![]() "It takes some effort to figure out how all of various systems work together, and because your character doesn't automatically power up between runs, a lot of people bounce off it initially. As with the first game, he expects its reputation to grow over time. "Spelunky 2's release definitely expanded our fanbase significantly, but maybe not enormously… at least for now," Yu says. ![]() Less clear, so far, is whether Spelunky 2 can appeal to players used to more cushioned Roguelike experiences. Also, it's nice not having to struggle to explain why it's fun to die over and over again in randomly generated caves!" "Definitely nerve-wracking at times, but thankfully it seems like there's plenty of room for more Roguelike titles, and I like to think that Spelunky 2 has done as well as it has in part because of the extra awareness that comes with growth. So how has Yu found the experience of standing firm in a market where expectations have changed radically since the release of the first Spelunky? "Overall, it's been a great experience," he says. "I don't see them as an improvement or an upgrade to the formula – just a different approach to making these types of games." "So I never really wanted to add a tangible progression system to the sequel, even though I know those systems are popular." Not that he's dismissive of this tendency, exactly. "With Spelunky 2, I wanted to do what I did with Spelunky, but bigger and better," he says. Yu, it seems, had no intention of radically rethinking his method. It's so pervasive, in fact, that when Spelunky 2 returned us last year to its school-of-hard-knocks approach to Roguelike design, it was something of a shock to the system. I think there's still a lot of room to play with these systems, and turn them into something different, but the core conceit of a gacha system is almost unavoidable at this point." Players should be able to choose to not bother getting them, and still have an equal chance of beating the game. Secondly, we want getting these power-ups to be a choice. "First off, our runs are three minutes or less, so these power-ups need to be consequential immediately. "We have these gacha systems in Rogue Legacy 2, but we're putting our own twist on it," he explains. ![]() Still, he concedes that such systems can make for enjoyable 'chill' gaming sessions, and recognises how central they are to Roguelikes these days. ![]() "The meta-genre as a whole seems to be going further and further into becoming time-burner gacha games." Too often, he says, "you're trading away your actual physical time for item rolls," with the beginning of each new run just a case of pulling the lever to see what you'll get next. Lee is more circumspect, and wary of over-focusing on metagame rewards. "We use the roguelike genre as scaffolding but then look at every possible feature with a fresh scorecard of 'will this enhance this game?'" Tyler Sigman, Red Hook Studios ![]()
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