Heroes of Loot 2 owes more to the dungeon crawling part of its DNA than the original. Gone are the twin-stick controls, but they're replaced with some impressive new ideas.
Don't get me wrong, there's still a shooty arcade bent to the experience, and action rather than strategy is very much to the forefront, but rather than adding a bit of polish to the last game, OrangePixel has tried something new.
And it all works really well. Even if you're a die-hard fan of the original you're going to find this one enjoyable, and if the idea of a twin-stick dungeon looter put you off before, you'll find this a much more palatable experience.
Loot loot goes the hornThis time around you pick two heroes when you set out, and you can swap between them with a tap of a button. Another button unleashes the attack of whichever hero is currently selected. You use a floating joystick to stomp around.
Your heroes share a pool of health, but they have distinct abilities. At the start of every run you choose a ranged and a melee striker. You pick either an elf and a wizard to fire your ranged shots, and a warrior or a valkyrie to deal with close combat.
Learning to use your heroes' strengths is key to victory, and figuring out which combination works best for you will help you along the way. Once you've chosen it's out into the randomly generated dungeons to kill.
And there's a lot to kill. You can hold down the attack button to turn your melee character into little more than a spinning top with a sword attached. Doing the same for your ranger creates a stream of deadly magic or arrows.
You'll find loot as you work your way through the levels, but it only stays with you for that run. There are charms that bring you back to life, health potions, and special weapons that only specific characters can use.
The action is fast and a little bonkers, but it keeps the levels interesting. There are little puzzles to solve as well, from lighting some candles to unlock a door, to smashing a bunch of chests to find a key to get to the next area.
LootenannyAnd all in all, it's a lot of fun. There's not the depth of some roguelikes here, but that's really not the point.
This is a sharp short blast of carnage, and while you don't get to keep the progress your characters make, you level up as a player and unlock new modes.
If you're looking for a new action game then you're pretty spoiled for choice this week, but Heroes of Loot 2 is probably the best of the bunch.