Well. If you remember my last post, I was talking about giving up Hades II (Supergiant Games) because I did not think I would ever beat the ‘final’ boss of the game. I put ‘final’ in quotes because beating a run once is only the beginning. In fact, in the first game, you had to beat the ‘final’ boss ten times before eyou got the true ending. And then there was more game to play after that as well (if you wanted to get the plat/hundo chievo).
I did it. I won a run, and it was fairly easy because of very specific reasons. Warning, there will be some spoilers, mosttly of boons and keepsakes (equipable items) in the game.
*SPOILERS*
There are six weapons in the game called Noctural Arms. I usually use the one that gives you bonus Bones (money, basically) in the run. I like most of them for different reasons, but I really do not like the Umbral Flames called Ygnium–which is sad because I’m a pyro in games. I will use it when it’s the highlighted weapon, but I don’t enjoy it. It’s the weapon of my teacher, Hecate, and I really wish I liked it better.
In the first game, I really liked the spear and the sword. In this game, I do not love any of the weapons. In part it’s because while I have unlocked all the aspects of the weapons (I think), I have not been able to upgrade the aspects. You need to beat the game and beyond (I’m assume) in order to do that. Therefore, I have the base aspect of each weapon (Aspect of Melinoë) fully upgraded, but none ofthe other Aspects upgraded even once. Which, as you might imagine, means that I’m mostly using the basic aspects of each weapon.
I don’t remember when I was able to upgrade the different aspects of the weapons in the first game (yes, that was a thing in that game, too), but it feels–ok. First, you only needed one material to upgrade weapons in the first game (yes, I looked it up). That would be Titan Blood, and there were different ways you could get them.
In this game, once you unlock the different aspects, what you need to upgrade each aspect is differnt, I think. In fact, I have not even seen one of the items needed. I’m not sure what it is or how to get it. I have a hunch it’s in the last area of the upward path or by beating that boss, but I can’t be sure. It’s not by beating the downward boss, I can tell you that much.
When I beat the big boss of the downward path, I was momentarily elated. And stunned, quite frankly. Why? Because it was much easier than I thought it was going to be. In fact, I was so intent on fighting, I didn’t realize how close I was to beating the boss. Which was a good thing because I would have fucked it up if I had noticed.