Shooting and Scooting

Habby released the original Archero in 2019 and had a major success on their hands. However, nothing lasts forever, and it’s time to see if the sequel, Archero 2, lives up to its predecessor’s legacy.

If you’ve played Archero or its various imitators, you should already be familiar with the basic concept. You control a lone archer fighting through multiple stages of enemies from a top-down perspective. Each time you level up, you can choose between three upgrades in typical roguelike fashion. They reset when you die or clear a chapter, but you can earn gold and XP that you can spend on more permanent upgrades.

Archero 2’s Progression

These long-term upgrades come in two primary flavors: Equipment and Talent Cards. Players unlock Talent Cards by spending the gold they earn from progression rewards. The card you get is random, with duplicates automatically upgrading the existing card to the next tier. This means that you will get something useful no matter what you get.

Equipment, meanwhile, is about what you would expect, with different items granting varied bonuses. However, the items that make the most noticeable impact are your choice of weapons. Bows are a good baseline and seem to drop more frequently, making them a bit easier to upgrade. However, I was quite fond of the magic staff, which can pass through and strike multiple enemies in a straight line.

Bows, Staves and Sprites

Different weapons also interact with the temporary upgrades in various ways. Homing projectiles, for example, are only situationally useful for the bow. The arrows don’t turn all that sharply, and I never felt like I was missing so many shots that homing was worth giving up other upgrades. However, it’s a different situation if you’re using the staff, as the tracking upgrade curves the beam from enemy to enemy. You can potentially strike every enemy in a room that way and combining it with stun or damage over time effects can be quite devastating indeed.

Of course, my favorite category of upgrades in Archero 2 is the Sprites. These small, dragon-like minions follow you around, blasting enemies with their designated damage type. Unlock all of them, and you have a chance to recruit the special Sprite King. The extra firepower is great, and unlike your character, Sprites can move and shoot at the same time. I also can’t deny that there’s just something fun about having a flock of little guys blasting everything that moves.

Overall, Archero 2 is a familiar formula that is well executed. It doesn’t offer anything totally unique, but it feels good moment-to-moment and gives you that “one more run” feeling that you want from a good roguelike. If you liked the original Archero, you will enjoy the sequel. Meanwhile, if you have never played Archero before, this is a great place to start.