Highlights
- Endless Dungeon, developed by Amplitude Studios and published by Sega, is a highly anticipated action roguelike set to release in October. It combines twin-stick shooting with tower defense mechanics, filling a gap in the market.
- It is the spiritual successor to Dungeon of the Endless, sticking to the roguelike genre but introducing the fast-paced shooting element. The closed beta has provided insights into what players can expect from the game.
- Endless Dungeon offers both solo and cooperative gameplay, allowing players to explore procedurally generated areas with up to 2 friends. The game features unique squad members with their own designs and classes, adding strategy to squad composition and character selection.
Despite 2023 having already been chock-full of quality releases, things don't seem to be slowing down at all in the latter half of the year. While many likely have their eyes set on the remaining AAA titles set to launch, there's one indie arriving in October that's showing quite a bit of promise. Developed by Amplitude Studios and published by Sega, Endless Dungeon is a new addictive-looking action roguelike that takes place in Amplitude's Endless Universe. With its release just a month away and featuring a unique blend of twin-stick shooting and tower defense mechanics, Endless Dungeon is filling a void for high-profile roguelikes left by the wait for Hades 2's early access launch in 2024.
Endless Dungeon is actually the spiritual successor to Amplitude's 2014 title Dungeon of the Endless, which was also a roguelike but stuck strictly to the tower defense format rather than blending it with the fast-paced and frenetic twin-stick shooting promised by Endless Dungeon. Dungeon of the Endless was well-received by both players and critics, giving cause for fans of both the Endless games and roguelikes to be excited about its follow-up. The closed beta for the title just wrapped yesterday, helping the picture to fall into place regarding what players can expect in Endless Dungeon when it launches in 4 weeks.
Endless Dungeon Allows for Solo or Co-Op Play with Unique Squad Members
Earning itself a place among some of the best titles in the roguelike subgenre, Endless Dungeon allows players to venture into its procedurally generated areas as either a solo squad member or with up to 2 friends in 3-player co-op. While many of the most highly-regarded roguelikes are solo affairs (such as Hades or Curse of the Dead Gods), some of the genre's best titles are co-op. This includes absolute classics like The Binding of Isaac and Risk of Rain 2. As anyone who has spent dozens of hours playing these games with friends can attest, a great roguelike can often be even better with companions.
To help add some variety and a true roguelike approach to each run, the various squad members that players can choose from in Endless Dungeon each have their own unique designs and classes. Not only do these characters each look appealing to play for various reasons, but they also help facilitate a variety of play styles, helping to add a layer of strategy to players' squad composition and character selection. There are currently 6 available characters in Endless Dungeon, with more planned for future updates as part of the game's roadmap.
The Roguelike Gameplay of Endless Nation Blends Two Unlikely Genres
Of course, none of this would matter if the game didn't successfully nail down the fundamentals of what makes a good roguelike. Thankfully, Amplitude Studios has used player feedback to drive Endless Dungeon's development, resulting in what appears to be an addictive blend of two unlikely genres as players die, upgrade, and die again. Amplitude already had experience with strategy and tower defense, but now is attempting to fold in real-time twin-stick shooting. This mix of its previous work and the mechanics of something like Enter the Gungeon looks to be an unexpected turn that pays off in the game having a unique identity among roguelikes.
As in most roguelikes, death is a regular part of the Endless Dungeon experience. However, every time players die (whether solo or in co-op), they launch back to the Saloon – a hub area similar to Hades' Temple of Styx. Here, players can upgrade their characters, stock up on consumables, and chat with NPCs to get a little more insight into the overarching narrative. Endless Dungeon's blending of twin-stick shooting and tower defense promises that players will have opportunities for upgrade paths for each, and the variety of characters and classes promises there to be plenty of build-and-run variety in this upcoming roguelike.
Endless Dungeon will be available October 19 for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
