Hades 2’s The Unseen Update brings in new challenges through the Vow of Rivals, a new feature that makes boss battles more difficult. When it is activated via the Oath of the Unseen, Melinoe will encounter renewed battles that either give bosses a different set of attacks or an additional guardian to aid them. The latter is whatHades 2players encounter when they reach Polyphemus' lair in the City of Ephyra.
TheVow of Rivals' effecton the Polyphemus battle is that it adds Medea into the mix. The dark witch, who’s usually stationed in Ephyra to give out Curses, appears to help the fearsome cyclops in hindering Melinoe in the overworld. As an enemy, Medea splashes debilitating poison around the field, which makes it extra difficult to move around while avoiding Polyphemus' lumbering attacks. The poison is also the same feature from the firstHadesgame, and it can be just as annoying as before.
BothHadesgames see Zagreus and Melinoe battling hordes of enemies in various dungeons to achieve their respective goals. In the first game, Zagreus passes through the Temple of Styx on his way to the surface, which has a total of 33 chambers, with only one housing thesack to feed Cerberus. The Temple of Styx is also the penultimate area before reaching the Hades boss battle, so players must be cautious of Zagreus' HP and Death Defiance while navigating it.
What makes the Temple of Styx extra challenging is not just the enemies nor the number of chambers that players may need to enter, but the poison damage that Zagreus can sustain from Satyr Cultists and rats. Whenever he is poisoned, his HP goes down unless he finds a cure well around the map. They are depicted as shiny green wells, making them easy to find in certain corners of the chambers. However, when fights get too chaotic, players may find themselves struggling to cure the poison, dealing significant damage to Zagreus that can potentially kill him before reachingHades' final boss battle.
As mentioned,Hades 2brought back the poison feature through the Polyphemus and Medea boss battle in Ephyra. Similar to the first game, Melinoe must use the cure wells around the area to remove the poison that’s chipping away at her HP. It can be tough at first, since players must figure out how to balance both fighting Polyphemus and avoiding Medea’s poison, but it’s a manageable encounter once they’ve gotten used to the bosses' patterns. Likewise, it will only get tougher if multipleOath of the Unseen vowsare activated during players' runs.
How to Encounter Polyphemus and Medea in Hades 2
On the bright side, dealing with poison inHades 2is less of a hassle compared to the first game. While Zagreus has to deal with it while traversing multiple Temple of Styx chambers, Melinoe only has to experience it in one area during the Polyphemus and Medea fight. Once players beat the duo, they only have to worry about the rest ofHades 2’s challenging bossesin the overworld area, like Eris, Prometheus, and Typhon. Of course, it still helps to not get too complacent and make sure that Melinoe has enough HP and Death Defiance to last her until the end of the run.
Hades 2
WHERE TO PLAY
The first-ever sequel from Supergiant Games builds on the best aspects of the original god-like rogue-like dungeon crawler in an all-new, action-packed, endlessly replayable experience rooted in the Underworld of Greek myth and its deep connections to the dawn of witchcraft. BATTLE BEYOND THE UNDERWORLDAs the immortal Princess of the Underworld, you’ll explore a bigger, deeper mythic world, vanquishing the forces of the Titan of Time with the full might of Olympus behind you, in a sweeping story that continually unfolds through your every setback and accomplishment.MASTER WITCHCRAFT AND DARK SORCERYInfuse your legendary weapons of Night with ancient magick, so that none may stand in your way. Become stronger still with powerful Boons from more than a dozen Olympian gods, from Apollo to Zeus. There are nearly limitless ways to build your abilities.MINGLE WITH (MORE) GODS, GHOSTS, AND MONSTERSMeet a cast of dozens of fully-voiced, larger-than-life characters, including plenty of new faces and some old friends. Grow closer to them through a variety of new interactions, and experience countless unique story events based on how your journey unfolds.EVERY RUN IS ITS OWN ADVENTURENew locations, challenges, upgrade systems, and surprises await as you delve into the ever-shifting Underworld again and again. Reveal the mysteries of the Arcana Altar, tame witchy familiars, and gather reagents using Tools of the Unseen to get closer to your goal.THE PERKS OF IMMORTALITYThanks to a variety of permanent upgrades and the return of God Mode, you don’t have to be a god yourself to experience whatHades IIhas to offer. But if you happen to be one, you can brave escalating challenges for greater rewards, and prove just how divine you really are.
