Roguebook Review

Faeria was a hidden gem on consoles, part card collection game, part turn based strategy it had a messy history on other platforms, but on consoles it was a slick title with all the free-to-play bits removed and just a rock solid AI and polished visuals. The developers, Abrakam, clearly have a fondness for the universe because their ‘new’ title Roguebook shares the same setting and characters.

When I say ‘new’, Roguebook has been out on Steam since last year, and gauging from some of the more lukewarm reviews from around then Xbox players are benefitting from the extra year of revisions and patches.

The story revolves around Sharra attempting to escape from a magical book with the help of a buddy Sorocca. They are later joined by a rage-filled Seifer and kindly Aurora. To get out of the book requires beating three stages of increasing difficulty and defeating an overpowered boss.

Each map starts with the path being laid out on a hex-based map that leads straight to the boss, the rest of the map is not uncovered and the player must use a combination of brushes and inks to explore it. They will find battles, unlocks, money and random scenarios. Each map is different and because the game is a roguelite, returning to them will generate very different experiences.

When combat is triggered the game switches to a side view, with a set of cards doled out based around the sets belonging to the two heroes the player chooses to take into the game. Enemies will display their intent – attack, defend, and specials – and the player then plays their turn in response. This is very similar to Slay the Spire but the big twist on this is how the two heroes’ positions are important. The hero at the front will be on the receiving end of most damage, so putting the heavier tank character there to soak it up becomes a prerogative for the player. There are twists and turns that different enemies setup, whereby it becomes hard to set up enough defensive cards to stop damage, and health doesn’t recharge in between encounters so getting deeper into the chapters is tough.

The meta progression helps with this – littered around the map are pages, these are used to unlock bonuses for subsequent playthroughs. Some give the hero a permanent health boost, others up the chance of better rewards, etc. These will become vital after the first time the ‘final’ boss is beaten – at that point epilogues are opened up that add extra challenge and the promise of unlocking more of the story.

I’ve now played a number of games like Roguebook, ones that require tactical decisions combined with random events that can lead to, what can seem like, unwinnable scenarios. The best of them, Slay the Spire, is guilty of this. A bad step can result in a run basically being over before it has even started. Slay the Spire made me look past it by having short playthroughs and impeccable gameplay. Roguebook has tip-top strategic play, and sidesteps the failure spiral with the two hero combo. The feeling of being able to do the impossible and right a sinking ship by shielding a ailing hero, using judicious healing potions and finding the right combination of cards on that run, is gratifying. Because each map is open the player can choose to take on the chapter of the boss without going through every fight and instead go to it when they feel strong enough. The drawback is that the short runs are unlikely. My shortest successful run was about an hour.

The only real downside is the game’s performance – there are stuttering frames, and unusual collision issues on the map itself. None are deal breakers, but given the game has been out for a while on PC they seem like unfortunate omissions for this Xbox release. Regardless, Roguebook is an exceptional title and 2022 is off to excellent start with its addition to the Microsoft store.

Conclusion

Deep, complex, but easy to get into. Roguebook is a phenomenally good game.