Monster Train 2 XBOX Review 9/10 " One hell of a freight" 🚂👹 @TheMonsterTrain #IndieGame #GameDev

In most visions of apocalyptic battles between heaven and hell, between angels and demons, between God and the Devil itself, the battleground is a scarred wasteland and the warriors are on horseback, wielding swords and axes. Something distinctly more Tolkienesque than Shiny Shoe’s interpretation in the Monster Train games. If their idea is to be believed, then the final tussle on earth takes place in a train carriage more reminiscent of something halfway between Snowpiercer and the climatic fight in Broken Arrow.

But what of the game itself? I’ll get this out straight away. Fans of the original certainly need not worry. This is everything the first game was and more. Expanded and enhanced in terms of options, cards, clans and mechanics.To the uninitiated, this is a roguelike deckbuilding game. A little like Slay the Spire (which has its own sequel on the horizon, card game fans), the short version is that you fight a series of battles where cards increase your defence, increase your attack or reduce those of your opponents. Where MT differs to STS, is the latter has a choice of four characters, and a range of cards for each. Monster Train 2 has nine clans (five new, four returning from the original), and within those, several hero characters and a host of other creatures to fight alongside. And THEN you also have the cards that tweak stats, debuff your foes and throw a range of curveballs into the arena.

It's this sizable slew of variables that helps make and keep the game interesting. I played Monster Train to death, and this has the feeling of going along a similar path for me. One thing I would say is that the sequel wasn’t as immediately enticing as the first, but this is just down to the difficulty. With the original, it wasn’t long before I’d defeated the base game and began going back at harder and harder difficulty levels. Monster Train 2 felt less forgiving, leaning into the roguelike aspects far more. I think it took me 5-10 attempts to beat the boss and conquer Heaven. And that’s where it gets more engaging as you unlock clans and far more variables generally.

The music, like in the original, is solid enough. It’s a synthy, emo rock which gets your foot tapping, but is really just background music like you might get in Streetfighter 2.

One weak aspect, albeit one that’s of little importance to this reviewer, is the plot and cutscenes. They’re basic and just filler really, and I personally skipped them after the first few. But for those who want to know in whose name they are throwing themselves into battle, a rudimentary story can be found and enjoyed.

SUMMARY
In summary, this is an excellent game that builds on and improves the original in every way. It looks better and has more options than ever before. The variables do mean that there are times when the combinations you have either make you very underpowered or overpowered, but that’s the nature of a deck builder. Anyone who likes Slay the Spire or Monster Train will be in heaven and I urge the less aware to give it a go (but be prepared to slog it out initially).

I was asked to review this game, but such is its appeal, it has dominated my gaming schedule ever since I got the train going again. 

Monster Train 2 keeps you coming back for more with a devilish vengeance.

9/10

🧊🆒ICE COOL🧊🆒