Throwback Thursday - Rogue Legacy

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  Stepping up to the plate this week - the game of color-blind heroes and floating portrait foes that is Rogue Legacy.

Released in the US on June 27th, 2013, Rogue Legacy is a tough as nails platformer with roguelike elements as the name notably implies.  Players take control of a brave hero who sets out to explore and defeat four menacing bosses of this labyrinthine castle, in order to access the final boss and avenge their lineage.  But the castle is unforgiving to those unprepared to face its many traps and snares, and will change its layout with each subsequent play.  Because of this clever use of randomly generated dungeons, every play-through is kept fresh and requires players to consistently adapt to any given situation.  And though you may see familiar faces of foes throughout the game's four environments, each area brings unique tactics and variations to keep players on their toes.  There are also many distinct challenge rooms and surprises to be found in these randomly generated halls, making sure their is never a dull moment to be found.

Aside from the brilliant nature of these ever-changing maps, another core concept of this roguelike adventure is in the way players press on from game to game.  Whenever a player should die, they carry on to the next heir in their continuing lineage, choosing from one of three randomly generated heroes.  Each hero is given a unique name, character traits, and powers.  While many of these character traits can seem silly, they can sometimes have creative and interesting effects on the gameplay, such as color-blind heroes seeing the world in black and white, or OCD players earning extra mana from destroying every piece of furniture.  Players also retain any gold after dying, to which they can spend on upgrading their manor for character upgrades, or buying pieces of armor / runes discovered.  Before reentering the new castle, gold must be surrendered to a grim ferryman, so players are encouraged to spend their gold.  With each play-through, players will slowly become stronger and more confident in their skills, that is until they get to the next section of the castle and realize where the challenge really begins.  But for those who love a punishing experience and an unrelenting persistence, Rogue Legacy accepts your challenge.