E for Everyone: Rampage Knights

Why should you play "Rampage Knights" (2015)? Because it is arguably the most fun you’ll ever have playing a cooperative roguelike.

Inspired by the shiny-eyed, cartoon nightmare that was "The Binding of Isaac" (2011) and the hack-and-slash mechanics of "Golden Axe" (1989), "Rampage Knights" is a two-player game like no other. From the outside, it admittedly seems pretty generic. A bunch of muscled dudes with interchangeable hats running around smashing baddies with increasingly powerful weapons and collecting gold is hardly something new. Plus, it takes maybe 40 minutes to get through all the separate levels to the boss and beat the game. Why, then, do I have over 40 hours logged on Steam? Well, with six very different classes to choose from, four minibosses, 48 enemy types and nine curses, every time you play through the randomly generated dungeon with your partner, you’re guaranteed to have an unduplicatable, hilarious experience.

If that doesn’t sound compelling, a feature that I really believe distinguishes "Rampage Knights" from other games of its genre is the ingenious reincarnation system. After Player 1 dies in most co-op games, they just sit there and can’t do anything until Player 2 succeeds in reviving them somehow. To turn the idea on its head, in "Rampage Knights," the dead player then gets turned into a ghost and still contributes effectively and hysterically to combat, doing one damage at a time and causing knockback, while Player 2 racks up 10 kills to revive them. This was such a pleasant surprise in an already refreshingly well-balanced and reactive game. Some "Rampage Knights" players I know even enjoy the game more as a ghost!

That being said, there are a lot of ways for you to unfairly beat some levels and for some levels to do the same to you. The more you play, though, the more achievements you get and the stronger your in-game characters become, making it easier to survive the relentlessness of some enemies. Additionally, finding ways of cheating the enemy AI or surviving things you really shouldn’t be able to are really fulfilling parts of this game.

For a game clearly inspired by "The Binding of Isaac," the game’s feel is surprisingly pleasant. The soundtrack is well-composed but not distracting, and the combination of visual and audio effects are visceral enough that they make the actions you execute feel satisfying and powerful but very cartoonish and not even remotely grisly enough to make you feel queasy or uncomfortable (maybe with the exception of the final boss’ secondary form).

If this game sounds up your alley, I’d recommend snagging it and a whole bunch of other exceptional games in the current “Hooked on Multiplayer” Humble Bundle by paying any amount over the $7.51 average -- that’s six great games, including the friendship-ruining indie sweetheart "Ultimate Chicken Horse" (2016) and the timeless "Primal Carnage: Extinction" (2015), in which you play as one of several dinosaurs or the people trying to fight them. That deal’s only around for the next week or so, though, so if you decide not to partake, it’s available for $11.99 on Steam and frequently goes on sale for $4.79 (or $6.29 for two copies).