The Fields of Mourning shakes up the usual Hades-style of navigation, offering large open areas to explore — in which you can get completely lost. If you’re tired of running into walls of Shades, here’s how you can navigate the Fields of Mourning in Hades 2.
The Fields of Mourning, or the Mourning Fields depending on who you ask, doesn’t follow the typical rulebook of Hades exploration. Instead of giving you two paths to follow with a single Encounter (fight) per Location, doorways can offer up to three choices. Locations can include up to three Encounters spread around a large, open area littered with mobs and free upgrades to track down.
It can be a bit confusing, especially since there’s no clear direction and you might be getting frustrated with running into walls of red Shades.
Hades 2: How to navigate the Mourning Fields
The Fields of Mourning is the third Region in Hades 2, appearing after you complete Oceanus. You’ll find yourself in a dreary field of dead grass and flowing wheat. Crumbling stone walls adorn the area, along with still-burning candles and statues choked with vines. These areas are surrounded by red Shades that fence you in.
To begin your journey through the fields, head upwards, or ‘north’ from where you get dropped. You should soon find a golden tree with no leaves, providing you with two upgrade options. To the right is a spot for Melinoë to look out toward the fields. Activate the tree, and head into the first Location.
Every Location in the Fields of Mourning contains upgrades bound to seals on the ground. You can explore the area and choose which ones to unseal first, but keep in mind that fields have roaming enemies you can ignore or fight. The upgrades and items range across the usual gamut of godly boons, Daedalus Hammers, Poms, Gold Coins, and more. Unsealing an item causes enemies to spawn, starting the Encounter.
Defeating all the foes that spawned will finish the Encounter. Keep that in mind if you have Location-specific upgrades or boons, such as Keepsakes or Chaos Boons. Instead of choosing the next door, you’ll remain in the field until all the other upgrades are claimed.
There are smaller upgrades and items in the open areas to claim, but they’re often guarded by enemy mobs. Some of the items can include Centaur Hearts or Gold Coins. They’re not sealed, though, so feel free to sprint by and grab them before the baddies take notice.
The Fields have environmental hazards to look out for. Open pits on the ground will spawn a red, pulsating cloud that temporarily slows you down and makes Melinoë depressed. It can also appear during the Guardian fight. Thorny bushes can cause damage if touched.
There is a way to make your journey through the Fields of Mourning a little easier.
How to activate the Golden Boughs in the Fields of Mourning in Hades 2
When entering an open Location in the Mourning Fields, Melinoë may mention following golden petals on the ground. Doing so will guide you to a Golden Bough, a tree somewhere in the Location. Activating the tree will cause it to glow brightly before sending out beams of light to each upgrade in the proximity. They show up as icons on your HUD for a short while, letting you track them down more easily without meandering around.
You can’t activate the Golden Boughs on your first trip to the Fields. Instead, seek out a Myrtle, a white flower in the Fields of Mourning. Next, return to the Crossroads and check the Cauldron for the incantation. If it’s unlocked, the incantation will show in the list as “Reviving a Mournful Husk” with a Golden Bough for an icon. It only costs one Myrtle, so unlock it now.
Next time you return to the Fields of Mourning, follow the golden petals to a tree you can activate. The one caveat of the Golden Bough is that it does show you all the items in a Location, but only for a short time. After the icons disappear from your HUD, they’re gone for good. You can’t reactivate the tree more than once.
All reagents and plants you can find in the Fields of Mourning
There are plenty of resources to gather while exploring the Fields of Mourning. Myrtle is a flower you can gather by hand, but others need specific tools. Here’s a list of plants, seeds, and reagents you can discover in the Region:
- Myrtle
- A white flower you can gather by hand.
- Wheat Seeds
- Unearthed from Digging Spots using the Silver Spade tool.
- Psyche
- Can be gathered from Lost Shades using the Tablet of Peace tool.
- Glassrock
- Can be harvested from Glassrock Ore Deposits using the Crescent Pick tool.
- Tears
- Rare Reagent that’s rewarded for defeating the Guardian of the Fields of Mourning.
All mini-bosses encounters in the Fields of Mourning
There are two mini-bosses you can run into while exploring the Region. First is the Lamia Queen, who attacks you with other lamias that attack you with lightning bolts. As a hint, killing the Queen will defeat them all. There’s also a rare mini-boss called a Phantom. The creature is akin to a vampire and has an immense health pool. Both bosses will award you with a single reward on defeat.
That pretty much wraps up the area. It’s a fascinating Region, with a lot of opportunities to power up before the Guardian fight.
