Hades II is the perfect Steam Deck game

Now that the Hades II early access period has started, opening up a more complete but still early build of the game, I’ve been fighting against the urge to gorge myself on it — and losing. To be fair, I have a weak spirit since I loved the first Hades, which introduced me to the concept of roguelikes, a genre I avoided out of disdain for repetition. Also, and this is the biggest factor in my spiritual war against the game: I have a Steam Deck, which makes not playing the game all but impossible.

Slight spoilers for Hades II follow.

Hades II is Steam Deck-verified with a comfortable control scheme that reminds me of playing on the Switch. I did fiddle with the button mapping a little bit, swapping the buttons for dash and attack. (It’s hard to adjust when control schemes change from console to console.) But eventually, I returned to the default control scheme, because why mess with what the gods design?

One thing I’ve noticed is that Hades II doesn’t seem to tax my Steam Deck in ways other games have. While playing Tales of Kenzera: Zau, the system frequently ran hot, causing the fan to kick on. (I didn’t experience any frame rate issues or extreme overheating; it was just a phenomenon that happened enough for me to take note.) Not so with Hades II, even though it feels like the more graphically intensive game.

The one problem I do have with playing Hades II on the Steam Deck has nothing to do with the game at all. One is a condition I call “claw hand.” With Hades II, I have a tendency to play until the Deck’s battery runs low. Then, when I finally put the Deck down, my hands resist returning to a resting position, stiff and curled as though they’re still holding the Deck. This doesn’t happen with my Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, or when I spend too much time on mouse and keyboard on PC. Only my Steam Deck.

Another, perhaps too inside baseball problem, is that I can never remember how to take screenshots. I’ve been spoiled by the dedicated screenshot buttons on the other consoles and cannot remember the combo of buttons needed to capture a picture on the Deck — which is something I want to do a lot because, in case you haven’t heard, the gods are hot.

I still haven’t progressed too far in Hades II, and I’m pretty sure it’s because my heart’s not in it. I make dumb, reckless choices in the game, while also not really choosing my godly boons or weapons smartly. The big ax weapon I just unlocked is atrocious. It does pack a significant punch, but it’s just too heavy to wield effectively, and I knew that even before starting a run with it. But I ventured forth anyway and didn’t get very far despite being able to reliably make it to the first boss.

Despite this, even a bad run in Hades II is still enjoyable and productive. There are always reagents to collect and cultivate in your little garden. Also, gifting the nectar you find to gods and allies rewards you with equipment that grant permanent bonuses. So although I’m not really progressing, I am building a solid foundation of strength so when it is time to deliver death to Chronos, I’ll be ready.

Hades II feels tailor-made for the Steam Deck, and thank the gods for that because I’d hate playing if it weren’t. I played the first Hades exclusively on Switch, so maybe I’m just spoiled, expecting my Hades experience to always be portable. It is just so much more comfortable playing on the Deck, where I can chill outside or on the couch without being tethered to a mouse and keyboard. Hades II on Steam Deck lets me take advantage of the PC-only early access limitation without giving up the quality of gaming life I’ve become accustomed to.