Tower Tactics II

[h1]A Gem In The Making[/h1] I hate to get all [i]"True Scotsman,"[/i] but if you've [b]heavily[/b] delved into the tower defense genre, I'd imagine you'd have come across [b]Broken Universe[/b]. I've always found it to be one of the most slept on, yet most GOATed, tower defense games. If not [i]THE[/i] most. I decided to preface my early review with that, because [b]Tower Tactics II[/b] is giving off some Broken Universe vibes. And that is a [i]really[/i] wonderful thing! Tower Tactics II is a multi-faceted tower defense, that blends set-path and mazing, in a roguelite package, with a suite of challenging story-missions to boot! Not to mention, it features multiple meta-progression systems, as well as several alternative game modes that also contribute to progression. [i]*slaps [b]Tower Tactics II[/b] on the hood* You can fit a heckuva-lot of tower defense in here, pal![/i] [h1]On Builds[/h1] I want to share a brief rundown on how builds work, and if I find them to be varied, compelling, and competitive. You can have [u]five[/u] (5) loadouts, per Hero/Character. [u][b]Your starter build consists of the following[/b][/u]: If you're familiar with the card game, [b]Dawncaster[/b], I think you'll find this kind of setup familiar. [list] [*] [b]Your Hero/Character[/b] will define your overall, top-level, archtype/strategem. This will determine your starting deck, starting Hero Card [i](see below)[/i], and starting Trinkets. [*] [b]Your Hero Card[/b] is a special spell you have access to every turn, but it costs more the more you use it. You have the option to choose one, of three. You start with one, for each Hero, and have to unlock the rest. [*] [b]Your Trinkets[/b] are like trinkets/artifacts in every other roguelite game. They help shape/tune/modify your builds. You have the option to choose one, of three, hero-specific Trinkets, as well as bringing one generic one, from a pool of unlocked Trinkets. [*] You'll also be able to bring a [b]Joker[/b]. This is a card of your choice, that will be added to your starting deck. This can be whatever you want, from a pool of unlocked cards. You have a pretty varied selection. It feels good, and fair. [/list] And now you're probably thinking, [i]"Whew! That's a lot of customization and build variety!"[/i] And you're right! [b]But, wait! [i]THERE'S MORE![/i][/b] The [u][b]Sanctuary[/b][/u]: [i](time to get your Tetris on...)[/i] [list] [*] [b]Passive bonuses[/b] can be applied to each Hero, per Hero, per loadout. [*] [b]Passives include[/b] things like extra special tiles of your choice, Max HP+, [i]healing after completing a map[/i], damage pen., and so on. [*] Passives are represented physically, portrayed as [b]Tetris-like pieces[/b], that you must arrange into a small grid. More powerful effects have larger pieces, and more potent modifiers have increasingly peculiar shapes. Like 'z'-shaped pieces. [/list] Okay! Whew... So, you combine all that stuff together, and that's how your build looks at the beginning of a run. Then, hopefully obviously, you'll engage in the roguelite portion of the gameplay loop, as you progress, adding new cards, and trinkets to your deck. I wanted to break all that down because this is the stuff that I think people like me really crave, so I wanted to expand on the information provided by the game's own store page description. The simpler list of features, I think, makes this seem like more [i]same ol', same ol'[/i] stuff, when it's actually quite impressive. Lastly, I think that the build variety seems good, so far. However, I have quite a long way to go. As of writing this, right now, all the builds I've tried seem competitive, fun, and markedly different in both feel of piloting, and practical application. I'll try to update this when I have better understanding. [h1]Customization! ✅ But Is It Good?![/h1] [i](I realized I wrote all of this without ever saying if the gameplay is actually good! I don't have time to dive into too much deta