Rogue Legacy 2 is the long-anticipated sequel to 2013’s Rogue Legacy. Much like its predecessor, Rogue Legacy 2 has received universal acclaim thanks to its unique blend of platforming, Metroidvania exploration, and roguelike progression.
Following a period of early access, Rogue Legacy 2 officially released on April 28, 2022, for Windows PC, Xbox One, and Series X/S. You control a family of heroes exploring procedurally generated castles and dungeons, earning gold and upgrading your keep. As with most roguelikes, Rogue Legacy 2 can be unforgiving; expect to die… a lot. Newcomers might also be intimidated by the sheer variables—classes, traits, skills, abilities, weapons, heirlooms, etc.—in the mix, each of which makes runs wildly different.
That’s where we come in: with our beginner’s guide for Rogue Legacy 2. We have broken down the most important aspects of the game, the different classes you can choose from, and the best traits you should pick.
Read up before you jump into the challenging world of Rogue Legacy 2.
How To Earn Gold in Rogue Legacy 2
Almost everything in Rogue Legacy 2 requires money. The primary currency is gold, and you need to hoard a lot of it to unlock classes, upgrade your castle, and acquire equipment. Thankfully, there are some traits that can increase your gold acquisition. The trade-off, however, is that you will be saddled with some nerfs. We will discuss gold-boosting traits later in the guide.
Make sure that you attack any breakable items for a chance of gold coins. You will also come across rooms with riddles and chests worth up to 300 coins.
You can also build “The Living Safe” in your castle to stash some of the gold. This safe, a.k.a. your Offshore Bank Account, ensures that Charon doesn’t take all of your money when you die. You can also increase the capacity of the safe.
Remember, it is always better to spend your money rather than save it. Before each run, use as much of your gold as you need to upgrade your gear and castle; these upgrades are permanent, so you’re always making forward progress. We also advise you to invest in gold-boosting perks as early as possible.
What Are the Classes in Rogue Legacy 2?
While the original Rogue Legacy had classes, they weren’t particularly different from one another. With Rogue Legacy 2, that changes significantly. There’s a deep variety of classes available to you, each with their own strengths and drawbacks.
At first, you start as a knight with a sword. The basic class will get you through several initial biomes, but later levels will be difficult to manage without branching out.
There are 15 classes in Rogue Legacy 2 to choose from:
- Assassin
- Astromancer
- Barbarian
- Bard
- Boxer
- Chef
- Dragon Lancer
- Duelist
- Gunslinger
- Knight
- Mage
- Pirate
- Ranger
- Ronin
- Valkyrie
Each class plays uniquely, and comes with its own set of weapons, abilities, starting health, and mana. No matter your playstyle, there’s a class for it. You can get up close as the Barbarian, or attack from afar as the Ranger. The Duelist is quick, while the Valkyrie can attack in various directions. Their passive abilities (“traits”) and active skills (“talents”) make each class even further unique.
The best part is, there isn’t an over-powered or “must-have” class. Even the lowly Cook, with its frying pan, can light enemies on fire and heal itself after a tough battle. No matter who you roll with, you’re in for a fun time.
Classes are unlocked with gold coins, but they also require a specific Manor level to unlock. Of course, the Manor level is increased the more you invest in your keep. Continue to spend gold, and you’ll see everything Rogue Legacy 2 has to offer, soon enough.
The Best Traits To Pick in Rogue Legacy 2
Just like classes, traits have been expanded significantly in Rogue Legacy 2.
As with every pick-up in the game, a trait’s details are mostly hidden until you select an heir that possesses that trait. You’ll want to get familiar with these traits, as some gel really well with certain classes. For example, Dwarfism and Ectomorph work brilliantly with ranged classes. Your Mage or Archer will have a smaller hitbox, and will be knocked out of range when damaged.
Traits usually come with both positive and negative trade-offs. For example, you may have increased mana, but deal reduced damage. Or, you may have double the health, but can never heal.
As mentioned early, you can opt for gold-boosting traits. Here are some traits to increase your gold acquisition, with manageable negative effects:
- FMF Fan (named after Full Metal Furies, another game by developers Cellar Door Games): This trait has no downside. It gives you a 25% gold boost, making it a must-pick.
- Associative Agnosia: It blacks out enemies, which means you can only recognize them by their silhouettes. Experienced players will love picking this for a 25% boost. That said, this one can be tough for beginners, and impossible to deal with during Challenge Portals.
- Colorblind / Nostalgic: These are essentially black-and-white and sepia filters for the game. Not a bad choice for a 25% boost.
- Compulsive Gambling / Lootbox Addict: These are wildcard choices, as they randomize the gold drops from chests. When opened, a chest will roll between a value of 2% to 400% of its value. While it may seem random, in the long run, you are bound to make a profit.
Don’t go for traits with 50%-100% gold boosts, as they come with significant downsides!
Heirloom Challenges, Explained
Rogue Legacy was purely a roguelike, but the presence of heirlooms in Rogue Legacy 2 adds a bit of Metroidvania flair to the game. These seven collectables are found in their own special rooms, marked on the map with an orange candle. Your HP and MP will be restored and you will be transported to a challenging area to complete the trial within.
It will be tough, but completing a trial will get you an upgrade such as an air dash, a spin kick, etc. These permanent upgrades are well worth your time—not only are they necessary to progress to certain biomes, but they also have lovely lore behind them.
Conclusion
There’s a lot more to Rogue Legacy 2 we don’t want to spoil. There are blacksmiths to befriend and pizza deliveries to intercept. But at its heart, the game is still about combat. Along with classic mechanics such as jumping, slashing, and spell blasting, you can now also use a pogo jump. The fighting is fair but also very challenging; don’t stress yourself out trying to kill all enemies or clear out every room.
There’s also a variety of accessibility options in the game menu, cheekily referred to as “House Rules.” Use it to increase the damage you deal, reduce the damage you take, and more. These tweaks will give you a better chance to survive without breaking the game.
Most importantly, Rogue Legacy 2 is a game about acceptance. Accept that progression and growth will be slow and that you will often fail. But more than anything, accept that each new run will come with prior knowledge, and lead to a lot more fun!
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