Rogue Legacy

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 703 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 496 out of 703
  2. Mixed: 147 out of 703
  3. Negative: 60 out of 703
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  1. Arcturus519
    Aug 2, 2013
    8
    This isn't really a 'rogue like' game at all.

    With that giant lie out of the way. This is a nifty platformer game, with dynamically (not really random) designed dungeons, that fit together in many many many different rooms and orders. It is limited in enemy types of under 10 different types of enemies, that grow stronger (and bigger and meaner). Plus 4 boss mobs, and a new game+ mode    This isn't really a 'rogue like' game at all.

    With that giant lie out of the way. This is a nifty platformer game, with dynamically (not really random) designed dungeons, that fit together in many many many different rooms and orders. It is limited in enemy types of under 10 different types of enemies, that grow stronger (and bigger and meaner). Plus 4 boss mobs, and a new game+ mode for even more fun!!
    Seriously with all the negatives out of the way, I just found myself playing it, and losing track of time. It is frustrating and hard, but you get better at it and instead of clearing the first 3 rooms, soon you start clearing huge areas on each run.
    Addictive 2d platform game that makes the other platform games you've played recently look to be frank. Bad. This game using a simple interface that works and is fun. It isn't overly complicated, with several different spells you can use and only one sword attack, yet it works and it works well.    … Expand
  2. Slick_Fingarz
    Aug 2, 2013
    9
    Great game, Hard but fair with a ton of replay, it gets really fun about two hours in, then it slows a little, and gets really fun mid New Game Word of advice, play with a controller, much much better with a controller.
  3. NjC121
    Aug 1, 2013
    7
    I have done everything in this game, aside from go beyond New Game +5. I have all the gear, upgrades, and runes unlocked. I have become proficient in every class, and I know how all the traits and spells interact. So, do I feel like I got enough value from Rogue Legacy?

    Yes, of course! The initial exploration and the detailed character progression provides a lot of fun times. The first    I have done everything in this game, aside from go beyond New Game +5. I have all the gear, upgrades, and runes unlocked. I have become proficient in every class, and I know how all the traits and spells interact. So, do I feel like I got enough value from Rogue Legacy?

    Yes, of course! The initial exploration and the detailed character progression provides a lot of fun times. The first few runs, you will struggle to survive. But you will find that exciting and fun since knowing each death is one step closer to victory. Once you start to struggle less, you it gets really good. You start to figure out how to clear rooms not easily, but handily with some skill involved. And each character plays a bit differently, shifting your tactics. Even long into the game, you're still exploring to find new items, unlock better stats, and defeat new deadlier versions of enemies.

    But it's not all sunshine. The game begins to drag around when you start New Game +2. At this point, the new enemies are not so much different as they are positively annoying. Many rooms will see you wading through impossible bullet hells as each enemy fires off ridiculous amounts of shots. Most of these shots go through walls, so you have literally nowhere to hide for a reprieve. A couple of powerful abilities can counter this, like time freeze and mist form, but it's quite a shame that many characters essentially become obsolete later in the game due to poor balancing.

    The controls are a mixed bag. They are generally tight and responsive. Both the keyboard and the Xbox controller I used worked well, though the controller is a bit more comfortable for me in these types of games. There are several annoying decisions Cellar Games made with character control though. For one, your character doesn't turn left-to-right (and vice versa) as you would expect. They actually step backwards a bit, as if wheeling around, which can lead to the character being slightly out of position from where you think he/she should be. Plus, you can't turn around at all while attacking. This can lead to times when you'll be furiously attacking in the wrong direction despite mashing the correct direction.

    One final control problem I've encountered is the lack of mid-air recovery from hits. It doesn't matter how many air jumps or how much flight you have left. When you get hit, you fall aaaaall the way to the bottom of the room. This presents an extra challenge to certain rooms, but with later level design being all but unfair, it turns every single hit into a frustrating ordeal.

    At this point, I have no more desire to play the game. I've gotten many hours of enjoyment from it, but it does not persist like a true rogue-like such as The Binding of Isaac. The latter has its own balance and control issues (though far less game-breaking), but it sticks around due to the amazing amount of interesting and game-changing items to be found in every playthrough. Rogue Legacy by comparison only has a handful of classes (some become obsolete), spells (some are not very useful), and traits (many are pointless or even to be avoided).

    If Rogue Legacy want to remain relevant, Cellar Door Games needs to update it with:
    1. Redesigned late-game enemies and new enemies for more variety.
    2. More interesting spells, traits, abilities, and in-game pick-ups. A *lot* more.
    3. New-Game+ feature should unlock more upgrades/equipment/runes to buy.    … Expand
  4. gabriot
    Jul 31, 2013
    7
    This is an alright game with a good amount of replay, but in my opinion it does fall slightly short as a rogue-like. If I'm comparing it against Binding of Isaac, they are somewhat similar in that they loosely follow some old-school well known games (in BoS it was Zelda, here in RL it is castlevania).

    My first complaint and complement are intertwined and it has to do with the    This is an alright game with a good amount of replay, but in my opinion it does fall slightly short as a rogue-like. If I'm comparing it against Binding of Isaac, they are somewhat similar in that they loosely follow some old-school well known games (in BoS it was Zelda, here in RL it is castlevania).

    My first complaint and complement are intertwined and it has to do with the character selection screen. You get a choice between 3 different characters, each of which has different "traits" (can be positive things like larger knockback, or negative things like hallucinating enemies that aren't really there), and each of which is a different class (if you've unlocked them). What I like about that: different traits. This is a cool concept. What I don't like about it why can't I just choose which class I want to play? If you've unlocked a class, it shouldn't be random whether or not you get to play them. This game would be infinitely more fun if I could do successive playthroughs getting better with one class at a time. The classes are so vastly different in how they're played that it makes it TONS more difficult than it needs to be to ramp up in skill, because you're constantly having to switch between classes that have completely different skill sets.

    My next complaint would be the controls. They are not atrocious but they are not great. The downward slash move is very inconsistent and random in both when it wants to hit and how high it's going to fling you after hitting. I'm fine with it being a hard move to pull off, but the difficulty of it should not be in the awful control of it, and that's what it currently is.

    On each playthrough you earn coins that you basically use to purchase "upgrades" and unlock new things such as classes, weapons, and powerups for your characters. You can also "lock" down a dungeon for the price of 75% of all gold you make, which is a cool feature. You lose all the gold you don't spend once you re-enter the dungeon on each playthrough. There is an expensive upgrade you can get which lessens how much you pay to enter the dungeon, but it is an absolute joke of an upgrade and in all honestly even fully upgraded you'd still be paying all your money back essentially.

    So this sort of leads in to my main qualm with this game. It's not really a "rogue-like" to me. The only rogue-like aspect of the game is that when you die, you're dead, and that the levels are randomly generated. One would think that's all it takes to be a rogue-like, but playing this game made me realize that's just not what makes a rogue-like a rogue-like. Rogue Legacy is a game that you basically have no chance of beating on your first play through. This is because you have no upgrades to handle anything past the first 2 "stages" of the game. You'll get to areas where enemies just 1-hit you, only because you didn't get the "stats" required to do that area.

    This to me is not a quality of a rogue-like. You basically have to play the game over and over and over again, until your stats get to a point where everything is just easy to you. Along with that, the bosses are not random, and once you kill them (there are only 4, 1 for each "stage", then some final post-game bosses) they are dead for good, and you never face them again on the "stage" on subsequent playthroughs. That is just who thought that was a good idea? The bosses aren't that great either, compared to the bosses in Binding of Isaac it's night and day in terms of how well they are designed. The bosses are a very "low" point for rogue legacy.

    Also as you advance in stages, every enemy is just a rehash of a previous one, so variety is not a strong suit of the game either.

    All in all, rogue legacy is a game that you probably won't regret purchasing, you'll get many hours of fun/frustration out of it and it is solid for the most part. It's no binding of isaac but in terms of side scroller "rogue-likes" (I use the term loosely) it's probably your best option at this point.    … Expand
  5. aust
    Jul 29, 2013
    7
    it's really fun gets a little repetitive but the infinite character possibilities helps over shadow that. the game takes a lot of trial and error but when you beat it you feel like you conquer the world.
  6. StylixDS
    Jul 29, 2013
    8
    This is a fantastic title for anyone that grew up with side scroller games. It does have its annoyances though, but if you are willing to take the time to immerse yourself into this game you'll rise above them.

    The game is very simple in terms of combat and goals. Although there is a loose story around the game and an end boss, the initial goal will be to unlock upgrades, armor, and    This is a fantastic title for anyone that grew up with side scroller games. It does have its annoyances though, but if you are willing to take the time to immerse yourself into this game you'll rise above them.

    The game is very simple in terms of combat and goals. Although there is a loose story around the game and an end boss, the initial goal will be to unlock upgrades, armor, and runes to ultimately help you achieve a full clear. Basically it boils down to this, pick a character out of a choice of three with the most favorable set of traits you prefer, enter the castle, clear rooms and collect enough money before you die to purchase the next upgrade. Of course as you get more upgrades, the enemies get tougher too so expect to die.... a lot!

    Because the castle is randomly generated, this means that you can't memories the levels and enemy placement. This forces you to actually learn the patterns and behavior of your foes, and adds a strategic element for planning out your attack order in a room filled with baddies. If you just run in and blindly start attacking the first thing you see, you may find yourself trapped in a crossfire of steel and magic that will quickly end your life.

    Some people may hate how challenging this can make the game. At times it can be downright frustrating, but unlike true rogue-like games this one actually has a sort of character progression. Even though the enemies will get tougher, as you gain levels you'll have more margin for error. Combine that with mastering the enemy behavior, and soon you'll find the game easy enough to clear most rooms, but still challenging enough to keep you on your toes.

    My only major complaints with the game is that it really only has four areas to explore. Although it is randomly generated, the limited themes and music grow tired before long. It's easy to overlook though if you enjoy the gameplay, and it has a huge amount of upgrades to obtain. If you are the type of person that like to unlock stuff, that should be enough to keep you coming back to this game for quite awhile.

    Fifteen dollars may seem like a steep price when most games of similar budget and quality are in the five to ten dollar range, but this one has enough replay value to make it worth the money. If you're looking for a game that actually has gameplay, and not cutscenes and quicktime events every couple of minutes, give this one a try. Its oldschool arcade feeling goodness at its best.    … Expand
  7. 11thMoon
    Jul 28, 2013
    9
    WARNING This game isn't for new gen peeps who like hand holding.
    Yes this game is hard, but that just makes it more rewarding.
    I have 12 hours on it, and I keep going back to it.
  8. jjhill001
    Jul 28, 2013
    7
    Interesting and humorous game mechanics in this game with the generation class selection thing. It's a solid platformer. Some of the upgrades are ridiculously expensive for what you get. The game is hard, and it's a time sink, you don't have to commit more than 15 minutes to it or you can play all day if you want. It's good in between playing some of my multiplayer games.
  9. Rete
    Jul 25, 2013
    10
    I like this game a lot. It's not as punishing as other rogue-likes, so it's a lot more accessible. Every life, you have to pick between 3 children, and each child has different classes and traits, so you're forced to learn the nuances of game as opposed to just learning 1 small subset, which is refreshing.
  10. Kairotic
    Jul 24, 2013
    10
    An amazing game well worth the purchase. Loads of replay-ability. If you like a challenge and don't rage-quit because you suck at video games, then you should have no troubles playing this game. It's a blast and not one to be missed.
  11. Vonnd
    Jul 20, 2013
    8
    I liked this game and played it pretty much to "completion" (I've all the steam achievements and I played it to legacy +7 or +8. At this point the game becomes very broken but most of it I enjoyed before that. The bosses are a bit easy in face they're easier than the normal monsters after completing the game for the first time. Nevertheless I had fun with the game and enjoyed jumping andI liked this game and played it pretty much to "completion" (I've all the steam achievements and I played it to legacy +7 or +8. At this point the game becomes very broken but most of it I enjoyed before that. The bosses are a bit easy in face they're easier than the normal monsters after completing the game for the first time. Nevertheless I had fun with the game and enjoyed jumping and killing and the different variations of the game.

    Pros:
    + I really liked the RPG aspects of this game. Upgrading your castle to upgrade your character and to do so in other ways as well was what kept me going for 20h+, which for me was money's worth for this game.
    + I liked the music, background and the nice events the dungeon had to offer. In addition the character traits were a fun addition.
    + Changing the class was fun way to play the game in different ways and there were even class-specific challenges for rewards throughout the castle.
    + This game didn't need a story and neither did it really have one. It was fun to play.

    Cons:
    - I felt that the scaling of your character is really bad since monsters do scale with levels. Your character doesn't and you'll pretty much get 1-2 shotted at the point of game where I am by some of the monsters. Also most classes become useless later on taking some of the fun away.
    - The animation of the sword (arc of the slash and length of the sword) don't match the actual hitbox of the sword which I found frustrating at times.
    - In my taste it should have had more zones, bosses and events.    … Expand
  12. bassman2112
    Jul 19, 2013
    8
    I can't remember the last time I played a single-player at least a couple of times every day over the course of a few weeks. Rogue Legacy's tight controls, engaging gameplay, challenging (randomly generated) dungeons, and extensive skill tree roped me in, and it is not likely to let go anytime soon. I find myself returning at an alarmingly high frequency to sit down for half hour sessionsI can't remember the last time I played a single-player at least a couple of times every day over the course of a few weeks. Rogue Legacy's tight controls, engaging gameplay, challenging (randomly generated) dungeons, and extensive skill tree roped me in, and it is not likely to let go anytime soon. I find myself returning at an alarmingly high frequency to sit down for half hour sessions to relax and get a small amount of progress, or sit in for longer sessions trying to plow my way through my 2nd new game (the challenge increases with every NG+).

    Little needs to be said about this game, for it succeeds on so many levels. With that being said, I've found some issues with hitboxes, glitches, and general jankiness (enemies turning invisible, how terrible the "Vertigo" trait is, etc) so this is not quite a perfect score from me.

    Pick up this game, though. It is completely worth it.

    4/5    … Expand
  13. M0HAX
    Jul 19, 2013
    1
    I am an extreme fan of roguelike games. ADOM, DC, IVAN, even DF(more or less roguelike). This game is not what a true rl game should be. Now I'll expand on that thought.

    First requirement for the rl game is a permadeath. Well this game doesn't have it. Instead it "fakes" death in order to reroll some of the stats in a way that usually doesn't change a single thing. Character doesn't    I am an extreme fan of roguelike games. ADOM, DC, IVAN, even DF(more or less roguelike). This game is not what a true rl game should be. Now I'll expand on that thought.

    First requirement for the rl game is a permadeath. Well this game doesn't have it. Instead it "fakes" death in order to reroll some of the stats in a way that usually doesn't change a single thing. Character doesn't loose progress, as this game's only progressing parts are upgrades. He simply gets reborn as a farting balding female...

    However the one thing that gets lost is money, which makes the game all the more frustrating. As frankly you will die well over a hundred times w/o having a chance to upgrade anything, often being 1 or 2 gold short of the damned n k gold upgrades. Even more times you will have more than enough money to buy all the equipment you have already bought several times over, wishing you found a new blueprint or rune during the last run.

    Deaths may have been less often if the controls were actually precise or at least semi-accurate. Yet again, there is a huge "NO" painted all over the screen. You will bump into monsters, fall on the spikes, miss your aerial drop-hits and "enjoy" deathscreens again and again. Game doesn't challenge you with monsters hard to fight, it challenges you with controls that make monsters hard to fight.

    To make it worse, after dying you let your heir wander the castle. Going through exactly the same places, just in the different order. And again. And again. And again. And again. Quite fun isn't it? And again. And again. Getting slightly boring? Nah... And again. And again. And again. RAAAGE. Thats what the game feels like after a few hours of playing. Very soon player gets the idea that there is NO exploration at all. Maya at the top forest to the right, dungeon below. Now just wander through around 100 similar rooms bam! game ended, there is the King slayer. Unless you enjoy heavy-duty grinding most likely you will have to quit for a bit, maybe look out of the window to make sure world outside is actually diverse.

    But thats not all there is. Classes are the same. Absolutely. Ninja/Archmage/Paladin who cares? You will not get to use different play-styles. Its all the same jump-hack-spell routine. And there is only a little handful of overall useless spells. The ones that actually matter cost a lot of mana and make you burn through your bar in mere moments.

    Boss fights. You will be hit. It is impossible to kill bosses without being hit. So if your gear is low you won't be able to outskill them. It is simply not possible. So in order to kill them you have to have a gear of at least level n, where n was set by devs. And yeah, it won't work trying to go up from start, or left, or down for that matter. You MUST level to win. And to level you need gold... and so on, etc., etc.

    Overall I severely disliked the game. While I was waiting for an interesting roguelike sidecrawler, I got an annoying boring meatgrinder with terrible controls, somewhat nice graphics and almost impossible to notice music.    … Expand
  14. Rolento
    Jul 18, 2013
    9
    Castlevania? Check. Rogue-like mechanics? Check. Awesome graphic style? Check. Amazing music? Check. Check. Incredibly challenging? Funny gimmick to make that less frustrating? Check. Replay value? Check. At least an excuse plot? Check, and then add some. This game is brilliant in many, many ways. All my praises would be a list of what the game is. It's fun and it's a challenge, andCastlevania? Check. Rogue-like mechanics? Check. Awesome graphic style? Check. Amazing music? Check. Check. Incredibly challenging? Funny gimmick to make that less frustrating? Check. Replay value? Check. At least an excuse plot? Check, and then add some. This game is brilliant in many, many ways. All my praises would be a list of what the game is. It's fun and it's a challenge, and that's a rare combination. Just go play it. It's like they reinvented one of my favorite games to enhance it. Even "farming" here is a challenge, it's really well made, that's all there is to say on the matter. (side complaints: it has some very minor stupid things, but they are very rare and compared to other games of the genre it's almost irrelevant: I found myself dead due to unavoidable spike balls upon entering a room from above, floating wizards that can't decide wether their projectiles pass through walls or don't, and a somewhat arbirtary relation between dashing lancers and slopes. also the vampire equipment set needs tweaking)… Expand
  15. Thordane
    Jul 18, 2013
    7
    You come from a long line of VERY stubborn knights who are chasing an immortal traitor in a castle that changes for every generation that enters. The game takes it's mechanics and even puts a nice back story on why each subsequent character you make in a lineage matters. You grind through generations of a family until finally one offspring can have the skills and equipment needed to bestYou come from a long line of VERY stubborn knights who are chasing an immortal traitor in a castle that changes for every generation that enters. The game takes it's mechanics and even puts a nice back story on why each subsequent character you make in a lineage matters. You grind through generations of a family until finally one offspring can have the skills and equipment needed to best the castle, and by the time you finally win you'll feel it is much deserved. That said, this game is a great title for spending 15 minutes to an hour here and there, grinding and learning, until you (randomly) get a castle you can actually beat. I'd rank the game higher, but the controls are not as tight as I'd like, especially for a game that demands immense precision sometimes.… Expand
  16. GreekStapler
    Jul 16, 2013
    7
    First of all, when diving into this game, you have to mentally prepare yourself because you are going to die, many, many times.
    The gameplay is simple to learn, but hard to master as it has you fighting numerous enemies while dodging projectiles and booby traps. The controls are, unfortunately clunky and awkward if a keyboard is used I used one) and it takes longer than it should to be    First of all, when diving into this game, you have to mentally prepare yourself because you are going to die, many, many times.
    The gameplay is simple to learn, but hard to master as it has you fighting numerous enemies while dodging projectiles and booby traps. The controls are, unfortunately clunky and awkward if a keyboard is used I used one) and it takes longer than it should to be able to learn the basics. Mainly because up is not jump and I am used to that in side scroller games.
    All enemies in the game are challenging and different strategies have to be used to defeat each one. But the lack of variety of goons is overwhelming. Even the bosses are variations of the weaker enemies you fight through out the castle (eg: eye that fires one projectile, eye that fires 6 projectiles and (boss) eye that fires projectiles in a circumference) and the stronger variations are punishingly harder than their counterpart making ignoring them and pass by them the best strategy even if you are strong.
    The level design and platforming part of this game are genius and very entertaining and adding some very interesting sections like the fairy chests that can only be unlocked by reaching it in 5 seconds or not taking any damage (between many) although these can be ludicrously difficult for what they give.
    The re-playability is huge, there is a lot to unlock buy and improve. From the beginning you are presented with your manor, a place where you improve stats, unlock classes and level them. It is here where you will be spending most of your money earned in your previous run. There is also a blacksmith, an enchantress and an architect which respectively sell you armor, runes they improve stats and give the ability to dash and double jump) and offer you the chance to keep the castle from randomly generating for one attempt for 70% of the gold you receive that attempt.
    Now, the legacy part of the game. Everytime you die you are presented with a screen showing how well your characters have done by nicknames, from Useless to Legendary. Next you will have to choose your heir from a "roster" of three, each having it's own name, traits and spells falling into classes that you have unlocked. It is great and some of the traits are hilarious and funny but, there is one slight problem.
    Quoting UnclearImage you upgrade certain types of charas (knights, mages, or barbarians) and the game still won't let you specifically pick that type. So you die and get a knave (nothing at all) a bard and a mage, but you've been leveling knights.... Basically you're gonna just spawn, run into castle and die because playing that class is pointless.". Because there are only 3 children to choose from, not all classes can be choosed and that leads to unneeded frustration and killing off characters.
    Rogue Legacy has an average, but very well delivered story that helps you become more determined to finish. Journals of the man who first entered the castle can be found randomly throughout your runs. These give a purpose to what you are doing and have tips if you are having trouble finding out what to do.
    This game is fun, but hard, sometimes too hard. It is the kind of game that is fun but you should never play more than 30 min 1 h to avoid raging.    … Expand
  17. Steamers
    Jul 14, 2013
    2
    Rogue Legacy is a side scrolling randomly-generated hack and slash that brims with lots of unique ideas but the execution falls flat. The hero and his long line of decedents are on the quest to track down and kill Johannes; the immortal traitor who escaped into a shape shifting castle and cannot escape. Seems strange to go after him, but the family-line seems too vengeful to care. ButRogue Legacy is a side scrolling randomly-generated hack and slash that brims with lots of unique ideas but the execution falls flat. The hero and his long line of decedents are on the quest to track down and kill Johannes; the immortal traitor who escaped into a shape shifting castle and cannot escape. Seems strange to go after him, but the family-line seems too vengeful to care. But story doesn’t matter much here, it’s all about gameplay! Let’s see how this fish flops.
    In the grand tradition of rogue-likes you have one life. However, this one life is not meant to last you the game. Instead it’s a money-bag. Your goal is to loot the castle for as much money and upgrades as you stuff in a suit of armor. Instead of attempting to beat the game on one life, you are expected to die until you amassed enough gold to purchase the best equipment available and smite everything in yawn-inducing short fashion. However, gold cannot be horded as Charon, the castle guardian, demands that you fork over all your hard earned coin as an entrance fee. This means ill-fated runs that fail to produce a new upgrade mean nothing. In a game where you are expected to increase in power steadily, multiple "empty" runs can be particularly disheartening.
    But wait! It wouldn’t be rouge-like without something random, right? Characters are randomly generated before each play through and have 0-2 traits and a class. Traits may be anything from P.A.D, which disables traps, to Baldness, which changes a few in game texts, to vertigo, which renders the game nearly unplayable. Classes have a few advantage and disadvantages to mold to an archetype like “mage” or “barbarian”. Mages have good magic attack but crummy physical stats. Barbarians can take more damage, but don’t have poor magic stats.
    Despite the "randomly generated" dungeons, the room-types are in short supply. It feels more like the rooms are shuffled rather than generating a whole new set of challenges. Within an hour of play, I came across all the rooms available in the first stage. In addition, the game gives the illusion that you can choose different routes to play different states in whatever order you like a la Megaman. The reality is that it is best to go in a set pattern as enemies can evaporate the hero in a single hit if not upgraded properly.
    Enemies are rather dull and fall into two types- laughably easy melee beefcakes or projectile spamming cannons. As the game progresses you fight the same enemies with more beef and more projectile. Patterns are simple, which isn't bad, but most enemies have little thought in placement and are punching bags riding on player error in order to sneak a sword swing or a projectile in.
    Bosses are as exciting as the enemies and simply regurgitate large heavy-hitting projectiles and enemies in easily avoidable patterns. Like the enemies, they bank on human error rather than having the player learn a set of patterns or have gamepad dexterity and reaction. The final Boss is an exception and does prove to be moderately fun.
    In the end, the game is not challenging but punishing. The game punishes a player for not having “stats X” or dieing too early. The game can be summed as one giant grindfest where the bosses are gear checks and little skill is needed on the player’s part once enough upgrades and equipment have been acquired. This game is for those who enjoy grinding for hours to work up to point where a player can easily smash through the game in a laughable fashion. For me, not only is this magic play though too little in entertainment value, but asks for too much time.    … Expand
  18. svtfox
    Jul 13, 2013
    10
    Really challenging and fun game, super ghouls and ghosts meets castlevania SOTN. I highly recommend getting an xbox gamepad for your PC for this. Unfortunately this is the only controller that I've read works, but I think they're trying to change that. If they haven't done so already, you may need to dig around for a 3rd party program like xpadder to map your joystick buttons to yourReally challenging and fun game, super ghouls and ghosts meets castlevania SOTN. I highly recommend getting an xbox gamepad for your PC for this. Unfortunately this is the only controller that I've read works, but I think they're trying to change that. If they haven't done so already, you may need to dig around for a 3rd party program like xpadder to map your joystick buttons to your keyboard buttons, that's what I ended up needing to do. Definitely worth the trouble, though!… Expand
  19. Skunkbird
    Jul 13, 2013
    9
    Rogue Legacy is a great game with many hours of gameplay. If you like Infinity Blade for IOS, this will be one of your favorite games. With the fact that you have heirs when you die, considering they have different traits and classes, it's endless at the amounts of possible heros. You can build your manor and unlock new classes, increase stats, and more.

    I think this is well worth    Rogue Legacy is a great game with many hours of gameplay. If you like Infinity Blade for IOS, this will be one of your favorite games. With the fact that you have heirs when you die, considering they have different traits and classes, it's endless at the amounts of possible heros. You can build your manor and unlock new classes, increase stats, and more.

    I think this is well worth the 15$. And everyone should try it    … Expand
  20. TomWolf
    Jul 13, 2013
    10
    This little game is just packed full of AWESOME! The rogue-lite system is great where you have to start over if you die but your heir can use the gold you collected and the bonuses you've unlocked so you get stronger and stronger. Rogue with progression.
    Traits are fun. ADHD makes you faster, dyslexia makes you unable to read, nostalgia makes the game sepia toned and gay makes just about    This little game is just packed full of AWESOME! The rogue-lite system is great where you have to start over if you die but your heir can use the gold you collected and the bonuses you've unlocked so you get stronger and stronger. Rogue with progression.
    Traits are fun. ADHD makes you faster, dyslexia makes you unable to read, nostalgia makes the game sepia toned and gay makes just about no difference what so ever....awesome!

    So, look beyond the 8bit-like graphics and have some pure fun with this game!

    (best played with a controller)    … Expand
  21. MrPortoPimenta
    Jul 12, 2013
    8
    A rather difficult but rewarding game, It gives you a sense of great accomplishment at times but it can also be quite frustratingly hard. Its rather simple but with with layers of complexity to keep you interested and invested. Defiantly a must buy game for those looking for a challenge.
  22. EmirSc
    Jul 12, 2013
    9
    Awesome game, very addictive even after you beat all the bosses, just to unlock all makes it very rewarding. controls are very responsive the rune equip stats classes makes a lot of fun to try different mixes.
  23. FearTheCalm
    Jul 11, 2013
    10
    A brutally hard, incredibly fun RPG in the style of Castlevania:SotN. Multiple classes, traits, each with pros and cons, user controled stat growth through the multiple branched upgrade systems (Tower, blacksmith, and Enchantress).

    A controller isn't required, but helps tremendously due to the game type. Xbox controller support natively.
  24. Eveariel
    Jul 11, 2013
    9
    Super fun and addictive game, definitely skill based, and one of my favorite rogue-like games out there. Only thing a little off about it is the controls for the keyboard, honestly.
  25. m0rb
    Jul 8, 2013
    7
    great idea, but excercised only decently...
    it is too difficult to progress your characters, drop-rates are too low and everythinbg is much too expensive-
    IF these 2 last things were changed just a little bit, the game would be a straight 10/10! but, since these flaws are small, yet have a devastating effect, I cannot rate this game too high. It is clearly above average, possibly    great idea, but excercised only decently...
    it is too difficult to progress your characters, drop-rates are too low and everythinbg is much too expensive-
    IF these 2 last things were changed just a little bit, the game would be a straight 10/10!

    but, since these flaws are small, yet have a devastating effect, I cannot rate this game too high.

    It is clearly above average, possibly even a good game, but unfortunately it is so maddening to understand that only minor changes would make for a perfect game...

    7/10 it is if one of the next updates/patches changes the drop-rates and/or makes building your hero a bit more affordable, I'd have to revise my rating to a 9/10.    … Expand
  26. Yarrrrrgh
    Jul 8, 2013
    8
    Easy to learn, but pleasant game. If you have 30 minutes to spend it's excellent choice. If you have 5 hours it is also excellent choice.

    + addictive game play
    + easy controls
    + nice, old school music
    + rpg-like elements

    - may be boring after some time (I didn't achieve this point yet after 8h of playing)
  27. Cotroneo
    Jul 8, 2013
    9
    BUY A 360 CONTROLLER BEFORE YOU BUY IT.

    As somebody that usually hates platformers, after watching some trailers of Rogue Legacy, I thought it had a lot of humour in it. But what really captured my attention was the tons of equipment and upgrades. The game is difficult, but as you progress, and learn the controls and actions of the mobs, it becomes fast paced, fluid, and most of all:    BUY A 360 CONTROLLER BEFORE YOU BUY IT.

    As somebody that usually hates platformers, after watching some trailers of Rogue Legacy, I thought it had a lot of humour in it. But what really captured my attention was the tons of equipment and upgrades. The game is difficult, but as you progress, and learn the controls and actions of the mobs, it becomes fast paced, fluid, and most of all: intense.

    I've been playing it for hours and hours, and I feel like you just can't stop playing. It's so exciting and fast paced. It's very, very rewarding when you get loot, and come back knowing you're able to upgrade your castle(stat upgrades), and buy equipment.

    Great game.

    Buy it.    … Expand
  28. ntall1
    Jul 8, 2013
    8
    The game is lots of fun, and very addicting. Its offers that just one more round kind of game play.

    There is also a new game+ mode that keeps you going after your beat it the first time.
  29. Reaper70
    Jul 7, 2013
    8
    It is a great game! Prepare to be addicted and to die alot!

    Yes, the game is repetitive and unforgiving but perfecting your skills and improving
    your heir through upgrading your gear is tons of fun.
  30. Freakwood
    Jul 7, 2013
    3
    I really don't know how people can give this 10 of 10 possible points. Rogue Legacy is one of the worst attempts to have someone playing a game more than it takes to "beat it" or to see everything the game has to offer. If you die, you can only spend the gold that you have, otherwise you'll lose it at the point you enter the castle. Long story short: you grind. If you'd invest the time inI really don't know how people can give this 10 of 10 possible points. Rogue Legacy is one of the worst attempts to have someone playing a game more than it takes to "beat it" or to see everything the game has to offer. If you die, you can only spend the gold that you have, otherwise you'll lose it at the point you enter the castle. Long story short: you grind. If you'd invest the time in a MMO-RPG you'd be more successful with your character there. The only positive thing about that game is that it's not pay to win.

    How can you give a game like that perfect score? Rogue Legacy is the worst try to bind someone on his PC for a long time. While the artstyle is really nice to see and the people creating the sound really did a great work, neither the game mechanics nor the gameplay are innovative or "new" as some people here mention. Briefly, at a certain point the game you realize that all you do is grinding around senselessly, hit things with your weapon and wait for the gold to drop because that's the only thing this game is about. Getting the gold together to buy new weapons problem: you lose the gold as you enter a new run through the castle. Actually the only positive thing I can say about this game ist that it's not pay to win and 4 of 10 points is really well-meant. If you want a challenge, go play Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts instead..    … Expand
  31. Ian277
    Jul 6, 2013
    2
    This game is horribly flawed, i don't care that you are suppose to die a lot. i have gone through about 30 ancestors and haven't made a dime since my 6th upgrade. mostly because the controls for the keyboard are horrible, and the fact that the dungeon keeper takes all your money when you enter. i have yet to live long enough to kill more than half a row of monsters. the platforming isThis game is horribly flawed, i don't care that you are suppose to die a lot. i have gone through about 30 ancestors and haven't made a dime since my 6th upgrade. mostly because the controls for the keyboard are horrible, and the fact that the dungeon keeper takes all your money when you enter. i have yet to live long enough to kill more than half a row of monsters. the platforming is tricky and if not for the floaty movement and crappy controls might be OK. the bad controls also negatively impact fighting, you really don't the precision to dodge what this game throws at you. I'm sure i would be dazzled by the amazing and expansive upgrade system if i could get enough gold to upgrade. now i am determined to get good with these horrible controls and do better. this game is addictive but i don't see myself ever beating all the bosses just because i don't have the patience to sit through hours of the same and dying over and over. i like difficulty but i like it when i am challenged by things other than controls movement and money things that are supposed to help you in games so maybe... just maybe if i get better with the controls i will start to enjoy this.… Expand
  32. eternalsnows
    Jul 6, 2013
    4
    The first thing you notice starting up Rogue Legacy on a 1920x1080 screen is that it's not a very good looking game. Yes, the designers were going for a retro pixel art look, but frankly they just didn't do a very good job. Animations are clunky, character designs are silly, and foregrounds and backgrounds are utilitarian at best. I hate to say it, but this looks like a game that was putThe first thing you notice starting up Rogue Legacy on a 1920x1080 screen is that it's not a very good looking game. Yes, the designers were going for a retro pixel art look, but frankly they just didn't do a very good job. Animations are clunky, character designs are silly, and foregrounds and backgrounds are utilitarian at best. I hate to say it, but this looks like a game that was put together by a team of programmers doing double duty as artists. It's passable, but barely.

    Visuals aside, the game fares better in the gameplay department. The controls (using a 360 controller) are fluid and responsive, exploration is rewarding, combat is well balanced and the boss fights are well done. This is a challenging game, but the developers did a great job walking the tightrope between frustration and enjoyment. This is what gives the game its initial appeal and keeps you playing for at least a few hours. Each time you die you'll keep saying "just one more try," looking to gather more money and upgrade your character.

    In the end though the game just isn't that fun. It really turns into a huge grind. The more difficult bosses are pretty much impossible unless you've purchased a ton of upgrades, so that means countless runs through pretty much the same areas over and over and over again. Yes, the world is randomly generated each time you play (unless you lock it down), but it's always the same general layout and is always built from the same drab components. Boredom kicks in very quickly as you realize there's nothing much to see and hardly any plot to carry things forward. The gimmicky "traits" that affect your chosen character don't do much and can often be annoying. Who wants to play with the screen inverted? Nobody. You'll try it once for a minute and then never ever pick a character with that trait again.

    The random nature of character selection can be frustrating as well, because you'll mostly want to pick a character class that fits with the upgrades you've been buying. Rolling three mages after pouring all your points into fighting skills is a huge pain. Yes, you can unlock a skill that allows you to reroll the character select screen once, but you're not going to get that until later on, if at all. Even then, your reroll might not be any good.

    In closing I'd say Rogue Legacy is worth picking up just to experience the fluid gameplay and kill a few hours. Wait for it to go on sale though. I think the price is steep in light of the many flaws in the game and its variable quality level.    … Expand
  33. theNILE
    Jul 6, 2013
    5
    Far from perfect but a challenging hack n slash RPG. A few minor tweaks and bug fixes (having to restart your exe gets a bit old) and this game could of been really good, however you have to run through the weakest area every-time you enter unless you want to lock-down which reduces your income, it gets boring very fast and locking down every time when attempting a boss again isFar from perfect but a challenging hack n slash RPG. A few minor tweaks and bug fixes (having to restart your exe gets a bit old) and this game could of been really good, however you have to run through the weakest area every-time you enter unless you want to lock-down which reduces your income, it gets boring very fast and locking down every time when attempting a boss again is time-consuming, and when you just want a specific character and you don't have the Randomize upgrade (which is conveniently placed behind a class upgrade for some reason), it's not really fun. Another flaw is that bosses are either incredibly irritating and tedious, or incredibly easy if you know the trick. I encountered a bug several times where I actually didn't take damage or knockback when being hit. Haggle is also pretty useless early on, yet it's not far up the tree and it's pretty expensive for what it does at that stage.… Expand
  34. Sfaxon
    Jul 5, 2013
    10
    A great mix of Super Ghouls and Ghosts, Castlevania SON, Super Metroid, and Mega Man. If you loved any of those series you should pick up this game. Its a challenging game and extremely addicting. I just wish there were more traits and the progression wasn't so grind gold heavy. I cheated for extra gold and the game was much much more fun (I can't stand grinding for gold and its prettyA great mix of Super Ghouls and Ghosts, Castlevania SON, Super Metroid, and Mega Man. If you loved any of those series you should pick up this game. Its a challenging game and extremely addicting. I just wish there were more traits and the progression wasn't so grind gold heavy. I cheated for extra gold and the game was much much more fun (I can't stand grinding for gold and its pretty easy to just use a HEX editor and get you the gold).

    The randomized levels really gives this game its staying power and makes every play through interesting and fun.

    The only thing this game is missing is multiplayer and maybe a few more traits, enemy classes, and areas to explore. Overall it just does so much right. A must have for 2013.    … Expand
  35. Two
    Jul 5, 2013
    9
    This game is hard. It manages to dangle progress infront of the player just enough to keep them wanting more though. The style is reminiscent of 8bit game days and trust me when I say this, it really helps if you have a controller to go with it. I found the music a little lacking, and my only other complaint is that sometimes I found myself wanting to throw my computer against the wallThis game is hard. It manages to dangle progress infront of the player just enough to keep them wanting more though. The style is reminiscent of 8bit game days and trust me when I say this, it really helps if you have a controller to go with it. I found the music a little lacking, and my only other complaint is that sometimes I found myself wanting to throw my computer against the wall because I'd failed, yet again, to get enough gold for an upgrade I needed and charon was going to take it all anyway. All in all, the game is great.… Expand
  36. HELLruler
    Jul 4, 2013
    8
    This game is really funny. It's a bit hard at first, but you get money and upgrade your defense and offense, get new skills, and the game gets better.
    My only complaint is that you need to grind a bit in the beggining to get some progress, and dying frequently can be frustrating for non-dedicated gamers

    I recommend it, fair price too
  37. sonofslobodan
    Jul 3, 2013
    4
    Really disappointed with this one. It really caught my interest when I saw it initially because I'm a huge fan of the castlevania games (both old and new style) and thought this would be something like that. It's a shame the developers spent so much time on all the features of the game without making the core gameplay fun. The character physics feel a bit too floaty and could reallyReally disappointed with this one. It really caught my interest when I saw it initially because I'm a huge fan of the castlevania games (both old and new style) and thought this would be something like that. It's a shame the developers spent so much time on all the features of the game without making the core gameplay fun. The character physics feel a bit too floaty and could really benefit from some heft to the movement and jumping. Additionally the whole game is tuned way too sensitively so even small movements will send you further than you'd like and you'll end up bumping you against enemies (which makes you take damage by the way) as you jump for attacks.

    Additionally the whole lineage system is gimmicky and poorly thought out. Instead of actually giving you interesting gameplay choices, most of the characters have cosmetic, annoying attributes instead. I find myself avoiding traits like color blind and near-sightedness because its stupid to play a game with a filter that obstructs your vision. These guys needed to really nail down the core of the game before they started adding superficial BS to the game that makes it even worse.    … Expand
  38. downphoenix
    Jul 2, 2013
    10
    If you love roguelike games and/or metroidvania type action RPGs, this game will suck your hours dry. It is super fun and addictive and very well designed. Never played anything that Cellar Door previously put out (And they break the 4th wall in this and talk rather cruelly and sarcastically about their previous games) but regardless of whatever past mistakes they've released as an indieIf you love roguelike games and/or metroidvania type action RPGs, this game will suck your hours dry. It is super fun and addictive and very well designed. Never played anything that Cellar Door previously put out (And they break the 4th wall in this and talk rather cruelly and sarcastically about their previous games) but regardless of whatever past mistakes they've released as an indie developer, they have a surefire hit on this one. There is a reason this game topped Steam's Top Seller list for a week, and it probably would still be on there if not for the new sales, and that reason is you can't get more a more fun, addictive Action RPG game than this for $15, worth every cent, and I gladly would have paid more. (hint hint devs, think about doing some DLC!). Have played about 16 hours so far.… Expand
  39. HeartsTM
    Jul 2, 2013
    2
    I've played this game for about five hours and gone through about forty "generations." Having said that, I would not recommend this game. The controls are frustrating to get the hang of and not nearly precise enough for a game where you are often required to dodge arrays of bullets. Success feels too much like luck. The upgrades for the most part are uninspired and dull and change veryI've played this game for about five hours and gone through about forty "generations." Having said that, I would not recommend this game. The controls are frustrating to get the hang of and not nearly precise enough for a game where you are often required to dodge arrays of bullets. Success feels too much like luck. The upgrades for the most part are uninspired and dull and change very little about the game except for allowing for flat statistical increases. Even the boss battles are pretty bland. Overall the game feels like a slow grind that never changes much and grows tiresome quickly.… Expand
  40. fenrishero
    Jul 1, 2013
    9
    I normally hate games that have unforgiving learning curves and an element of randomness to them, but this game, for some reason, has been incredibly addictive to me. I will play it for an hour or two, then give up, feeling sick of it, only to come back after an hour for another round. It's hard, but it's fair, and once you learn what does and does not work for you, it gets much better.I normally hate games that have unforgiving learning curves and an element of randomness to them, but this game, for some reason, has been incredibly addictive to me. I will play it for an hour or two, then give up, feeling sick of it, only to come back after an hour for another round. It's hard, but it's fair, and once you learn what does and does not work for you, it gets much better. You learn how to play each class, which classes you prefer, what equipment loadouts work best for you with each class, and when you should avoid certain rooms and when you should go for it.

    The random traits can be fun, and you also learn which ones are good, which ones are minor annoyances, and which ones you have to avoid. And the best part about that those three will vary from player to player. I personally can't handle the Colorblind trait, but some of my best playthroughs have come with the Vertigo trait, because it forced me to slow down and think.

    For all the randomness, though, it's got little touches that keep it from getting out of hand. The castle's floor plan can be locked in, the areas are almost always located in the same general orientation (though I've had 2 runs where they were not correct), and there are little touches that prevent you from getting blindsided by damage, if you pay attention.

    Only two real problems occur: there are a couple traits and runes that are far better then others (lots of areas only accesible by those with dwarfism, P.A.D. can make challenging rooms a joke, O.C.D. is always good, while siphon and vampirism runes will be your go to runes) and there are still some minor bugs ('Invulnerable' enemies die without seeming to take damage).

    Overall, a very fun Metroidvania game. Don't be scared away by the roguelite aspect; the game handles it in a way that changes it from source of annoyance to fun way to break up tedium.    … Expand
  41. jonizerror
    Jun 30, 2013
    5
    this game is fun at first but after you die a million times without accomplishing anything you realize that this game is unrealistically hard because theres no point to it. just a randomized castle with the goal to reach the end. if it was at a fair difficulty setting then this game would be beaten in 5 mins top
  42. zombox5000
    Jun 30, 2013
    7
    Tons of platforming fun reminiscent of the Metrovania style of game play made famous by Nintendo back in the 80's. This game features a steep, unforgiving level of challenge and nearly infinite replay ability. The one great knock on it is that this really should have been a console game, it needs a traditional console joystick as the PC controls are a bother. If you use an X-BoxTons of platforming fun reminiscent of the Metrovania style of game play made famous by Nintendo back in the 80's. This game features a steep, unforgiving level of challenge and nearly infinite replay ability. The one great knock on it is that this really should have been a console game, it needs a traditional console joystick as the PC controls are a bother. If you use an X-Box controller on your PC you are ahead of the curve, otherwise this can be tough going.… Expand
  43. Aotom
    Jun 30, 2013
    9
    The most fun i had with a game in a long while. Its hard. Especially at the beginning. Even if its a rogue like game it has some retention of priror runs in form of money, equipment, enchantments etc. This is how you progress and are able to tackle harder enemies.

    Its procedurally generated. Gives flashbacks to Castlevania and Ghost and goblins. Very addictive and fun! (Just one more run...)
  44. killias2
    Jun 30, 2013
    10
    Great game, great controls, great art style, neat mechanics, interesting new approach.

    Yeah, it's pretty much awesome. Think Castlevania Symphony of the Night Dark Souls Randomization in the form of a hardcore side-scrolling action platformer. I really don't get where the criticism of the controls is coming from. Maybe it's the controller? I used a Dualshock 3 with MotionInJoy and    Great game, great controls, great art style, neat mechanics, interesting new approach.

    Yeah, it's pretty much awesome. Think Castlevania Symphony of the Night Dark Souls Randomization in the form of a hardcore side-scrolling action platformer. I really don't get where the criticism of the controls is coming from. Maybe it's the controller? I used a Dualshock 3 with MotionInJoy and the XInput option to emulate the 360 controller. The D-Pad on it worked perfectly for me. If not, I really suggest people just play it a little bit more. The controls are -perfect- once you get used to them. Otherwise, you'd never get through the later areas....    … Expand
  45. YourHero
    Jun 30, 2013
    9
    This game looks and plays like a side-scrolling Action-RPG from 20 years ago. You jump, attack and dodge around the enemies and their attacks. There is one randomly generated dungeon with a few different types of areas in it. There are a couple dozen different types of enemies and the same boss fights each time. The controls are solid and it plays well with a gamepad. The gameplay is notThis game looks and plays like a side-scrolling Action-RPG from 20 years ago. You jump, attack and dodge around the enemies and their attacks. There is one randomly generated dungeon with a few different types of areas in it. There are a couple dozen different types of enemies and the same boss fights each time. The controls are solid and it plays well with a gamepad. The gameplay is not complicated, but the game itself is challenging. You will probably die a lot, but at least it will be your fault. Victory is not an eventuality, so if you get frustrated easily you may wind up not enjoying yourself. (I can pretty much guarantee the people who gave this game negative reviews got frustrated and quit.) Every time you die, you will start over as one of three new randomly generated characters of randomized classes, but you get to spend the gold you've earned on the previous run on upgrades. By default all of the gold you do not spend will be taken from you when you re-enter the dungeon, so if you perform poorly you may not be able to upgrade anything but if you put together a good run you will be able to buy numerous upgrades. It can be a bit of a grind to accumulate enough upgrades and/or increase your skills enough to defeat the game, especially if you aren't very good at these types of games. Beating this game won't get you anything fancy but it feels like an accomplishment. For the price it is a good value and has long-term re-playability. It would be perfect as a portable but is still good on a PC. It could benefit from more enemy variety and customizable options, but overall a good play.… Expand
  46. fizzics
    Jun 30, 2013
    8
    Pretty nice castle exploration RPG game. I spent around 4 hours in the first day. I like heir concept but I wish there were more different level tiles, character traits and maybe more weapons to choose from.
  47. Kluge
    Jun 29, 2013
    10
    Expect to win the game about as frequently as in vanilla Nethack. RL offers a challenging, fun, casual (hardcore-casual, though!) experience. You can pick the game up, head off and die a few times, then set it down and go do something else the dying actually serves the game very well to break the overall game up into bite-size chunks.

    In RL, you're effectively grinding the game to get    Expect to win the game about as frequently as in vanilla Nethack. RL offers a challenging, fun, casual (hardcore-casual, though!) experience. You can pick the game up, head off and die a few times, then set it down and go do something else the dying actually serves the game very well to break the overall game up into bite-size chunks.

    In RL, you're effectively grinding the game to get gear, stats, and abilities for the "over-game" which is the point in which you actually have a shot in Hell of getting through to the final area. There are a few glitches here and there, usually which'll kill you by, for example, having a character apparently undecided if he's on or off a ledge, so he can't jump but dying is fun.

    RL adds quite a bit of fun easter egg type content throughout the castles to ensure things are always fresh, and that you always want to explore. The best part about this content is that it's very rare. You can die 50 times and never see more than a small handful of the "fun" rooms, so the freshness of these unique rooms doesn't wear off quickly like if you were seeing repeats so often, they become "normal."

    I would say, if you like games similar to Binding of Isaac or Nethack, you'll appreciate the intentional imbalance in this game.    … Expand
  48. Bunkerfox
    Jun 29, 2013
    4
    I came into this game expecting an enjoyable side scrolling Castlevania style game. Full of challenge, exploration and just overall fun. But, with added replayability thanks to the random designs. I was very disappointed.

    What I found instead was a very poorly deigned fighting game with atrocious platforming. The jump controls are awful, and it all feels so floaty and poorly done.    I came into this game expecting an enjoyable side scrolling Castlevania style game. Full of challenge, exploration and just overall fun. But, with added replayability thanks to the random designs. I was very disappointed.

    What I found instead was a very poorly deigned fighting game with atrocious platforming. The jump controls are awful, and it all feels so floaty and poorly done.

    The combat. Well, you have a few spells that are either not that useful or just taken straight from Castlevania. The actual sword combat is crap too. Only a few characters can block, and that takes up MP, so that makes it mostly useless. Enemy attacks are very hard to avoid thanks to the floaty jumps and the fact that you often have several coming at you at once, making them unavoidable. Thankfully the stunlock has a good invincibility length, so that somewhat lowers the frustration. A major problem seems to be fighting anyone or anything that is slightly above or below you. jump attacks are dodgy, at best, and more often than not just result in you getting hit. The combat never fells like you are actually physically hitting things, and this, what should have been the main thing in a fighting game, just feels very amateur.

    The difficulty just feels too artificial as well. It's not a game made hard by good design to make it challenging but not frustrating. It's just hard because they throw loads of enemies at you and give you crap ways to fight them

    Now, we have the major selling point of the game. The hero legacy, where when your character dies and his or her heirs take up the fight, but with new and improved bonuses that your previous generations have unlocked. An epic time line of heroes fighting to overcome the evil castle, getting stronger and stronger. Shame it's crap as well. there is ZERO sense of connection to the previous characters. This in no way feels like a line of heroes fighting, just some random characters kicked out of some random number generator. It is, in essence, a very crap levelling system. You go in with a terribly underpowered character, get some gold, and when you die (Which will be soon) you spend some money on upgrades so you can repeat this seemingly endless progress. There is no sense of progress, it's just grinding done poorly. Even upgrading the manor is taken from a cool idea into a levelling up menu.
    Even the randomness of the castle doesn't help the grinding feel of the game. It changes a lot each time, but seeing as you do pretty much the exact same thing and each room in an area looks exactly the same regardless of shape, it never feels like I am exploring a whole new level each time. Just one where they've muddled stuff around so it doesn't flow together well.

    The end result is a game that just isn't all that fun and has a very poor feel to it. Bad controls, bad combat, bad levelling system disguised as another feature it isn't.
    The graphics are nice, the sounds are good and I give it a bonus point for it's portrayal of homosexuality. In fact, I may say it's one of the best I've seen in a game. I take that point back again after it uses disability's as a joke for it's traits. "We wanted to show anyone can be a hero" You don't do that by making fun of serious conditions for a few laughs
    Overall, a title with great promise let down by very sloppy execution    … Expand
  49. DevanK
    Jun 29, 2013
    9
    Rogue Legacy is a fantastic game that combines the classic action-platforming style (and look) of Castlevania & Ghosts & Ghouls with a modern compulsion based structure that is as clever and innovative as it is challenging.

    The game is far from easy, designed to be a "Rogue-Like" game where upon each death, you have to start over and delve once again into the randomly generated castle.    Rogue Legacy is a fantastic game that combines the classic action-platforming style (and look) of Castlevania & Ghosts & Ghouls with a modern compulsion based structure that is as clever and innovative as it is challenging.

    The game is far from easy, designed to be a "Rogue-Like" game where upon each death, you have to start over and delve once again into the randomly generated castle.

    However, Cellar Door Games have lightened this hardcore feature in a creative and intelligent way through their Lineage System, allowing a sense of advancement and progression in a game fundamentally about perma-death and skill runs.

    Upon each death, you are asked to choose an heir to your legacy. Your heir inherits the gold collected on your previous runs and can use it to upgrade Castle Components for new classes and permanent benefits, Forge New Weapons and Armor with statistical upgrades and powers and Enchant Runes that slot into each piece of equipment which grant you important skills to customize your character to your play style. All these upgrades carry forward to each heir in succession, slowly growing your legacy and power and allowing you to more quickly dispatch enemies and make more and more progress.

    Humorous randomly assigned Traits (some cosmetic, some debilitating, some extremely beneficial) keep things fresh and endearingly hilarious on each run. This allows you to stay invested until your skills are good enough that the challenge of the level matches your understanding of the system and you to begin to use strategy to plan our your next assault choosing the hero with the class, traits or spells that would best suit your next run's goals.

    Secret Areas, Chests and Skill Based Challenges make each new room of the castle an intriguing surprise as you hope for another armor blueprint, magic rune, or pile of gold that will allow you to purchase more upgrades and finally defeat that next ridiculous boss that has haunted you for generations.

    The game's nostalgia value, smooth, simple controls and delightful humor draw you in, and it's upgrade and advancement system keeps you eagerly playing. The game overall is an impressive, innovative and rewarding title and aside from the difficulty, there is little not to like about this incredible indie game.    … Expand
  50. Dimonte
    Jun 29, 2013
    5
    When you start the game, it feels really fresh. Traits are absolutely wonderful, upgrades look enticing, all is well. The bit where you actually play the game is much, much worse. Controls are imprecise, randomly generated rooms often present insurmountable obstacle for average gamer, and some enemies' semi-cheating attacks are outright infuriating.

    If you are very good at platformers,    When you start the game, it feels really fresh. Traits are absolutely wonderful, upgrades look enticing, all is well. The bit where you actually play the game is much, much worse. Controls are imprecise, randomly generated rooms often present insurmountable obstacle for average gamer, and some enemies' semi-cheating attacks are outright infuriating.

    If you are very good at platformers, you certainly should try this game. If you aren't and do mind endless die-restart-die-restart cycle, then skip it.    … Expand
  51. Kattsylt
    Jun 28, 2013
    6
    A castlevania-ish platformer with an interesting twist.
    You dont play a single character, you play a branch in your family tree. You will begin with an almost useless character and quickly find out that evil castles can be deadly. But hopefully you got the chance to gather some gold for your dear descendants, because they will continue the quest.
    And thats basically the game. You    A castlevania-ish platformer with an interesting twist.
    You dont play a single character, you play a branch in your family tree. You will begin with an almost useless character and quickly find out that evil castles can be deadly. But hopefully you got the chance to gather some gold for your dear descendants, because they will continue the quest.

    And thats basically the game. You gather gold, upgrade your family castle in order to improve your fighters and crafting items, die, die again, die some more, gather gold and die.

    The game itself feels fresh, interesting and is initially very addictive, but it actually gets old pretty quickly. The lack of story that makes it me wonder why im still entering evil castles generation after generation.    … Expand
  52. var0592
    Jun 28, 2013
    9
    What you need to know is that this game is hard... it has a slightly steep learning curve (for today's gen)..
    if you've been playing retro games, then you'll fit right in...
    the game combines castlevania style combat, metroid style exploration with "RANDOMLY GENERATED LEVELSl" oh! and "with a pinch of ghosts 'n goblins" metroidvania fans should be drooling all over this RIGHT NOW!    What you need to know is that this game is hard... it has a slightly steep learning curve (for today's gen)..
    if you've been playing retro games, then you'll fit right in...
    the game combines castlevania style combat, metroid style exploration with "RANDOMLY GENERATED LEVELSl" oh! and "with a pinch of ghosts 'n goblins"

    metroidvania fans should be drooling all over this RIGHT NOW!

    as the title of the game says, this is a roguelike game... permadeath...
    BUT
    you have an HEIR system... if you die, u can choose an heir who will be next to enter the castle... each heir has some different TRAIT like myopia, flatulence, etc...its mainly to keep the game fresh, though the traits are limited in number... each heir may or may not be of a different class.. the castle layout will be different when you enter each time...

    the upgrade system is pretty good.. using ingame gold, you can unlock new classes, a blacksmith who sells you weapons, armor and stuff IF you can find the missing blueprints...similarly the enchantress for runes, which give you special abilities like hover, dash etc... play around with the runes to find your ideal combination..
    the architect is an important npc who will fix the layout of the castle so that you can replay the same layout.. this especially helps with boss fights and challenges...

    the enemies lack in variety, but this isnt an issue..

    overall this an excellent game which everyone should play, especially metroidvania and retro fans.
    solid game! go get it!    … Expand
  53. UnclearImage
    Jun 27, 2013
    9
    Great game, hard difficulty, alot of replay and a huge upgrade system.
    My only complaint is you upgrade certain types of charas (knights, mages, or barbarians) and the game still won't let you specifically pick that type. So you die and get a knave (nothing at all) a bard and a mage, but you've been leveling knights.... Basically you're gonna just spawn, run into castle and die because    Great game, hard difficulty, alot of replay and a huge upgrade system.
    My only complaint is you upgrade certain types of charas (knights, mages, or barbarians) and the game still won't let you specifically pick that type. So you die and get a knave (nothing at all) a bard and a mage, but you've been leveling knights.... Basically you're gonna just spawn, run into castle and die because playing that class is pointless. This add nothing to my fun at all, huge downside for me. Going to try and get either cheats, or a mod to fix it.    … Expand
  54. O_Callaghan
    Jun 27, 2013
    9
    At its core, a castlevania-esque (it actually reminds me more of Ghouls n' Ghosts) platformer with fun, challenging gameplay. Where this game shines, however, is in the unique blend of influences from the rogue-like genre. Featuring permanent death, when a character dies, you begin playing as that character's child, inheriting the family lineage. Each new character is highly unique,At its core, a castlevania-esque (it actually reminds me more of Ghouls n' Ghosts) platformer with fun, challenging gameplay. Where this game shines, however, is in the unique blend of influences from the rogue-like genre. Featuring permanent death, when a character dies, you begin playing as that character's child, inheriting the family lineage. Each new character is highly unique, however, and there are plenty of classes/specialization options. Characters have some sort of quirk-- if he is dyslexic, for instance, wrods iwll appaer scarmbeld; if she is colorblind, you will be enjoying the game in black-and-white (until she meets her unfortunate end, leaving her empire to her highly-flatulent dwarf son...etc etc). This highly innovative mechanic gives each playthrough a unique feel, aside from the typical rogue-like standards of character customization and world randomization.

    tl;dr: A quality 2d platformer/rogue-like--with plenty of replay value, a steal for the price tag.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

25
#25 Best PC Game of 2013
54
#54 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 43 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 43
  3. Negative: 0 out of 43
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 11, 2014
    86
    If you look up the word addiction in a dictionary, you will find out what that word means. But the dictionary might just as well display a picture of Rogue Legacy. [Dec 2013]
  2. RPG Fan
    Dec 9, 2013
    85
    Amazing old-school mechanics meet modern conventions.
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  3. D+PAD Magazine
    Oct 16, 2013
    100
    Roguelike games have become increasingly popular of late and it’s great to see one which rewards you for all the time spent by allowing a form of character progression. It’s mitigated to a point by having you lose all your money before entering a castle and each purchased bonus makes all the others more expensive.
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