Most of the time, when I write these articles, it’s because I’m trying to draw people’s attention to something new and interesting but probably not particularly popular. However, based on the astonishing reception enjoyed by Slay the Spire 2 so far, that’s simply not the case here.
In this instance, everyone else has been playing it, too. Slay the Spire 2 is the biggest release of the year so far, and the rest of the world is finally waking up to something you and I have long known: roguelikes and roguelites are the best.
First impressions of the new look spire
I’m going to keep the critique relatively light for now, considering this is an Early Access game and still not the finished article. What I can say is that I’ve not experienced a single technical issue while playing the game since launch, and I have been impressed by the overall quality of the game as it stands right now.
The first of Mega Crit’s fantasy card games is widely regarded as the best of the best when it comes to roguelike deckbuilders. As such, these are big shoes for StS2 to fill, and the developer seems to have taken this challenge extremely seriously.
While it is an Early Access release, you couldn’t easily tell that, given the overall layer of polish that has been applied. Slay the Spire 2 looks and feels great to play, and although it’s not finished in its own right, it still manages to feel like a positive evolution of the first game. It’s not a huge overhaul, mind, but rather a subtle upgrade across the board. At least, that’s my impression so far.
Unlocks and lore
I’ve done at least one run with each of the five characters I’ve encountered so far (apparently, there are more in the co-op part of the game). Now that’s done, I’m working my way through the joyous process of unlocking all the potions and relics and then experimenting with the new toys that have been thrown into the mix.
There are also loads of fun little narrative bits to unlock, with new stories woven into the experience that are intended to draw you ever further into the lore of this unique universe. This is never my focus in a game like this, but it’s nice to have for those who want it.
Plenty of character
There are five playable characters in the game, and I thought they got better and better the more I played with each one.
The Regent with their star-filled cosmic attacks, and The Necrobinder and her giant skeletal hand Osty are the new additions to the roster, and both are fun. I’ll no doubt have more to share as I get deeper into the game, but I like both and their decks feel ripe with opportunity.
The Defect was the final character to unlock, and he was probably my favourite, with his floating lightning balls and an interesting economy that kept the cards rolling.
To be fair, each one of the characters has a really interesting and distinctive set of mechanics to differentiate it from the others. Discovering these nuances is the heart of the game, and this is where I was having most of my fun. Slay the Spire is all about finding those winning synergies where your deck comes into its own and the cards start to work together.
The Defect offers a perfect example of this. It has access to a bunch of low-power attacks that you can cast without spending energy. Some even let you pull played cards from the discard pile, and if you time it right, you can batter your enemies with free attacks, play the right card at the right moment, and then do it all again. Just like the original, Slay the Spire 2 does a great job of firing up the synapses in your brain as you start to realise the various ways you can push each character and their respective decks.
At times, when the cards fall just right, and you roll up a whole screen of enemies, it can feel like you’re an overpowered card master who is borderline cheating. However, in true roguelike fashion, the challenge scales quickly and it won’t be long before your brilliant build is being severely tested, especially as you start to move through the chapters and the enemy health bars grow longer.
Multiplayer mechanics
I’ll be back in due course to share a deeper dive into the new co-op mode that has been added to the game. It supports up to four players, and there are new characters, cards and adapted mechanics for this part of the experience.
At this stage, I’ll cautiously say that I like the balance that has been struck on the multiplayer side of things. Your team will need to work together, share buffs, and coordinate attacks if you’re going to prevail. Enemies have much longer health bars in co-op, and you all take damage together, so you really are in it together.
I will note that most of my focus so far has been on the solo experience, but the implementation of co-op seems to have been smartly done, based on my first impressions.
Cards on the table time
It’s still early days, and much is subject to change and/or fine-tuning. As such, Slay the Spire 2 has room to grow and develop as it moves through EA towards version 1.0 and, presumably, new platforms.
After my first weekend with the game, I’m delighted with what Mega Crit has shipped, and I can see myself playing for many more hours in the months and years ahead. Without spending significantly more time with it, it’s hard to say whether StS2 is an out-and-out improvement over the original; however, it does feel like Mega Crit has taken the franchise another step forward.
Slay the Spire 2 is a delicious deckbuilder, with classy audio-visuals, stellar presentation, and what looks like a huge amount of content already baked into the cake. It sticks close to the original formula, but when you’ve got the best formula in the business, it doesn’t make sense to mix things up too much, in my opinion.
Like so many of you, I look forward to exploring its subtleties throughout the Early Access process and beyond. Slay the Spire 2 is an excellent update to one of the best roguelites ever, and there’s still time to make it even better!
