Monster Train 2 Review for PlayStation 5

Monster Train 2 Review

I boarded “Monster Train 2” not knowing what I was in for. I missed the first ride entirely, so I came into this sequel without any nostalgia or expectations, but I’m walking away seriously impressed. This is one of those rare deckbuilders that knows exactly what it wants to be and then cranks every lever and valve to make it all run like clockwork. Right off the bat, the setup is wild in the best way. Heaven’s been hijacked by colossal beings known as Titans, and it’s up to an unlikely alliance of demons and angels to work together and take back the skies. That premise alone had me grinning, but what really sealed the deal was how seamlessly it all ties into the gameplay. Your train, yes, an actual, flaming, multi-story locomotive barreling through the planes of existence, is your mobile battlefield. You’re tasked with defending its three vertical levels while guiding your deck and units through increasingly brutal encounters.

Even without context from the original game, the mechanics were quick to hook me. I picked a clan, set off into the void, and before long I was piecing together strange, synergistic strategies that let me summon infernal beasts, buff units to ridiculous proportions, and manipulate the board in clever, satisfying ways. The variety here is no joke, each clan has its own personality, mechanics, and tempo. Some lean into heavy damage and sacrifice tactics, while others mess with spellcasting or unit placement in unexpectedly strategic ways. It feels like a playground for theorycrafters. What really caught me off guard were these additions of Room Cards and Equipment Cards. At first, I didn’t fully grasp their impact. But once I started layering effects, stacking boosts on specific train cars, or slapping powerful upgrades on key units, I realized how much creative freedom this game allows. Suddenly, I wasn’t just adapting to each run; I was engineering little engines of destruction and defense, each with their own quirks. The new Pyre Hearts add yet another layer to the mix, bringing not just gameplay modifiers but story progression hooks as well.

Between runs, the Covenant Outpost acts as a hub where I could regroup, explore lore, and unlock more goodies. It’s a smart addition, grounding the roguelike loop with some permanence and world-building. The characters I met there added personality without slowing things down, and the evolving story, while subtle, did just enough to keep me curious about what the Titans were planning next. The suite of extra modes adds even more replay value. Daily Challenges mix things up with funky modifiers, while Dimensional Challenges offer handcrafted trials with unique rewards. I even found myself sucked into customizing my train, not because it changes the game dramatically, but because it’s fun. And in a game with this much style, why not lean into that?

Visually, “Monster Train 2” is a kaleidoscope of bold colors and imaginative character art. The UI is clean and responsive, even when chaos erupts on all three levels of your train. There were times when I had a dozen modifiers, triggers, and effects going off in the same turn, but the game never lost clarity. That’s no small feat. The soundtrack, too, deserves a shout. It ranges from heavy-hitting industrial riffs to eerie melodic loops, always matching the tone of the current battle or biome. That said, it did take me a few tries before everything really clicked. This isn’t a game that spoon-feeds you. It expects you to explore, fail, and iterate, and once I embraced that, the whole experience started to shine. Every run felt like a learning opportunity, and even when I crashed and burned, I walked away with ideas for the next attempt.

To be clear, if deckbuilders have never appealed to you, this probably won’t convert you. But if you’re even remotely curious, or like me, often enjoy the genre but find a lot of entries fall flat, “Monster Train 2” might just be what you’ve been waiting for. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it polishes it until it’s gleaming. Everything here has purpose and care behind it. Every card, every decision point, every battle, there’s a sharpness to the design that makes it hard to put down. In a sea of roguelikes and card games, “Monster Train 2” punches above its weight. It’s smart, stylish, and surprisingly generous with content. I came in a skeptic, unsure if I’d missed the boat by skipping the first game, but this sequel doesn’t need that context to shine. It’s a confident, standalone triumph that understands what makes the genre fun and then delivers that joy at full speed.

9/10

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Nick Navarro

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Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87

Tags: Good Shepherd Entertainment Monster Train 2