Summary
Hades 2will feature Hecate, the Goddess of Witchcraft, Necromancy, Crossroads, and Doorways, which makes sense, considering the game’s emphasis on time and magic. Hecate appears to be filling the role of mentor for Melinoe, and while her specific role in theHades 2narrative is somewhat unclear at this time, she has the potential to be a unique part of the experience thanks to her rich mythological background.
Notably,Hades 2’s version of Hecate follows more moderndepictions of the goddess; historically, Hecate has been presented as having three distinct bodies, with later representations showing her as having a single body but three separate heads, which were sometimes meant to represent three major life stages: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. In other interpretations, her three heads aren’t human at all, but those of a dog, a snake, and a horse. Even later representations show her as a more grounded figure with a single, human body and head. It’s this last depiction thatHades 2ostensibly adopts, although that doesn’t mean that the game has to forget about the other, more esoteric ones.
Hades 2 Can Do Justice to Hecate’s Three-Body Depictions
The Hecate In Hades 2’s Trailer Doesn’t Have to Be the End-All, Be-All
The firstHadesgame wasn’t shyabout interesting twists and story beats, which will hopefully be the case for the sequel as well. That is to say that, while Hecate only has one body and one head in theHades 2trailer, there are several ways that the game could subvert this more standard physical appearance through the goddess’s triple-persona iconography. Depending on how this is implemented, Hecate’s three figures could range from being a simple reference to an all-encompassing part of the experience that impacts both narrative and gameplay.
Hecate is being positioned as one of themost important characters inHades 2, but she is shrouded in mystery, in more ways than one. Most of her body is covered, and the only part of her face that’s visible are her two glowing, inhuman eyes which, as it happens, look just like the eyes on her two face-shaped pauldrons. The pauldrons are a clear reference to her three personas, but perhaps they will play a more direct role in the game, with Hecate actually using them as magical masks of some sort, transforming her into either the Crone, the Mother, or the Maiden.
Taking her appearance more at face value and assuming her pauldrons are simply a reference, Hecate could still be presented in a more traditional, mythological way.Hades 2will feature many godsthat players can interact with, and perhaps some of these gods will be the other aspects of Hecate, tying back to her original depiction as three distinct individuals. Maybe the Hecate that appears in the game’s trailer is somehow the ‘essence’ of the goddess, which is why her physical form, including her face, is so covered—she isn’t adopting one of her personas.
Hecate is heavily associated with dogs in Greek mythology, and theHades 2trailer shows her with claw-like nails. This could just be a design choice, but it could also be a reference to this connection.
Like its predecessor,Hades 2will lean into Greek mythology, likely offering a good balance between authenticity and experimentation. That said, the game’s emphasis on magic, perception, and time manipulation opens the door to stranger, more cerebral storytelling, and the three aspects of Hecate, be they human or animal, could be presented in a manner befitting of this narrative direction. However Supergiant Games chooses to represent Hecate inHades 2, the goddess is one of the more interesting of the Greek pantheon, and her potential shouldn’t go to waste.
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.
