affects not just your typical Boons,?? but Duo Boons and Hexes �five of which have been buffed. Speaking of Duo Boons, they'll show up more often now, along with Legendary Boons.

Hades 2 Patch 3 changes the Early Access build for the better

Hades 2 Patch 3 brings six new Incantations to the Crossroads Cauldron. And for those who love gathering materials, you'll find these a treat. Ashen Memories of Life, for example, raises your life limit by a small amount for every Ash reward you claim. Bones of Burnished Bronze gives you some Armor for every reward of Bones gathered. It should make your future Bones-farming runs even more beneficial.

The new Incantations (listed ??by Supergiant Games):

• Temporal Fluctuation

  • Lets time-slow effects such as Phase Shift (Selene) work vs. [Final Boss]

• Circles of the Moon

  • Activating Warding Circles in Erebus fully charges your Hex

• Ashen Memories of Life

  • Whenever you claim rewards of Ash, slightly raise your Life limit

• Psychic Slivers of Clarity

  • Whenever you claim rewards of Psyche, slightly raise your Magick limit

• Bones of Burnished Bronze

  • Whenever you claim rewards of Bones, gain some Armor

• Nectar of Godly Savor

  • Whenever you claim rewards of Nectar, gain +1 Lv. for a random Boon

The patch notes also include dozens of bug fixes, most of which are the?? result of community feedback. I won't list them all, but one in particular stands out:

• Fixed Eris sometimes leaving Rubbish in the Crossroads even while absent

Finally. I know?? Melin??oë is forever doomed to clean up after the goddess of spite, but there's gotta be a limit here.

Be sure to check out the patch notes in their entirety, as I can't list everything. There are also changes to Weapon Aspects, the Altar of Ashes, several Keepsakes, a?nd so much more. It's worth checking to see if your ?favorite Boons have been buffed or reworked entirely. I'm just glad to see Hestia get the attention she needed. I'll gladly welcome the spicy sass back into my runs.

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The second Early Access patch for Hades 2 has arrived to the slam of a Volcanic Strike. It brings many changes, from full weapon rebalance to Aspect ?reworks and more. Some Daedalus Hammers have been replaced, and the final fight may be less annoying. Or, maybe not?

Developer Supergiant Games dropped the Hades 2 Patch 2 notes yesterday. Many changes are pretty hefty, meaning you'll probably experience a noticeably different Hades 2 from here on out. All five weapons got buffed, which is great. So, too, did Selene's Hexes, which I've championed for a while now. But now they're even bett??er! Hopefully, the doubters will finally give Selene the chance she deserves.

Hades 2 Patch 2 changes affect weapons, Aspects, and icons

Weapons and Aspects

Every weapon in Hades 2 received a buff with Patch 2. A few of the changes are fairly minor: The Sister Blades' s?tagger lasts longer against enemies, and the Witch's Staff Omega Special charges faster. The Moonstone Axes' Omega Special attack now gives Melinoe a lingering barrie??r so she doesn't eat damage while charging it up.

But the one that g?ot the most attention is undoubtedly the Umbral Flames. Yes, the weapon may finally be useful. The update boosts and speeds up its attacks and now lets you move while channeling the Omega Special.

Some Weapon Aspects have also been rew??orked. The Aspect of Melinoë on the Moonstone Axe adds Power and Life, while the Umbral Flames' Aspect of Eos copies your Special move and fires a slow shot that blasts enemies.

But again, the Wands get a major change: The Aspect of Momus has been completely replaced. Using an Omega move with Momus will fire said move a few times in the place it was cast until you use it again. Some in the community predicted the change to Momus, as the Aspect was viewed as a bit broken?? when combined w??ith the Daedalus Hammer upgrade, Double Moonshot.

Speak?ing of which, several Daedalus Hammer upgrades have been replaced. Double Wallop is gone, swapped out for Wicked Thrasher, which grants bonus Power to all attacks. There are some new Hammer upgrades, such as Flick Knives (?Sister Blades), which fires Special knives in a fan pattern with every Dash-Strike.

New Keepsake icons

The patch has added icons for all 27 Keepsakes. This might not be a massive gamepl??ay change, but I sure am happy to no longer see my cabinet filled to the brim with Sonic rings.

Check out the Hades 2 Patch 2 notes in their entirety when you get the chance (it's a lot). Keep in mind that there are some spoilers, but Supergiant was kind enough to redact some just i??n case you're still making your way through th??e game.

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Clearing runs in Hades 2 relies on you mixing and matching boons and weapons. You need to think about how these things synergize to create a Time-stopping build. The best boons in Hades 2 don't need outside help??; they pretty much break the game o??n their own.

As it is with many newly launched games, Hades 2 is no outlier to busted items. The game is in Early Access, so it's likely we'll see buffs and nerfs to weapons, items, boons, and other upgrades while it's in development. But until then, there are a few boons you should seek out before they're changed (if they get changed).

How to break Hades 2 with the best-overpowered boons

Poseidon offers one of my favorite boons in the game merely due to its game-breaking pot?ential. And it's not alone in that category. As also spotted by others in the community, several boons completely break Ha?des 2 at nearly no penalty at all. We're talking boons that give you free items, nearly unlimited Magick, and invulnerability to projectiles. If you've been struggling against the ravages of Time, consider these god-like boons as options.

Poseidon - Double Up

As hinted earlier, Poseidon's best boon in Hades 2 is Double Up. It doesn't increase your damage... at least not directly. Damp uncle's most useful boon has a chance to create a duplicate of a "Minor Find" �items such as Gold Crowns, Psyche, and Ash. But did you know it also counts toward Poms of Power and Gifts of the Moon? Selene's boons seem minor at first, but the Path of Stars can make you powerful or temporarily invulnerable with the right upgrades. Havin?g double the points for upgrades is nothing to turn your nose at.

The duplication effect isn't a rare occurrence, either. At its base rarity, the boon has a 25% chance to double an award. It rises to 30% at the? next level up. That's a duped item practically one out of every three times, all for free. Can you imagine what's possible with a triple Pom?

To increase your odds of getting the boon, use Poseidon's Keepsake 'Vivid Sea'. Hell, I'd suggest hunting down the boon just to hear Poseido?n's fantastic laugh whenev?er it procs.

Hestia - Soot Sprint

Soot Sprint is easily the most useful boon gifted by the goddess Hestia. When taken, the boon destroys all nearby projectiles as you sprint while inflicting the Scorch curse on the enemies that fired. Perhaps that doesn't sound too fantastic at first since Scorch isn't exactly the most impressive curse. But Soot Sprint deletes all damaging projectiles near Melinoe as she sprints while damaging foes, all for free. There is no Magick needed to prime for Soot Sprint? to do its thing; you run, and projectiles are erased just like that.

For those who have it rough in Oceanus, Soot Sprint is a godsend. Well, literally, I guess. Fellow enjoyers of the original Hades still sing the praises of Athena's Divine Dash, her bes??t boon, which gave you invulnerability and reflection on dash. Soot Sprint is just as good, and arguably better, as it lasts for as long as you hold the sprint button down?.

If you want to give Soot Sprint a chance, you can improve your odds of getting it by equipping Hestia's Keepsake 'Everlasting Ember'.

Hera - Born Gain

Hera's Born Gain boon gives you almost unlimited Magick. No, that's not hyperbole. Every time you reach zero Magick, your Magick bar is restored with the caveat of having a small amount permanently primed. By primed, I mean a small portion of your Magick meter is reduced. Some b?oons prime Magick to be used, which means you'll need to weigh the positives and negativ??es of having a reduced bar. Usually, that means giving up several dozen Magick points.

Born Gain, though, uses ten at its most basic rarity. Yes, ten. It takes even less as it levels up. At Epic, it only primes six Magick. If you're rocking more than 150 Magick before taking the gift, this is a laughable penalty. And it can go lower. If you're equipped with Poseidon's Fluid Gain, which drops a bubble that replenishes a small amount of Magick, or the A?rcana Card 'The Unseen', which passively restores Magick, Born Again's caveat becomes inconsequential. Keep grabbing Soul Tonics as you see them, and you'll never run dry of Magick.

To up the odds of getting Born Gain, equip Hera's Keepsake 'Iridescent Fan'.

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Like in the original Hades, you can grow closer to several characters in Hades 2. Maintaining relationships in Hades 2 requires effort, requiring gifts, and upgrades to the Crossroads, but that friendship, and the possible romance options, make it an enjoyable side activity. Also, Hot Springs. Hot Springs.

By offering the gift of Nectar, you can grow closer to most NPCs in the game (earning their Keepsake), but you can go even further with several others. These are special characters whom Melinoë can offer many types of gifts. In return, they are coerced to chat about themselves, their histories, and their personal feelings, while also participating in communal events such as vi??siting the Hot Springs or Fishing Pier. Some of these characters may even be interested in a romantic fling someday.

All the Hades 2 NPCs with whom you can share this kind of unique relationship will be located in the Crossroads. So, clearly, you can't invite Arachne or even Narcissus over to party. You know poor Arachne has a thing against gods, and Narcissus probably won't chill with anyone unless you persuade him ov?er with a particularly polished mirror for him to ogle.

All characters you can create relationships with in Hades 2

There are six characters you can grow relationships with in Hades 2. Four of them are hanging out in the Crossroads from the start, but one needs an invite, w??hile th?e other appears much later.

On that note, there are mild spoilers in this guide.

A handful of gods and at least one lucky former mortal are all vying for ?Melinoë's friendship in this episode of "Romance in the Crossroads." Let's take a look at our contestants now!

Character	Name	Info	Typical Location	Voiced By
	Headmistress Hecate	Goddess of witchcraft and mentor to Melinoë, who respects her greatly.	Next to the Cauldron in the Crossroads.	Amelia Tyler
	Dora	An ancient shade who often haunts Melinoë's tent. The two are as about as close to friends as you can get between a goddess and a spooky ghost.	Melinoë's tent in the Crossroads.	Erin Yvette
	Odysseus	A former mortal and famous explorer and strategist. An "uncle-like" figure, he often lends Melinoë advice and an ear.	In front of a water feature to the southeast of the Cauldron.	Jason Marnocha
	Nemesis	Goddess of retribution and daughter to Nyx. Nemesis has a competitive streak and is always butting heads with Melinoë.	Standing on a raised area to the south of the Cauldron.	Becca Q. Co
	Moros	Doom incarnate and son of Nyx. Moros is a bit reserved considering his station, but is disarmingly friendly.	Next to the Fated List just past Melinoë's tent.	Sterling Sulieman
	Eris	Goddess of strife and daughter of Nyx. Eris is a bit of a brat but has more layers than what you see at first blush.	Up the path leading left away from the Fated List and before the Pier.	Brianna Bryan

How to invite Moros to the Crossroads in Hades 2

Moros won't arrive at the Crossroads in Hades 2 until after you complete the 'Fated Intervention' Incantation to summon the Fated List. After your next run ends, he will appear to Melinoë in a dream. Check the Fated List for the 'Harbinger of Doo?m' task and cast the 'Doomed Beckoning' Inca??ntation. Once all this is complete, Moros becomes a permanent member of the ragtag Crossroad buddies.

How to invite Eris to the Crossroads in Hades 2

Eris appears long after you invite Moros to join the shindig, and you'll need to hop through many hoops before it happens. She should first appear to you very early in your quest to take down Chronos. Eris often shows up by the time you reach the second regio?n of Oceanus, playfully giving you a weakening curse likely meant to keep? you from going too far during your first few hours of the game.

To get Eris to the Crossroads, you'll need to reach her on the surface. First, you must complete the Incantations that remove the protective wards and allow you to survive on the surface. Next, you must face Eris as the Guardian of the second Region on the?? surface, the Rift of Thessaly. You shouldn't need to beat her; after you two square off, Eris appears down the path to the left of Moros while casually dropping Rubbi?sh on the ground. She's flighty, so don't expect her to be there all the time.

Hades 2 relationships: Gift Guide

There are four gifts in Hades 2 used to strengthen bonds with characters. The key gift item is, as always, Nectar. This bottled juice made from Golden Apples is the number-one item on everyone's wish list. Offering it to characters rewards in Keepsakes, but for our aforementioned six, it's only the start. Gifts can be purchased from the Wretched Broker after you unlock their shop at the Crossroads.

Here ar??e all the items used in bui??lding relationships and how to get them:

Item	Name	How to Unlock	Where to Find
	Nectar	Activate the Kinship Fortune Incantation to purchase Nectar from the Wretched Broker.	One awarded for the Fated List task, 'Harbinger of Doom'. Awarded for the Incantation 'Kinship Fortune'. Uncommon award for clearing Encounters. Wretched Broker's shop for 30 Bones each.
	Bath Salts	Unlock the Crossroads Hot Springs.	One awarded for the Incantation 'Rite of Vapor-Cleansing' Wretched Broker's shop for 50 Bones each.
	Twin Lures	Unlock the Crossroads Fishing Pier.	One awarded for the Incantation 'Rite of River-Fording' Wretched Broker's shop for 100 Bones each.
	Ambrosia	Unlock the Crossroads Taverna.	One awarded for the Incantation 'Rite of Social Solidarity'. Wretched Broker's shop for 500 Bones each.

The Wretched Broker's stock on gift items is limited. You can only buy one gift in the list per visit to the Crossroads, so be sure to stock up whenever you can. If you need help getting Bones, check out our farming guide.

How to unlock the Crossroads Taverna and Fishing Pier in Hades 2

There are three areas you can unlock to expand the Crossroads. These places are required to grow relationships, so it's not like you can skip out if that's what you want to do. The Hot Springs are the first place you unlock, and you can learn how to do it here.

There ar??e two other places to discover, and here's how to get them:

• Crossroads Taverna

  • Activate the 'Rite of Social Solidarity' Incantation after it becomes available. It should appear not long after you're able to visit the surface.

• Crossroads Fishing Pier

  • Activate the 'Rite of River-Fording' Incantation after it becomes available. It should appear after you discover the Taverna Incantation.

If you don't see the Incantations in the list at the Cauldron, keep playing the game. Progress the story while also deepening your bonds?? ?with the characters. If you need some help on that latter bit, keep scrolling.

How to track relationship status and choose the right gifts

Early in the game, Headmistress Hecate will offer you the Book of Shadows after one of her defeats. The tool lets you read information on weapons, tools, characters, Regions, and more, unlocking more entries as you go. But the book becomes even more useful after you complete the 'Empath's Intuition' Incantation, which gives you insight into your relationships. It's like a Game Genie for emotions �now, that's a throwback.

The Incantation should come available pretty early in the game. If you don't see it at around the time you learn how to remove w???ards, keep playing and chat with allies while giving them gifts. It should appear to you eventually.

The updated Book of Shadows is key to knowing what gifts to pick per character in Hades 2. It shows you rows of hearts, along with a hint at what gift to give the character next. Each accepted gift fills a heart. A bottle of Nectar is what's required for the first heart, and the book will show you icons of gifts needed to get another heart. Keep in mind that you'll have to experiment with characters and what gifts they accept?? until y?ou get Empath's Intuition.

Here are some tips:

• When a Heart is locked, the hint may say "[Character] will be open to [Gift] when possible. You may need to grow closer..." Try offering a bottle of Nectar or keep chatting with them to complete some hidden requirement. Be persistent.
• Nemesis is a tough cookie and needs a lot of coaxing to get a relationship going. Keep offering Nectar and she will crack.
• You can typically only offer one gift per character during each revisit to the Crossroads. You can't shower them with gifts to speed run the relationship. But you can offer gifts to multiple characters before your next run.
• When you're successful, a small red heart appears above the character's head. Otherwise, the gift is returned to your inventory.

Who can you romance in Hades 2?

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem you can romance anyone in Hades 2 right now. There may be some options after the game fully launches out of Early Access, however. In the first game, Zagreus was able to have closer relationships with a coup??le of characters. For now, it seems l??ike romance isn't on the table for Melinoë.

There may also be no planned characters to romance; some are unlikely to ever fit that category. Hecate, for example, is a person Melinoë feels affection for as one would a surrogate mother. Odysseus is not interested in Melinoë at all, and looks to her more like a niece. Our favorite nihilist, Nemesis, may be an option. Some believe the moment during a Hot Springs trip where she admitted needing help removing her bulky armor is her way of teasing. Maybe Dora? Nah.

I??'ve managed to push relationships with most of the characters as far as Early Acc?ess is willing to let me go. The book tells me "[Character] wants nothing more from you for now (perhaps in the future...)." Aye, perhaps in the future we can get more Moros time in the Hot Springs. The official launch can't arrive soon enough.

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Indeed, the Titan of Time may be the enemy in Hades 2, but that doesn't mean all of time is against you. Knowing how the passing of Time works in Hades 2 is key in your struggle against Chronos.

Time in Hades 2 gives you a good idea of how long certain in-game activities can take, but it doesn't pass by any traditional means. In Hades 2, time moves via a unit of measurement called "While," which moves in several ways.

While, and how the passing of Time works in Hades 2

That passing time, or While, is shown as a small clock symbol next to a number in Hades 2. The number represents how many While(s) need to tick by before that activity is done. So, if you're cooking up an Alchemy recipe that takes 8 While to finish, you'll need to do something to make that number tick down eight times.

Planting seeds in Hades 2 is a common activity that requires time to pass, but it??'s not the only one??. Here are all the activities that need time to complete:

• Growing plants
• Using Alchemy at the Cauldron
• Ordering Charon rewards

There are ways to pass time while playing Hades 2. The first method is to, well, play Hades 2. Each Location (or room) you clear in a Region counts as the passing of 1 While.?? Since there can be around 14 Locations in a typical Region, something that takes 8 While should be done long before you face?? the Guardian.

Some things do take much longer. Spending Obol Points to order 80 Psyche from Charon takes 40 While, for example. Finishing an entire run of the game should get? you there, though.

The second way to pass While in Hades 2 is by spending time with companions. After you unlock communal areas in the Crossroads, you can invite friends and acquaintances to hang out for a bit. The first area you will l?ikely unlock is the Hot Springs, which you can use so long as you have some Bath Salt??s and someone willing to casually strip down and chat.

There are three hangouts? in the Crossroads at which you can pass time:

• Hot Springs
• Taverna
• Fishing Pier

Using these areas spends some While. The amount of which i??s shown ?in details area of the items you need to invite someone (while in your inventory):

• Bath Salts - Hot Springs

  • Passes 12 While

• Twin Lures - Fishing Pier

  • Passes 16 While

• Ambrosia - Taverna

  • Passes 20 While

If you're waiting on some sweet Fate Fabric from your boy Charon and you have a bottle of Ambrosia you've been saving for the right person, taking a trip to the Taverna can help you get your goods to you faster. I'd even suggest planting seeds when you have a colleague in dire need of a soak in the Hot Springs and then inviting them to chill while your Thalamus happily grows into an unnerving, pinkish-white brain fungus. What a good day.

The post How does passing Time work in Hades 2? appeared first on Destructoid.

With Hades, I feel safe accusing developer Supergiant Games of creating narrative games that just so happen to have rogue-lite elements. Hades games are rich in dialogue, much of which you may never hear. One Hades 2 player discovered some ??rare dialogue already but through some more, eh, extraordinary means.

On the official Hades subreddit, a user named Diplayer1 managed to get to the final fight on the first night �with a bit of help, anyhow. They used an invincibi?lity mod to bully their way past many of the obstacles the early game throws in your way, just to see what happens when you do.

Note: Everything from here on is a Hades 2 spoiler. If you haven't completed at least one run of the game, proceed o?nward at?? your own risk.

Getting to the final fight in Hades 2 on the first night leads to an interesting conversation

It's really no secret that your task as Melinoë in Hades 2 is?? to kill the Titan of Time, Chronos. In both games, getting to the final fight is a fight in and of itself. Getting strong and experienced enough to challenge the big bad can take dozens of hours, with plenty of failures in between. The final boss often speaks with you during your struggle, taunting your foolishness.

But in the video shared by Displayer1, we see Melinoë reach the th??rone of the Titan before he had the chance to mock her for her efforts.

"A visitor, at this hour?" Chronos asks the blond sorceress who stumbles into the House of Hades. "Pray, who might you be, my girl? Perhaps after this House becomes a little more presentable... though for the moment, you must pardon all the dust. We have been renovating around here."

By the time most people should reach Chronos, the Titan, and Melinoë should be fairly ??well acquainted. He often appears to her in the safe area between the first two Regions, leading up to their first in-person confrontation in Tartarus. But meeting ??him on the first night with a fresh save file awards you with the aforementioned line, which the majority may never hear.

Granted, the player used unconventional means to achieve the feat, and it's not something I'd wholly recommend. The game is amazing and should be enjoyed as designed. Still, it is intriguing what Diplayer also discovered. They claim the boon pool is limited on the first night, and some characters like Selene don't appear. Eris shows up to stand in your way, but her? curse (clearly designed to send you back to the Crossroads before you get too far) doesn't go to 100%.

Unique dialogue isn't all too unique

The original Hades also has unique dialogue for those braver or more skilled than I can ever be. As shared by YouTube creator avsomesso, there ??are two rare lines spoken by the eponymous Hades if you reach him without taking any boons.

It just goes to show you that extra effort can be rewarding in the games, but man is that a lot o?f effort.

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You can't spend eternity just hacking away at Hades 2; sometimes, you will need to r??elax a little bit as well. Thankfully??, the hot spring is there for you and a companion to enjoy when things get tense.

The best thing about bringing someone to the hot springs is that you ??can have a conversation with them you would not otherwise witness, and get some additional lore about each character,?? as well as further developing your relationship with them. Given that the strength of the writing and character building is always a core part of Supergiant Games' work, you can bet this will be quite rewarding over time.

Which characters can you bring to the hot tub in Hades 2?

So far, Dora, Eris, Hecate, Odysseus, Nemesis, and Moros can all be brought to the hot springs with you in Hades 2. All of the characters need to be somewhat friendly with you before they will just dive in, however. This means you will need to bring them gifts to improve their affection for you. The most prominent gift for ma??ny of ??these characters is simple Nectar, and for most of them the characters, you can just keep bringing them Nectar to unlock the required level of affection to get them in the tub. You can purchase Nectar from the Wretched Broker, or as a reward for clearing areas on your dungeon runs.

There is one more thing that you will need to convince people to get into the springs with you, Bath Salts. To get the Bath Salts, you need to unlock the springs (more on that later), which will get you a single dose ??of the useful resource. To get more, you can purchase them from the Wretched Broker, who will sell you the Bath Saltes for 50 Bones. You can also find them while out and about on your runs, but you will ??need the Silver Spade to be able to dig them up.

T??his might seem a little complicated, but you will need to do the following steps:

• Purchase the Night's Craftwork incantation at the Cauldron early in the game. This will cost a single Moly, a plant you can find early in the game.
• Go to the main area and use 1 Ashes to buy the Cresent Pick.
• Equip the Cresent Pick and do runs to find the Silver nodes. You need 10 Silver in total.
• Use your 10 silver to craft the Silver Spade tool, then use that to find the Bath Salts.

As you may have guessed, the expectation is that you will get to this later in the game, so don't worry about it all too soon. There is also a very useful way to check how far along you are with your relationship with someone. Play through and fight Hecate three times, and this will give you access to the Book of Shadows. You can then upgrade the book of Shadows using the Empath's Intuition spell that you can learn at the Cauldron near Hecate. Once that is done, the character pages in the book will display the next?? level of affection for each character, and what they need.

How to unlock the hot springs

If you have yet to unlock the hot springs, it is not that hard to do. First, you will need to do a few runs of the game. After passing enough nights, a recipe will appear at the Cauldron near Hecate called Rite of Vapor-Cleansing. To properly make this spell you will need 2 Moly, 2 Lotus, and 2 Nightshade, which can be collected doing various runs through Erebus and Oceanus. The exception to this is Nightshade, which must be grown at the Crossroads.

The post Ev?ery Hades 2 hot spring companion and how to get them appeared first on Destructoid.

As is tradition, Supergiant Games has stuffed Hades 2 with interesting NPCs and interesting dialogue. Of major interest to players is sleepy-headed Hypnos, who can be found napping to the right of Hecate's cauldron at The Crossr??oads.

Hypnos is a returning character from Hades 2, and looks extremely comfortable curled up in his red cloak, strewn in a hammock, and enjoying some rest. He has been asleep since the events of the last game, and was a??ctually brought by Hecate to The Crossroads after Cronos decided to take over Hades. Of course, you will be curious whether? it is possible to rouse Hynos from his slumber, so we have the answers you need.

Can you wake up Hypnos?

At the moment, it is not possible to wake up Hypnos in Hades 2. Known as "Sleep Incarnate", he is true to his title and refuses to fully wake, no matter what you do. Should you speak to him he will remain asleep, and even if you give him a gift, you cannot wake him as he will just mumble at you a little. There doesn't appear to be much reason to give him such gifts right now, so you might as well hold on to them for a while, or give them to other c??haracters to gain Keepsakes.

Hypnos in Hades 2 is a little different to how he was first shown in the original game. It's hard to know if this will change dramatically over the course of early access, but Hypnos was one of the very first NPCs we met in the first game. His job was to meet people who made their way to Hades, but would often be asleep on the job. This time around, they are deep in a slumber that we cannot wake them from. It seems likely that it will be our job to ??wake them up, or we will hit a point in the story as the game develops that will see him wake up on his own.

The first time you speak to him, Melinoë will express a desire to wake him up, so you can bet it is on the cards, one way or another?. An interesting piece of information is that Hypnos and Nemesis are actually brother and sister, so you can expect some fun interactions from them when the time comes. I'll be playing Hades 2 religiously throughout the early access period, and shall return to this article to up?date it as soon as there is a way to get lazy Hypnos out of bed.

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Materials gathered in Hades 2 are used for witchy incantations, but it certainly can take a lot of time to gather and grow what you need. Your default Gathering Tools will only award you with so much in Hades 2, so you'll need to upgrade them eventually.

You can upgrade your Gathering Tools in Hades 2 once you activate a certain Incantation late into the game. Yes, late. Unfortunately, you'll need to dive through several hoops to make your resource-gathering expeditions fee??l more fruitful.

Hades 2: How to upgrade your Gathering Tools

To get the Incantation, you must first unlock the potential of the Silver Pool. By that, I mean getting your weapon Aspects unlocked, which requires the Incantation 'Aspects of Light and Darkness'. Be sure to check out our full guide to learn more. Once you ??do, keep? playing the game and making progress until the tools Incantation appears.

The Incantation needed to upgrade Gathering Tools in Hades 2 is called 'Greater Favor of Gaia'. It didn't show for me until I was fairly deep in??to the game.

The Incantation requires:

• 2 Marble
• 4 Bronze
• 4 Iron

Once it's complete, you'll be able to upgrade your weapons at the Silver Pool in the Crossroads Training Area. Enter the menu and scroll over to the new tab called 'Tool Refinements' �it should look like a letter with a heart sticker... for some reason. Like most things in Hades 2, upgrading tools ?requires even more materials. Yes, you have?? to gather before you gather. I don't make the rules.

Every Gathering Tool has one upgrade to unlock. Here they all are:

Upgrading your tools turns them from a shiny silver to a striking gold color. They don't become easier to use, at least not by my reckoning. But they're certainly worth upgrading for the additional resources. You'll need a lot to cast Incantations and grow plants. On that latter note, be sure to check out our plant and seed guide for more.

If you're hunting down materials for upgrades, w??e have guides on how to find what you require:

• Bronze
• Glassrock
• Driftwood
• Mandrake Root

The other materials are found elsewhere. Iron can be located in the Rift of Thessaly, while Lures can be purchased from the Wretched Broker. You can locate Marble in Tartarus.

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Early on during your adventures in Hades 2, you learn about elements and how they relate to the godly boons you so often hoover up. Hades 2 Boon Elements offer you a new way to grow stronger wi??th Infusions, and the best ones may help you win.

It doesn't take long for elements to appear in Hades 2. By the time you summon the Fated List of Minor Prophecies, the incantation you require should appear in the Cauldron menu. It's called 'Divination of the Elements', and it costs a mere 5 Psyche to activate. Once you do, boons of??fered by your Olym?pian kin will bear the mark of an element.

Hades 2 Boon Elements explained

Once you can see the elemental affinity of boons, you'll notice small symbols appearing on the top-right corners of their icons. These icons represent the typical elements we all know: Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. Picking a b??oon with an element adds it to the list, which you can see by opening your boon info menu.

Boon Elements work by stacking them up and activating a new type of boon called an Infusion. You can find Infusion boons even if you don't have enough elements stacked, but once you do, it becomes activated automatically. Each god has their own Infusion boon, often requiring ??a set amount of elements before working. They can increase damage or health, or offer some other kind of b?uff.

Every god in Hades 2 offers you boons tied to an element. For the most part, the kind of elements you get from the various gods makes logical sense. Poseidon, for example, offers Water boons. Hestia, o??n the other hand, deals mostly with Fire. But some combine elements, such as Hephaestus who dishes out E?arth and Fire boons. Hermes offers a mix of Air, Earth, and Fire.

You can also find elements out in the wild. The City of Ephyra on the surface includes Locations that, when completed, sometimes have optional doors to clear. These doors also o??ffer up some kind of smaller reward, such a??s Psyche or Gold Crowns. But on rare occasions, you may find a tiny element appear.

Best Infusion boons in Hades 2

There aren't many Infusion boons in Hades 2, and fewer are worth talking about. Most grant a small buff that's worth tak??ing, so?? long as you've stayed cognizant of what elements you've gathered.

Regardless, the best Infusion Boons in Hades 2 can actually help �maybe even save your life.

The amount of Infusion boons is rather sparse. But as you can glean fr??om the list, some are certainly worth seekin??g out. Hopefully Poseidon can show up with something worth grabbing one of these days.

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Developer Supergiant Games is preparing its first patch for the Early Access of Hades 2, which will include new changes and address issues later in May. The pre-patch notes are live, ?and not quite as illuminating as you'd maybe like. But Supergiant plans to drop all the details when the date arrives.

Hades 2 has been in Early Access for about a week, with the developer tweaking the game here and there with minor hotfixes. The upcomi?ng patch should notably be larger, as the studio announced its upcoming due date in a Steam community note earlier today. It'll likely be the first of many regular patches for the game, but not necessarily a major one. Much of the game is still being worked on, but it just re?leased so don't expect to see new Regions or weapons yet.

The first patch for Hades 2 addresses dashing concerns

The first Hades 2 Early Access patch is focused on two aspects of the game: Resource gathering and navigation. According to the team, Supergiant doesn't want "resource gathering to feel too frustrating, such as if you didn'??t bring the right gatheri?ng tool along for the ride." The studio also plans to change how Melinoë's Dash and Sprint functions, so she'll feel more "nimble" and "responsive" during combat.

Personally, I haven't had too many issues with either concern. There are multiple tools to use in Hades 2, and taking one down into the depths or onto the surface is a progression choice. Do I need Bronze today? Better bring the pick. I'm specu?lating that perhaps an upcoming change will allow you to swap tools between Regions. Sprinting and dashing also feel fine to me, but I will admit it took me a while to figure out that you hold Dash to continue Sprinting.? I'm a professional.

?As for when these updates arrive, Supergiant Games hasn't set a date yet, but it does say this first patch sh??ould be coming sometime later this month.

Supergiant ??is also looking into balance changes, but isn't ready to implement them with this first patch. Instead, it's asking players to continue playing the game and? sending feedback. Some of the items the studio will soon begin tweaking include boons, enemies, weapons, and more.

The company mentions there will be a sma??ll hotfix after the up?coming patch, with a Major Update arriving "some months from now." As part of the developer's content roadmap, the Major Update will include "various new features and content."

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It's no surprise that Hades 2 has been popular thanks to its moreish roguelike structure, engaging action gameplay, and diverse cast of likable (and extremely attractive) characters. It seems that success has rubbed on its predecessor too, as the first Hades managed to break its own? concurrent player record on Steam over the weekend.

While it's not managed to come close to its sequel's record, the first Hades saw 54,240 concurrent players on Sunday, May 12 (as spotted by VG247), which is the most it's ever had since its 2020 release. If you look at the data on SteamDB, you'll see its player count began to shoot up around May 2 and May 3, just a few days before the early access launch of Hades 2 on May 6.

By comparison, Hades 2 reached 103,567 concurrent players less than a day after it came out. Since then, its player count has fluctuated, but it's still attracting fans in the tens of thousands. At the time of writing, it has 59,110 players whereas the first Hades is sat at a still respectable 37,380 players.

So, why the sudden influx of players for Hades when its sequel is the new hotness? There's no definitive answer, but I reckon there are a couple of factors. The first is probably newer fans who picked up Hades 2 without touching the original, now deciding to check it out. You arguably don't need to play the first Hades to understand the plot of the seque?l, but newcomers who've become engrossed in the setting and chara??cters will want to know what came before.

The other reason is perhaps due to Hades 2 technically being unfinished. It may be jam-packed with content, but it is an early access game at the end of day, with it even lacking a decisive ending. As such, players who might've exhausted themselves on what Hades 2 currently offers may have returned to its predecessor to help ease the wait for future content. Developer Supergiant Games' roadmap?? currently promises a true ending as well as more areas, characters, and a new main weapon.

If you've been playing Hades 2 non-stop since launch, I'd recommend giving the first game a look if you haven't already. They may be very similar, but there are enough differences that make the first Hades its own beast compared to the sequel, including protagonist Zagreus' playstyle. It's also just a very good game that could keep you entertained all the way up until Hades 2's full release.

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Hades 2 had some big shoes to fill. A sequel always has the difficult task of remaining true to the previous title, but with Hades being such a complete package, it was almost hard to imagine a world in?? which?? the game could be developed or evolved in any meaningful way.

Supergiant has always been up to the task and didn't disappoint here. The playstyle of Melinoë is exactly what players had hoped for, maintaining Zagreus' fast-paced, dodge-heavy, hack-and-slash playstyle while introducing several tricks of her own. Even more than that, the playstyle is indicative of th??e character, giving? players a glimpse into the inner workings of Melinoë even just by observing how the game has changed.

How Melinoë Changes Combat

Compared to Zagreus, Melinoë is a much more versatile protagonist. While weapons still have basic attacks, combos, dash strikes, and specials, the Cast mechanic is reworked, and three more options&nb??sp;are added in the form of Omega moves. 

The Cast undergoes the biggest change, which highlights just how differently Melinoë approaches combat. Gone is the single-shot projectile, replaced instead with a large field that holds enem??ies in place. Melinoë is much more about control, understanding threats, and how to a?pproach each situation.

Many enemies, such?? as the Wailers and Whispers, become much more aggressive and dangerous once they approach, sometimes requiring distance and reassessment before a player goes into melee range. There is still room to be an aggressive melee fighter, but more often than not, a cool head with an eye for openings prevails.

The other meaningful addition to combat is the addition of Omega moves and a Magick bar. Attacks, Specials, and Cast can all be charged up by holding down their respective buttons, resulting in? new effects that cost Magick to use. The Omega Cast stays the same between weapons, while the weapons have unique Omega effects for each.

Because of the charge time of the moves and the introduction of the Magick bar, Melinoë can often play like a spellcaster hybrid rather than the pure weapon-focused style of Zagreus. While melee still feels strong, there will be times when players use their cast and dash out of melee, using the window created by cast to charge up a powerful Omega special. The new Omega moves provide tons of opportunities in combat, giving each weapon multiple avenues for combat and expanding how players can approach Hades II.

Combat as a Reflection of the Character

It is perhaps more important t??o discuss how Melinoë embodies the changes to combat, adding character to the game as a whole, not just during moments of dialogue. 

Playing as Zagreus was indicative of who he was as a character. He was new to his role, butting heads with his father, out on a rash and sudden attempt to understand what was being kept from him. His playstyle was heavier on melee weapons, requiring players to face enemies head-on, jump int?o danger, and prepare to use pure strength and reaction time to beat their enemies. 

Melinoë, on the other hand, feels like an evolution of Zagreus. She comes from the same family line and the same base of combat is there. The way she can dodge into melee range and start to unload feels so similar to Zagreus, but she was raised differently. She never knew her family, instead being raised by Hecate, the Witch of the Crossroads. Hecate, ??under the orders of Hades, raised her with the single goal of overthrowing Chronos, starting her training at a young age, both as a witch and a warrior of the house of Hades. 

Fighting as Melinoë reflects both the new emphasis on witchcraft and her preparedness for the task ahead. Using her Cast to hold enemies in place creates a much more tactical feel, allowing her to choose the moments where she'll engage. Many of her weapons feature Omega spells that deal large amounts of AoE damage, allowing her to either punish the targets she holds in place or clear her other flank while they are temporarily non-threatening. The myriad options with which she can approach co?mbat speak to her years of training with Hecate, her time sparring with Nemesis, and picking up knowledge from the master tactician Odysseus. 

The same feel and style of the original game are there beneath it all, but Melinoë takes everything one step further. Where Zagreus was brash, Melinoë is collected. Where Zagreus was aggressive and single-minded, Melinoë is calculating and careful. It all goes a long way to prove that Hades was no fluke. Supergiant understands how to build towards a single artistic vision. Melinoë is no Zag??reus, and Supergiant graciously gives us the ability to explore why.

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Out of the many materials worth gathering in Hades 2, Bones are arguably the most important. Yes, the purple calcium-rich litter is more useful than you realize, letting you trade in the stuff for resources that range from common to high rarity. Here's how to farm Bones in Hades 2.

Bones are a common reward for clearing enemy encounters in Hades 2, but that's hardly the only way to acquire them. You can easily up your Bones yield by?? following some easy steps, all the while staying cognizant of how? and where Bones may appear.

Hades 2 Bones farming guide: Boons, incantation, Keepsakes, and more

There is a lot you can do to increase the amount of Bones earned in Hades 2. First off, you should consider the path of resource gathering. You should have the Crescent Pick unlocked already. If not, look for its incantation and then summon it to the Silver Pool in the Crossroads Training Ground. With that done, let's go over the many steps you can take to farm tons of Bones in Hades 2.

Enter doors with the Bones insignia

This should be a no-brainer, but if you're hunting down bones, be sure to pick the correct path. Doors that offer Bones as a reward are adorned by the item's symbol. For more on door symbols and what they mean, check out our guide.

Use weapons with 'Grave Thirst' activated

The number-one best way to farm Bones in Hades 2 is to complete an incantation that gives your weapons 'Grave Thirst'. When it's active, a random weapon is given?? Grave Thirst, which allows you to passively earn a small amount of Bones as you complete each Location in the game. You can tell which weapon h?as the bone thirst if it's engulfed in a black and red haze:

Here's how to get Grave Thirst:

• Unlock the Crescent Pick tool for one Ash
• Harvest Limestone in Oceanus, the second Region of the game
• Return to the Cauldron until you see the incantation 'Gathering of Ancient Bones'

  • Activate the incantation using 2 Limestone

With that complete, you can go out each night with?? a weapon ??hungry for Bones.

Multiply your chances with Poseidon's Keepsake

Poseidon offers you some of the best boons in Hades 2, and two are perfect for farming Bones in Hades 2. Seek out the God of the Sea and offer him Nectar for his Keepsake, 'Vivid Sea'. Equipping it increases the chances of Poseidon's boon appearing, and upgrading the Keepsake allows you to increase a Boo?n's rarity once? per night.

During your farming runs, equip Poseidon's Keepsake and seek out the boons Ocean's Bounty and Double Up. The former boon makes it so resources gathered are worth more. But the second is key: Double Up has a ?chance of doubling any reward you find. Upgrading the boon to Rare ups the chance to 25%; and 30% at Epic.

Improve your odds with Arcana Cards

This is more of a late-game strategy, but one worth looking into. After all, you'll need Bones no matter your experience with the game. There are several Arcana Cards that allow yo??u to change Locatio??n Rewards. You'll find them at the bottom-left corner of the card list:

Unlo??cking and activating these cards provide you multiple chances to re-roll a?? door reward.

Sell unwanted goods to the Wretched Broker

You'll get more resources than you need in Hades 2, so thankfully there's someone out there more than happy to take them off your hands. The Wretched Broker will trade any excess stock you have for Bones. Many incantations need things like Deathcap and? Nightshade but, afterward, they end up mostly taking up space. Open up the 'Pawn Shop' tab ??and sell them to the Broker, along with other items, like fish you've captured, for some extra scratch.

Complete tasks for the Fated List of Minor Prophecies

Technically, this isn't a very reliable method to farm Bones since it takes a lot of time. However, completing tasks for the Fated List will reward you with heaps of Bones. Unlocking game mechanics, com?pleting lists, and finishing story missions can award in dozens or hundreds of Bones. Keep an eye on the list and see if you can get a little bit further with each fa?rming run.

By the way, here's how you can accomplish the task in the image above.

One final tip:

• If you don't have a door with the Bones symbol but there's one for Gold Coins, pick the latter and seek out Charon's shop. The Stygian Boatman often sells Bones for a fee.

That just about covers it all. Bones are exceptionally important in Hades 2, and their worth only increases the more progress you make as rarer ??resources get added to the Wr??etched Broker's stock.

The post How to farm Bones in Hades 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite Charon's reputation as an ardent shopkeeper, he certainly isn't stingy in Hades 2. After progressing your relationship with the Stygian Boatman, he may toss you a mysterious black card used for something in the Crossroads. But what are Charon Obol Points in Hades 2, and how do they work?

You should be able to unlock Obol Points in Hades 2 after you speak enough times with Charon. Whenever you see the chat icon appear? above his head, be sure to have Melinoë strike up a conversation. You may also need to give Charon at least one bottle of Nectar, unlocking his Keepsake. That's what I did before he offered me the card for the first time, so if he hasn't gifted one to you yet, save a bottle for him. If all else fails, keep chatting with NPCs and making more progress in the story.

Charon Obol Points and how they work in Hades 2

Charon will give you your first Obol Points card for free, which he tosses on the ground. Pick it up, and soon you should see the Boatman and Headmistress Hecate discussing "valuable"?? shipments while near the cauldron back at the Crossroads. If so, then you have unlocked the next step: Rewards!

Head down to the small dock near the Shadow Broker and look for a small, white and gold chest with the action icon floating just above it. Activate the chest to open up a list of ma??terials you can purchase from Charon by trading the cards.

You can trade the cards in for a large amount of materials, ranging from Ashes to Psyche and more. Many items need more than one Obols Point card, and each requires a certain amount of 'time' to pass before they get delivered. Said time is called 'While', and here's how it works. You cannot trade for more goods until a shipment gets delivered. More rewards items come available as you progress?? through the game and unlock new materials.

Also, be sure to c?heck the Fated List of Minor Prophecies for one specifically about the cards.

How to get more Obol Points in Hades 2

As it is with many rewards, the first one is free. You get more Obol Points in Hades 2 with every 1,000 gold you spend at Charon's shop. Once you hit the threshold, a '+1' and card icon will appear above your head. You may?? also purchase a Obol Points card for 600 gold befor??e the final fight of the run, though it's not guaranteed to be available every run.

As of now, these seem to be the only w??ays to get more cards in your inventory. Best of luck out there, and don't forget to spend, spend, spend!

The post How do Charon Obol Points work in Hades 2? appeared first on Destructoid.

After removing the wards preventing you from reaching the surface world, you can now breathe the fresh air. Except, you can't. At least not yet. You have to complete an incantation to keep you alive on the surface, and for that, you need to find Thalamus in Hades 2.

To get Thalamus in Hades 2, you must grow it by planting and growing Origin Seeds. Yes, Thalamus is technically a plant (I guess?), which means you'll have to first get the right tool to unearth seeds, and also complete an incantation needed to create plots of soil in the Crossroads. It seems easy enough, but getting the se??eds may be tricky.

Hades 2: How to get Thalamus seeds

Thalamus is grown from Origin Seeds, which can be unearthed in the Chaos realm of Hades 2 using a Silver Spade tool. You can unlock the Silver Spade by spending 10 Silver at the Silver Pool in the Crossroads Training Grounds. You'll need to use the Crescent Pick and find t??he Silver Ore in the first Region of Erebus.

To grow seeds, you'll need to obtain and cast the incantation 'Flourishing Soil'. If you don't have it, keep progressing in the game until? it appears in the Incantation menu when accessing the cauldron at the Crossroads.

Now, for the hard part: Getting the seeds. The Chaos realm appears randomly in Hades 2. You'll need to keep playing until you see the portal appear on the floor and be prepared to spend some lif??e to enter. It's also completely random if Chaos contains a Digging Spot, so you'll have to keep?? trying until you manage to achieve both.

In my recollection, however, the Primordial Chaos provided me with Origin Seeds for free. It happened after I spoke with them following me getting the 'Unraveling a Fateful Bond' incantation, which is needed to remove Melinoë's curse. You may be just as fortunate.

For more on 'Greeneries' and how to get them in Hades 2, be sure to check out our plant guide.

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Moss is a common plant in real life, but it's worth its weight in gold in Hades 2. It's a resource that you cannot complete the game without, allowing you to progress past an obstacle barring your path. Here's where to find Moss in Hades 2, and where it's used.

To find Moss in Hades 2, you must look for it up on the surface. Likely, you've already made it past the wards, but the blood curse is keeping you grounded down below. You now must make a mad dash to the city above and grab as much ?Moss as possible before getting unceremoniously hurled back to the Crossroads. So, let's get to it.

Where to find Moss in Hades 2

Moss, like in real life, is a clumpy, green, flowerless plant lying around in Hades 2. You need two Moss to complete the 'Unraveling a Fateful Bond' incantation, allowing you to stay up in the fresh air indefinitely. Moss, once found, must be harvested by hand in the City of Ephyra. Thankfully, you won't need a tool for the job.

You may die multiple times in your attempt to gather Moss, but that's okay; it's all part of the process. Once you have what you need and hav??e the other materials gathered, you'll be able to walk through the city and beyond ??unimpeded. Well, if we don't count the legions of Chronos' army, I suppose.

What Moss is used for in Hades 2

Other than the aforementioned incantation, Moss has multiple uses in Hades 2. It's used in other incantations, such as the 'Observance of Gaia's Secrets', which you should get after you've made some significant progress in the game. Casting it allows you to gather one additional resource by hand. Moss is also used to unlock a weapon Aspect for the Argent Skull, a mechanic you can learn more about here.

As mentioned, Moss is a great plant resource in Hades 2. For more on 'Greeneries' and their uses in the game, check out our guide.

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