The roguelite genre is quickly becoming one of the most beloved in the gaming medium. The premise of running through a set of encounters of increasing difficulty, with death forcing a reset of that run is extremely compelling. Further, the ability to pick and choose which upgrades to carry over to future runs creates a great level of experimentation so that no two playthroughs are exactly the same. The latest game to make its entry into this popular genre is Monster Train 2.
Countless developers from around the world have thrown their hat into the ring to offer their own unique interpretation of the genre. From indie developers with games like Hades to major franchises such as with the upcoming Elden Ring Nightreign. In many cases, some have even managed to fuse the idea of a roguelite with other genres to make an experience that is completely unique.
Monster Train 2 is not just a roguelite, but a deckbuilder as well, with some elements from tower defense games. You pick from decks that represent factions in an alliance between angels and demons as they work together to overthrow the Titans that have seized control of heaven. The gameplay is unlike anything I’ve played before, but is it any good? How is Monster Train 2 able to balance three completely different genres seamlessly? I’m happy to say that Monster Train 2 is a brilliant showing of three completely genres with very few compromises.
An Uneasy Alliance Against a Common Enemy
While the original Monster Train had you playing as an army of demons desperately trying to protect the last burning cinders of Hell from the angels of Heaven, Monster Train 2’s story has an interesting twist. You take control of an uneasy alliance between angels and demons as they work together to take back Heaven from the sinister Titans. One of the game’s main protagonists, Fel, is even a boss battle in its predecessor.
Like any other roguelite, most of Monster Train 2’s story progresses between runs. You get to see a portion of the interactions between these two opposite factions as they try to work out their differences. There’s a lot of tension between these opposing characters, but slowly, they start to warm up to each other as they try work out a way to defeat the Titans once and for all.
I really liked the story of Monster Train 2. Sure, it’s not the game’s centerpiece and is more a means to progress the gameplay and develop the world. Yet it is still remarkably interesting and had me intrigued from beginning to end. The only issue is that, if you’re unfamiliar with the original Monster Train, you might be a bit confused when the sequel starts. That said, the narrative is still extremely charming from beginning to end. Part of the story’s charm comes from the visual art style.
While the game’s predecessor had a more rougher and slightly gritty art style, Monster Train 2 is cleaner and cartoon-y. Specifically, it feels like something from a cartoon in the 2010s, like Adventure Time. It suits the heavenly setting, compared to the previous focus on Hell. The character sprites are also really charming. All of the factions, such as The Banished and the Pyreborn, all look visually distinct and unlike anything you’d see in other games in the genre.
The great character designs also applies to the boss fights and enemies. Some monsters look like freakish fusions of different animals and several body horror concepts, while others look more like traditional angels or demons. There was even a steampunk element to a lot of the designs, with suits of armor being covered in eyes, loose tentacles, and other scattered limbs. I really liked the unique visual design of Monster Train 2 and it made every subsequent run even more exciting to playthrough.
Unique is the key word at the heart of Monster Train 2. Despite pulling from several different popular influences, it all comes together in a melting pot unlike anything I’ve seen before. While yes, the concept of an alliance between heaven and hell against a common enemy isn’t the most creative idea out there, the execution manages to be distinct in comparison to the other games in the genre. This also applies to the visuals: despite being inspired by old cartoons, the specific compilation of inspirations is not something you will see in any other game.
Of course, the main place where you can see the uniqueness of Monster Train 2 really come to life is in its gameplay. As mentioned previously, it combines the roguelite genre with elements from deckbuilders and tower defense games. This fusion of different gameplay styles should not work. However, the game miraculously does a great job of bringing these genres together seamlessly.
Jack of All Trades
A lot of roguelites nowadays use elements from other genres to distinguish themselves and appeal to more audiences. For instance, the previously mentioned Elden Ring Nightreign has co-op elements, plus the traditional soulslike style, all wrapped up in a roguelite package. In theory, Monster Train 2 is no different, in the sense that it blends elements from countless different types of games. Yet at its core, it is still a roguelite first and foremost.
Like any other game in the genre, it implements the idea of running through a linear playthrough that will reset after death. While death is meant to be a punishing setback that costs you all the progress you have accumulated, in between every run, you can purchase permanent upgrades that will help you progress even further next time. In this case, the upgrades in question are the statistics of the train, where most of the game’s battles take place, and the factions you can choose from.
There are several different factions that are available, each with a selection of units with their own specific strengths and weaknesses. The aforementioned Pyreborn focus on attacks that are primarily based around dealing fire damage, while The Banished can raise offensive power to deal more devastating attacks. You can unlock more factions by completing certain challenges, such as use a spell as a finishing move against a select amount of enemies.
The units in each faction are played via a unique deck of cards. Before a run begins, you get a chance to pick which faction you want leading the charge against your Titans, alongside a second that provides backup. That first faction will have a champion that you can play via a card, alongside a selection of unit and spell cards. Playing a unit card will summon allies that will help defend the train from the approaching titans, while a spell card provides either offensive or defensive utility for these units.
Speaking of defending the train, that’s where the last genre that Monster Train 2 pulls from comes into play: tower defense. Each encounter has four floors where you can place a select number of your units against several waves of enemies. After a brief of exchange of attacks between the two forces, the remaining enemies will move up to the next floor. This continues until they reach the last floor which contains the heart of the train. While the heart can fight back, if its HP reaches 0, the run will end and your progress will reset. However, if you defeat all waves and a boss fight, you move on to the next encounter until you reach the final area of Heaven.
I love the gameplay loop of Monster Train 2. I never got tired of it, even after eight hours of repeated gameplay. The constantly evolving strategies, new units, and new factions that were introduced help to keep me coming back for more. You can even get different hearts for the train that offer different utilities. There’s a great deal of experimentation for players that constantly want to min max their playstyle.
However, there is one major problem with the game that encompasses most of the experience: lack of accessibility. If you’re inexperienced with even one of the genres that Monster Train 2 implements, it doesn’t do very much to help ease you in. For example, I’ve never particularly clicked with the deckbuilding genre, but its one that I’ve always wanted to get better at. Yet the game offers very few difficulty options to make getting into the genre less frustrating.
While you can adjust some aspects of the difficulty, I found that it did very little to make the experience more streamlined for newcomers. Unlike quite a few other roguelites available today, Monster Train 2 is unfortunately not the best option if you’re someone who wants to get into deckbuilders, roguelites, or tower defense games. Further, while the game combines three different genres very well, it doesn’t do a great job of highlighting a specific genre.
If you’re someone who wants a great roguelite, a great tower defense, or a great deck builder, I don’t think is the best showcase of all of these genres put together. It’s a very specific game for a very specific audience, which works to both its advantage and its disadvantage. It’s a jack of all trades, yes, but at times, its a master of none of those trades and likely won’t appeal to most people.
With all that being said though, the gameplay of Monster Train 2 is still fantastic. Even if it was daunting for a newcomer like myself, I still had a blast learning the ins and outs of the different genres and slowly developing my skill level so I could finally defeat the Titans for good. The game does a great job of combing three completely different genres to create an experience that manages to be cohesive and fun from beginning to end.
One Hell of a Good Time in Monster Train 2
As the roguelite genre has grown in popularity, it has been slightly intimidating to find the right entry point. Hades was a great introduction, but ever since, I’ve been desperately trying to find the right experience to capture that same high. Some games have come close, but nothing has come close to eliciting the emotions I felt while playing what is arguably the genre’s biggest breakout hit. That changed when I first started playing Monster Train 2.
There is nothing like this game out there. The roguelite elements are accompanied by components from the deckbuilder and tower defense genres in a combination that really shouldn’t work as well as it does. The story, while slightly formulaic, is filled with charm and great designs that will keep you engaged from beginning to end. If you aren’t engaged by the narrative, you will certainly be hooked by the gameplay with its exciting encounters and great opportunity for experimentation with different strategies while working towards unlocking more factions, units, and spell cards.
Certainly, there are some issues. The lack of any accessibility options for people unfamiliar with the genres Monster Train 2 is influenced by make it a very intimidating game to get into. That intimidation is only compounded by a lack of commitment to a single genre, no recap of everything players should know from the original Monster Train, and no difficulty options if you’re looking for a more relaxed experience.
However, if you’re a fan of the roguelites, deckbuilders, or tower defense games, then I highly recommend giving Monster Train 2. I look forward to going back to replay the game more to see everything I missed in my initial set of runs. I also cannot wait to see where Shiny Shoe and Big Fan Games take the series next, in either post-launch updates or the next entry in the franchise. Whatever comes next, I will await it with eager eyes.
Disclaimer: Big Fan Games provided Final Weapon with a Steam copy of Monster Train 2 for review purposes.
