Ruiner 2 promises to evolve the original top-down shooter 'into a deep, systems-driven action RPG'

Released in 2017, Ruiner is a stylish, brutal top-down shooter that earned an 84% in our review as "a superb, if short, whirlwind of cyber-violence and sightseeing." Nearly a decade later, developer Reikon Games says a sequel is finally on the way.

Ruiner 2 will take players back to the corporate-ruled cyber-awfulness of Rengkok, "and the wasteland beyond," where everything sucks and you can't even escape into the quiet mercy of death because it's against the terms of your contract. So, Plan B: Escape by killing everything else.

The new Ruiner certainly looks a lot like the original, and Reikon says the basics are still in place: Enemies are relentless, and you either kill or you die. But it also promises significantly more gameplay depth: Reikon says Ruiner 2 "evolves the cult-classic top-down shooter into a deep, systems-driven action RPG," and gives players a roster of up to three "combat bodies" called Shells that can be switched between instantly during fights.

From the Steam page: "Rather than being locked into a single class for a hundred hours, you build a roster. Each Shell hits differently—distinct playstyle, special abilities, a different role in the slaughter. You don't unlock them in a menu. You take them by killing the bosses that hunt you.

"Every Shell in your roster features a deep, specialized progression path - four skills, each with branching nodes that change how those skills behave, not just how hard they hit. The deeper you go, the further your build drifts from anything standard. Master those paths, find the synergies between your Shells, and you stop following a build guide. You start writing one."

Ruiner 2 will support singleplayer and co-op action for up to three people. A release date hasn't been announced but it's up for wishlisting now on Steam.