Following news back in April that a sequel to Rogue Legacy was in the works, developer Cellar Door Games has announced that Rogue Legacy 2 is heading to early access on both Steam and the Epic Games Store starting July 23rd.
If you missed all the fuss the first time around, Rogue Legacy is a ‘genealogical rogue-lite‘ action-platformer that sets itself apart by birthing a new heir with every death and subsequent playthrough. New descendants are endowed with unique traits and abilities, that can be both beneficial or wildly unhelpful, seriously mixing up how the game is played each time around. For instance, an heir might be a pacifist, complicating combat encounters, or have Synesthesia, transforming sounds into bright colors. Each generation can use their now-dead ancestors’ coffers to expand the family castle and improve abilities to ensure the next heir is stronger than the last.
Here’s the official blurb to get a sense of what it’s all about:
“In this game, your legacy defines you. Spend your parents’ inheritance and grow the family manor to give your children a better fighting chance. Each child is unique, with their own traits and abilities. Your daughter could be an archer. She could also be a Vegan. Rogue Legacy 2 also lets you play how you want to. Go hard and fast, and you can dive deeper into the depths of a randomly-generated world. Or take it slow and steady, and build your character up until you’re ready for greater challenges.”
The original garnered considerable praise when it launched in 2013, so there’s naturally a lot of excitement about a sequel. Cellar Door Games is mostly sticking to the formula that made the original such a hit but is also introducing several new features to spice things up. Chief among these is a switch to 2.5D style with 3D characters against hand-drawn backdrops that do away with the original’s pixel art aesthetic for a slicker look and feel.
Other additions include new abilities, class-specific weapons, revamped biomes, a gold gain modifier known as the ‘Universal Healthcare System’ to boost rewards for heirs with more undesirable traits, and new accessibility features to help struggling players.
Another significant change is the introduction of special item heirlooms that give heroes permanent new abilities that ‘fundamentally change how you play’ for a more Metroidvania-style experience.
Beyond early access, Cellar Door Games says it aims to release the complete game sometime in 2021. Early adopters can look forward to major updates at two months intervals. These will feature new biomes, bosses, and enemies to flesh out the game as development progresses.
Price-wise, we’re looking at $19.99/£15.99 for early access on Steam. There’s no Epic Game Store listing as of writing, but expect the prices there to match those on Valve’s storefront.