Why are the game so anti-melee now?

[Kaguya]

I found most enemies kinda anti melee this game, their attack patterns can basically boil down to "have a cone-shaped AoE in front and rush at player". General strategy would be spamming Cast snare to get some distance to deal damage, and that's effectively not melee range.

See that pack of fishes in Oceanus? they are a nightmare to deal with when they have armour and spawn in 3 to 4 packs. Literally no counter even if you spam cast to snare them since armoured enemies can still attack uninterrupted.

Sea Serpent mid boss also have danmaku-like pattern bullet spread after detonating and requires some positioning to see their spread pattern to avoid damage

2 out of 3 Siren bosses basically have attack that have cone shape and directly rush you abeit much slower than common enemies.

Cerberus melee slam basically having very little tell for dodge, and sometimes still hit player after avoiding the initial slam.

Currently any winning run would requires getting Hammer that enhance ranged attack (mostly Special spam or cast omega spam, or omega attack spam). Without the range it's very difficult to do anything without taking significant damage.

I haven't fully unlocked upgrades yet, but as far as boons go the "Gain" boons are very much mandatory (cause the arcana only give 2 per sec) starting from Oceanus. I really like the attack/dash attack play style from the first game but so far I haven't found anything that remotely support it (cause zeus boon now requires you to deal X damage to trigger the burst dmg instead of added damage now), with the next best thing being Hestia scorch per attack but it's too low dmg (kinda like Hades 1 Dyonysus drunk curse but I haven't got duo boon to upgrade its damage yet).

I do hope the final version balance this a bit better. Currently melee feel bad and ranged/omega spam with gain boon s king at the moment.

[WillShaper7]

Skill issue?

Pack of fishes you can just omega cast and they are dead. Sea serpent spreads after it shoots as a normal ass bullet, you have more than enough time to react. Siren boss the shelly girl literally sits still for most of the fight while the guitar girl telegraphs A LOT when she's coming for you.

I mean yeah, if you want to go ooga booga spam attack only it may be clunky but you do realize the game gives you the tools to do it right? Use them.

[Astronimo]

Dash is worse than in the first game. That's why ranged builds feel better

[Fingusa of the East]

Yeah I have noticed the game is quite anti melee.

Where as Zagreus with crit sword I could bop the ground and go to town on enemies, now I have to stay at range and pick target from afar cause there are like twice as many enemies, dash kinda sucks now and generally I do less damage.

[Aquilo]

Not played enough of the weapons to say if it's "anti-melee" or begins with a different amount of melee emphasis, but I do think it'd make sense for Supergiant to want variety in their protagonists' fighting styles.
Mel having a different primary style to Zag would help this sequel differentiate itself from its predecessor.

[Deli]

Originally posted by Astronimo:

Dash is worse than in the first game. That's why ranged builds feel better

yes dash is WAY worse i agree.

[Tim]

While ranged is much safer, melee does more damage with the same level of investment. On many weapons, WAY more. Cast might be overtuned right now, but I find it WAY harder to get it going than, say, a basic Mirage Shot build in Hades.

Poseidon on attack is much better now since it doesn't knockback the attacked enemy... Aphrodite's percentage damage bonuses are much further ahead than the 2nd highest percentage damage bonus.... I think the game wants you to engage in a hit-and-run style of play and have at least 2 worthwhile attacks with different purposes. You gotta think about how to deal with little fish before you get to the 2nd boss fight. On one hand, it sucks that you can be screwed by the time you get there despite coasting through the first two parts of the boss fight, but it might be healthier for the game on a macro level since it's harder to get simple one-button builds off the ground.

I do think enemy slams and shockwaves need better telegraphs. This game might be so intense it needs AoE circles with timer circles inside em just for basic slams. I can beat Cerberus, but I almost always get hit by some claw attack that I realize is "fair" but really hard for me to see or track in the visual chaos.

Oh, and yeah, I wish the Cast affected armored enemies, or just worked more consistently in general; I find the entanglement effect can be overcome by certain attacks, like from werewolves.

[Unknownsurfin]

In fairness, to the OP dash has been gutted. They just need to get the feel and new playstyle oriented around melee. Burn and other on melee hit effects make it quite strong, both daggers and hammers are good, just learn the follow and direction abit more and experiment with the boons i still hate ranged and while it took me a while to get the feel for melee in this entry it is definitally beyond viable and likely better. just takes some learning

[Unknownsurfin]

Originally posted by WillShaper7:

Skill issue?

Pack of fishes you can just omega cast and they are dead. Sea serpent spreads after it shoots as a normal ass bullet, you have more than enough time to react. Siren boss the shelly girl literally sits still for most of the fight while the guitar girl telegraphs A LOT when she's coming for you.

I mean yeah, if you want to go ooga booga spam attack only it may be clunky but you do realize the game gives you the tools to do it right? Use them.

No not a skill issue. Melee builds have certinally been weakend and dont feel as good, spam or no spam melee seems more beneficial.

[Dethklok213]

Originally posted by WillShaper7:

Skill issue?

Pack of fishes you can just omega cast and they are dead. Sea serpent spreads after it shoots as a normal ass bullet, you have more than enough time to react. Siren boss the shelly girl literally sits still for most of the fight while the guitar girl telegraphs A LOT when she's coming for you.

I mean yeah, if you want to go ooga booga spam attack only it may be clunky but you do realize the game gives you the tools to do it right? Use them.

Look at the Asphodel, please, and say again "skill issue". The very room itself designed to be hp-tax on melee builds. As ranged, you won't have any problems with that ring, but with melee it's hell. And there are more mechanics like these to punish melee.