Kinda Funny Gamescast: Hades II Review (September 24, 2025)

Podcast: Kinda Funny Gamescast: Video Game Podcast
Episode: Hades II Review
Hosts: Tim Gettys, Andy Cortez, Blessing Adeoye Jr., (with guest comments and community superchats)
Date: September 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode is an in-depth, spoiler-light review and discussion of Hades II upon the release of version 1.0. The hosts reflect on the sequel's improvements over the original Hades, celebrate its polish and expansive content, discuss their individual experiences, favorite builds and gods, and answer listener superchats regarding the game’s systems and platforms. The tone is lively, enthusiastic, and filled with banter, keeping true to Kinda Funny’s trademark style.

Main Discussion and Key Insights

First Impressions & General Praise

• Early Access Journey:

  • Andy Cortez recounts spending over 100 hours through early access and into the 1.0 branch, emphasizing the game’s incredible depth and polish.
  • Andy Cortez (03:10):

    "The game's awesome. The game continues to be amazing. The game has so much depth, it's so much fun to play. There is seemingly no end to dialogue."

• Dialogue and Writing:

  • The cast continually return to the sheer volume and contextual richness of the game’s dialogue and story moments.
  • Andy Cortez (03:24):

    "I'm a hundred and six hours in and I don't know if I've ever... I haven't had repeated lines."

  • Tim Gettys (19:47):

    "The amount of just moments that feel like they were just for me... all that stuff just feels so—how is there this much dialogue?"

Sequel Itis: Hades II vs Hades I

• Building on a Masterpiece:

  • Everyone agrees Hades II feels like the "Portal 2" to Hades' "Portal 1": bigger, better, without losing focus.
  • Blessing Adeoye Jr. (07:18):

    "Jumping from Hades 1 to this game reminds me of going from Portal 1 to Portal 2... something about this feels like the ultimate HADES experience."

• Pacing, Polish, and Progression:

  • Blessing praises the "masterclass in pacing," where new features and upgrades are meted out often enough to keep the experience fresh.
  • Blessing Adeoye Jr. (09:51):

    "It feels like every single, I want to say 30 minutes to an hour interval, that feels very consequential to how you’re playing the game."

• Resource Management:

  • A minor complaint involves the sometimes overwhelming abundance of collectible resources, mitigated by excellent interface and progression pacing.
  • Andy Cortez (06:15):

    "There's a million types of different currencies... it's really hard to make sense of all of it, but somehow the game does it."

Balance and Early Access Development

• Fine-tuning Through Early Access:

  • The team agrees Supergiant made great use of player feedback via early access to balance gameplay, boon fun, and resource pacing.
  • Andy Cortez (11:14):

    "The mark of any good roguelite is that 'one more run' feeling... this is the perfect example.”

  • Blessing Adeoye Jr. (10:30):

    "This game is an example of how you use early access to really fine tune balancing and all these systems."

• Inclusiveness of Gameplay Styles:

  • Hades II allows players to find enjoyment building runs around almost any weapon or boon—nothing feels wasted or underpowered.
  • Tim Gettys (12:50):

    “I have yet to come across something that I’m like, ‘That’s just not for me.’ Every single time I think it, eventually I am taught I'm an idiot and that there’s so much value there.”

Progression, Crossroads, and Hub Design

• A More Rewarding Loop:

  • All hosts praise how Hades II improves on run-to-run progression; each run has palpable impact, unlike the slower accumulation in Hades I.
  • Tim Gettys (15:33):

    “Every single run feels like I’m making forward momentum as building my character, unlocking things, unlocking the crossroads, different character interactions.”

• Hub World Love:

  • Especially lauded is “Crossroads”, Hades II's hub, for feeling more dynamic and alive than similar spaces in other games (Animal Crossing comparison).
  • Blessing Adeoye Jr. (16:13):

    “Crossroads kind of gives me that Animal Crossing feeling... They found ways to integrate [systems] into this game to actually make them make sense for this format.”

Technical Notes & Platform Recommendations

• Where to Play:

  • Tim Gettys recommends the Steam version for maximum performance and visual fidelity, but affirms Switch/Switch 2 are also great options. Cross-progression works well.
  • Tim Gettys (30:37):

    “On the steam side it’s flawless... 120 frames per second gorgeous... I’d suggest getting it on the steam side of things.”

• Handheld Gaming Banter:

  • Extended, lighthearted banter about the merits of gaming pillows and Steam Deck comfort, highlighting accessibility and the game’s suitability for long sessions.
    • Andy Cortez (32:28):

      “That Steam Deck really changed the game for me because I was never a portable gamer... This [gaming pillow] rocks for playing games in bed.”

Boons, Builds, and Favorite Gods

• Favorite Boons & Gods:

  • The panel dives into favorite build synergies:
    • Blessing loves Hephaestus, especially “Blaster, Boomer, Bang.”
    • Tim and Andy champion Seleni, especially after doubting her boons at first—her beam and minion-raising powers are game-changers.
    • Andy surprises by praising Poseidon boons for treasure-finding and rare drops, despite not liking his knockback mechanics.
    • Demeter’s freeze powers and Apollo’s dazing/expanding cast also get special mention.
    • Much debate and laughter over “unfuckwithable” gods (least favorite deity to build around).

• Skill Trees, Arcana Cards & Economy:

  • The new systems for upgrading and customizing runs are big wins.
  • Tim Gettys (28:09):

    “That really pushes Hades II more than one... it really feels like you’re progressing with the runs and it’s not losing everything, which is great.”

• Build Diversity and Strategy:

  • Blessing talks about how advanced his boon choices have become:
    • (42:54): “Now whenever I’m choosing boons, I’m thinking, what is helping me with the boss? Not these little guys... it’s the bosses.”
  • Andy lauds how each god’s boons provide variety and adapt to player needs:
    • (43:09): “But if I'm forced to get a Poseidon ability... sometimes he’ll drop the awesome thing where it’s like you get a ton of treasure... or you have a higher chance of finding more rare.”

Art, Sound, and Ambience

• Visuals and Music:
  • Praised as some of Supergiant’s best work, with memorable character designs and expressive room art.
  • New locations, ambient details, and Darren Korb’s innovative soundtrack receive specific love.
  • Andy Cortez (22:41):

    “It’s so funny just how uninteresting the game is from like a level design perspective. But that doesn’t matter because the art of every single section feels so designed and... so identifiable.”

  • Andy Cortez (23:02):

    “It’s crazy the way Darren Korb has evolved what we would expect from the soundtrack.”

Minor Criticisms & Nitpicks

• Boss Patterns Variety:

  • Some mini-bosses could use more interesting patterns; Andy describes Charybdis as not very creative.
  • Andy Cortez (24:31):

    “There aren’t a lot of bosses that I think could have used more... I wish some of these... mini boss type characters... were a bit more fun and interactive.”

• Difficulty and Late-Game Balance:

  • Some discussion about late-game difficulty being easier post-1.0, possibly to encourage players to use harder “curse”/“heat” systems.
  • Andy Cortez (26:08):

    “It was a lot easier... I was not clearing as many times as consistently as I was until this update dropped... maybe that’s to entice people like me... to use the curse system.”

Memorable Quotes & Fun Moments

• A Game For Everyone:
  Andy Cortez (05:14):

  “This is the easiest recommendation I can make this year to anybody. Game’s amazing. Could not recommend it more.”

• The Early Access Edge:
  Blessing Adeoye Jr. (10:12):

  “This game is an example of how you use early access to really fine tune balancing... everything feels right.”

• Hub Banter:
  Tim Gettys (17:32):

  “Me and Tim talk about all the time... of hub areas and how important that is in a video game. This game nails it.”

• About Supergiant’s Approach:
  Andy Cortez (18:41):

  “This in no way is retreading anything... it’s very much the combat you love from Hades 1, but everything is super sized to an extra large.”

• Hotness of Cast (Banter):
  Blessing Adeoye Jr. (50:22):

  “Everybody’s hot. Like, I think y’ all overrated Aphrodite.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:10 | Andy’s overall impressions, dialogue, and depth | | 07:17 | Blessing on sequel feel and improvements (Portal 1 → Portal 2 analogy) | | 11:14 | Andy and Blessing on early access, balancing, and "one more run" feeling | | 12:50 | Tim on inclusivity of gameplay, returning after long break, and the game’s momentum | | 16:13 | Blessing on Crossroads/Hub design, likened to Animal Crossing | | 30:37 | Tim recommends platforms (Steam Deck vs Switch), discussing performance and features | | 32:28 | Andy’s steam deck "gaming pillow" story | | 35:16+ | Boons/gods/favorite builds deep dive, playful banter | | 42:11 | Money, skill trees, and gambler’s mentality | | 50:22 | Banter: who’s the hottest character? | | 52:22 | Should new players play Hades 1 or jump to Hades 2? | | 54:21 | Game of the Year nomination speculation |

Listener Questions & Final Thoughts

• Supergiant’s Early Access Process:

  • Hosts agree balance and fun factor are the biggest improvements achieved over early access tuning and reworking.

• Difficulty Tuning:

  • Yes, challenge modifiers (“God Mode” and “Heat”/“Curse” systems) are present and tweakable, though details are evolving.

• Hades 1 or 2 for Newcomers?

  • It’s a "Breath of the Wild vs. Tears of the Kingdom" situation. Hades II is the better game; play it if you only have time for one, but playing both is still rewarding.

• Story Connections:

  • Hades II is connected to the original but perfectly approachable on its own.

Conclusion

Hades II is celebrated as a game-of-the-year contender and one of the most refined, content-rich roguelites ever made. The cast unanimously raves about Supergiant’s attention to detail, continually rewarding progression, gorgeous art and sound, and sheer playability. Even nitpicks about boss variety are minor compared to the mountains of praise for the sequel’s ambition and polish.

Final Takeaway:

“I really think I’m going to be playing this game forever. The only thing that could stop me playing Hades II is if Hades III comes out.”
— Tim Gettys (18:19)

(Episode transitions to superchat Q&A, Borderlands 4 stream, and PlayStation State of Play coverage.)