Begin again
The Roguelike’s rise to prominence seems borderline unstoppable. Not content with conquering the indie space, its structure has been borrowed by games of greater scale. If the likes of Spelunky and Hades have encouraged smaller studios to follow their lead, it’s probably Housemarque’s blistering Returnal we have to thank for the likes of God Of War: Ragnarok and The Last Of Us Part II featuring Roguelike game modes as DLC and an additional extra for the remastered edition respectively. Even Nintendo’s been getting in on the act lately, with Splatoon 3’s Side Order addon. Splitting the difference is The Rogue Prince Of Persia, which sees Ubisoft collaborating with Evil Empire, the team most responsible for Dead Cells’ various expansions. The Prince’s time-rewinding abilities make him feel at home in a game where dying means starting again – even if he does end up wishing his magical bola had returned him to happier times.