The Best AAA Roguelike Games

The roguelike genre is becoming increasingly popular in the gaming world. With indie titles like Hades and Rogue Legacy making 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 few AAA roguelike games out there.

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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 of the best AAA roguelikes will 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.

8

No Return – The Last Of Us Part 2 Remastered

The Last Of Us 2’s Roguelike Mode Leaves Something To Be Desired

Systems

Released

January 19, 2024

Publisher(s)

Sony Interactive Entertainment

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Released exclusively as part of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, No Return is 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, and The Last of Us 2’s excellent 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.

7

Deathloop

An Immersive Sim Trapped In A Time Loop

Developed by Arkane Studios, the minds behind the Dishonored series, Deathloop is 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.

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Deathloop’s early 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.

6

Gwent: Rogue Mage

Turns Gwent Into A Roguelike RPG

While Slay the Spire can’t make it onto this list due to it being an indie game, there is a worthy AAA alternative in Gwent: Rogue Mage. CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3 spinoff and Hearthstone competitor may not carry the same clout as its peers, but it still offers a solid PvP deckbuilding experience. With its own two expansions in Thronebreaker and Rogue Mage, it also has single-player chops that Blizzard’s card game can’t match.

Rogue Mage is 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.

5

Freelancer Mode – Hitman World Of Assassination

Possibly The Purest Example Of The Hitman Gameplay Formula

While the style and substance have changed, the formula of the Hitman series 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 recent Hitman trilogy refined this formula down to a science, and Freelancer Mode, part of Hitman World of Assassination, is arguably the finest example of that formula firing on all cylinders.

In essence, Freelancer Mode is a Hitman roguelike, but the real magic is how it strips away the agency that typically backs Agent 47 in the Hitman campaign 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.

4

God Of War Ragnarök: Valhalla

A Free Roguelike Add-On That Is A Must-Play For Series Fans

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God of War Ragnarok

Systems

Released

November 9, 2022

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

There are two reasons why God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla ranks above some games that might offer a more in-depth roguelike experience: Its price point (Valhalla is free for anyone who owns God 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 modern God of War duology. Wherever Sony Santa Monica takes this series next, it will be heavily influenced by the events that occur in Valhalla.

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One year later, God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla is still the gold standard for post-launch content, having offered something both substantial and free.

Valhalla is also so much more than just the gameplay of Ragnarok with 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.

3

Risk Of Rain 2

A Sleeper Hit And One Of The Best Co-Op Roguelikes On The Market

Stealthily published by Gearbox, Risk of Rain 2 is, 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 or with up to three other people online, it’s easy to see why.

Risk of Rain 2 is 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.

2

Prey: Mooncrash

A Surprise Roguelike DLC That Does Almost Everything Right

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 do Prey: Mooncrash justice. Prey, much like Arkane’s previous work on Dishonored, is an immersive sim that 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.

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That kind of gameplay doesn’t really lend itself to the fast pace of a roguelike, but somehow, Arkane made it work. Mooncrash is 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.

1

Returnal

Unmatched Innovation In Both Roguelikes And AAA Games As A Whole

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Returnal

Systems

Released

April 30, 2021

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

There really is no other choice for the top spot on this list. Returnal is 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 things Returnal does with the PS5 DualSense controller’s haptic feedback are 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’s campaign 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.

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