1. Combat is more strategic and less button mashing than in the first game. It is still quite fast-paced, though, especially until you learn to use your cast well.
2. There is a bit more enemy variety. With bosses it is not an easy question without spoilers, suffice to say there will be another route you can unlock later in game where both the enemies and the bosses are completely different from the first route.
3. Story is directly connected, but you don't really need to know story from Hades 1 to understand what's happening. There are a few bits here and there mentioning the stuff from Hades 1, but not too relevant for the story.
4. There is a lot more meta-progression, and you do need to unlock some minor staff through Altar/Cauldron(which replaced Mirror and Contractor) but most upgrades feel more impactful to me than in Hades 1.
5. You can't even use weapons from the first game. All the weapons are new. Mel also only has a single dash, but can sprint in addition to running and walking. And cast is extremely different.
6. Magick system/Omega attacks. Also, sprint. God call system is replaced by Hex system.

Originally posted by Sintonir:

1. Combat is more strategic and less button mashing than in the first game. It is still quite fast-paced, though, especially until you learn to use your cast well.
2. There is a bit more enemy variety. With bosses it is not an easy question without spoilers, suffice to say there will be another route you can unlock later in game where both the enemies and the bosses are completely different from the first route.
3. Story is directly connected, but you don't really need to know story from Hades 1 to understand what's happening. There are a few bits here and there mentioning the stuff from Hades 1, but not too relevant for the story.
4. There is a lot more meta-progression, and you do need to unlock some minor staff through Altar/Cauldron(which replaced Mirror and Contractor) but most upgrades feel more impactful to me than in Hades 1.
5. You can't even use weapons from the first game. All the weapons are new. Mel also only has a single dash, but can sprint in addition to running and walking. And cast is extremely different.
6. Magick system/Omega attacks. Also, sprint. God call system is replaced by Hex system.

Thanks for answering, it seems like the game might worth looking into.

Not to rain on the parade, but IMO if you didn't like Hades I, you probably won't like Hades II. It's a very similar game.

Originally posted by Maestro Rugosa:

Not to rain on the parade, but IMO if you didn't like Hades I, you probably won't like Hades II. It's a very similar game.

Combat and overall low content variety were the worst offenders in Hades 1, the sequel seems to rectify some of those aspects.

What's your experience like?
You like the sequel more?

I like them both quite a bit. Hades is...more focused, perhaps? But Hades 2 Iterates and builds upon the first game's mechanics quite well, without feeling like a direct copy; exactly as a sequel should, imo. And the combat demands a bit more attention, as you cannot dash-spam your way out of almost any trouble, but you are rewarded with a good bit more depth.

I liked Hades style and combat but the gameplay loop really got repetetive since there was only one path through the game and essentially only 3 areas that start to get old quick. I like the variation/changing up of the boss encoutners to keep it fresh, but running through the same tileset zone in the same order with no where else to go got dull quickly... and the last zone when I finally got there for the first time was incredibly disappointing since it was just a couple rooms and the final boss.

if you don't like Hades 1, then you shouldn't buy this game. it's more of the same essentially. familiars got more presence in battles, weapons have more variations, all sorts of enemies and bosses but core game is same