For the past month, we've been shouting about the games we think are the best games of 2025. As is tradition, our picks for the RPS Advent Calendar were not ranked from least good to best – they are all special to us.
However, this was not the case for the game behind door number 24. When the team votes were tallied, it was a close call, only five points, but there was a winner.
Favorite RPS Game of 2025 – Hades 2.
Now, maybe someone would like to explain why we didn't award Supergiant's Wonder Bagel with the Bestest Best sticker?
Mark: So, it's time for me to come clean and answer the question: “Why, if Hades 2 really is so good, did my review of its 1.0 version not boast the coveted Best Best sticker reserved for the best of the best?” You may not believe me, but as I said in the comments to this review, Nemesis wouldn't let me put one next to her in the thumbnail image.
I begged. I told Melinoe's nemesis that, aside from an ending that isn't as elegant or cathartic as its excellent build suggests, Hades 2 is every bit as much of a firecracker as the original. I countered that the combat was varied and enjoyable, that the characters were capable of being equally funny and dramatic, and that the graphics and music were top notch. I even swore I wouldn't mention a single moment when Nem's carefully cultivated veil of brooding resilience falls away, showing you the real man underneath that armor.
She didn't have it.
“Stop blaming me for your failures, asshole,” she said. “Admit what you did.”
Fine. I'll be honest. Hades 2 was the first game I reviewed after switching to RPS that deserved the best sticker. But in my haste to complete it before the embargo, I forgot they existed, so I remembered to ask James or Edwin where to find it.
That's it. I confessed. Now, Nam, do you mind if I cower behind you while the rotten fruit is thrown? Great. I'll face the tomatoes alone.
Ollie: Supergiant Games doesn't miss a beat. The only reason I don't include all five of their games in my Top 25 games list every year is for the sake of variety.
Hades 2 may not exactly be my favorite of their games, but it's probably their best. As with the first Hades, meta-progression is not just about becoming more powerful, but also about meeting new characters, learning their stories, and uncovering a fascinating history of gods and mortals. Few roguelites can handle that urge to return straight after finishing the previous run. There is a colossal amount of content here, most of which is pleasantly surprising. And every detail retains Supergiant's signature quality and style.
