Rogue Legacy 2 review for PlayStation 5

Rogue Legacy 2, the sequel to the beloved original from developer Cellar Door Games, just recently launched on PlayStation 4 and 5, following its release on other platforms back in 2022. While always on my radar, I never got around to playing the game on Xbox platforms or the Nintendo Switch last year, so when Cellar Door Games offered the opportunity to review the PlayStation version of the game, I jumped at the chance. The original Rogue Legacy was an addictive blast of a game, and from what I had heard the sequel was a pretty worthy follow-up. Having now spent a couple of weeks with the game post launch, I can agree that if you’ve ever had an interest in 2D rogue-lite action games, then Rogue Legacy 2 is certainly worth your time. 

Matthew originally reviewed the game for Gaming-Age last year on other platforms, and you can check out his full review here. I’d say that I agree with most of his points on this one, so you won’t find much in the way of differing opinions with my review for the PlayStation platforms. Playing through the game on PlayStation 5, it ran extremely well, as is expected, and I can’t remember any single hiccup or issue I’ve run into over dozens of hours spent playing. Also worth mentioning is that if you’re a PS Plus subscriber you can check the game out for free via that service, which I’d certainly recommend doing so. 

If you’ve not played the original Rogue Legacy, here’s what you can expect with Rogue Legacy 2. At the onset of the game you’ll pick from a couple of character classes, each with a unique weapon type, and randomized attributes, including a magic spell of some sort and an additional special ability. The game is presented in 2D with beautifully animated characters, and you’ll take command of your first character exploring a vast array of rooms filled with enemies and treasure. Chances are, you’re gonna die relatively quick, but not all progress is lost as Rogue Legacy 2 utilizes a structure common to other rogue-lite games like the original Rogue Legacy or the ever-popular Dead Cells. Death will bring you back to your character select screen, allowing you to pick the equivalent of a descendant of your original character, along with the gold you collected on your previous run. That gold can then be used to build up your base of operations, which in turn allows you to get stronger, gain more health, unlock additional classes, and more. 

The core hook of dying and restarting while progressing just a bit further each time is as solid in Rogue Legacy 2 as it was in the original game. I’d be hard pressed to point out significant differences between the two games, outside of a spruced up presentation and just more content in general, but honestly there wasn’t much to improve on with the original Rogue Legacy, so I can’t really fault the sequel for not deviating too far from the original formula. It’s still a wildly addictive game, and the short bursts of gameplay make it perfect for a few quick rounds, or lengthier play sessions. 

Again, if you’ve ever been curious about rogue-lite style games, or Rogue Legacy in general, I see no reason to not give Rogue Legacy 2 a try. Especially if you’re a PS Plus subscriber, the game is a steal at $24.99, even more so when it’s free. 

Note: Cellar Door Games provided us with a Rogue Legacy 2 PS5 code for review purposes.