Supergiant Games hasn't said much about Hades 2 lately, but a lot of the basics are already clear. It preserves the roguelite gameplay of the first Hades, brings in a wealth of new characters from Greek mythology, and stars a new antagonist in the Titan of Time. Perhaps most importantly, players are no longer controlling Zagreus, but instead they play as Melinoe, the Princess of the Underworld. Supergiant's shift to Melinoe could be a broader herald of change, given that she's already setting a more serious tone than the wisecracking Prince of the Underworld from the first Hades.
Although Hades dealt with some pretty tense themes, ranging from dysfunctional families to estranged lovers, it was a relatively lighthearted game. A lot of the characters were funny whether they meant to be or not, especially Zagreus, the colorful depictions of the Olympian gods, and even the gruff Hades. It would make sense for that tone to carry over into Hades 2, but it's possible that Supergiant Games has other plans. The first trailer for Hades 2 didn't spotlight the same amount of levity that permeated the first game, and while Supergiant could just be hanging onto its jokes, Melinoe's more intense demeanor could mean that Hades 2 has very different story beats and character dynamics in mind compared to the first game.
Hades 2's Melinoe Seems More Serious Than Zagreus
Melinoe hasn't been fleshed out in her entirety yet, but it seems like Supergiant thinks her hardworking attitude and determination were the most important elements of her personality to showcase in the first Hades 2 trailer. Her practice battle with Hecate shows that she's always pushing herself and hungry to improve. It seems likely that that no-nonsense behavior will translate into a lot of her interactions with other characters; unlike Zagreus, who jokes around a lot and has a notable awkward side, Melinoe seems grounded and stoic.
There's certainly some common ground between the Prince and Princess of the Underworld. Zagreus has plenty of willpower too, proven by his many attempts to escape the underworld, and he can also be serious and wise beyond his years when the moment calls for it. Still, he's a jokester overall, and Hades thoroughly establishes that he doesn't always think of hard work as its own reward. Melinoe's personality as shown so far may mean she puts more stock in duty and responsibility, meaning she has less time for jokes and deals with the world more earnestly than Zagreus overall.
While that could mean that Hades 2 is a more serious game overall -- new NPCs like Moros and Nemesis have ominous words for Melinoe, and the imprisonment of Hades by Chronos certainly raises the stakes of the franchise -- it doesn't necessarily mean Hades 2 won't be funny. Rather, instead of initiating a lot of the comedy like Zagreus, Melinoe might play the straight man to a larger number of eccentric characters. The Hades 2 trailer already suggests that that could be the case, based on the glimpses at interactions with the grinning Apollo and offbeat spirit Dora. An expanded comic cast could play off of Melinoe's high level of discipline in a lot of fun ways.
It remains to be seen if Melinoe really is more serious than Zagreus, or even if Zagreus is still such a comedian given his father's predicament, but hopefully she does deviate from her brother's personality in a big way. If the Hades franchise continues past Hades 2, Melinoe and Zagreus could end up doing a lot of teamwork, which would be more interesting to watch if their personalities aren't perfect matches. Hopefully fans will already get to see Zagreus' quick wit and Melinoe's level head interact in Hades 2, whether they're clashing during heated disagreements or finding unity when their perspectives align. Either way, Melinoe promises to be a fresh perspective on Supergiant's familiar world.
Hades 2 is in development.