Supergiant pulled off the impossible. They took one of the best roguelikes ever made and somehow made the sequel even better. Melinoë plays completely differently than Zagreus. The staff and scythe emphasize spacing and charged specials in ways that feel fresh thirty-five hours in. Witch sigils let you drop safe zones and damage fields mid-fight which fundamentally changes how you approach every encounter. The combat depth is incredible.
The Arcana card system is brilliant meta-progression design. You can respec based on what weapon and familiar you’re building around. Runs take longer than the first game but the build variety is insane. The amount of control you have over your build direction puts most action roguelikes to shame. Gathering reagents for rituals, infusing weapons with hexes, and crafting incantations before each run creates this satisfying preparation loop that never feels tedious. Every run feels purposeful.
The Chronos fight is a great boss encounter. It has multi-phase design with readable patterns but it’s absolutely brutal if you’re not paying attention or move too fast. It demands that you understand every system the game has taught you. When you finally beat him it feels earned.
The story builds on the first game while telling its own. The new cast feels just as compelling as the original.
The surface world structure keeps everything fresh. The hand-painted art style is gorgeous, new environments and character designs are all striking, and the soundtrack is an absolute banger. Every track fits perfectly. The performance on Switch 2 is flawless - smooth framerate, instant loading, no issues whatsoever.
Supergiant delivered another masterpiece. Thirty-five hours in and I’m still discovering new dialogue branches and build combinations. Roguelike design at its absolute peak. One of the best games of the year.