Nick Fernandez / Android Authority
When Archero dropped in 2019, it was truly something new. Sure, roguelike games have existed for decades, but Archero reinvented the genre in a way few games can. The tight gameplay loop and slow-burn progression system had me completely hooked, and it spawned a cottage industry of copycats in the following years.
But really, none of them managed to capture the same magic. Developer Habby continued to pump new content into Archero, keeping the game fresh and fun. The only thing that broke its hold on me was the 2020 release of another mobile game you might have heard of called Genshin Impact.
So imagine my surprise when Archero 2 appeared out of nowhere to soft launch late last year. The original has over 50 million downloads, but the sequel’s global January 7 release date passed with little fanfare. The Archero 2 trailer linked below has less than 500 views at the time of writing, but the game itself already has over 1 million downloads on the Play Store.
I have no idea how this one flew under the radar, but it has once again taken over my free time.
Too much of a good thing
So, what does Archero 2 do differently from its predecessor? Honestly, not much. The core gameplay loop remains unchanged, which was the right decision.
In a nutshell, you control a single character fighting waves of enemies, with the catch that you can only attack when you stop moving. It’s part action, part bullet hell, with a healthy dose of role-playing. As you beat waves and level up, you can get power-ups that deal more damage, shoot more shots, etc. The power-ups are random, so no two runs are ever the same.
Archero 2 takes that formula and ramps it up to 11. It’s much faster and more difficult, with new game modes like survival challenges, boss battles, and a few new farming-focused options. I was glad that the same strategies and techniques I remembered from the first game still worked, so I could pick up right where I left off.
Nick Fernandez / Android Authority
The new tiered power-up system adds excitement to getting the best legendary power-ups, although the animation is rather slow. The new game modes are also fun, but I found them overwhelming. There’s more to do, but much of it feels like the type of “daily task” busywork that plagues modern live-service titles.
To make matters worse, there are tons of new menus and places to claim rewards. The home screen is cluttered with notifications, and that’s not even considering that most of the rewards are paid. It almost looks like one of those Chinese mobile games with an inexplicably complicated interface (I’m looking at you, Age of Empires Mobile).
Despite this, I still can’t put it down. The gameplay is still just so good, and the visuals are a welcome upgrade from the original.
Room to grow
Nick Fernandez / Android Authority
It’s still early since Archero 2 just launched last week, but I can already see several ways the game can improve over time. For example, there are only five weapon types, and two are S-tier items that can only be unlocked via one of the gacha systems (yes, there are several). The first game had eight when I quit in 2020, and it looks like that number has grown to 12 in the years since.
I really missed the weapon variety, since that’s the main thing that made each run unique in the first game. The best power-ups and strategies were very weapon-dependent, but in this game you’re generally just incentivized to use your highest-tier weapon. Plus, my favorite weapon from the first game (Stalker Staff) isn’t available yet.
Archero 2 has the same addictive formula, but it’s missing more weapon and character options.
It also takes much longer to unlock new characters. There are only six characters, four of which are unlockable via gameplay, and two more costing thirty dollars each. For $60, I could buy a AAA console title to set on my shelf with the rest of the games I never play.
The gacha-only artifact system is also pretty baffling since it provides considerable passive bonuses to stats without any interactive elements. It’s pure pay-to-win, even if you can technically unlock them all via consistent gameplay. To give you an idea, the “Golden Dragon’s Treasure” artifact set gives something like 5000 HP and 1600 attack, which is roughly the same as the rest of my gear combined at the moment. And it’s all just sitting in a hidden menu.
Ultimately, though, these are just nitpicks about a game that has already completely captured my free time. It’s also proven to be another smash hit, making an estimated $6.6 million in revenue in its first week. I guess I’m not the only one who’s hopelessly addicted.
