Introduction
Basic information
- Developer Name: Cellar Door Games
- Full Name: Rogue Legacy 2
- Release Date: April 28, 2022
- Released on: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch
- Cross Play: No
Initial thoughts
Roguelikes have always intrigued me with their unpredictable gameplay and high replay value. When I first heard about Rogue Legacy 2. The concept of passing on a legacy through generations of heroes, each with their own quirks and abilities, sounded like a unique twist on the roguelike genre. After playing it, I can confidently say that Rogue Legacy 2 not only meets expectations but surpasses them in every way.
Story and setting
Plot overview
In Rogue Legacy 2, you take control of a lineage of heroes, each tasked with exploring a procedurally generated castle to uncover the secrets of a cursed kingdom. The story is light but intriguing, with lore scattered throughout the game that slowly reveals the tragic history of the world and its inhabitants.
The narrative isn’t the primary focus, but it adds depth to the gameplay and gives a sense of purpose to your endless quest. The generational aspect of the story ties in beautifully with the roguelike mechanics, making each new hero feel like a continuation of a larger saga.
World building and immersion
The game’s world is beautifully crafted, with distinct biomes that offer unique challenges and visual styles. From dark dungeons to mystical towers, each area feels alive and full of secrets waiting to be discovered. The environmental storytelling is top-notch, with subtle details in the background that hint at the kingdom’s tragic past.
Character development
Your characters aren’t just generic heroes—they come with unique traits, strengths, and weaknesses that can drastically change your playstyle. One run, you might be playing as a knight with a fear of heights, and the next, you could be a mage with colorblindness. These traits add a layer of humor and unpredictability to the game, making each hero feel distinct.
Emotional impact
The story isn’t overly emotional, but the sense of legacy and progression creates a strong connection to your characters and their journey. Watching your lineage grow and improve over time is incredibly satisfying.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with an 8.5
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
The core gameplay loop of Rogue Legacy 2 is addictive and satisfying. You explore procedurally generated levels, defeat enemies, collect gold, and upgrade your castle to strengthen future generations. The combat is fast-paced and responsive, with a wide variety of weapons, spells, and abilities to experiment with.
The class system adds another layer of depth, with each class offering unique playstyles. From the sword-wielding knight to the spell-slinging mage, there’s a class for every type of player. The random traits each character inherits keep things fresh, ensuring that no two runs are ever the same.
Difficulty and balance
The game strikes a perfect balance between challenge and progression. It’s tough but fair, rewarding skill and perseverance. Death is a natural part of the game, but each run helps you gather resources to improve your next character, making failure feel like progress.
Pacing of the game
The pacing is excellent, with a steady stream of new upgrades, abilities, and areas to unlock. The game keeps you hooked by constantly introducing new challenges and rewards.
Innovation and uniqueness
While the core concept remains similar to the original Rogue Legacy, the sequel introduces many innovations that make it feel fresh. The expanded class system, diverse traits, and refined gameplay mechanics elevate it to new heights.
Controls and user interface
The controls are tight and responsive, which is essential for a game that demands precision. The user interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy to manage your upgrades and traits.
Microtransactions
None.
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with a 9.5
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
The hand-drawn art style of Rogue Legacy 2 is stunning. The game’s visuals are colorful, detailed, and full of personality. Each biome has its own unique look and feel, making exploration a visual treat.
Technical performances
The game runs smoothly, with no noticeable performance issues. The animations are fluid, and the transitions between areas are seamless.
Environment and design uniqueness
The environments are beautifully designed, with each area offering distinct challenges and visual themes. The procedural generation ensures that no two runs look the same, keeping the game visually interesting.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with a 9.0
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
The soundtrack is fantastic, perfectly capturing the game’s adventurous and mysterious tone. Each track complements the gameplay and enhances the atmosphere.
Sound effects quality
The sound effects are crisp and satisfying, adding impact to each swing of your sword or cast of a spell.
Voice Acting
There isn’t much voice acting, but the game doesn’t need it. The story is conveyed effectively through text and environmental storytelling.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 8.5
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
The game is packed with extra content, including hidden secrets, new game modes, and a New Game+ system that keeps things fresh even after completing the main story.
Extra Content
There is a good amount of extra content if you intend to unlock the whole castle, and the complete story!
Replay value
With its procedural generation, class system, and endless variety of traits, Rogue Legacy 2 has near-infinite replay value. Each run feels different, and there’s always something new to discover.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability and game length of Rogue Legacy 2 with a 10
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
- Adding more unique bosses and story-driven quests could enhance the narrative experience.
- Some traits can feel more like gimmicks than meaningful gameplay changes—balancing these could improve the overall experience.
Comparisons
Compared to other roguelikes like Hades and Dead Cells, Rogue Legacy 2 stands out for its unique generational progression system. It’s more focused on long-term growth and strategy, making it a different but equally rewarding experience.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
One of my favorite moments was discovering a hero with the pacifist trait, which meant they couldn’t attack. I had to rely entirely on dodging and traps to survive, which completely changed my usual playstyle. It’s these kinds of unexpected scenarios that make Rogue Legacy 2 so memorable and enjoyable.
Rating
Taking in all the personal experiences with Rogue Legacy 2, I give it a personal rating of 9,5
Last words
Pros
- Addictive gameplay loop with endless replay value.
- Unique generational progression system.
- Wide variety of classes and traits to experiment with.
- Beautiful hand-drawn art style.
- Challenging but fair difficulty.
- Smooth and responsive controls.
- Fantastic soundtrack.
- Tons of extra content and hidden secrets.
- No intrusive microtransactions.
- Procedurally generated levels keep things fresh.
- Satisfying sense of progression.
Cons
- Some traits feel more like gimmicks.
- The story could be more fleshed out.
Rogue Legacy 2 is a shining example of what a roguelike should be. It builds upon the original’s foundation while introducing new mechanics and improvements that make it a must-play for fans of the genre. The endless variety, combined with the satisfying sense of progression, makes it a game that’s hard to put down. Whether you’re a veteran of roguelikes or new to the genre, Rogue Legacy 2 is an adventure worth embarking on.
FINAL RATING
9.5
Please let me know what you think of Rogue Legacy 2 in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
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A great game and the expansion & improvements from the first one makes this a must buy.
This is indeed a must buy!
Hi. Good that you made a text review too, video alone was too short and without comment to show the game. Im especially interested in more of such interesting mechanics, like one you described 🙂 But i just watched other video from friends site too. I think one of the best games of the genre 🙂
I did not want to spoil too much in the video!
Looks like my kinda game! will try it <3
9.5 is impressive.
It indeed is!
Thanks for the insight. I’m always interested in rogue likes, too. This sounds really promising
This looks fun! Considering playing it haha! Wishlisted xD
You should try it someday!
I put it on my wishlist O:-) but I think we have the first game somewhere 🤔…
the random characters reminds me of void bastards ^^
I like this review and all gameplay features in Rogue legacy 2.
Yes, it is a very fun game with a lot of fun gameplay elements.
Do you want to see a third part of this game If developers make it ?
Dang, I might bump that up in the wishlist based on this review. The original sites right next to spelunky for just being a solid game.
This is also a very solid game!
A great game and the expansion & improvements from the first one makes this a must buy.
I do believe it is a must buy!
I have to play both, look like my kind of game
I hope you will enjoy the game!
This feels like a platformer Binding of Isaac
It does have platformer elements.
I was first surprised to realize that this game was released three years ago.
I played the previous installment a little.
The reviews are very positive, so I’m curious about it!🐑
You should be curious about it!
This game is procedurally generated? that’s interesting
Yes, the world changes each time, and you even get perks to alter the world even more, make it harder, easier, bigger, anything!
Have to 100% this after your review
Good luck with losing all your time!
I need to try this out one day ^^
Yes, you need to do that!
This looks like a solid game. Really looking forward to playing this
A definite addition to my list when I will approach this genre 🙂
Sounds like a perfect plan!
I had fun with the original Rogue Legacy, so I’m glad to hear that the sequel is such a great improvement! I’m looking forward to buying this game when I can! 🙂
This is indeed a big improvement!
I see you gave it a superb score. It deserves my full attention 🙂
It really does, it will drain your soul and time!
It’s on my wishlist! 😀
I guess it deserves such a high score. The amount of content in it is crazy. I love rogue-likes/lites. :O
There is a crazy amount of content!
Game looks like it would be fun.
It doesn’t look fun, it is fun!
This sounds like a really unique roguelike! I love how each hero has different traits that change not only the character but the way you interact with the game like colourblindness! The artstyle is nice and magical and I always love procedural generation!
Yeah, it really alters the gameplay, and it gets weird and funky too, I had a hero with IBS and he kept farting…