A haunted forest where countless shades roam; a series of pool-filled chambers with bronze pipes, steam tanks and fish-shaped faucets; a never-ending landscape of wheat and golden trees; then, back to a familiar place. But nothing is as it was.

Hades II's atmosphere does the impossible by surpassing its predecessor: a game with so much charm that it posed the question of whether a possible sequel could come close to the house of Hades' familiarity and comfort, the intense heat of Asphodelus or the heroic dignity of Elysium. Roaming through the desolated streets of Ephyra, getting into the buildings and seeing carts of corpses and baskets of rotting fish, sailing in phantom boats and docking in the shores of Mount Olympus has the impact of something big: a war is raging, and you can feel it in each step you take.

The artistic aspect of Hades and Hades II has been one of the key elements in their success. The cast of characters is diverse and colourful, and brings new, fresh ideas to the table when it comes to a story that has been told time and again throughout the centuries. But the level design is where everything comes together for me. In the first game, the scenarios were really pretty and detailed, but the sequel takes it up a notch. I can't help but finding myself excited when I get to Oceanus. Being in those chambers seems to transport me to another age and place, and the humming of the sirens draws me in deeper each time.

The new mechanics are still being worked on, of course: the combat feels both familiar and fresh, and the new implementations like the tools, the crafting and the familiars are all fun to use and bring a new sense of progression to not only the story but also the gameplay. Progression is a big word in Hades II. Even if the game is a roguelite at its core, the progression in the story feels impactful, and every run brings out new dialogue and new unlocks. It doesn't even feel like you're just playing for a run, you're actually progressing, getting better and thus getting closer to your objectives both below and above.

We'll see how the game keeps changing through the early access, but even as I'm writing this review in version 0.90912 , with many changes to come, it really feels like the evolution of its predecessor in all aspects. There's no doubt in my mind that the areas to come will be filled with details and really fit into the narrative. Much like the Odyssey, Hades II is shaping up to be an epic poem full of exotic locations rooted in mythology and both warm and sharp characters that FEEL real. So, Time will tell.