It took 10 years to make it happen, but the sequel to one of my favorite tower defense games is finally almost here

Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten is an excellent tower defense game, and so it wasn't surprising that in 2013, a year after its release, a sequel was announced. And then, nothing happened. I don't know why. 

But now it's back! A decade down the road, developer Level Up Labs has officially "re-revealed" Defenders Quest 2: Mists of Ruin and said it will be out later this year.

Defender's Quest 2, like the first game, promises to mix tower defense tactics with "long-term strategy" and RPG-style party and character building. This time around, players will lead a team known as the Hunters on a mission across the Shining Lands in a last-ditch effort to save the once-lush oasis from a deadly gas called Mirk.

One of the things I liked most about Defender's Quest was the writing, courtesy of James Cavin—a bit oddly, it's his only listed credit. The underlying story is fairly generic "chosen one" stuff but it never takes itself seriously, and it's filled with silly dialog like this early-game encounter with your first NPC:

Defender's Quest 2 is being written by indie developer and PC Gamer contributor Xalavier Nelson Jr., whose previous releases include Witch Strandings, Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator, An Airport for Aliens Currently Run By Dogs, and the upcoming El Paso, Elsewhere. He clearly has a knack for the unusual, so hopefully it will be a good fit.

A release date for Defender's Quest 2 hasn't been announced, but it's set to come out in 2023 and is available for wishlisting now on Steam. And if you've never tried the original Defender's Quest, you can see what it's all about for free thanks to the demo of the updated DX Edition, which is also available on Steam.