Just a few days after we took a look at whether or not Xbox Game Pass is good value for card gamers, Monster Train 2 hit the tracks and released on Microsoft’s subscription service, playable on Xbox consoles and PC. Also available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation and Xbox consoles to purchase, if you’re not interested in subscribing to Game Pass, Monster Train 2 offers an experience that’ll be familiar to players of the first game, albeit with just about every element dialed up to 11, as well as some very exciting new features.
The first Monster Train saw players trying to keep the last flames of Hell alive on the titular locomotive, with the armies of Heaven determined to stop you in your tracks. With deckbuilding, roguelike, combat-focused gameplay that echoed titles such as Slay the Spire, Monster Train’s unique selling point was its vertically inclined encounters, with enemies typically entering the train on the bottom level, trying to ascend to attack the Pyre on the top floor.
With gorgeous visuals and perfectly tuned mechanics, Monster Train rapidly became a favorite of the Card Gamer team, and even now it’s among our most played digital card games. Can the sequel usurp it?
On current evidence, we think it can, though we haven’t played enough to bring you a full review just yet. Monster Train 2 brings a slightly more narrative-focused feel to the game, with cutscenes and a story unfolding as you progress, with the story seeing Hell’s forces teaming up with the denizens of Heaven against a new threat to the order of the afterlife. There’s also just more of everything you had before: more factions, more cards and more keywords, as well as new elements such as Equipment cards, Room cards and even more besides.
If you have Game Pass already, it’s a no brainer; you simply must take a ride on Monster Train 2 while it’s available on the service. If not, we’ll be back soon to tell you whether or not Monster Train 2 is worth purchasing, but we’re already pretty addicted to it, with first impressions indicating that this is a fine sequel to one of our favorite ever deckbuilding games!
Check out our reviews of other digital card games, such as the brilliant Into the Restless Ruins and the incredible Balatro.
