The now expansive genre of roguelite deckbuilders in the same vein as the ever-popular Slay The Spire has received yet another piece of content for players to sink their teeth into. Monster Train 2 turns the usual lane management found in TCGs vertical and plunges players into the unusual position of the conductor of all the forces of Hell, and today it got its first ever DLC. Destiny of The Railforged has come barrelling down the track with sinister new content and releases along with free update that includes a revamped deck from the first game. As with the sequel, the original Monster Train pulled excellent reviews from critics and fans alike, and amassed over 500k players in sales within a year of its launch back in 2020.
Destiny of The Railforged delves into the question that probably every player has had once or twice; who in the Hell built the giant railroad that the Boneshaker train in the game runs on? No, literally, who in Hell is responsible for it? Both games have been somewhat light in terms of lore–the story amounts to big meanies from Heaven bringing tangible meaning to the phrase “when Hell freezes over” and you being tasked to turn up the heat again–but regardless that’s what the primary draw of the new DLC is. The eponymous Railforged Clan comprises the new deck on offer, and they’re headed by blacksmith champions Herzal and Heph, who helped engineer the railway through Hell. Logically, the deck really focuses on the “building” part of deckbuilder, and has you upgrade your cards to reap massive benefits the more you put into them. This is most visible in the Forge mechanic some cards have, which grants your minions stacking buffs depending on how much you’ve suped up a card when triggered. Not only that, but some cards allow you to bend the Boneshaker itself to your will, with the Pyrespeak ability directing its attack to whatever lane needs dealing with.
There’s also a new mode they’ve added called Soul Savior, which seems to be how you access the new boss, new enemies, and special unlockables. This is an entirely separate mode from the main campaign, and judging by the way developer Shiny Shoe talks about it, you’ll need to min max for your life in order to beat it. In Soul Savior, there are four underbosses you have to tackle before the main one, the ominously titled Lifemother, and according to the devs: “…the order you battle them is a vital choice that should not be taken lightly.” Last but not least, the Wurmkin Clan deck from The Last Divinity DLC from the first game is back and most importantly, free. They even reduxed the card art and added a brand new card!