Judging exclusively on the base game, not talking about the updates, it's not as fun as Save the Light. The combat is less fun, and it being designed as a mobile game doesn't play as fun as free roaming 3D exploration. But it's still alright! I'm not sure if I like the story of Save the Light or Unleash the Light more. The lore and settings of the second game feels a lot more in line with what I absolutely adored about the show but Unleash the Light really, REALLY nails the characters. This game made Hessonite into one of my all time favorite fictional characters and let me remind you SHE'S FROM A LISCENSED VIDEO GAME based on a children's property.
On it's own, I give it...3.5/5 stars
But the updates? Those are where it grows to stand alongside it's predecessor. This game added 3 major updates. The first one was an, honestly really good story chapter for this game's standards. The second and third updates added two entirely separate Roguelike modes.
"Roguelike Paper Mario"
Just the sound of that should get you excited.
The black hole mode is fun, it feels a lot more like a Mystery Dungeon-esque roguelike. You keep your inventory and your stats from outside of the black hole, and can infinitely randomly generate more levels to play and get more and more loot and character upgrades. It's pretty alright!
But Rose's Room specifically is a mode I constantly go back to, and I beat this game years ago at this point. It's more of a Hades-esque roguelike, where you start out with nothing and try to get as powerful as you can for the boss fight at the end of the 5? floors iirc (two of them being boss fights). Each run you play slowly gives you bonuses and upgrades for your next run makes you more and more powerful when you start over.
It's so fun to go back in and keep doing runs just to see how busted you can get! Rose's Room brings the game up to a 4 on its own, and the rewards you get for playing this mode in the main campaign are so worth it...albeit, one of them requires you to beat the game first.
If this game had a new game plus mode, or cheat codes to unlock all TEN playable characters from the start, it honestly might be a 5/5.
On it's own, I give it...3.5/5 stars
But the updates? Those are where it grows to stand alongside it's predecessor. This game added 3 major updates. The first one was an, honestly really good story chapter for this game's standards. The second and third updates added two entirely separate Roguelike modes.
"Roguelike Paper Mario"
Just the sound of that should get you excited.
The black hole mode is fun, it feels a lot more like a Mystery Dungeon-esque roguelike. You keep your inventory and your stats from outside of the black hole, and can infinitely randomly generate more levels to play and get more and more loot and character upgrades. It's pretty alright!
But Rose's Room specifically is a mode I constantly go back to, and I beat this game years ago at this point. It's more of a Hades-esque roguelike, where you start out with nothing and try to get as powerful as you can for the boss fight at the end of the 5? floors iirc (two of them being boss fights). Each run you play slowly gives you bonuses and upgrades for your next run makes you more and more powerful when you start over.
It's so fun to go back in and keep doing runs just to see how busted you can get! Rose's Room brings the game up to a 4 on its own, and the rewards you get for playing this mode in the main campaign are so worth it...albeit, one of them requires you to beat the game first.
If this game had a new game plus mode, or cheat codes to unlock all TEN playable characters from the start, it honestly might be a 5/5.