Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is a solid roguelike sequel I can't put down
If you're in the mood for a different style of action roguelike, the first two realms of Lost in Random: The Eternal Die so far make for a promising new take.
Although a very different kind of continuation of this universe, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die offers up an appropriately board game spin on the tried-and-tested roguelike formula.
When the original Lost in Random launched four years ago, even then it wasn't impossible to deny just how much its board game-inspired world seemed ripe for the franchise treatment. That first game's brand of third-person platforming mightn't have been anything special, true, but it was made up for by interesting combat powered by unique card combinations, an undeniably Tim Burton -esque art style, and an intriguing universe where every inhabitant belongs to one of six realms relative to the sides of a die. By comparison, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is undeniably a clear steer away from the traditional action-platformer setup of before. Yet after spending close to five hours repeatedly fighting through the first two realms that make up this roguelike spin-off, I'm convinced the world of Random still has plenty of delights to offer – just not in the way we were expecting.
On the surface, it'd be easy to look at a screenshot or short gameplay snippet of Lost in Random: The Eternal Die and assume it is another one of those action roguelikes seeking to ride off Hades' coattails. In some ways, it is, and new developer Stormteller Games doesn't do much to deny that by wearing the influence of Supergiant's 2020 masterpiece on its sleeve. An isometric view? Check. Fast-paced action with multiple weapon types and a dash? Yup. You even have a home base full of quirky characters to speak to, who prove especially useful in upgrading your abilities and moveset.
There's plenty here that genre veterans will be familiar with. What's most exciting about The Eternal Die, however, is in all the ways it differs from what's come before, specifically through what's called the Relic system. You see, rather than have you choose one of three boons upon completing each room of a biome, you're often able to select one of three randomised relics, all colour-coded in a way that can further influence gameplay. Set three of the same colour in a row together and not only will you benefit from each relic's specific buff, but it'll also increase your base stats relating to the damage of your weapon, card ability, and dice attacks too. Relics are a surprisingly deep system that I initially was worried would be too overwhelming, yet eventually it all clicks into place quite neatly.
In terms of the actual combat itself, working your way through mechanical night terrors feels satisfyingly snappy and responsive. This time around you play as the previous villain of the last game, Queen Aleksandra, currently shrunken, demoted, and trying to claw her way back to the top of Random by claiming revenge. She starts out with a sword at first, but I quickly found myself experimenting with the spear a whole lot, largely because of its extended reach and its charge attack that sees you able to lunge at enemies from far away. The Eternal Die's other two weapons – the heavy mace and long-range bow – seemed solid enough too but were far from my preferred playstyle. That said, all four feature various upgrade paths that may see that change.
Pass go
As already mentioned, aiding Aleksandra in her effort to fight her way to the titular die is a whole cast of eclectic characters. While most serve as vendors engaged with back at base, I was surprised at the handful of side missions they also had me undertake for further rewards, be it trying to uncover hidden dicelings or supressed memories to bring back. No character is more important, however, than Fortune, Aleksandra's personal dice companion that can be thrown at enemies and release specific side effects depending on the relic setup you're boasting. Fortune functions similarly to Zagreus' cast from Hades, only it needs to be collected again once thrown, adding a slight extra layer of strategy.
Returning players to the series will be pleased to know that cards do indeed return, albeit now in a fashion that allows Aleksandra to equip them only one at a time per run. There are 15 to play around with in total that serve as your super attack of sorts locked to a cooldown metre, and most specialise in being ranged or in expelling some form of AoE, and I definitely prefer cards that belong to the former since it's always nice to have a long-range attack to rely on whenever I've thrown Fortune a bit too far out of reach. More impressive is in how crucial timing is, since releasing the card button at just the right time will see it turn into a more powerful version of its effect. During the heat of the action, it's not always easy to pull off, but made taking down bosses in particular more of a breeze.
While I can only talk about two of the four biomes featured in Eternal Die, I can say that both are visually very unique from each other. The first, being a castle of sorts, does the job in getting you into the action as you slowly gain relic combinations with whatever randomised card attack you start off with. More exciting is the second swampland area, which culminates in a boss fight against a giant toad that almost always has me circling the entire stage looking for a safe area. Now, five hours in, with a decent number of permanent upgrades under my belt, I find that beating the first two biomes is almost a guarantee, but certain pesky enemy types belonging to each area are always there to offer a challenge.
Much more than just another Hades rip-off like TMNT: Splinter's Fate, Sworn from earlier this year, or even my beloved Redacted, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die so far seems to be offering up enough new twists to the formula – all powered by the existing universe originally realised by developer Zoink back in 2021. It's definitely not the sequel you're expecting, but making the last game's villain the protagonist this time around provides a solid enough narrative hook to chew on, while the wholly unique relic system ensures that no one run is ever exactly the same.
How the story and Aleksandra's powers develop remains to be seen, yet I'm confident that the world of Random will be well worth a revisit when the full game launches later this year.
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More impressive is in how crucial timing is, since releasing the card button at just the right time will see it turn into a more powerful version of its effect. During the heat of the action, it's not always easy to pull off, but made taking down bosses in particular more of a breeze. While I can only talk about two of the four biomes featured in Eternal Die, I can say that both are visually very unique from each other. The first, being a castle of sorts, does the job in getting you into the action as you slowly gain relic combinations with whatever randomised card attack you start off with. More exciting is the second swampland area, which culminates in a boss fight against a giant toad that almost always has me circling the entire stage looking for a safe area. Now, five hours in, with a decent number of permanent upgrades under my belt, I find that beating the first two biomes is almost a guarantee, but certain pesky enemy types belonging to each area are always there to offer a challenge. Much more than just another Hades rip-off like TMNT: Splinter's Fate, Sworn from earlier this year, or even my beloved Redacted, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die so far seems to be offering up enough new twists to the formula – all powered by the existing universe originally realised by developer Zoink back in 2021. It's definitely not the sequel you're expecting, but making the last game's villain the protagonist this time around provides a solid enough narrative hook to chew on, while the wholly unique relic system ensures that no one run is ever exactly the same. How the story and Aleksandra's powers develop remains to be seen, yet I'm confident that the world of Random will be well worth a revisit when the full game launches later this year.
