Rogue Legacy, nepotism will get you everywhere

There is an undeniable charm to Rogue Legacy as well as lasting appeal. Unfortunately a little bit of control wobbliness makes it a less than perfect experience.

Rogue Legacy came along at the right time, for a lot of people. I had just started my first graduate job and needed some light fun to help me take my mind off of the days stresses. Enter a really easy to pick up and play, fun and compelling game called Rogue Legacy. 

It's amazing how an hour or two every night after work
 adds up so quickly!

Rogue Legacy is a really charming game. It doesn't ask much of you other than that you devote a little bit of time to enjoying it and maybe you'll make some progress. It took me a long time to actually be any good at rogue legacy, in traditional roguelike fashion Rogue Legacy is hard. I'm still not sure if I am actually good at it or if I have simply ground my way to victory . That's the USP of Rogue Legacy, the classic roguelike formula with a bit of persistence. When you die your heir can spend all the gold you accrued during your last run on various upgrades to make him or her stronger and better at dungeoning. Your heirs come with a variety of defects from the mundane to the absurd, these are usually pretty funny but one or two were a little distasteful. I won't spoil them by going into too much detail here as they are best discovered by you as you play.

There is a good variety of  traits, usually
good for at least one laugh 

And you absolutely should play Rogue Legacy, it scratches that classic gaming itch in a way that few games do. The total lack of hand-holding and being rewarded for your time and persistence feels great. The metroidvania style and the tough nature of the game makes you feel challenged. This also leads to my criticism of Rogue Legacy, I really felt like I wasn't able to control my character how I wanted to. Everything else in the game felt so tight and polished the controls stood out like a sore thumb.

The combat didn't work for me in the same way it didn't work in the Elder Scrolls games. No matter what you do you simply don't have the manoeuvrability or tightness to avoid those enemy attacks.

The tech tree really enhances the game experience

You are going to have to slug off with almost every enemy. Even once you've learned all their tells they sometimes just move faster than you are able to deal with with your sloth-like character. The game really could use more precise controls that let you feel like the character is an extension of yourself and you simply aren't presented with them. The clumsiness of the character really holds the game back. The imprecise controls are intentional but they detracted from the fun I had with the game. 

Controlling your character often feels like you are piloting a tank while wearing mittens. It is floaty and watery and after a certain amount of time you just accept that the characters are all a bit out of your control. This is a real shame because it makes the high risk/reward classes further marginalised. I loved the idea of the Assassin, Archmage and Litch along with a few other classes but they just weren't the right way to play the game. The low health high damage characters just didn't fit in well as it was impossible to survive most battles without taking damage. It was basically a game of see how long you can go without loosing all your health, more health directly equals more time in the run.

Next up, Lancelot: the near sighted paladin

Despite this I still continued to come back for more and more of Rogue Legacy. It is a great game to wind down with or just play and not really pay too much attention to. The game at its core is a great fun way to spend time. The world is charming and pleasant to be in and the adventure and sense of discovery is great. The game lacks a little bit of depth compared to some of it's peers, but that really isn't what it is about. 

Cellar Door Games describe it as a Rogue-Lite, and that is probably the most accurate description for it anyone could give of it.

Prepare to see this screen a lot

 It isn't too hard, it doesn't have the crazy depth and it doesn't hate you like a normal Roguelike. Yet it somehow still maintains all of the charm, challenge and compelling nature of the genre who's most definitive trope it spurns. Rogue Legacy is a must play for anyone who is a fan of roguelikes or metroidvania games. I'd even go as far as describing it as a must for everyone. Rogue Legacy is a masterclass in game design, from the artwork to the unique hooks, everything about it is polished and proper. I couldn't recommend it more highly to anyone who wants to see how it should be done.

I don't mean to sound down on Rogue Legacy, it really is an amazing experience and certainly one not to be missed. Rogue Legacy isn't quite perfect but it is oozing with charm and nuance. I am really excited to see what comes next from Cellar Door Games, though they have left themselves big shoes to fill. I would also love to see what other lessons developers can learn from it. Building your success on your parents hard work has never been more relaxing or accessible thanks to Rogue Legacy, a not quite masterpiece in its own right but something everyone will enjoy and maybe learn something from.