Hello, gentle readers, and welcome to the RPG Reload, the semi-weekly feature where we can't quite remember how old that rat meat is. Each week, we take a look at an RPG from the App Store's past to see how it's doing in the here and now. It's a chance to revisit some old favorites, reflect on their place in the overall library, or simply to take a deeper dive than our reviews typically allow. As the ringleader of this little circus, I try to choose a balanced selection of games from week to week. If you feel I'm missing something important, however, please let me know. You can do that by posting a comment below, dropping by the Official RPG Reload Club thread, or by tweeting me at @RPGReload. Since I plan the schedule pretty far in advance, it might be a while before you see your suggestion, but it will be added to the master list.
During the course of this feature, we've looked at several games that were either of the roguelike genre or were variations on it. Many of the features of the genre have proven popular on iOS, and it's easy to see why. Randomized elements make for fun replays, and permadeaths aren't so bad when you've only got a short span of time to fill. Many roguelike-derived games on iOS add in a metagame element so that all of the deaths are building towards some sort of goal, but just as many are content to leave one of the central elements of the roguelike genre alone. Each playthrough is its own adventure, its own story, with its own ending. Obtaining t...