I suffer from a very unique, very painful curse whereby life keeps getting in the way of my Hades 2 fixation. If a family holiday to Spain (poor me) coinciding with the initial Early Access launch wasn't stressful enough, last week saw me catching a train out of town for my cousin's wedding on the very night that Supergiant's latest story update dropped. Days later, after scouring the patch notes and jealousy watching people talk about it on Reddit, I have finally started ascending Mount Olympus to see all it has to offer – and wow, is it kicking my ass in the best way possible.
The last two days have reminded me why Hades never fails to pull me back in, no matter how much time has passed – in this case, almost five months – since my last run. Now armed with the final addition to my Nocturnal Arms collection, I'm gritting my teeth through hordes of automaton defenders, reveling in the joy of seeing Dionysus and Athena again, and loving every minute of uncovering the mysterious intentions of a brand new Titan up on the surface. The best thing about this update for me, though? Realizing that the Black Coat might actually be my new go-to weapon in Hades 2, teething problems and all.
Fist bump
Hades 2 review: "as tight and cutthroat as its predecessor"
Equipping the Black Coat for the first time, I had no idea what to expect, but I knew what I was hoping for. The new Steam banner for Hades 2 shows princess of the underworld Melinoë sporting what looks suspiciously like a pair of gauntlets, not dissimilar to the Twin Fists of Malphon as seen in the first Hades. Those bad boys have seen me through more completed runs than any other weapon in Zagreus' arsenal, allowing me to lean into my love of up-close melee combat bolstered by truly disgusting dash builds. I've long wished the same brawler's fate for Zag's little sister, and now, I feel that hope flicker in my stomach once more.
After testing it out, I'm pleased to announce that yes, Mel is officially a fistfighter worthy of entering the ring with the likes of Mike Tyson. Part jetpack, part rocket launcher, part hard-hitting melee machine, the Black Coat is a weapon I never knew I needed so much in Hades 2. Picking up a new piece of gear is always a bit of a struggle for me in roguelikes, especially when I already have such a clear favorite in the Sisters Blades' Aspect of Artemis. I soon remember that with Hades 2 still being in Early Access, though, this splendid gift comes with a mean tradeoff. I take to the Black Coat's moveset like a shade to the River Styx, but now, I'm left grappling with the sad fact that my favorite boon has been removed from the game. It's moments like these that make Early Access worthwhile. Now, I can give myself a new challenge: how can I maximize the potential of this new item while experimenting with retooled boons?
What did I tell you? This build is an unexpected winner. Or so it seemed.
First, I start out with the basics. Hephaestus' definitely overpowered boss-melter Smithy Sprint is no more, and after being thoroughly underwhelmed by its less potent replacement, I decide to take a chance on another divine entity. Hera's Hitch boons have always been a staple when it comes to clearing rooms of foes quickly, with one of the strongest being her sprint. Nexus Sprint applies Hitch to all enemies you run past in a given encounter, chaining them and allowing you to deal a percentage of damage to all Hitched foes by attacking just one. Pair that with the Black Coat's jetpack-like traversal that lets Mel effortlessly weave across the screen, I already have a recipe cooking up in my mind.
Next up, Hestia. I luck out by finding two Hestia chambers in Ephyra, going with Smolder Ring and Natural Gas to turn my Casts into burning rings of death. Running into Apollo later on and selecting his Super Nova boon makes my Casts expand in size, engulfing even more enemies in a fiery inferno as I run around and Hitch them together. The result? Truly devastating. The luck of the gods truly feels on my side during this run; finding a Heroic tier Nasty Comeback deals a blistering 1250% damage back at my attackers after Mel takes some herself, Dying Wish damages all Hitched foes after one of them is slain, and Apollo's vampiric Self Healing boon offsets incoming damage by recovering 30% HP whenever Mel gets hit. What did I tell you? This build is an unexpected winner. Or so it seemed. Sadly, my two remaining Death Defiances let me down in the fight against Prometheus, his blasted eagle gobbling each one up like so many regenerated livers before it.
The Black Coat did not lead me to victory this time around, but it's still showing promise as one of the best Nocturnal Arms in the whole game. True, I'm still working through exactly what its omega attack can actually block (note: not said eagle's AOE onslaughts) and I really think those rocket launcher specials ought be a little more targeted and precise, but I am already sold on how powerful the latest Hades 2 weapon can be. How will it evolve over the course of the game's development, I wonder? The answer is, like all things Hades, in the hands of the Fates. Or, you know, Supergiant.
Here's how Hades finally helped me fall in love with roguelikes.
