Top Slay The Spire 2 Players in China Share Insights on Their Review Bombing Tactics

If you’ve been keeping an eye on the development of Slay the Spire 2 during its early access phase, you might have noticed that the game has faced three instances of review-bombing. While we can overlook the third wave for obvious reasons, the first two deserve a closer look.

In late March, the developer rolled out Beta Patch v0.100.0, which sparked significant backlash from players in China due to various balance changes. The primary concern revolved around the Act 3 boss, Doormaker, who underwent substantial reworking in this patch, leading to an immediate surge of negative reviews.

The second wave of review-bombing occurred on April 17, coinciding with the launch of the game’s first “Major Update.” This update incorporated most of the changes from Beta Patch v0.100.0, including the revamped Doormaker fight. The Chinese player base expressed their frustration again, arguing that the changes had not been reverted.

For players outside of China, the reaction was somewhat perplexing, especially since the developer indicated that, based on player metrics, Doormaker was the easiest Act 3 boss. It’s crucial to understand that the perspective on review-bombing differs significantly in China. With platforms like Discord, X, and many of Steam’s social features banned, many players feel that review-bombing is their only way to communicate feedback to developers.

This cultural gap left many players outside of China scratching their heads. It was clear that the Chinese community had strong feelings about Doormaker, but the reasons behind this sentiment were less obvious. Fortunately, a YouTube video by content creator Iris Raphael has shed some light on the situation.

In early May, Iris hosted a roundtable discussion featuring several top Slay the Spire 2 players and streamers from China. On May 26, they released a version of this discussion with English subtitles, showcasing insights from eight prominent players, including Brkstar, White Seal, Xiaofu9, and Dong’gua.

The video runs for about two hours and twenty minutes, so if you’re short on time, no worries. However, for those who can spare a moment, here’s a summary of their key points.

Beyond their issues with Doormaker, the players expressed concerns about Act 1. They unanimously agreed that the Overgrowth biome is significantly tougher than the Underdocks biome, a point I find valid. The basic enemies in Overgrowth do seem to hit harder, especially when considering the Raider trios and the Slithering Strangler/Snapping Jaxfruit combo.

However, I don’t fully align with their view that Act 1 is flawed due to its deck-building restrictions. They argue that it forces players to rely heavily on AoE and high-block cards for survival, which can lead to decks that don’t synergize well with cards in Act 2 and beyond. While I agree with their assessment, I don’t see it as a negative aspect. If players could easily create fully synergistic decks in Act 1, it would trivialize the challenges of the subsequent acts.

This brings us to a broader issue they raised: “Save Load” runs. Many players in the video identified as “SL” players, meaning they utilize save and reload tactics during fights to secure optimal outcomes. Several players boasted about their impressive win streaks, with one claiming a remarkable 150-win streak—something that’s only feasible through save loading.

This is where the disconnect becomes apparent. Save loading is primarily a practice among players in China, while top players from other regions typically avoid it, referring to it as save scumming. This difference in playstyle explains why the Chinese community found the Doormaker fight frustrating. The boss’s mechanics, which involve exhausting cards and limiting draws, effectively counter the save loading strategy.

Since the release of the video, Doormaker has been removed from the game and replaced with a new boss, Aeonglass. However, the negative reviews stemming from the Doormaker controversy still linger on Steam. It remains to be seen if these will change once the beta updates are fully integrated into the main game.

While I believe the Chinese players raised some valid points, I take issue with their focus on changes that cater specifically to SL runs. Given that this playstyle isn’t prevalent outside of China, it feels like they’re advocating for adjustments that the majority of players in other regions may not support.

Perhaps the best solution would be to introduce a mode tailored for players who prefer this style. I’m not entirely sure how that would be implemented, but it’s clear that balancing Slay the Spire 2 to satisfy both SL and non-SL players is a complex challenge. That said, the developer has indicated plans to introduce new modes in the future, so there’s a possibility they might consider this approach.