Every platformer and action adventure game out there has some interesting character, each with unique personalities and traits. However, more often than not, I never feel bad when they plummet into a death pit, or see them eaten by a bat or any other enemy with a taste for hero carcass. Mainly since when they croak, they just come right back to the nearest checkpoint. Conversely, Rogue Legacy, the latest game from Cellar Door Games) has decided that if your character takes one fireball too many, that’s it, their story is over.
The way the game works, is that you start off with a knight, who was the descendant of a legendary warrior, who must traverse the same castle, defeating the bosses who guard the door to the final area. If, however that knight is killed, there’s no checkpoints or save rooms. He’s dead. Gone. Departed. Defunct. He is an ex… knight. Luckily, that’s not a total game over. His own descendants take up the sword, and engage in the same quest. You get the opportunity to choose from three knights, each with randomly generated traits and classes. The traits add little game modifiers, and the classes dictate their stats & play style. So, in this game, it is possible to play as a female knight, who is a bearded spellcaster, with gigantism and OCD. And that’s why I like this game.
You get a chance to get to know each character, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to get through the castle without dying so suddenly. And trust me… you will die… a lot in this game. The only way to level up is to upgrade your base, to add extra boosts.
And, for the most part, you can’t learn the layout of the castle to speedrun your way through. The level changes every time you start again, randomly generating different maps, with the added bonus of Metroid style level design. This makes charging ahead more reckless than slapping a lion on the nose. Or scuffing a mod’s scooter.
I have to say, this game surprised me with its challenging levels, and trait mechanics. I found a whole new love for adventure games, and found myself saying “Just one more go” more times than I would like to admit. A very impressive little game, in my opinion
Price: £11.99
Developer: Cellar Door Games – For more info visit http://cellardoorgames.com/blog/