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Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> from Developer Ludomotion<\/strong> and Publisher Big Sugar<\/strong> is an extremely eye-catching action-adventure roguelike of sorts.<\/p>\n

Why \u201cof sorts?\u201d? Well that comes down to the game\u2019s core gameplay mechanics which while steeped in some roguelike flavour, features a lot of procedural generation sorcery that just clicks so well with it but at the same time, sets it apart from more traditional roguelikes.<\/p>\n

Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> dives into the deep end of these procedural generation mechanics with an overarching storyline. Players will first have to get through a fairly lengthy tutorial before they get into the game itself.<\/p>\n

The tutorial will slowly bring you up to speed with the game\u2019s major systems. You\u2019ll be able to move your character around from a top-down viewpoint, attack and block. You can charge up an attack and also throw projectiles such as daggers. You can\u2019t really button bash though because there\u2019s cooldowns here so don\u2019t expect to be going crazy with combo attacks.<\/p>\n

After a little bit of explaining, you\u2019ll also be allowed to use magic using a mystical staff when within specific areas called \u201cSources\u201d. Using magic however comes at a cost. The cost of \u201cPrescence\u201d. Presence is a term the game uses to describe your detectability to the empire\u2019s forces. \u201cEmpire\u2019s forces\u201d? huh? I\u2019ll get to that in a bit.<\/p>\n

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Players in Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> will also have to take note of their Hope and their character\u2019s hunger and tiredness levels. You\u2019ll be able to set up a camp and preserve food at camp as well as rest. Players will be able to create a new character by selecting their culture, race, background, hope traits, skills and equipment. This creation process will make more sense to you the more you play the game since you\u2019ll be exposed to the different tribes and the complexities involved with the game\u2019s environments.<\/p>\n

Now, circling back to the Empire. The story of Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> involves players being tasked with the destruction of an ancient mystical staff. The same staff that you can use to cast magic spells. The Staff of Yendor.<\/p>\n

The Empire seeks to seize the staff and the encroaching darkness that they bring with them is rather terrifying. Once given the staff, you need to immediately flee out into the great unknown and destroy it in the First Valley, the same place it was forged. It all sounds very Lord of the Rings at this point and honestly, there\u2019s nothing wrong with that. The plot of Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> serves its purpose in driving you forward while the game\u2019s procedural generation takes care of the rest.<\/p>\n

Now onto the procedural generation itself. It takes the form of uniquely generated maps and locales. Everything you encounter in the game won\u2019t be the same a second time around. The game also has a built-in failsafe in case something goes wrong. Prayer.<\/p>\n

Players who somehow get stuck due to the procedural generation going a bit wonky can simply put away their weapons and pray for help. Doing so will trigger the failsafe mechanism and allow doors to be opened to let you progress or you\u2019ll be teleported towards an exit getting you unstuck in the process.<\/p>\n

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This works well even when the game\u2019s procedural generation isn\u2019t what\u2019s keeping you from progressing. However, since this is quite a powerful gameplay mechanic, it comes at a cost. This helps prevent players from abusing the system too much.<\/p>\n

Players in Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> will explore the procedurally generated locales and interact with doors, objects, NPCs and more while fighting off dangerous foes. The combat has a very satisfying hack and slash feel to it but if you want to avoid combat, you can opt for a more casual difficulty setting too. If you don\u2019t mind fighting off enemies, you will however have to get used to the game\u2019s slow pace when it comes to fighting enemies. Rushing in and taking on multiple foes is a recipe for disaster and you\u2019ll learn this hard way.<\/p>\n

The game lets you know upfront that combat doesn\u2019t really help you since you won\u2019t be looting fallen enemies. This isn\u2019t a more traditional hack and slash isometric viewpoint hack and slash game after all. It\u2019s a story driven exploration title with a lot of intricacies.<\/p>\n

Exploring caves and other areas often leads to doors or interactables. This is where Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> truly shines with a fantastic little interaction mechanic. Players will have interact with an object and have a chance to select a circle with a pre-determined outcome. You can offer up \u201cSparks\u201d to increase your chances of a specific outcome circle and this random element means that even trivial things such as opening doors becomes entertaining and engaging.<\/p>\n

The game refers to this as \u201cFortune Tests\u201d and it sure does test your fortune given how interacting successfully with some things can really come down to your luck.<\/p>\n

Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> is all about the journey. If you die in the game, time will pass and the world will change. You can opt to have a \u201cLegacy\u201d item brought over to your new character when you dive back into the game but this isn\u2019t essential to progressing.<\/p>\n

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Players are encouraged to explore to their heart\u2019s content, journey around and find as many useful items as possible while surviving the harsh conditions of the game\u2019s world. Yup, there\u2019s a weather system here too and that makes exploration a lot tougher for your character. Make it far enough to the First Valley and then things really escalate. If you die here, it\u2019s basically completely game over so you\u2019ll have to think long and hard about your progression to save the world from the Empire\u2019s dark forces. Each run through the game however helps you since you\u2019ll know more about it and its mechanics. You can then apply what you know about the world to future runs and push yourself to reach the ending.<\/p>\n

The soundtrack of Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> is incredibly well suited to the type of game it is. The orchestral music fits the game\u2019s theme of exploration perfectly and the voice acting of your character, while indecipherable, fits the fantasy theme the game has going on. Speaking of which, the graphics of Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> is truly breath-taking at times. The saturated hues, the shading, the effects, the art style in general, it\u2019s all so beautiful and there are going to be plenty of times you\u2019ll want to zoom in and out with the camera just to take it all in.<\/p>\n

Overall, Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> is a roguelike that does things a little bit differently to most other roguelikes in the genre. The game encourages exploration and decision making while also working in some intricate systems that truly add depth to it. Starting up a game of Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> can lead to hours or time spent exploring gorgeous procedurally generated environments with satisfying payoffs when you find tasty loot hidden in the depths of a cave or in a dark forest. The Fortune Test mechanic is engaging and the writing in the game is excellent. Decision making plays a critical role in the game and this is what makes it so addictive. If you\u2019re a fan of games that focus more on story, decision making and exploration rather than combat, Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer\u2019s Legacy<\/strong> is a great game and I can wholeheartedly recommend giving it a go because of how fresh and captivating it is.<\/p>\n