Abstraction Games’ port of Rogue Legacy, the nifty 2D indie roguelike from Cellar Door Games, is finally set for a PlayStation release on July 29. Which PlayStation, you ask? All of them! Or all that are currently in production, at any rate. PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita are all Rogue Legacy-compatible. Even better, the game is a cross-buy title — meaning buy it for one and you get it for all — and a cross-save title as well.
For those unfamiliar with Rogue Legacy, it’s a fantasy roguelike in which you guide a character through a multi-wing, danger-filled castle that changes every time explore it. The twist — a nod to the “Legacy” in the title — is that every time you die, the next character you play as is a descendant of the previous one. You choose between two each time you start a new life, and the progeny always carry forward certain genetic traits that are described in the character description. These, in turn, affect gameplay in various ways.
In a slight divergence from the typical roguelike setup, where each playthrough stands on its own with no progression to tie them all together, Rogue Legacy also features a skill tree-like upgrade system where you’re able to improve universal character stats and unlock new classes. While this eventually makes certain earlier sections of the castle easier, the challenge spikes in later wings practically require a steadily upgraded character. In the PC game, Cellar Door strikes a good balance between the randomness and infernal challenge of a traditional roguelike and the hook-driven progression of an RPG.
