This game is a pretty by the book 2D interpretation of the roguelite. Classic fantasy character classes, bog standard fantasy setting, randomised potions and scrolls, a variety of god temples, and very rigid mechanical gameplay that you have to learn to master.

While nothing overtly special, I do find this game very charming. The 2D variation of gameplay gives it a kind of spelunky by way of D&D feel. There's an interesting variety of loot to experience so that each run genuinely feels like you're getting something new, and the maps are procedurally generated with a variety of traps and secrets that feel rewarding to learn.

There's a standard cast of enemies you learn to deal with, and a couple different bosses for each level that take a bit of getting used to. You gradually learn some of the gameplay tricks like being able to trade equipment using an altar, and the secret chest will equip you well enough to survive the boss. Each class has an interesting (albeit standardised) set of features to explore different builds and make replaying them feel interesting.

Vagante is a comfort food game for me, it doesn't do a lot but does what it does very consistently. It's a game I'll go back to every few months and have a few runs that feel good, reach the content I'm least familiar with, learn a little something new and do it over again next month. It's got a lot of what I really like about the genre, so I keep coming back for more.

Reviewed on Jul 07, 2023


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