UnExplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy [Xbox]

Developed by Ludomotion, UnExplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy is a vastly filled action RPG that focuses on the journey that comes with taking a magical staff - the Staff of Yendor - from the mystical Garden across the world to be destroyed. If you played the first game this might sound familiar, as the Amulet of Yendor was the desired item that time around, as a reference to the game that spawned the genre: Rogue.

Upon completing the Tutorial, you will be able to set off on your own quest and create your own Wayfarer. There are a few difficulty options: Adventure, for an easier time that focuses more on the story; Standard, the way the game was intended; Wayfarer, the way the game was intended when the designers “thought they were still making a roguelite action game… Hard and somewhat unforgiving”; and Elder, which is for veterans of difficult games. It also mentions that you can make the game harder still, but not by much.

This can be done via the gameplay options that you can select to alter the gameplay before you begin, with some reducing the chance of encounters, making enemies a little easier, allowing you to begin runs with some sparks (useful ‘currency’ that lets you re-roll encounters) or even options to increase the difficulty by making camping riskier, or making sparks harder to locate. Content options can also be added, with these being unlocked over time - and one of the beginning choices being able to trigger three random content options, even including ones that haven’t yet been unlocked. And finally, just like in the previous game, you can input a specific Seed if you wish.

Designing your character is far more in-depth now too, with Culture and Race being able to be selected, then a Background which will determine possible skills and equipment available to you; as well as Hope Traits, which might help you along the way (but may also be lost over time), of which you’ll select four. You’ll then pick Skills that can add or improve various abilities, such as making you more stealthy or having free re-rolls for different activities. Once all of this is done, you’ll pick your equipment, before checking over your build - and then we can begin. There are loads of encounters that utilise the DnD dice roll-styled mechanic, with how smooth a conversation goes relying on these, as well as the ability to decipher ancient messages on walls, etc.

Visually, there has been a vast improvement from the first game, with gorgeous colours, enchanting lighting and intricately detailed environments, though there did seem to be a slight juddering at times, which seemed to worsen upon changing camera angles. With a variety of different weather effects, as well as a day/night cycle that advances as you take time to complete tasks, as well as travelling across the world or resting at camps - with certain perishable items in your Inventory rotting as the days pass. You will sometimes encounter colourful, swirling entities, and bringing your staff out near these will enable you to utilise their magic, such as changing the direction of the wind or raining down fire on enemies. The soundtrack too - composed by Matthias Dierckx - is fantastic, with a selection of really evocative tracks that blend perfectly with the world.

The combat is a bit mixed, with no real benefit to taking on most of the enemies you’ll find on your quest - aside from the occasional optional objective when you enter a new area, such as defeating the nearby bandits or misdirecting the Sentinels who are hunting you down. More often than not, any dangerous encounters I came across would be swiftly avoided, instead moving through the areas as quickly as I could (whilst still taking the time to investigate items and gather resources), but staying hidden and out of enemies’ way - as death just comes too often otherwise. You have weapons that you can use against enemies, with better weapons to be found in the world, as well as magic via your staff - though using this increases your Presence, and therefore the likelihood of these enemy encounters occurring - especially when you are setting up Camps to rest and cook food to replenish health. You can upgrade your equipment via the Forges that you come across, providing you have the required resources, and this might help you to live another day.

Still just as in-depth as the first game with a tonne of locations to explore, and books and scrolls filled with information to find. There’s a Vault where certain items can be stored for future runs, as well as where Legacy items will return to upon your death. With each death, the timeline advances further, allowing the Empire to take control of more land and extend their influence - potentially making things more challenging upon respawning. When you are reborn, you will take on the role of a new Wayfarer - a descendant of your previous character - and you’ll continue in your journey through the world, and though things may have changed in terms of alliances and enemies that have moved into new areas, your mission remains the same: destroy the Staff of Yendor. It’s interesting to see how things change, and it really encourages you to try harder in order to progress further and further on your quest - even if it can be a challenge at times.

UnExplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy is a deeply ambitious RPG best suited to players looking for something a little more on the ‘long-term’ side. Just like the first game, it’s not for the faint of heart - but proves to be thoroughly compelling adventure for those willing to put in the time and effort. So if you want to explore the UnExplored, it’s available for £19.99 on the Xbox Store.

In the end, we decided to give UnExplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy the Collecting Asylum rating of 8.5/10.

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- V x

Thank you to Big Sugar for the UnExplored 2 Xbox review code!