Castle of no Escape 2
- November 22, 2015
- Xitilon
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Castle of no Escape 2" is a challenging rogue-lite game where players explore a curse-ed castle filled with deadly monsters and treacherous hazards. With 216 randomly generated rooms, players must collect artifacts and strategize carefully to defeat the castle's demonic owner. With a variety of characters to choose from and a unique battle system, each playthrough offers a new and thrilling experience. Just remember, there are no save points, so choose wisely and good luck!
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Castle of No Escape 2 features engaging retro-inspired gameplay that appeals to fans of classic dungeon-crawling adventures.
- The game offers a variety of levels and challenges, with unique enemies and traps that keep gameplay fresh and exciting.
- The pixelated graphics and atmospheric soundtrack effectively evoke nostalgia while enhancing the immersive experience.
- The steep difficulty curve can be frustrating for newcomers, making the game feel overly punishing at times.
- The lack of polished presentation and occasional bugs detract from the overall experience, leading to moments of irritation.
- The game suffers from unclear mechanics and insufficient in-game guidance, requiring players to rely on external resources to understand gameplay elements.
- gameplay66 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
"Castle of No Escape 2" features engaging gameplay that blends RPG and roguelike elements, offering fast-paced combat that demands skill and strategy. The game is praised for its retro-inspired mechanics and diverse character abilities, though some players note a steep difficulty curve and occasional bugs. Overall, it provides a nostalgic yet challenging experience, appealing to fans of classic dungeon-crawling adventures.
“Castle of No Escape 2 offers engaging gameplay that combines RPG and roguelike elements.”
“Combat mechanics are fast-paced and dynamic, requiring both skill and strategy.”
“Each level presents unique obstacles and enemies, ensuring that gameplay remains fresh and exciting throughout.”
“The biggest issue with the game is the excessive RNG mechanics.”
“Between bad input response (using the analog sticks of a controller is virtually impossible), unavoidable damage, lack of any innovation or new mechanics, and a setup that gets repetitive extremely quickly, this game is not worth playing.”
“Ehhhh, I'm unsure if the retro gameplay really holds up with this one.”
- music47 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in "Castle of No Escape 2" is generally well-received for its atmospheric blend of suspense and fantasy, effectively complementing the game's tone and nostalgic pixel art style. However, many players note that the soundtrack can become repetitive due to a limited variety of tracks, which detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the chiptune-style background music, others find it lacks memorability and can be overwhelming at times.
“The soundtrack of 'Castle of No Escape 2' complements the tone of the game well, with music that mixes elements of suspense and fantasy.”
“The music in the game is an excellent approximation of some of the best tracks chiptunes had to offer.”
“It's such an aesthetically pleasing game to look at and the music tops it off.”
“Castle of No Escape 2's soundtrack may become repetitive over time, as there is limited variety in music tracks.”
“Also, there is only one piece of music during normal gameplay that loops, and it's not even that good or memorable.”
“The music is pretty bad though; the first time I heard it, I thought the game was glitching.”
- graphics39 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Castle of No Escape 2" are a standout feature, showcasing charming pixelated visuals that evoke nostalgia for classic NES games. While the retro aesthetic is well-executed, some players note a lack of polish, with issues like rough animations and simplistic visuals that may detract from immersion. Overall, the game successfully captures the essence of old-school gaming, appealing to fans of the genre despite minor graphical glitches.
“The visual style of 'Castle of No Escape 2' is one of its strong points, with pixelated graphics that evoke a nostalgic and authentic feel of classic games.”
“The developers went for the 8-bit retro aesthetic and their complete commitment to the style paid off.”
“The graphic style is really well done and feels truly like an old-school game designed to give hours of fun.”
“While the game captures the retro aesthetic effectively, its presentation may lack polish compared to modern titles.”
“Issues such as rough animations or simplistic visuals could detract from the overall immersion.”
“Lazy pixel graphics (I know they are trying to replicate 1990's graphics... and never stopped to think about whether that was a good idea... it's not!).”
- replayability21 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
"Castle of No Escape 2" offers a mixed experience in terms of replayability. While its roguelike elements, procedural generation, and diverse character classes provide significant replay value for some players, others find the game has limited incentive to revisit completed levels, suggesting that additional features could enhance its longevity. Overall, the game appeals to those who enjoy challenging gameplay and nostalgia, but may not satisfy players seeking extensive replayability.
“The roguelike nature adds an element of surprise and replayability, with the ability to unlock new content and improve skills with each new attempt.”
“With 6 characters, procedurally generated dungeons, plenty of loot, armor crafting, and a very challenging boss, we got plenty of replayability.”
“Maps are always random, so it has tons of replayability and it's actually a challenge to beat.”
“Castle of No Escape 2 may have limited replay value for some players, as once levels are completed, there may be little incentive to revisit them.”
“Additional features or modes could increase replayability.”
“Somewhat limited replayability.”
- story12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story is criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with a brief cinematic introducing a mysterious castle but failing to explain its properties or the protagonist's motivations. Players embark on a quest as one of three heroes to defeat a final boss, collecting sword fragments along the way, but the narrative feels underdeveloped and serves primarily as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a compelling experience. Overall, the story is seen as a weak aspect of the game, with many reviewers expressing disappointment in its execution.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“Worth mentioning is the gameplay progression: the more story-driven items you collect, the more difficult it becomes to find health and armor to face Nikolai.”
“You play as one of three heroes of varying play styles on a mission to defeat the final boss using the sword that you piece together by finding fragments in the six floors of the castle.”
“There's a brief opening cinematic providing some storyline, but the properties of the castle are not explained as to how you get in or why you can't get back out.”
“The story is basically nothing where a few seconds of lines explain the mysterious castle and tells you to go in just because you are a hero.”
“If so, that's a really stupid plot device.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a dark and mysterious environment, enhanced by well-composed tracks that immerse players in both exploration and combat. The charming pixelated graphics evoke a nostalgic NES feel, while the surreal elements and quirky translations contribute to a unique and engaging experience. Overall, the combination of these elements creates a captivating and addictive atmosphere that resonates with fans of classic gaming.
“The tracks are well composed and help to create an immersive atmosphere during exploration and combat.”
“Even though I haven't finished this game yet, I can tell you that it captures that NES game atmosphere perfectly and can be very addicting to play sometimes.”
“The combat atmosphere was reminiscent of an old TSR game or the ancient battle chess game Archon.”
“The translation's a little odd, but I feel like it adds a lot to the game's atmosphere, which is very surreal.”
“The environment is carefully designed to create a dark and mysterious atmosphere, with details that contribute to the immersion and mood of the game.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting significant bugs, including freezing mechanics and graphical glitches that disrupt gameplay. Many reviewers suggest that these issues detract from the overall experience, making the game feel unpolished and frustrating.
“It is not a good game, buggy as all hell and very simple; don't waste money on this when you can buy Binding of Isaac instead.”
“And then there is that enemy that freezes you in place, and I think an enemy that can permanently freeze you should not move randomly in rooms with other enemies, nor instantly freeze you when you enter a room and then walk up to you and do damage.”
“- Has its own flaws: buggy Steam overlay - even in full-screen mode, the game thinks that you are playing in a window, so all screens are corrupted.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is generally well-received, with players finding it amusing, particularly the quirky concept of "bookstuck" curses. However, some reviewers note that the humor is somewhat overshadowed by a lack of action and occasional bugs, leading to mixed overall impressions.
“For some reason, books are a plentiful source of temporary curses (bookstuck!), which made me laugh.”
“I see myself enjoying this a bit more than Isaac actually, because I always found the sense of humor in it not really my style.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be tedious and cryptic, detracting from enjoyment. However, players can bypass much of the grindy combat by focusing on item collection, allowing for quicker progression by simply collecting visible items and avoiding battles.
“Too tedious and cryptic to enjoy.”
“Since one of the main goals of the game is to collect a set of special items off the ground that are instantly visible when you enter a room, you can swiftly progress through the game while avoiding a lot of the grindy combat by running through the room, grabbing the item, and running away.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the cut-scenes effectively highlight the character design, reflecting the era's aesthetic, but do not provide significant depth in character development.
“The cutscenes beautifully showcase the character design of the era.”
“The depth of character development is truly impressive, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
“I love how the choices I make influence the characters' growth and relationships throughout the game.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful choices that impact character growth throughout the game.”
“The characters seem to follow predictable arcs, leaving little room for surprise or genuine evolution.”
