Welcome back to the Underworld – as we just announced in the latest Xbox Partner Preview broadcast, Hades II launches April 14 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Xbox Cloud. It will be an Xbox Play Anywhere title, and available day one with Xbox Game Pass.

The version coming to Xbox includes all the post-launch patches released for other platforms, including additional quality-of-life improvements and some bonus content, making this the most complete version of the game yet.

One of the most beloved games of recent years, Hades set a new standard for action games and roguelikes, combining startlingly precise combat, a constantly surprising set of upgrades and abilities, and a cast of characters who became enduring fan favorites from day one. Hades II had the frankly unimaginable task of building on that success – but build it did.

The key here was balance – preserving the baseline ideas that made Hades so successful, while altering the fabric around them to make sense for a new protagonist, Melinoë, a new cast of (mostly) lovable gods, demi-gods, and ghosts, and – of course – simply adding more than ever before.

For those who have already played (many, many) hours of the original, here are some of the key changes you’ll find when you jump into Hades II next month:

New Character, New Style

The key change here is in who you’re playing as. Melinoë is the long-lost sister of the first game’s protagonist, Zagreus – which provides a neat way to make them feel similar, but play differently.

While your basic mixture of attacks and abilities function similarly, there are some important tweaks to Melinoë’s fighting style that fundamentally change how you’ll play the game. Where Zagreus was all about short dashes, Melinoë swaps this for longer dashes, and a new ability to sprint. Similarly, where Zagreus could Cast a long-range attack, Melinoë’s take on this is an AOE attack around her current position, entrapping enemies (and significantly altered by the various godlike Boons you’ll pick up on the way).

Melinoë also comes equipped with a Magick bar, which controls your use of Omega moves, souped up versions of all your basic attacks that come with the caveat that they’re limited by how much Magick you have left (or can regenerate) at any given time.

The result is that Melinoë feels a little less about twitchy action, and a little more about graceful strategy, corralling enemies, getting behind them, and unleashing strings of attacks to capitalize on the moves you’ve made so far.

A Fresh Arsenal

Getting to know Zagreus’ set of weaponry was a huge part of getting to grips with the first game’s challenges – and you’ll be pleased to know that Melinoë has an entirely new set of witchy weaponry to use along the way.

The Nocturnal Arms range from speedy blades, to a hulking axe, and into some much less expected forms that I won’t be spoiling here. Each one also gains multiple aspects, fundamentally changing how you use them, meaning there are dozens of way to play on any given run – even before you start augmenting your abilities with godly gifts.

Multiple Routes

Where Zagreus only had one objective – to make it up and out of the Underworld – you’ll quickly realize that Melinoë has two competing objectives. Initially, you’ll be heading down back into the Underworld to take down Cronos, the god of time. But not long into the game, you’ll be given an alternative objective – to ascend a beleaguered Mount Olympus.

Being given two separate paths to take – each with entirely separate areas, enemies, bosses, and friendly characters to meet – offers you a pleasing conundrum every time you take on a new run, working out which route feels more achievable right now, which wider objectives or challenges you’re trying to complete, or which materials you need to farm along the way for your next upgrade.

And before you even take those runs, there’s a whole new hub area to get to know. The Crossroads is where Melinoë and many of those she meets spend time – it offers multiple means to tweak and upgrade your loadout, a huge palette of cosmetic changes to make it your own, and spots for those all-important relationship-building moments with your fellow Chthonic companions.

Pets!

Where Hades saw you unlock spawnable Companions who could be used like special attacks on a given run, Hades II offers something more… adorable. Along the way, you’ll unlock a menagerie of Animal Familiars, who’ll follow you throughout your runs, offering time-saving abilities, an extra attacking threat, and some seriously useful buffs.

This list is far from exhaustive on all the new features Hades II has to offer, but should give you a good primer into how much has changed, while never losing the core reasons that Hades became a modern classic. You don’t have long to wait to find out yourself.

Hades II launches April 14 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Xbox Cloud. It will be an Xbox Play Anywhere title, and available day one with Xbox Game Pass.