Roguelike Games With The Best Graphics

Roguelike Games With The Best Graphics

• Roguelikes require patience and skill as players only have one chance to make it through the game.
• Some games, like God of War Ragnarok and Prey, offer a roguelike mode in addition to their main story.
• Hades stands out for its unique art style and in-depth narrative, making it a must-play for fans of the genre.

The roguelike is an ever-expanding genre, but the core principles remain the same. Players only have one shot to make it through the game, and they get sent back to the beginning if they fail. Sometimes they can carry over some bonuses from prior runs, but the more unforgiving games make it the same each time.

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For any fan of the genre who wants to play roguelikes with some graphical fidelity, the list below will help. Remember, art and design can go a long way toward making a game look gorgeous, so good graphics are not simply about having a big budget and hundreds of people working on the title.

Also included are some games that have a roguelike mode in them, in addition to a story mode with a definitive ending. We made sure to mark which ones are roguelikes through and through and which ones include it as a bonus mode.

Returnal

Triple-A Production, But Still Brutally Difficult

Returnal

Platform(s)PS5, PCReleasedApril 30, 2021Developer(s)HousemarquePublisher(s)Sony

For developer Housemarque, Returnal was a step up in terms of graphics and story. However, it still retained the studio’s trademark focus on hectic action with enemies and bullets flying at the player from every possible direction. The story cleverly integrates the roguelike genre into its plot, so there is a reason behind the constant respawning and dying.

Even though it is a triple-A game, Returnal is brutally unforgiving and takes a lot of patience to get through, even with permanent upgrades between runs. Fans of the genre and the developer would not have it any other way.

God Of War Ragnarok – Valhalla

A Free Roguelike Update To An Already Massive Game

God of War: Ragnarok

Platform(s)PS5, PS4ReleasedNovember 9, 2022Developer(s)Santa Monica StudioPublisher(s)Sony

The main story and its side quests offer more than enough content to justify God of War Ragnarok’s price tag. Still, the developers made a whole separate roguelike mode and added it to the game in a free update. Not only does Valhalla let the game’s combat shine brighter than ever, but it also heavily expands on the story.

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It is a particular treat for fans who have been with the series since day one, as it includes numerous callbacks to the original trilogy from the PS2 and PS3.

Hades

Supergiant’s Signature Style Put Into A Roguelike Structure

Hades

Platform(s)Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Switch, PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox OneReleasedSeptember 17, 2020Developer(s)Supergiant GamesPublisher(s)Supergiant Games

Supergiant’s games always feel distinct, ever since their debut title, Bastion. Hades utilizes a unique art style that feels like an animated film, and the game’s animation looks just as good too. As a roguelike, Hades was praised for its in-depth narrative.

Even after completing a run for the first time, there is plenty of reason to go back and keep playing. There always seems to be something new to see and new conversations with NPCs to listen to. With a sequel on the way, one can only imagine it expanding on everything the first game did so well.

Last Of Us Part 2 Remastered – No Return

The Biggest Gameplay Addition To This Remaster

The Last of Us Part 2

Platform(s)PS4ReleasedJune 19, 2020Developer(s)Naughty DogPublisher(s)Sony

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered adds a handful of new features. This was more of a selling point than the enhanced visuals, since the game already runs at 60 frames per second on PS5. The main gameplay portion added is the No Return mode, a bite-sized roguelike that puts the focus on The Last of Us Part 2’s gameplay.

Each run features six encounters. After each battle, players can buy weapons, resources, and upgrades. New characters and skins are unlocked by completing challenges. It is easily the shortest of the modes on this list, but that might be a plus to some.

The Last of Us Part 2 has highly detailed violence. It is unsettling in the story, and can feel even more uncomfortable in the context of an arcadey roguelike without any narrative.

Darkest Dungeon 2

Turn-Based And Almost Impossible

Darkest Dungeon 2

Platform(s)PCReleasedMay 8, 2023Developer(s)Red Hook StudiosPublisher(s)Red Hook Studios

The Darkest Dungeon games seem like they do not want to be beaten. These RPG roguelikes are brutally difficult and throw out some of gaming’s hardest challenges that barely seem fair. Luck is a big part of life, though, so why not make it an integral part of a video game? The first game features striking 2D art that would already give it a place on this list.

Darkest Dungeon 2 has 3D graphics, yet still manages to retain the unique feeling of the first game’s aesthetic. In a game where players will fail constantly, they will need some good visuals and a compelling world to keep them going.

Prey – Mooncrash

Arkane’s Roguelike Expansion To Their Cult Classic

Prey

Platform(s)PS4, PC, Xbox OneReleasedMay 5, 2017Developer(s)Arkane StudiosPublisher(s)Bethesda

Released in 2017, Prey became a cult classic of the PS4 and Xbox One generation. It has nothing to do with the 2006 Prey and feels more like a love letter to System Shock 2. The game received a couple of expansions, one of which was the roguelike mode Mooncrash.

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It is set in a simulation and tasks the player with rescuing five different survivors stuck on the moon. The level is the same each run but all the enemies and items are put in different locations. There are ways to give the player an advantage as they play more runs, and Prey’s immersive gameplay fits in perfectly with the roguelike genre.

Rogue Legacy 2

A Perfect Sequel To An Influential Roguelike

Rogue Legacy 2

Platform(s)Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Switch, PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox OneReleasedApril 28, 2022Developer(s)Cellar Door GamesPublisher(s)Cellar Door Games

It is appropriate for one of the most revered roguelikes to include the word rogue within its title. Rogue Legacy 2 is familiar as a sequel, but adds more than enough to justify its existence. In addition to quality-of-life improvements, it also adds more gameplay variety to make sure going through runs never gets boring.

The in-game currency is used to unlock some permanent boosts to characters, but chance also plays a big part in how strong or weak any character will be in a run. The graphics are as simple as they are gorgeous. Each character looks hand-drawn, with colors that pop off the screen and smooth animations that put the first game to shame.

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