Now that I have your attention with the tried-and-true inflammatory headline, we can get down to business! (I love Slay the Spire — its place in roguelike deckbuilder history will never be usurped.) I had the pleasure of playing the demo of Monster Train 2 today. And, as someone who watched a lot of the first game because I thought it was “Needlessly complex Slay the Spire“? Monster Train 2 is set to potentially stand beside StS as an all-timer deckbuilding phenom.So, the first thing that stood out about Monster Train 2 is… …wait, is that a story? Yeah, there’s a Visual Novel element at play! Sure, it’s not going to be Alan Wake or Disco Elysium, but the fact that your Champion cards get some personality adds depth to the game. It makes the Clan you choose feel that much more like a unique unit. There are demons, angels, and actual (albeit minor — but welcome) narrative stakes. As for the actual gameplay, well, for the seasoned Monster Train vets? You can skip the next paragraph while I quickly go over the main gameplay loop.For my Monster Train newbies: basically, Monster Train 2 is a game of cards, clans, and spatial awareness. It follows the “usual” deckbuilding formula and adds an interesting wrinkle. You have to worry about a card’s health and attack points, equipment cards, “room cards,” and various other effects. However, you also have multiple rows to account for. The topmost layer of the train contains your Pyre. You lose your Pyre, you lose your run — plain and simple. So, you have to carefully choose where to deploy your units because your enemies will keep advancing up toward your Pyre.Screenshot: Big Fan Games‘monster train 2’ is the closest i believe any roguelike deckbuilder has come to touching ‘slay the spire’Everyone adores Slay the Spire because it’s easy to learn but difficult to master. You’re supposed to always keep your deck in mind as you conquer the trials ahead. Monster Train 2, however? It has taken its complexities and made them significantly more accessible while fundamentally crafting a wholly different experience from its predecessor. So, in the demo, you only have a taste of the grander experience. But even in that limited playing field, there’s so much meat on this roguelike bone. The demo features the Banished, a group that prioritizes Valor and stacking your Attack points. Then, you have the Pyreborne, which focuses on stacking Pyregel (a “burn” status effect) on enemies with a significantly more aggressive playstyle. Mixing and matching Clan synergies to find your own unique build is immensely satisfying, especially as you upgrade cards, get new enhancements and artifacts, and accept difficult trials to try and receive significantly more gold.Monster Train 2 took multiple hours from me before I knew it. Everything just sings. When I lost a run, I always took something meaningful away from my missteps to correct on the next run. That kind of “How can I improve?” self-determination is exactly what makes Slay the Spire so timeless. All that is to say: Monster Train 2 has the depth and nuance to go the distance to carve out a spot for itself in the Mount Rushmore of roguelike deckbuilders! Check out the demo here!The post ‘Monster Train 2’ May Be the Great ‘Slay the Spire’ Slayer (Preview/Demo Impressions) appeared first on VICE.