Done With #20: Monster Train 2

It’s no secret that I’m not the biggest deckbuilder girlie out there. The last time I played one was Slay the Spire, and that was years ago. I mean, I have dabbled in a few demos and GamePass titles here and there, but nothing really caught my attention. It’s not until I keep seeing Monster Train 2 on Twitter lately that makes me decide to give it a shot. The next thing I know? It already consumed about 25 hours of my life. Now that I’ve unlocked all factions and leveled up quite a few of them, I think I’m finally qualified to give my two cents on the game.

The game itself is about the unlikely allies that have to band together to defeat the Titans, who recently took over Heaven and sent everything into havoc. The Suicide Squad so to speak consist of a wild variety; from Angels, Frankenstein monsters to Mushroom Warriors. Led by a fallen angel, Fel, the factions are united on the newly built train to take the Titans down and restore peace in all realms.

The story itself isn’t complicated nor is it that interesting, but it’s filled with multiple lighthearted and comedic scenes between the faction leaders that are serviceable enough for what’s essentially a card game. These story beats mostly serve to be reasons that features are unlocked to the players as opposed to moving the plot forward (as it’s a clear cut “we’re fighting Titans” sorta story).

As someone who isn’t really huge into the genre, I think the simplicity of the game really helps ease me into it and really got me hooked. Using cards to summon units to defend a train is a very straightforward concept, with multiple elements such as Spells cards and Equipments that keep the game interesting.

There are so many interesting builds that are reinforced by the fact that you can select two factions at a time. With each faction having two leaders, there are up to 45 combinations and roughly that many playstyles, adding a ton of replayability to the game.

Between each battle, you'll also be able to make choices in visiting nodes that would give you different power ups. Some would buff your units whereas others give you money or powerful Artifacts; which acts as a global passive for the run. Some of these Artifacts would completely change how the game plays, so keep an eye out for those when you see one.

What I think is the best thing about this game is being able to reset without resetting the entire run. In most rougelike, a simple misclick might cost you an entire run, wasting 20-30 minutes of your playtime. Monster Train 2 allows you to either reset the turn, reset the battle, or reset the entire run without penalising you. This is also amazing for people who want to learn game mechanics and check out “what ifs” to see the outcome of the fights. It’s a choice for those who need it, and something that isn’t required to be used frequently to get victories.

Another cool feature of the game is the Statistics screen. It’s incredibly detailed and shows all sorts of progressions and what you’re missing if you’re achievement hunting. From seeing what combinations you’ve tried out, to seeing how your friend is faring, it’s all condensed in one neat page.

To add to this there’s a challenge mode called Dimensional Portal, where the game forces you to build a certain way with Mutators enabled. This could be a massive buff or debuff depending on the scenario. I’ve tried tackling a few of these and they’re really tough and require a lot of brain power. Certainly adding even more things to do in the game. Also these Mutators are also available in normal runs, but enabling them disable achievements and stats tracking.

While this review is on the shorter side, my love for this game does not fall short compared to others. It’s a great game that I’ll return to occasionally for the rest of the year, and certainly sold me on deckbuilding roguelike games, again after not playing one for so long. If you’re a fan of this genre, it’s definitely a must play. It’s on Xbox GamePass if you have a subscription too, if you want to check it out before buying it.