Fans of the first game will likely be thrilled to learn thatHades 2is just as fraught with romantic and sexual tension—perhaps even more so. Indeed, Supergiant Games' first proper sequel features a spate of romanceable NPCs, just like its predecessor, allowing players to carve a unique and nuanced story for their version of Melinoe. In fact,Hades 2might be a bit too much like its older sibling in this regard.
At least at this stage (Hades 2is still in early access, and not technically completed), the sequel seems to carry over several narrative mechanics from the first game: relationships are strengthened via gifts, which fill up an affinity meter and grant access to unique dialog exchanges. While these parallels are a little underwhelming, they’re also quite forgivable—if it’s not broken, don’t fix it—thoughHades 2’s retreading of old romantic ground extends to the character-writing as well: the game’s potential love interests feel a bit too similar to the love interests of the first game.
Hades 2: Why Eris Is the Game’s Most Inspired Romance Option
Many of Hades 2’s Suitors Feel Like Spin-Offs of Hades 1 Characters
Most ofHades 2’s romance optionsseemingly have direct counterparts inHades 1: Dora is like a more confident version of Dusa, Nemesis is astonishingly similar to her sister Megaera, and Moros feels like a slightly more polite Thanatos. Melinoe can have some flirtatious encounters with Odysseus, but seeing how he is presumably married with children back on the Earth’s surface, an actual relationship with him doesn’t seem meant to be.
Then there’s Eris, the literal incarnation of strife and conflict—not exactly what most people are looking for in their dream partner. And yet, it’s precisely this inherent desire for chaos and adversity that makes Eris and Melinoe’s enemies-to-lovers romance so compelling.
Nemesis and Melinoe can follow a similar rivals-to-lovers relationship arc, but they are on the same side at the end of the day, making this transformation both more predictable and less dramatic. This mirrors therelationship between Zagreus and Meg: they’re more or less on the same team, and their opposition is mostly a result of Meg’s employment under Hades, not because of anything intrinsic or unbreakable.
In other words, there’s more drama in the Melinoe-Eris relationship, which keeps it interesting. Eris' vague flirtations with Melinoe are hard to decipher at first due to her abrasive personality, and their evolution into something more than friends is therefore more tenuous and nuanced. It helps that Eris is a compelling and complex character in her own right, feeling abandoned by her family and trapped by her fate, just like so many ofHades 2’s other great NPCs.
None of this is to say that Eris is thebest romance option inHades 2, only the most original and distinct.
Of course,Hades 2still doesn’t have a proper ending, so any of the aforementioned relationships could change greatly in the final product. As most would agree, the way a story ends can recontextualize everything that came before, so the romance plots of Nemesis, Dora, and Moros could all conceivably become more interesting and original as time goes on.
Perhaps Odysseus will even grow into an actual romance option, which would introduce a number of messy, novel plot elements, potentially meeting the standard of originality set by Eris. But for now, if players are looking forHades 2’s most original and refreshing romance option, Eris might be the way to go.
