Despite being in Early Access, Hades 2 is vast. Just going the standard route to Chronos will take you about as long as it took Zagreus to reach Hades back in the day. What shocked us was an alternate route in the game that unlocks if you jump through a whole bunch of hoops.
The Surface Route is teased relatively early. Hermes will drop in and give you some spiel about lending a hand, and that kicks off the secret side quest to crack open the sealed path at the Crossroads. In this guide, we are going to go over how you can unlock the Surface Route in Hades 2.
Note: Do be aware that Hades 2 is still in Early Access, so anything and everything is subject to change.
More Hades 2 content:
Beginner Tips | How To Survive The Surface | How To Get Nectar | Who To Give Nectar To First
How To Unlock The Surface In Hades 2
Your standard run of Hades 2 will see you battling through Tartarus to face off against the dastardly Titan, Chronos. There is an alternative route you can take, however. Sadly, this route is locked off for a large portion of the game, and if you are not actively trying to unlock the route, it will take even longer.
This is a substantial side quest that is heavily reliant on one of Hades 2’s core strengths – talking to people. Through the art of conversation, you will learn that the Surface Route exists, be encouraged to take it and be given hints on how to break through the wards that prevent you from getting there. Heck, you will even be warned of the dangers of reaching the surface and your family’s curse.
The whole thing kicks off when you meet Hermes, and he will be one of the main sources of encouragement when it comes to progressing this quest. There is a big war brewing up top, and the gods could use your help. After a while, Melinoe will take it upon herself to lend a hand which unlocks the Permeation Of Witching Wards Incantation. It requires the following ingredients:
- Cinder x1
- Shadow x1
- Molly x3
Cinder and Molly are pretty darn common and shouldn’t pose much of a hurdle. Cinder is your reward for defeating Hecate in Erebus. Moly on the other hand is a common resource found when exploring Erebus. Considering Erebus is the first location in Hades 2, you will be rolling in both in no time at all.
Where To Find Shadow
Shadow is far more difficult to obtain, however. Shadow is a crafted resource using Alchemy and requires Ash, Psyche, and Fate Fabric. Fate Fabric is by far the rarest material on this list. The easiest way to obtain it is to check on the Wretched Broker after each run, however, you can also get it as a reward for completing Minor Prophecies on the Fated List. You are also going to need the Shadow Extraction recipe.
To unlock the Shadow Extraction recipe you need to talk to Chaos – a lot. This means you are going to have to keep an eye out for Chaos Gates and make the necessary health sacrifices over many runs.
Unlike a standard Incantation, the Shadow Extraction ritual takes time to complete. Go do a few runs, check back, and it should be finished. Take your Shadow, break the wards, and head to the surface.
Sadly, like Hades and Zagreus, Melinoe is not able to survive on the surface for long. This familial curse is still kicking around from Hades 1. Be sure to check out our guide on how to survive on the surface, as well as our other Hades 2 content for more tips and tricks.
