Sequels can go one way or another; some developers will choose to completely change the formula, and others aim to recapture lightning in a bottle by repeating what made a game great in the first place. Slay the Spire was something of a cult success. With the early-access period lasting around 18 months, the developers had time to refine, change and get any kinks out. The bar was set incredibly high, and expectations going into Slay the Spire 2 have been fairly hot, but which side of the fence has developer Mega Crit fallen on: rebottled lighting or an entirely different formula?
Slay the Spire 2 very much follows the same formula that the first game set: a turn-based rogue-like deck builder that popularised the genre. The goal is fairly simple: climb the spire by battling enemies, assembling a deck of cards and gaining abilities that will take down various bosses. The task is made easier by the fun of knowing that each attempt will be different due to the rather procedurally-generated sets of enemies and different cards available during the individual run.
Each run starts off with a basic set of attack and defend cards, and enough player energy to play roughly three cards, but as each enemy is slain, players are awarded with potions, new cards to add to their deck, and money. Potions can offer temporary perks that can help boost strength, defence, add cards, recover HP, and more. Characters can carry up to three potions, and these can really help get you out of a pinch when facing difficult enemies and bosses. Additional cards will help flesh out the starter deck.
At the end of each battle there is a choice of three cards and only one can be selected. There is also the option to not pick a card reward, which can be beneficial for those looking to keep a lean deck. As the run progresses new cards will be introduced that require more and more energy to play, but the rewards of cards like these can often switch the fight. Money can be used in the in-game shop to purchase potions and cards from a wider selection than what is offered from beating regular enemies.
Aside from regular enemies there are the bosses and elites that will be encountered. Elites serve as a sub-boss that often have high health, high attack power, and very much run the risk of ruining the run, but the rewards for beating them will make all the difference thanks to the relics they drop. Relics can also be purchased in the shop, but often for a high price, whereas elites will always drop a relic, which can be the difference maker between a dominating ascendency to the top of the spire or missing out and dying, causing to restart the run from scratch.
In a nutshell, these mechanics are exactly the same as what are found in the original. There are new potions, cards and relics, all of which are welcome additions, but they feel more evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
The mechanics aren’t the only thing that feels familiar. Starting off, there is only one character available to choose: the Ironclad, a returning character from Slay the Spire. Attempting to complete a run with one character will unlock another until there are five available. Players returning from the original will recognise the Ironclad, the Silent and the Defect, all of which have unique abilities and perks, such as the Ironclad’s ability to heal a small amount of HP after each battle, the Silent’s ability to draw more cards each turn, and the Defect’s unique fighting style to channel a recurring lightning attack.
Herein lies the depth and the somewhat addictive nature of Slay the Spire. As each character is unique, it also means that they have different types of cards to play, and thus each character has a slightly different approach to ascend to the top. The downside is that with similar mechanics and the same characters from Slay the Spire, it is no wonder why this is starting to feel overly familiar. Sure, there are a couple of minor differences, such as additional unique cards available for each character or the Defect’s ability to channel different types of attack, but none of these feel inherently different. Purists who know the original game inside out will certainly feel these differences, but the common player will have to question themselves if there have been many differences made to the core gameplay at all.
Thankfully there are two new characters that help shake things up. The Regent has a secondary energy gauge to consider, as some cards will need both regular energy and stars in order to be played. The Necrobinder has a companion, Osty, who also can serve as additional blocked damage, and if defeated gets automatically resurrected each turn. Both the Regent and the Necrobinder are the shining stars during this Early Access period, offering up different styles of gameplay and mechanics. Hopefully there are more new characters on the way once the full build releases.
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but visually Slay the Spire 2 looks almost as you remembered Slay the Spire… except that isn’t fully accurate. Refined character models, new battle animations, clearer UI, and an easier to read map are all certainly welcome. It is a shame that the latter hasn’t had a few more changes, as changing how players progress through the spire itself could have been a more defining change. There are normally three or four branching paths that can be chosen, each with their own obstacles and pitfalls. The map can now be drawn on to mark any routes of significance, and compared to the original, does look clearer with defined paths.
Slay the Spire 2 introduces a couple of quests that require the player to have an active card in their deck to find certain locations on the map, but these feel like small additions to what could have been. The audio has had very few refinements, but characters chirping and battle sounds all offer that sultry dopamine hit. There’s nothing like playing one card and hearing a cacophony of attacks finish off an opponent, or better yet: using their own moves against them and repelling attacks. Naturally progressing through the spire will unlock Epochs, which are shown to the player after they have completed a run or died. The Epochs serve as a timeline of events but also unlock various potions, relics and cards for future runs, as well as putting in a little story padding.
One of the more significant updates is the multiplayer mode, which requires private lobbies of up to four friends who also own Slay the Spire 2. At the moment there is no method to play local multiplayer with one copy of the game or to matchmake with the wider world. Multiplayer can somewhat have mixed results. Given that Slay the Spire has been such a single-player focussed game, it takes some time to get familiar with the concept that other players on your team can have a huge impact. It takes coordination and strategy, which feels almost alien given the solo nature of the first game, as well as the single-player mode in Slay the Spire 2.
Examples of this in practice can be one player applying debuffs whilst another player tries to play their own strategy, almost forgetting that there is another teammate that needs to be coordinated with to maximise attacks or defence. However, the run also feels individualised as each player has their own money and their own cards to choose from when battles are over, but relics and other rewards can only be given to one player. If multiple players select the same relic then it is randomised as to who gets what. Likewise, the route on the map also plays out in the same way; if players choose opposing paths then the computer will make the decision for you based on the selected options.
