Upgrades up the wazoo, gold bursting from your breeches, double-jumps and air-dashes.
I mean, the game is built with death in mind, after all.
Rogue Legacy 2 adds a genealogical spin to your regular roguelike, making things a family affair.
Only once you’ve flushed them out will a golden door open andsomethinghappen.
You reach the Dead Sea?
You headbutt a super yacht?
It’s a mystery.
If this game had a motto it would be: Perishing Is Progress!
Just like the first game, each time you die your children succeed you.
Sometimes an old favourite’s child will appear, and it’ll bring you sheer joy.
Sometimes the gene pool is muddied, making certain characters much trickier to take for a run.
A chef might have vertigo.
A lancer might be a pacifist.
A mage might struggle to see anything… at all.
With one simple bribe, the game slips enticing challenge runs into the mix.
And what does a run involve, exactly?
That’s to skeletons who lob bones and hovering shankers and eyeballs that sling fireballs.
And that’s only in the first area!
Later, deadly blobfish and sentry turrets await.
As you mosey around you’ll encounter different biomes, each with their own risk ratings and requirements.
Namely, defeat the previous area’s boss and get your mitts on a precious Heirloom.
We’re talking double-jumps and mid-air dashes, which don’t sound all that exciting but are totally game-changing.
There’s so much to invest in, it’s kind of ridiculous.
Everything from permanent health and mana boosts to the equivalent of a pension pot.
Pour money into one thing and another offshoot appears.
An entire house that has unique challenge levels!
Thing is, it never once feels overwhelming.
The classes are a blast, too.
The Dragon Lancer’s another cool pick, with fiery charges and explosive jabs.
Oh, and they’re armed with dynamite too - dynamite iseverything.
Like a frozen conker, the game isdense.
Occasionally, rare or super rare weapons enter the fray.
Proper fun, if a touch lackluster if you don’t meet their demanding playstyle.
Did I mention that equipping Relics costs Resolve?
There is nothing on selection here that’s all too different from other roguelikes or metroidvanias.
Still, it doesn’t matter.
And it’s an itch that rewards you, no matter how much you scratch.
