“No two mileage are the same” is often a successful line in relation to Roguelelica and perhaps it has never been more real than in the case of Monster Train 2. With five novel clans, novel types of cards and the side mode of dimensional challenges, each course is clear, but the fight never becomes less satisfying. Despite some cutscenes that leave a lot to be desired, Shiny Shoe has created one of my favorite Roguelilize of the Year so far, improving the previous title in every respect.
At Monster Train 2, you run various armies of hell in the Titans war, an senior, powerful faction that threatens your world. To oppose such an impressive threat, you have control over many clans, unique societies of magical creatures that each have their own toys. Angeline, the exiled clan focuses on Buffie, granting additional armor and damage, while the Draconic Pyborn clan accumulates gold and asks Pyregel, Debuff, which causes the enemies to suffer greater injuries. Each clan also has two masters, powerful units that you build your runs to choose from. When the run begins, you choose the main clan and secondary clan, and with five to unlock (plus a lot of secret), the number of combinations itself is stunning.
The fight takes place on board the title locomotive, which has four levels of railway cars – three so that your units can fight and the fourth to keep the dump, the driving force of the train. If it requires too much damage, it explodes and your run ends, so in your best interest it is to eliminate enemies as soon as possible. The end result is partly Deckbuilder, partly Roguelike and partial defense of the tower, when you draw cards to place units on each floor and defend the train against the waves of attackers.
Most cards cast spells, dealing injuries, healing, dealing with status and more conditions, but Monster Train 2 introduces two novel types of cards: equipment and room cards. The equipment is played on a genial unit to provide them with better statistics and skills, while the rooms add a modifier to the entire car, such as increasing the power of the spell or granting money when the units die. The game also adds unlockable pyres, which have busy or passive abilities to make your runs even more compelling. Each function brings something novel and thrilling to the table, entering the game so smoothly that I often forgot that they were not in the last game.
Each run uses one of two clans, each with two masters and related starting cards, which means that if you exclude secret game clans (which escalate the total number), there are 80 ways to start running. Although I did not play every permutation, every combination I started so far was surprisingly thrilling, because every cleverly designed clan synergia with a different way in a unique way. This is not random because of the vast numbers – every run I played seemed as fun as the one before, and it is an impressive feat.
Monster Train 2 also includes a set of 21 -dimensional challenges, limiting you to the initial combination of clans and adding amusing mutators to change the game. For example, “Make The Warrior weapon” reduces the crevices of all cards to 1, but makes the equipment cards twice as powerful and cost less. “Twofer” doubles all earned money, the given status effects and makes you get a copy every time you add the card to your deck. Unlike the standard, ultimately configurable primary game, it is a collection of carefully selected rules and modifiers. I appreciate that these challenges adapt your strategies and the difficulty of playing beyond the more hard. Many Roguelike includes settings for unlocking or difficulties, limiting your skills, but sometimes I want to be questioned in various ways, and Monster Train 2 understands it.
My main problem related to the game is its story, which fortunately is scarce and easily ignored. After graduating, he greets the interruptions of conversations between various clans champions who are trying to find out what to do in the Battle of Titans. He feels half -baked, and re -used combat models stand on an ordinary background and turning left or right to indicate which character they talk to. Dialogue is mostly disguised as a conversation, and most of the characters are reduced to the most basic features of their clans – dragons are greedy and like gold, while the Lazarus league is obsessed with science and experiments. The Monster Train 2 gameplay is inspired and professionally made, but its cutscenes are banal and forgotten.
Despite this, I did not come to Monster Train 2 after the engaging story. I came for a tense, strategic fight, hours of modernization and optimization of spells and units, as well as this unique fantasy Roguelike Power Fantasy about starting with scraps and igniting the top. The land of the independent Roguelilixes is competitive and crowded, but despite the years of ponderous competition Monster Train 2 definitely confirmed its series as one of the package leaders. In other words, many games are good; Few are as good as hell.
