REVIEW : Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy (PC)
Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy is one of the few roguelike games that tries something new, even if it never fully succeeds. The plot is simple, as you might have guessed from the article’s title: we’ll take on the role of the Wayfarer, a fictional character by opportunity or by a small but effective editor, on his sacrosanct mission to defeat the amulet of Yendor, an artefact that is fated to wipe out the entire world simply by existing.
Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy is visually stunning and cleverly employs procedural generation, although it’s rough around the edges. Unexplored. As you begin on something like a noble journey to destroy the enigmatic Staff of Yendor, leave the Cave of Doom behind or enter a huge, fascinating realm. Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy is a conscience Roguelite that avoids the harsher and more severe parts of permadeath found in certain other Roguelike games while maintaining the stakes. Anything from resting to commuting involves a risk because unexpected encounters can occur at any time. Unexplored2 wants players to avoid conflict if feasible because healing goods are scarce. The only other option to heal besides those goods is to relax and consume some food. It’s an intriguing approach that virtually encourages players to go against their instincts by avoiding conflict whenever feasible and opting for the most diplomatic choice.
The aspect that makes the gaming experience remarkable is something that has blown us away: every time we die with our character, we lose everything and have to begin our trip all over again, and everything up to this point appears to foretell another another roguelike. Unluckily, it’s during the exploration that Unexplored2 really shines. The procedurally generated encounters and locales, which are spread across a wide map with numerous biomes, are a lot of fun. You’ll visit a variety of locations in order to put together pieces of the game’s main plot, which takes you to every nook and cranny of the globe.
There are times when I feel like I’m on an adventure, and there are times when I don’t. A fellow traveller once mentioned a friendly trade place, which I noted on my map. Another time, after a mountainous walk, I’m freezing, damp, and in urgent need of a toasty campfire. A shield is held in one hand, and something metallic and hazardous is held in the other, which can be swung with a rapid touch of the attack button or recharged for a greater swipe. I ended up shunning battle not because it is dangerous, but because it is monotonous and lacks a spirit of adventure.
Unexplored 1: The Wayfarer’s Legacy was a Roguelike that combined Zelda and Metroidvania gameplay, but Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy takes a more abstract approach. It’s an artistic suspenseful thriller in which the player is entrusted with navigating a realm filled with adventure and exploration. Despite its more distinctive components, there are certain key commonalities with other aspects of the Roguelike playbook, one of which is permadeath. When a player dies, that character’s fate is sealed; they are no longer alive. However, the player is given the option of beginning afresh with a different character and following the lead of the previous hero.
Unexplored 2 has a lot more conversations and micro role-play scenarios, mixing my current Wayfarer’s personal abilities with a wide range of strange state effects and a “Fortune System” that seeks to emulate tabletop RPGs. These factors combine to create a variable set of outcomes—I might be able to scare a gang of robbers into giving up their valuables, but that doesn’t imply I won’t struggle to pick a rusted lock, especially if I’m injured. Traveling from one overworld map node to the next usually results in an event; some I have to navigate myself, and some happen automatically as I pass through, but the most seem to revolve around dodging a lot of falling boulders. Falling rocks that are relentless, tediously accurate, and omnipresent.
Discover hidden wonders and stunning sceneries. Meet magical creatures as well as terrifying opponents. It’s also graphically appealing, with a vibrant cel-shaded style that complements the game’s roleplaying theme. As you walk around the landscape, allies, opponents, and animals are carefully animated and feel bursting with life. The stunning aesthetics are somewhat muted by Overworld2’s fixed camera, which is a bummer. Make bold decisions and trust in good fortune. Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy is an experience unlike any other, with a novel old system, sophisticated segments engine, and rich, creative narrative. It’s worth mentioning that Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy is stunning. The game’s combination of a shell coloured design and a muted colour palette, which work together to let the game world appear like an old, overgrown landscape, is almost always a joy to look at. At the very least, the game is attractive enough to divert my attention for a short while. Birds chirp in green fields, and exotic flowers twinkle in the dim light. As I sit alongside the bright orange of a bonfire, the long shadows of a pink evening turn into inky blue night, gently conveying the passage of time and distance.
This in-the-moment role-playing might be more effective if Unexplored 2 didn’t have so many fundamental plot flaws.
Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy isn’t ideal, and one of the biggest issues that gamers may encounter is stilted gameplay. The voyage to destroy the Staff of Yendor in Unexplored 2 is a multi-lifetime quest, thus anything I do with one adventurer can pay off in a life in the future. Despite the fact that the game stresses discovery as a primary selling feature, there is some combat, but it is a touch sluggish and light.
Death isn’t a total loss of development because the planet itself persists. The globe will continue through time between deaths, with specific occurrences affecting camps and communities all throughout the world. During the interval between deaths, the corruption continues to spread, generating a sense of narrative urgency. I usually enjoy this type of system, however I ran into a number of glitches that slowed my progress or forced me to restart.
