Buckler 2

Buckler 2 is a retro-styled roguelite platformer where players join Venice, a silent scarved protagonist, and the Olive Heroes on an epic adventure across Sector Omega, the last contested territory in a world torn between rival factions of Olives and Roses. As unlikely allies band together to shield-bash enemies, wield unique weapons, and navigate hazards in this unfamiliar realm filled with foes, friends, and roguelike challenges, they fight to reclaim their rightful land from an army of savage killers in a story exploring themes of love, hate, and everything in between.

Buckler 2: Review

Introduction

In the vast cosmos of indie gaming, where pixelated heroes clash against procedural perils, few titles capture the bittersweet essence of redemption quite like Buckler 2. Originally conceived as Rosefury: The Golden Plains, this unassuming platformer emerged from the solo vision of developer aplove under AploveStudio, blending retro aesthetics with roguelite unpredictability. Released in late 2018 on itch.io and hitting Steam in early 2019, it stands as a testament to the era’s indie renaissance, where small teams dared to weave epic tales into bite-sized adventures. As a game historian, I’ve seen countless platformers rise and fade, but Buckler 2 lingers like a half-remembered dream—charming in its intimacy, brutal in its failures, and profound in its exploration of love’s fragile hold against hate’s tide. My thesis: Buckler 2 is a hidden masterpiece of indie design, marrying heartfelt storytelling with innovative mechanics to remind us that even in a cursed galaxy, purpose can bloom from division.

Development History & Context

AploveStudio, the brainchild of a single passionate creator known online as aplove, represents the quintessential indie underdog of the late 2010s. Founded amid the post-Undertale wave of narrative-driven pixel art games, the studio operated on a shoestring budget, leveraging free tools like GameMaker Studio (initially GMS1, later ported to GMS2 in 2019). Buckler 2 began as Rosefury: The Golden Plains in December 2018, a reworking of an earlier prototype that grappled with themes of factional conflict. Aplove’s vision was clear from devlogs on itch.io: craft a platformer that subverted roguelite tropes by infusing them with emotional depth, drawing inspiration from classics like Mega Man for character variety and Spelunky for procedural risk-reward loops.

The era’s technological constraints played a pivotal role. With minimal system requirements—merely 32 MB RAM and DirectX 9 compatibility—the game was designed for accessibility, targeting older PCs and evoking the 8-16 bit limitations of the SNES or Genesis age. This was no accident; aplove aimed to honor retro roots while navigating the indie landscape dominated by roguelites like Dead Cells (2018) and Hades (early access 2018). The 2019 Steam release, just months after itch.io’s debut, capitalized on Valve’s growing support for solo devs, adding achievements, leaderboards, and remote play. However, challenges abounded: aplove’s devlogs reveal frantic patches for bugs like arm clipping and control schemes, reflecting the isolation of solo development without AAA resources. In a market flooded with polished indies, Buckler 2 carved its niche as a labor of love, prioritizing story and experimentation over spectacle—much like contemporaries such as Celeste (2018), but with a cosmic twist.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

At its core, Buckler 2 unfolds a mythic tragedy on the planet Regroja in the Goodbar Galaxy, a world born from love but fractured by hubris. The Regrojans, an ancient race engineered to foster harmony, awaken a dormant god through reckless curiosity. Cursed with dual plagues that warp minds and bodies, they splinter into the verdant Olives—champions of empathy—and the crimson Roses, avatars of rage. What follows is a millennium-spanning race war, reducing paradise to scorched battlegrounds. The game’s plot centers on Sector Omega, the final contested frontier, where silent protagonist Venice—scarved and stoic, wielding the titular Buckler shield—leads the Olive Heroes against Rose aggressors. Accompanied by a ragtag crew like the explosive Cairo, the vacuum-wielding Francisco, and the laser-firing Professor York (unlocked post-good ending), Venice’s journey is a quest to reclaim lost purpose.

The narrative’s brilliance lies in its subtlety, delivered through environmental storytelling, sparse dialogue, and branching paths. Venice’s muteness amplifies themes of isolation amid conflict; his shield-bashes symbolize defensive love turning offensive, mirroring the Regrojans’ fall. Characters embody the spectrum between love and hate: Francisco’s macho bluster hides vulnerability, while Rose antagonists—shrouded in darkness until climactic reveals—evoke tragic foes warped by the curse, not innate evil. Dialogue, punchy and retro-infused (e.g., “Vivat Rosis!” as a mocking war cry), underscores irony; lines like “We were made to create love, yet we kill in its name” pierce the pixelated veneer.

Thematically, Buckler 2 delves into redemption’s cost. The plagues represent societal curses—curiosity unchecked breeds division, echoing real-world conflicts. Dual endings pivot on player choices: the “good” path fosters alliances, unlocking York and revealing the god’s remorse; the “bad” one succumbs to hate, dooming allies and amplifying roguelite permadeath’s sting. Who lives? Who dies? Aplove leaves it to you, making each run a moral gamble. Subtle motifs, like fishing for “Star Cookies” or gambling at slots for power-ups, humanize the war—moments of peace amid chaos. In an genre often light on lore, this depth elevates Buckler 2 to a fable on forgiveness, where hate’s cycle breaks only through remembered love.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Buckler 2‘s core loop is a masterful fusion of platforming precision and roguelite replayability, structured around procedurally generated runs through Sector Omega’s biomes— from golden plains to worm-infested depths. Players select from a diverse roster (up to 10+ characters via updates), each with unique kits: Venice’s Buckler enables shield-bashes for crowd control and bullet deflection; London’s guns and bombs favor ranged chaos; Sydney’s punches pierce walls for environmental puzzles. Progression ties to roguelite permanence—deaths reset runs but unlock “power items” like the Colossal Sword or durable fishing rods, which persist across playthroughs via a meta-hub.

Combat is fluid yet unforgiving, emphasizing momentum: dashes chain into bashes, creating combos that feel like Super Meat Boy‘s twitch reflexes crossed with Rogue Legacy‘s build variety. Enemies, from savage Rose minions to colossal worms, demand adaptation—red foes charge predictably, but hazards like pitfalls or bullet hell patterns punish complacency. Innovative systems shine here: fishing yields buffs (e.g., health regen from rare catches), while slots gamble resources for multipliers, injecting RNG whimsy. Multiplayer modes, including co-op (remote play or split-screen) and Duel Mode (added in v1.4.0, first-to-8 PvP), expand accessibility, though AI companions in single-player can feel rudimentary.

Flaws persist: UI is minimalist to a fault—clunky menus lack remapping (a frequent itch.io complaint), and early versions suffered from floaty controls (patched in v1.3.1 for snappier movement). Roguelite elements, like permadeath, amplify frustration without robust checkpoints, but innovations like ability synergies (e.g., trumpet blasts exploding foes) reward experimentation. Character progression via collectibles—Power Mushrooms for Francisco, Star Cookies for London—builds a sense of growth, culminating in both endings. Overall, the systems cohere into addictive loops: die, learn, bash harder. It’s not revolutionary like Hades, but its retro purity makes every victory earned.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Sector Omega pulses with lived-in authenticity, a pixel art diorama of Regroja’s scars. Verdant Olive strongholds contrast crimson Rose wastelands, with parallax backgrounds (enhanced in v1.4.0) adding depth to procedurally shifting levels—plains morph into caverns, sizes and difficulties scaling per run. Atmosphere builds immersion: foggy hazards obscure ambushes, while ally NPCs offer lore drops, turning exploration into narrative discovery. The world’s scale feels intimate yet epic; “leaving every square inch untouched” challenges completionists, revealing hidden slots or fishing spots that tie into themes of overlooked beauty amid war.

Visually, Buckler 2 revels in 16-bit homage, with crisp sprites and vibrant palettes (new ones added in v1.2.1). Venice’s scarf flutters dynamically, enemy designs evoke Castlevania‘s grotesques—savage yet sympathetic. High-contrast modes and subtitles enhance accessibility, color-blind friendly without compromising retro charm. Sound design complements this: chiptune OST (available on Bandcamp as the Rosefury album) layers jaunty platforming beats with somber war dirges, evolving per biome. SFX—shield clangs, worm roars—crackle with DirectX 9-era punch, while subtle audio cues (e.g., tension-building hums before boss reveals) heighten dread. Together, these elements forge an experience that’s cozy yet claustrophobic, where art and sound underscore love’s whisper against hate’s roar.

Reception & Legacy

Upon its 2018 itch.io launch, Buckler 2 garnered modest buzz—over 200 downloads in weeks, per aplove’s devlog, with a 4.9/5 itch rating from 16 users praising its “story rich” depth. Steam’s 2019 release amplified visibility, but with only 6 reviews (83% positive per aggregated data), it flew under radars; no Metacritic critic scores exist, reflecting indie obscurity. Players lauded character variety and roguelite charm (“Bash some red dudes!” echoed in tags), but critiqued bugs and control tweaks (addressed in patches). Commercially, at $3.99 (often bundled in AploVVare packs), it sustained aplove’s output without blockbuster success—collected by just 1 MobyGames user as of 2024.

Legacy-wise, Buckler 2 endures as a cult footnote in roguelite evolution, influencing micro-niches like narrative platformers (Iconoclasts kin). Its solo-dev journey inspired itch.io creators, with updates like Duel Mode showcasing adaptability. In broader industry terms, it highlights 2010s indie’s golden age: tools like GameMaker democratized cosmic tales, paving for Hades‘ acclaim. Reputation has warmed via Steam curators (3 positive) and communities, evolving from “hidden gem” to preserved artifact on MobyGames— a reminder that not all legacies are loud.

Conclusion

Buckler 2 distills indie ambition into a roguelite platformer that’s equal parts heartfelt epic and punishing arcade. From aplove’s visionary reworking of Rosefury to its thematic plunge into love’s redemption, the game transcends its pixelated shell, offering mechanics that innovate within constraints and a world that lingers long after the final bash. Flaws like sparse UI aside, it’s a triumph of personal storytelling in a procedural storm. In video game history, it claims a secure niche: not a titan like Celeste, but a vital thread in the indie tapestry, proving solo dreams can curse or cure a galaxy. Verdict: Essential for roguelite aficionados—8.5/10. Play it, die repeatedly, and remember your purpose.