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Hades II is now available in Early Access for PC players. After performing a technical test from April 16 to 29, Supergiant Games said Early Access for the “bewitching sequel” would follow “relatively soon after.” The developer lived up to its word, as a week after wrapping the preliminary test, PC players can now buy and play the highly anticipated roguelike title for $30.

Hades II builds on the themes and gameplay of the acclaimed 2020 original. This installment introduces a new protagonist, Melinoë, the sister of Zagreus, the original game’s hero. Creative Director Greg Kasavin and Studio Director Amir Rao clarified that you don’t need to have played the first game or be well-versed in Greek mythology to enjoy it. (However, the creative team still sprinkled “delightful references” for those in the know.)

The sequel’s plot revolves around a showdown with a time-controlling rapscallion. “Chronos, the Titan of Time and the wicked father of Hades and his brothers, has escaped his imprisonment in the depths of the Underworld to wage war on Olympus,” Supergiant says. “Can Time itself be stopped?”

The game’s creators said last year they want Hades II’s early access period to have at least as much content as the original did when it arrived in beta in 2018. “Even though early access inherently means a game is not yet complete, we still want to do everything we can to make sure Hades II is worth your while as soon as you can play it in any capacity,” the studio said in 2023.

You can play Hades II on Steam and the Epic Store for $30. The game will eventually launch on consoles, but for now, PlayStation and Xbox gamers will have to hop on a PC or wait it out.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hades-ii-is-now-available-in-early-access-on-pc-170527415.html?src=rss

Hades II is now available in Early Access for PC players. After performing a technical test from April 16 to 29, Supergiant Games said Early Access for the “bewitching sequel” would follow “relatively soon after.” The developer lived up to its word, as a week after wrapping the preliminary test, PC players can now buy and play the highly anticipated roguelike title for $30.

Hades II builds on the themes and gameplay of the acclaimed 2020 original. This installment introduces a new protagonist, Melinoë, the sister of Zagreus, the original game’s hero. Creative Director Greg Kasavin and Studio Director Amir Rao clarified that you don’t need to have played the first game or be well-versed in Greek mythology to enjoy it. (However, the creative team still sprinkled “delightful references” for those in the know.)

The sequel’s plot revolves around a showdown with a time-controlling rapscallion. “Chronos, the Titan of Time and the wicked father of Hades and his brothers, has escaped his imprisonment in the depths of the Underworld to wage war on Olympus,” Supergiant says. “Can Time itself be stopped?”

The game’s creators said last year they want Hades II’s early access period to have at least as much content as the original did when it arrived in beta in 2018. “Even though early access inherently means a game is not yet complete, we still want to do everything we can to make sure Hades II is worth your while as soon as you can play it in any capacity,” the studio said in 2023.

You can play Hades II on Steam and the Epic Store for $30. The game will eventually launch on consoles, but for now, PlayStation and Xbox gamers will have to hop on a PC or wait it out.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hades-ii-is-now-available-in-early-access-on-pc-170527415.html?src=rss

Amazon’s entry-level 16GB Kindle is on sale for $80, which is a discount of 20 percent. This is the latest iteration of the standard ereader, dating back to 2022. Amazon doesn’t do too many Kindle hardware updates, so we don’t know if this sale precludes a forthcoming refresh. The sale covers both the black and blue denim versions.

The Kindle is one of the most iconic brands in the ereader space, and for good reason. Amazon has been pumping them out for 17 years. This model actually made our list of the best ereaders, and we recommend it for anyone shopping for a budget-friendly reading tablet. We loved the price, which is made even more alluring by today’s sale, and the huge ebook selection via Amazon.

We also liked how easy it is to use. Even if you’ve never held an ereader in your life, you’ll be quickly turning pages in no time. There are a bunch of customization options, allowing you to fiddle with font type, font size, margins and more. You can even save a bunch of settings together as a “theme”, which is handy in households with more than one reader. The integration with audio books is also nice, as it ensures you’ll be on the same page no matter how you absorb the content.

This ereader isn’t waterproof and it lacks many of the add-ons common with more expensive models. The standard Kindle is about as basic as this tech gets, but as a one-purpose device, are extra bells and whistles really necessary? I splurged for the fancier Kindle Scribe, which comes with a stylus, but I kind of wish I didn’t. Since buying it, I’ve read like 150 books and written approximately zero notes. Simple is better, and cheaper.

As with most Kindles, there are ads on the lock-screen, which may be a dealbreaker for some. I fully understand aversion to advertisements, they generally suck, but I’ve never found them to be a problem on Kindles. I barely notice them. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-standard-kindle-is-on-sale-for-80-171207351.html?src=rss

Amazon’s entry-level 16GB Kindle is on sale for $80, which is a discount of 20 percent. This is the latest iteration of the standard ereader, dating back to 2022. Amazon doesn’t do too many Kindle hardware updates, so we don’t know if this sale precludes a forthcoming refresh. The sale covers both the black and blue denim versions.

The Kindle is one of the most iconic brands in the ereader space, and for good reason. Amazon has been pumping them out for 17 years. This model actually made our list of the best ereaders, and we recommend it for anyone shopping for a budget-friendly reading tablet. We loved the price, which is made even more alluring by today’s sale, and the huge ebook selection via Amazon.

We also liked how easy it is to use. Even if you’ve never held an ereader in your life, you’ll be quickly turning pages in no time. There are a bunch of customization options, allowing you to fiddle with font type, font size, margins and more. You can even save a bunch of settings together as a “theme”, which is handy in households with more than one reader. The integration with audio books is also nice, as it ensures you’ll be on the same page no matter how you absorb the content.

This ereader isn’t waterproof and it lacks many of the add-ons common with more expensive models. The standard Kindle is about as basic as this tech gets, but as a one-purpose device, are extra bells and whistles really necessary? I splurged for the fancier Kindle Scribe, which comes with a stylus, but I kind of wish I didn’t. Since buying it, I’ve read like 150 books and written approximately zero notes. Simple is better, and cheaper.

As with most Kindles, there are ads on the lock-screen, which may be a dealbreaker for some. I fully understand aversion to advertisements, they generally suck, but I’ve never found them to be a problem on Kindles. I barely notice them. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-standard-kindle-is-on-sale-for-80-171207351.html?src=rss