Every great work of art, they say, reveals something new with every view. In the case of some videogames, this is literally true. Rogue Legacy, taking its cue from the likes of Spelunky, has a built-in randomiser, which means that no two games are ever alike.
Rogue Legacy is a 2D retro platform number that bears more than a passing resemblance to 1980s gem Ghosts and Goblins. You play a knight in search of medicines that might heal the ailing king. To fulfil this quest, you traverse dangerous terrain, avoid traps and confront a host of scary monsters and super freaks such as ghosts, zombies, skeletons, possessed paintings and floating eyeballs.
Just like in the olden days, after a knight dies (which will happen a lot), an heir takes over the quest, so you play every game as a new character. The offspring of each will have a different specialty – spells that can freeze enemies, for instance, or a big sword. Just as the layout for the game is different each time, so is your playable character.
Rogue Legacy plays and looks like a 1980s arcade game. The graphics are blocky and appealing. Also, like many retro titles, it's addictive and fun, but eye-wateringly challenging. In fact, its charms take a few minutes to emerge: At first the difficulty is off-putting, but as you develop muscle memory and take advantage of the weapon, spell and armour upgrades, you slowly chip away at its defences.
Gamers lucky enough to own both a PS3 and PS Vita can save their progress across both platforms. This is a perfect game for bite-sized sessions. roguelegacy.com
