Summary
Theroguelikegenre is becoming increasingly popular in the gaming world. With indie titles likeHadesandRogue Legacymaking a name for the genre,more and more indie studios are turning toward developing roguelikes due to their current standing in the industry. However, despite the genre’s appeal to gamers everywhere, there are surprisingly fewAAA roguelike gamesout there.
That trend is starting to change, as the roguelike genre’s continued popularity can no longer be ignored by major studios. However, as of this writing, pickings are slim. As such, this list ofthe best AAA roguelikeswill not only be ranking full AAA roguelike releases, but also roguelike modes that have been released for otherwise non-roguelike AAA games. Between these two options, players should have more than enough choice until the next true AAA roguelike makes its way onto their console of choice.
AAA, in this case, refers to games developed or published by major game studios with large budgets and development teams backing them.
Released exclusively as part ofThe Last of Us Part 2 Remastered,No Returnis a roguelike mode set in the game’s universe. Players have the option to control up to 20 characters, including staples like Joel,Ellie, and Abby,but also newly playable characters like Tommy, Lev, Manny, and more. The mode has all the standard roguelike trappings, including permadeath and a weapon and item reset upon defeat.
While the mode capably holds its own, andThe Last of Us 2’sexcellent combat keeps it entertaining, there just isn’t much here to warrant returning for run after run. There are characters and skins to unlock, challenges to complete, and a total of six bosses to encounter and defeat. However, considering players will have to either pay full price for the remastered version of the game or pay $10 to upgrade their initial purchase to the remastered version, all just to get access to No Return, it really doesn’t have enough on offer to make it a strong recommendation.
Developed by Arkane Studios,the minds behind theDishonoredseries,Deathloopis a roguelike that oozes style. From its music to its story to its mind-bending narrative, there is a lot to like about this game’s presentation. Players control Colt Vahn, an assassin who is inexplicably trapped in a time loop. In order to escape, Colt must assassinate eight targets spread across the island of Blackreef. However, he only has one day to do it, as when the day ends (or Colt dies) the loop is reset and he must start all over again.
Deathloop’searly hours are pure roguelike bliss. The game’s excellent shooting mechanics and interesting abilities make both traversal and combat a joy. However, as players progress, they will eventually find the set-up they prefer and learn how to lock in those weapons and powers ahead of each run. This significantly diminishes the game’s roguelike elements. While it is still fun in the latter stages—and finding the perfect loop that eliminates all eight targets is intensely satisfying—the actual roguelike gameplay falls off quickly and never really reappears unless players dabble in the game’s asynchronous multiplayer.
WhileSlay the Spirecan’t make it onto this list due to it being an indie game, there is a worthy AAA alternative inGwent: Rogue Mage.CD Projekt Red’sThe Witcher 3spinoff andHearthstonecompetitor may not carry the same clout as its peers, but it still offers a solid PvP deckbuilding experience. With its own two expansions inThronebreakerandRogue Mage, it also has single-player chops that Blizzard’s card game can’t match.
Rogue Mageis a fairly basic deck-building roguelike. Players start each run by choosing one of a handful of standard decks, then discover new cards at random during their run to expand and improve their deck. They’ll face other Gwent players and eventually come up against dangerous bosses as well. The game can get a bit repetitive in later runs, as there are only so many enemy decks it can throw the player’s way. but this is still a roguelike deckbuilder through and through, and it was made by one of the best developers in the gaming industry.
While the style and substance have changed, the formula of theHitmanseries has always been simple. Players—controlling Agent 47—are given a target and a location, and they must use whatever means are at their disposal to eliminate that target. The recentHitmantrilogy refined this formula down to a science, andFreelancer Mode,part ofHitman World of Assassination,is arguably the finest example of that formula firing on all cylinders.
In essence, Freelancer Mode is aHitmanroguelike, but the real magic is how it strips away the agency that typically backs Agent 47 in theHitmancampaign missions. Instead, players must do a lot of the heavy lifting themselves, including choosing their targets, amassing an arsenal of gear, and deciding what gear they need for each mission. Any gear left behind on a mission is lost for good, so players must be meticulous in their planning, reconnaissance, and execution,just like Agent 47 would have to be,and it makes a successful hit that much more satisfying.
There are two reasons whyGod of War Ragnarök: Valhallaranks above some games that might offer a more in-depth roguelike experience: Its price point (Valhallais free for anyone who ownsGod of War Ragnarök) and its astonishing narrative, which is not only excellent in its own right but marks a major shift for Kratos in the modernGod of Warduology. Wherever Sony Santa Monica takes this series next, it will be heavily influenced by the events that occur inValhalla.
Valhallais also so much more than just the gameplay ofRagnarokwith a roguelike coat of paint. It features a new weapon, new enemies (at least, new to the current series), and new boss fights. Its short runtime means it won’t keep players busy for dozens of hours, but it is likely to be one of the more memorable roguelikes that they ever play, especially if they’ve been invested in Kratos' story since his PS2 days.
Stealthily published by Gearbox,Risk of Rain 2is, simply put, a game that doesn’t get talked about enough. Those who know it, love it. There’s just a magnetism to it, and between its sharp and satisfying third-person shooter gameplay, the frenetic conclusion to every level, and the option to play solo orwith up to three other people online,it’s easy to see why.
Risk of Rain 2is very cleverly designed. The way it doles out currency and then forces the player to spend it wisely makes it hard to ever get complacent during a run. That said, there is also no limit to how many copies of an item players can carry, which means there is also no limit to how many times an effect can stack. This results in the occasional hilariously-overpowered build, which is arguably just as important to the roguelike experience as struggling with an underpowered build is.
Arkane is showing up on this list again, making them the only AAA developer who has worked on two roguelikes; although this one is just a DLC.That said, “just a DLC” doesn’t doPrey: Mooncrashjustice.Prey,much like Arkane’s previous work onDishonored,is an immersive simthat not only expects players to take things slowly but pretty much demands it. The game’s enemies, an alien race known as the Typhon, can disguise themselves as anything, and they tend to take on the form of everyday objects like lamps and coffee mugs. This forces players to take every step carefully and focus intensely on their environment.
That kind of gameplay doesn’t really lend itself to the fast pace of a roguelike, but somehow, Arkane made it work.Mooncrashis set on a moonbase called Pytheas, and the player must guide one of five characters through its halls to discover what caused the base to go dark. What’s interesting about Pytheas is that the map layout never changes, but the positions of enemies, hazards, and items do. This makes for the perfect balance between a roguelike and an immersive sim, as players can become familiar enough with the environment to use it to their advantage, but will never know what awaits them around the next corner.
There really is no other choice for the top spot on this list.Returnalis one of the most polished and technically-impressive roguelikes ever made. In fact, it’s one of the most technically-impressive AAA games ever made as well. The thingsReturnaldoes withthe PS5 DualSense controller’s haptic feedbackare nothing short of revolutionary, and few games have come close to matching it since. Couple that with its stellar visuals, and this is the premiere example of a AAA roguelike as of today.
Returnal’scampaign is intricately designed, balancing player skill and inter-run progression perfectly. Its story will hit differently for different players, but it’s hard not to be intrigued by the mysterious nature of Selene’s journey. Then there’s the Tower of Sysiphus, an endless tower-climb mode that discards any pretense of “winning” and simply tasks players with surviving the longest, which makes for a perfect palette cleanse following the intensity of the main campaign.
