Returnal Is An Essential Roguelike For God of War Valhalla Fans (2024)

As I'm sure you've heard constantly over the last week, God of War Ragnarok’s new Valhalla DLC is fantastic. It's so much more than ‘free roguelike mode’ would lead you to believe, and I echo many others when I say I can't believe this expansion is free. It's frequently being compared to Hades, the current-reigning champ of roguelikes, and it's easy to see why.

First of all, it's a roguelike game about a Greek god, duh. But it's Valhalla’s approach to narrative and progression that create the clearest connections to Hades. The story of Valhalla, and all of the smaller stories contained within it, unfolds slowly over time, across numerous attempts. The loops themselves are an integral part of that narrative construction too. Kratos is grappling with a personal dilemma, the call to the throne of Asgard, that is entangled with his past deeds - ones he isn't eager to reconcile with.

Similarly, Zagreus’ repeated attempts to escape the underworld in Hades serve its overarching themes about rebellion, perseverance, and eventually, earning the respect of one's parents. Zagreus’ journey is centered around the pursuit of truth as he slowly uncovers his mother's story with each escape attempt. In both games, the loop is framed as an emotional journey for the hero, one which can only be overcome by reckoning with the past.

Both narratives are closely tied to their respective game’s progression system. Valhalla and Hades are also considered to be more approachable and forgiving experiences than what roguelikes are typically known for. Small victories lead to permanent changes between loops, which help the story evolve more fluidly without big narrative gaps between failed attempts. You also earn upgrades and new combat techniques frequently in both games, which helps to prevent stagnation. These are roguelikes that are driven by their stories, and their progression systems are designed to facilitate the best experience of their stories.

There's strong connections between these games, but I find Valhalla has an even stronger connection to another first-party Sony game: Returnal. There hasn't been as much buzz for Returnal in the wake of Valhalla, presumably because Hades is a far more popular game, but if Valhalla resonated with you, or maybe even convinced you that you might like roguelikes, Returnal should be your next stop on this endlessly looping journey.

While Valhalla’s structure has a lot in common with Hades’, it is thematically most similar to Returnal. Valhalla's story is an exploration of Kratos’ interior. Through the Valhalla loop, he is forced to confront that past in exactly the way that trauma manifests: a story we repeat to ourselves that takes on a life of its own, shifting and contorting with each new telling. While he doesn't recognize Valhalla for what it is at first, across several loops Kratos eventually starts to understand that Valhalla is a projection of his own psyche. It's a test to see if he is strong enough to overcome something far more powerful than any god or monster: his own guilt and shame.

Bask in the glory of Returnal's stunning symphony of colors

Like Valhalla, Returnal’s setting of the planet Atropos is also an exploration of the main character’s interior. This is something that unfolds slowly throughout the game and doesn't fully come into focus until the end, one of the most earth-shattering finales I've ever experienced from a game. I would not divulge Returnal's secrets, as discovering them for yourself is what makes it such an incredible experience, but from the outset there is enough evidence presented to make it clear that Atropos is not all it seems to be, and that your character, Selene, is not simply an astronaut stranded on an alien planet. The fact that her childhood home is nestled in Atropos’ forest is enough to tell you that this story is deeply connected to Selene’s past. Just as Kratos is challenged by his personal demons in Valhalla, Selene’s inner turmoil is made manifest in Returnal.

As for progression, Returnal is regarded for its brutal difficulty, but as someone that has never fetishized the ‘hard game’ genre, I can tell you much of that reputation has been overstated. Returnal is challenging, don't get me wrong, and much of the way you experience Selene's story is through the despair of repeated failure. That's essential to the experience. But it's also not a masochistic endeavor. Just like Valhalla, there are checkpoints that move the story forward and prevent you from having to redo major boss fights. And while there isn't as much incremental permanent progression in Returnal, you gain a much better sense of mastery over the world and its threats than I ever did in Valhalla. If God of War was your intro to this genre, Returnal is the next higher realm to conquer in this infinite roguelike loop.

Next: Returnal Is Sony's Most Impressive PC Port Yet