Monster Train 2

Full disclosure: I never played Monster Train. So I may not be the best person to write the preview for Monster Train 2, the deck-building sequel from developer Shiny Shoe. Scheduled to arrive on Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, and Nintendo Switch on May 21, Monster Train 2 still registers as a unique take on deck-builders that has me scurrying back to the first game, because it has become obvious through my hours with the new game that I've been missing out on something very special.

In Monster Train, players must think strategically across three levels - which almost play like vertical lanes. Enemies enter on the bottom level (or "car", as we're on a train here), and battle any units you've placed there. Then, if they survive, they move up to the second level, and then the third. Hopefully, you've built out the guys on the third level to the point where they can stop anything that is strong enough to make it that far, because beyond the third level is the heart of your operation, the pyre that you must keep alive if you want to continue your run.

Structurally, the flow between each battle plays out similarly to Slay the Spire, or any number of other similar games. Players advance up a path, making choices along the way as to whether they want to buy new units, build up the guys they already have, invest in new magic, or buy new gear. Gold is earned along the way to be used for unit purchases and upgrades, and the player is frequently offered interesting options that could hinder their effectiveness in battle, but gain them higher rewards. This flow will feel very familiar to veterans of the genre, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The options offered here are still very compelling, and making the choice of which path to pursue sometimes causes me to freeze in place for minutes while I contemplate the possibilities.

The battles themselves are stellar fun, frequently pitting the player against unbelievably powerful opponent units. I don't mind saying that I was at the edge of my seat constantly as battles wore on, my units fell by the wayside, and then Monster Train 2 dropped some insanely powerful foe on my face. There are a lot of fun and interesting mechanics to stymy the player, and the further up the path you go, the more the game pulls surprises out of it's hat to keep you on your toes.

In addition to five new clans (each with it's own units, strengths, and strategies), there are also some new card types that players can deploy to wreck shop on enemies. Room Cards are cards that add an effect to an entire level - either giving boosts to your units or draining the enemy's. And new equipment cards can be dropped onto units to give them a variety of bonuses. Interestingly, there are some equipment cards that can be played on enemy units, which can cause all sorts of detrimental effects. The game offers some nice tooltips, so if you hover over any card you can see what the various powers do. My advice is to read carefully and proceed with caution until you are familiar with the mechanics, as I've hurried through some decisions and screwed myself over royally. 

In addition to the core game, it looks as though there are going to be other ways to interact with Monster Train 2, including Daily Challenges, which will drop the player into massively modified runs and specific scenarios. These will have active leaderboards if you want to show up your friends. There is also going to be a new Endless Mode, which will allow players to endlessly grind against an ever more powerful buzzsaw in runs that never end. Though I'm nowhere near ready to even consider something of that nature. 

I'm probably about five or six hours in on Monster Train 2 at this point, and I'm having a blast with it. The following video was taken during my third or fourth run - I'm loathe to even look back on it now, but I do think that it gives a decent view into what the early gameplay looks like. To be honest, I'm still getting my head around the game's mechanics and how the various cards and effects interact with each other, but with each new run I'm becoming more proficient. It's clear that Monster Train 2 has been built in a way to provide gameplay that is fairly limitless, and I'm excited to continue forward, both with this early build and the final release.