The second zone from the first game makes a return in Hades 2, although you can only visit Asphodel temporarily. And somewhat against your will. Here’s how you can enter the hottest pits of hell in the second entry of the series.
How to Enter Asphodel in Hades 2
Asphodel can be accessed through the second zone, Oceanus. Before entering it, you must first pass through Erebus at least twice, which gives you a chance of encountering a mysterious figure when leaving Erebus the next time you defeat Hecate. Once interacted with, the figure disappears without giving you much hint of who it might be. Continue playing as normal, and you might encounter them again the next time you dive into Oceanus.
The figure will repeat the same act and disappear again, except this time, when entering any of the regular portals in Oceanus, Melinoë might be stopped mid-air by the same figure, revealing himself as Chronos, Titan of Time. He throws Melinoë inside a vision of Asphodel in the past as a punishment for rebelling against him, from which she has to escape to continue her quest.
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You’ll find yourself in an exact copy of the early Asphodel chambers from the first game, enemies and all. Asphodel here works as a special level where you don’t need to kill enemies to proceed but only make your way out, mirroring your task from the first game. However, you get the same rewards you would get from the regular Oceanus chamber you intended to dive into if you succeed.
Asphodel will still show up after escaping for the first time, but it’ll be a rare encounter. There’s no way to access Asphodel 100% of the time, and there’s no big reward for venturing it either. However, the stage might be easier than some of the regular Oceanus stages depending on your luck.
How to Escape Asphodel in Hades 2
The Asphodel level is just like the first game, so expect to see some skeletons, witches, and many of the same annoying wretches Zagreus had to deal with. Melinoë has to stay in her magical circle to return to reality once the gauge reaches 100%. Stepping outside of the circle slowly resets the gauge.
The problem is that enemies spawn randomly and non-stop, and Asphodel is filled to the brim with damaging lava. You need to deal with enemies while still staying in your circle.
While witches are the most annoying of the bunch, they’re probably the easiest to deal with. As long as you stay in the circle and carefully dodge their projectiles, you don’t have much to worry about. The same goes for Gorgons, although being petrified can be deadly, so be extra cautious with these.
Skeletons are a pain, though. They usually come with Armor and will charge at you recklessly, so find a way to brush them off while stepping on your incantation. Using your Cast to lock them down is always a good choice.
Don’t worry too much if you keep stepping outside the circle but remember to return as soon as possible. Once the gauge reaches 100%, enemies will be dispelled, and you can collect your due rewards.
Entering Asphodel is one of the many callbacks to the original game in Hades 2, with another infamous one being the Uh-Oh encounter, which will definitely make you exclaim his name.
