Rogue Legacy 2 Gets a Release Date

Venture into the darkness to kill the forces of evil, but know that when you die, your child will take your place. That’s the basic sales pitch for the upcoming Rogue Legacy 2, which launches on April 28. The release date trailer can be watched here.

Originally released in Early Access in Aug. 2020, Rogue Legacy 2 v1.0 promises to provide more zany rogue-lite platformer goodness: more enemies, more traits, more biomes, more enemies, more everything. No two runs will ever be the same, as procedurally generated maps, enemy layout, and genetic traits influence how to best attain victory.

The game will support 15 distinct classes, such as the musically-devastating Bard, the plant-controlling Ranger, or the speedy Dragon Lancer. The new traits will have modifiers to entice players to take on a bigger challenge, making late game runs a balance of risk vs. reward in which descendant you pick truly matters.

Two of the biggest gameplay additions are relics and heirlooms. Relics are unique items that change your run, providing stat modifiers or new abilities. Conversely, heirlooms are special items that permanently give new abilities to help explore the world, bestowing a Metroid-like flavor to the proceedings. These items fundamentally change how you play, but you must seek them out and prove yourself worthy of their powers.

The game itself has a graphical overhaul, replacing the already gorgeous sprite-art of the original with crafted 3D characters standing against stunning hand-drawn backdrops. The dramatic lighting and bright colors bring the gothic world to life like never before.

When talking about the vastly expanded scope and ambition of Rogue Legacy 2, a representative from Cellar Door Games stated: “Our goal for Rogue Legacy 2 was always to make ‘Rogue Legacy 3’ because we didn’t want to settle for just more. It had to stay true to the original, but also stand on its own as something new.”

For those interested in playing the original game in the lead up to April 28, Rogue Legacy will be free on the Epic Games store between April 7-13. Otherwise, you can look forward to Rogue Legacy 2 to launch on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox X|S later this month.