Rogue Legacy 2 review for Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC

I should enjoy Rogue Legacy 2 a lot more than I do. I mean, it?s basically the first game but better made, and seeing as I was a huge fan of the first Rogue Legacy, that should mean I?m over the moon about its sequel. Right?

And yet?I can?t say that I?m as obsessed with Rogue Legacy 2 as I was with its predecessor. And I think this is due entirely to its platform. While I don?t have anything against the Xbox Series X, for me the joy of the first Rogue Legacy came from playing it on my Vita and being able to play it anywhere. The feeling of wanting just one more run and seeing what I?d uncover paired perfectly with the fact I could sneak in a few minutes here and there from literally anywhere. Playing it on a home console seems almost wrong.

Obviously, given that we?re talking about an indie game on a platform that was less appreciated than it should have been, my experience with Rogue Legacy is probably different than most people?s. And if you?re okay with only being able to play it in one place, then Rogue Legacy 2 should be every bit as fun as its predecessor.

Admittedly, this is because it?s not that different. In fact, it?s still the same basic game: it?s a rogue-lite where you play as a family doomed to die, and die, and die again in the same castle, with the layout changing on every run. You can regularly unlock new powers, thanks to the fact you?re given a small window before each new run to spend your gold, and each new run represents a new opportunity to uncover more secrets.

All of this has returned for Rogue Legacy 2, it just feels?better. The graphics: better and more colourful. The enemies: more varied. The range of heroes for each new run: more diverse, in every sense of the word. Rogue Legacy 2 may not bring much (or anything) new to the table, but like its predecessor, it?s presented in a way that makes it impossible to resist ? and almost impossible to tear yourself away from.

And if you?re lucky enough to have a Steam Deck? Then Rogue Legacy 2 is probably perfection, since it allows you to take the game everywhere.

Sadly, I don?t have a Steam Deck. (Note to self: somehow obtain a Steam Deck.) But I do have Rogue Legacy 2, and I can say that even if it?s not portable on the Xbox, it?s still every bit as fun as it was the first time around.

Cellar Door Games provided us with a Rogue Legacy 2 Xbox Series X code for review purposes.