Monster Train 2 breathes new life into one of 2020’s best games

digitaltrends.com:

Monster Train, a 2020 indie hit by Shiny Shoe, is getting a sequel. Monster Train 2 is set to launch this year for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Ahead of its reveal, Digital Trends went hands on with the sequel, taking its new clans for a spin.

Released in May 2020, Monster Train is a cross between a roguelike, a deckbuilder, and tower defense game that draws inspiration from Slay the Spire. In it, players protect a pyre that’s being delivered to hell via a three-story train by amassing a deck of demons and using them to ward off invading foes. The gameplay loop is all about using cards strategically to fill each floor with monsters that auto attack at the end of a turn. Shiny Shoe followed that up with 2024’s Inkbound, but now it’s returning to Monster Train for a proper sequel.

Monster Train 2 continues the first game’s story, delving into a new story in which angels and demons need to unite to fend off a new threat, Titans. All of that gives Shiny Shoe a good reason to create new clans, which bring a slew of monsters to the sequel. Only two were playable in the demo I tried, though there will be three more in the final version. Banished are fallen angels who have allied with Hell to reclaim Heaven from the Titans, while Pyreborn are fiery demons who take their powers from dragons. When heading out on a run, players pick both a primary clan and an allied clan, allowing them to mix decks.

Those who have played Monster Hunter won’t find many surprises here, as the gameplay loop remains largely unchanged. I’m tossed into a roguelike run where I build up my deck between battles. Fights have me strategically placing units on each train car, paying attention to how I order them to maximize damage when I end my turn. I can help my odds by playing utility cards that either weaken enemies or buff my stats. For instance, Just Cause moves a unit to the front of the line while giving them two points of Valor and upping their armor in the process.

• New