I’ve played enough rogue-lites to know when a game wants to hurt me.
You die, you learn, you swear, you try again — that’s the genre in a nutshell. But Lost Castle 2, despite its early access tag, surprised me with how polished and charming it already feels. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it absolutely makes it brighter, weirder, and more fun to suffer through — especially with a friend on the couch.
From the first run, I could tell this wasn’t your average half-baked early access mess. The core gameplay loop is all there: explore, fight, loot, die, repeat. But what really pulled me in was the variety. Weapons, armors, ability cards — you find something new almost every run. And they’re not just stat-sticks. Dual blades felt fast but fragile. The TP wand (which sounds like it belongs in a bathroom) had weirdly OP teleport mechanics. I still don’t know if it’s broken or just brilliant.
And then there’s the dodge.
If you played the first Lost Castle, you know dodging could feel like trying to do parkour in molasses. Here? Not anymore. It’s faster, more responsive, and with clear attack indicators, the whole rhythm of combat feels way more satisfying. I started actually dodging things instead of just tanking hits with my face.
But let’s not pretend it’s all perfect.
Multiplayer bugs? Oh yes. I had moments where we just froze mid-run while the menu floated on like everything was fine. It wasn’t. Still, these issues are surprisingly rare for early access. I’ve seen AAA releases ship with worse.
Now, let’s talk solo versus co-op.
Alone, the game is decent. But with a buddy? It becomes a chaotic mess in the best possible way. The split-screen support is rock-solid, and the slapstick nature of cartoon combat makes it hard not to laugh when someone accidentally nukes the team with a bad scroll. It’s pure couch co-op gold, like the good old days.
The art direction deserves a shoutout too. It’s got that chunky, colorful look that reminds me of Castle Crashers but with its own twist. Everything’s animated smoothly, the characters are cute (in a stabby way), and even the bosses have personality. One of them looked like a depressed tree and nearly wiped us out with roots and sadness.
Still, I felt something was missing.
The first game, weirdly, felt harder. Maybe I’m just better now (unlikely), or maybe this one is a bit more forgiving. Either way, after about 10 hours, I felt “done” in a way I didn’t with the original. I’ll definitely come back when more content drops — especially since all new locations are free and not locked behind DLC. That’s rare and commendable.
Lost Castle 2: It’s already a solid rogue-lite beat-em-up, and it’s only going to get better. If you liked the first one, this is a smoother, prettier, more fun version. If you’re new, this is a great place to start — just bring a friend and some patience for occasional bugs. – Alicia
Pros
✔️ Responsive dodge and combat improvements
✔️ Loads of weapons and gear to experiment with
✔️ Local co-op that actually works and is fun
✔️ Free content updates
✔️ Gorgeous cartoon art
Cons
❌ Some persistent bugs in multiplayer
❌ Shorter lifespan than the original (for now)
❌ Occasional item overload — I spent more time comparing than swinging
