The world of indie games welcomed another critically-acclaimed title whenRogue Legacy 2launched in 2022 for both Xbox and PC. The game managed to build on the legacy of the first game and deliveran engaging sequel, providing the platforming roguelike experience fans were clamoring for.
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Rogue Legacy 2rewards exploration; throughout the game, players find heirlooms that either help them learn more about the lore of the world or provide new abilities that unlock previously unreachable parts of the world. Some of these heirlooms completely change the flow of combat and gameplay, while others are the vessel in which storytelling and context are provided.
10Hestia’s Contract
Hestia’s Contract is easily the most useless and forgettableheirloom inRogue Legacy 2. All this written piece of paper does is appear when the player dies for the first time. Upon this first death, Hestia’s Contract will show up inside the player’s inventory. It will remain in the inventory for the entirety of the game.
The contract itself says “Those who take from Hestia’s Reliquary must also give.” This dark pact is likely the reason the player’s legacy is passed down to its heirs.
9Aesop’s Tome
Rogue Legacy 2was designed with the understanding that not everyone playing it is looking for a deep narrative and simply enjoying the moment-to-moment gameplay it provides.Aesop’s Tome is an heirloomfor all of those who fall on the opposite side of the spectrum.
Early in the game, players will come across drifting thoughts that are indecipherable. This tome, found in Citadel Agartha, unlocks those nightmarish thoughts and allows to player to read and understand these trapped memories. to interact with the Scars found in the world players will need this item.
8Fruit Of Life
If a player makes it passed the large Golden Doors, they will be gifted with the heirloom known as the Fruit of Life. The quote attached to this item reads as follows, “The immaculate white surface is marred by a thin black pip.”
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It’s unclear what this means exactly, but if it is to be taken as a symbol then it likely represents the idea that even the things that appear to be perfect are not without their blemishes. One odd detail about the Fruit of Life heirloom is that it is the only one that the player does not retain through the new game plus mode.
7Mysterious Key
ThoughRogue Legacy 2’s main focus isn’t telling an engaging story, there is one told that those who are interested enough can fully experience. Anyone who manages to get through NG+6, which is the sixth new game plus run, will be gifted an heirloom called the Mysterious Key.
This key opens the final Scar inRogue Legacy 2and will unveil additional lore for those interested. Playing through this game is quite the investment, so knowing upfront what the ultimate reward is for that type of venture can set expectations accordingly for those looking to embark on such a feat.
6Gilgamesh’s Anchor
Both Gilgamesh’s Anchor and Theia’s Sun Lantern are late-game heirlooms serving a specific purpose. The anchor will activate Binding Stones, which are objects players come across once they’ve passed through the Golden Doors. The acquisition of this heirloom signifies that the player is in the final stages ofRogue Legacy 2and is near the completion of their playthrough.
It’s unclear why an heirloom of such specificity would be introduced so late into the game, but the design of Gilgamesh’s Anchor and its name are both pretty neat and add some interest and value to the item.
5Theia’s Sun Lantern
Heirlooms that serve a specific purpose are neat, but not necessarily as valuable as the ones that change combat or traversal inRogue Legacy 2. Theia’s Sun Lantern, acquired from the Nameless Knight afterdefeating Estuary Irad in the Sun Towerand meeting the knight at the Pishon Dry Lake entrance, happens to be that exact type of heirloom.
As one would think with a lantern, its sole purpose is to light up Pishon Dry Lake. This pitch-black region of the map is meant to serve as the player’s final challenge and cannot be completed by anyone without Theia’s Sun Lantern in their possession.
4Ananke’s Shawl
When players first startRogue Legacy 2, it may feel as if the overall platforming and traversal are limited, but it’s all by design. Cellar Door Games intentionally makes the player feel glued to the ground so that the moment they find the heirloom Ananke’s Shawl, it makes the game open up in an engaging way.
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Gaining the ability to dash in the air makes combat more dynamic and provides additional pathing for the player as they move from room to room. Though the Pallas' Void Bell can be considered the upgraded version of Ankanke’s Shawl, that doesn’t mean that the shawl is trivial or forgettable in any way.
3Echo’s Boots
By climbing to the top of the tower in Axis Mundi, players can get their hands on Echo’s Boots. These shoes make it so the player’s dash ability resets whenever they successfully spin kick. Though this allows access to the entire Axis Mundi region as a result, they also add additional layers to both in-game movement and combat strategy.
Being able to dip back and forth between enemies in a giant arena room by chaining spin kicks makes it so the fight never feels stagnant and the player always has a dodge/dash at their disposal. The heirlooms have straightforward uses, but with a bit of creativity and ingenuity players will discover the additional doors they open up.
2Pallas' Void Bell
In some ways, the Pallas' Void Bell is the upgraded version of Ananke’s Shawl. The latter unlocks the ability to dash in the air, but the former evolves it into a move called Void Dashing which grants the user the ability to pass through projectiles. It also means that the player’s dash is both longer in the overall distance and can be canceled at any point.
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The Pallas' Void Bell is located in the Stygian Study. It is needed in order to fight both Estuary Tubal and Estuary Enoch, as well as the only way to gain access to the Sun Tower section of the map.
1Aether’s Wings
After acquiring Echo’s Boots, mentioned earlier, players should immediately venture to the far east of the Kerguelen Plateau in search of Aether’s Wings. These wings unlock the player’s ability to double jump inRogue Legacy 2. Sure, this comes in handy when looking to explore, but it also goes a long way in adding versatility to the game’s combat and how one approaches situations.
Every player looking to complete the campaign will need to get their hands on these wings or Ananke’s Shawl, as it is the only way to unlock the Stygian Study as wellas Estuary Naamah’s boss fight. A double jump may seem like the most basic form of video game mechanics, but in a platformer, they are a key building block.
Rogue Legacy 2is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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