The attentive of you may have deduced that Rogue Legacy 2 is a sequel to Rogue Legacy, a rather interesting roguelite platformer in 2013 that I did. The game’s big twist on the old procedural generation and permadeath combo is that each new character is an heir to the legacy of the predecessor. In practice, this means spending the gold earned on each run towards permanent upgrades to improve your chances of further exploration. With all but the least successful runs generating enough gold for at least one upgrade, the frustration of failure is eased and you can’t wait to go again.
To help you with your exploration, you recruit the Architect, a smart old guy who can fix the layout of the castle between runs, allowing you to build on a successful exploration rather than dealing with a completely rearranged map. You paid a fortune for this perk, but it’s still a handy tool, especially when you’re on the verge of taking down a boss and don’t want to find that bug again every time.
Rogue Legacy 2 takes the traditional sequel route and gives you more of what made the first game so great. There are 15 classes, which are more diverse than the previous 9 classes. The same goes for traits, spells, and gear. Even more exciting, it adds a huge Metroidvania-style traversal upgrade. Nothing particularly new or unusual here, and I’m sure I’m not spoiling anyone’s fun by mentioning that double jumps are involved at some point, but the extra mobility makes for some fantastic aerial acrobatics . The aforementioned double jump can be combined with dashes, the ability to spin to kick enemies and projectiles, and a variety of other tricks that get you flying through levels. Literally, in some cases.
All of this bouncing and bouncing synergizes with the many class abilities and artifacts you can find. For example, Bards gain a stacking damage buff each time they spin to kick an object, which resets when they touch the floor. Plus an artifact that replaces the regular spin kick with a more damaging alternative, and a clown trait that requires most of your health in exchange for the ability to spin kick from most surfaces , you’ve got a bouncy whirlwind of destruction.
If all of this sounds like something to deal with, well, that’s because it is. While based on experience the order in which you unlock the various classes depends on your upgrade path through the estate (essentially a fancy visual representation of the skill tree), later classes are harder to master than those available earlier. This higher-skilled floor comes with a correspondingly higher ceiling for quickly navigating tricky platform layouts and dancing through dense swarms of enemies and projectiles. Although in my case these occasions are definitely luckier than tricks. The barbarian has a huge health pool and an equally stout axe, and I’m much faster.
That’s why I had so much fun with Rogue Legacy 2 and why every time I go back to the game to check the details of the review, I end up running multiple times before remembering that I was supposed to work. That’s why I was able to enjoy myself, even if I do it as fast as I can to meet my deadline. Clearly, Cellar Door Games wants as many people as possible to enjoy their game. Not only does the upgrade system provide slow and steady improvements, but it also includes a set of “house rules” that allow you to adjust the difficulty to your liking. You can adjust enemy health or damage output, turn off collision detection with most enemies that aren’t actively attacking you, and even gain the ability to fly. These settings aren’t just for those of us who need extra help. Can make enemies stronger and show the settings you’re using, perfect for pro players to show off their hard-earned power on stream.
Clearly, Cellar Door Games wants as many people as possible to enjoy their game.
This is a great inclusion because there’s a lot to discover in Rogue Legacy 2 beyond the core combat and platforming. The story, slowly unraveled through diary entries and the like, is surprisingly engaging, with many hints and clues pointing to a deeper lore. The visuals make good use of the 3D model on a 2D plane (I think kids call it 2.5D) without clearly distinguishing the two. On top of that, for me at least, the wonderful animations leave the teleportation to the new dimension intact, including the running animation with weapons held high, that makes me smile every time. The text is at times touching, at times funny, and as their relationship slowly develops, joining your characters in the manor with you provides some lovely moments.
Sadly, it’s not perfect. A real flaw with Rogue Legacy 2 is its over-reliance on its upgrade system. It’s a challenging game, and if you’re trying to improve, incremental improvements aren’t enough to give you the support you need. It becomes an ordeal when you throw yourself in the same place over and over until you feel like you’re strong enough to get past the point that’s giving you trouble. It took me over seven hours to beat the first boss without any house rules, and a few hours to unlock the ability to teleport directly to new areas from the start of the run. More than once, I’ve found myself not only a little frustrated, but, dare I say it, bored. The developer’s claim that the leveling system means players of all skill levels should be able to complete the game is certainly an optimistic statement, and I imagine that without the house rule, many people would have dropped the game before seeing a fraction of it. what to offer.
Thankfully that’s not the case, as Rogue Legacy 2 is indeed a lovely game, and I’m glad Cellar Door included options to make it easier to pick up. It’s a great example of how to let players customize the experience to their liking, whether it’s a helping hand or a challenge.
