Highlights

  • God of War Ragnarok and The Last of Us Part 2 are getting roguelike modes, with Valhalla and No Return respectively, offering new exciting gameplay experiences.
  • The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's roguelike mode introduces updated graphics, speedrun mode, guitar free-play, cut content, developer commentary, and new skins, but has little narrative relevance to the main story.
  • God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC serves as an epilogue to the main story, providing a narrative-driven experience that ties directly into the game's lore, making it more interesting than The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's roguelike mode.

God of War Ragnarok got a surprising time in the spotlight at this year's The Game Awards, with the presentation announcing that the game will receive a free roguelike DLC named Valhalla on December 12. This points to a growing trend coming from Sony in particular, with many of their most influential games, like The Last of Us Part 2, being set for their own roguelike experiences in the near future.

In the same vein as God of War Ragnarok, a roguelike mode named No Return will be a core new feature in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, which is set for a release date of January 19. Both new game modes promise to be exciting new additions to some of PlayStation's most iconic titles, but God of War's Valhalla mode may just exceed the experience of TLoU2's No Return for one clear reason.

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God of War Ragnarok Fan Notices Neat Greek Saga Homage in Valhalla DLC Art

One God of War fan notices a subtle visual reference to the second game in the promotional art for the upcoming Valhalla expansion.

God of War Ragnarok's Roguelike Has More Narrative Value Than The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's

God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC Could Set the Stage for the Rumored Half-Sequel

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's roguelike mode is set to be one of the largest pull factors of the upcoming release, with Naughty Dog having to introduce a lot of original content to justify a remaster. Alongside the No Return roguelike experience, The Last of Us 2 Remastered is set to introduce the following changes:

  • Updated graphics
  • Speedrun Mode
  • Guitar free-play mode
  • Cut content
  • Developer commentary
  • New skins

While this will all combine to introduce a great new experience for fans of the franchise, it is worth noting that the No Return roguelike mode is set to have little narrative relevance to the main story of the IP. Instead, No Return will simply offer twists and challenges to pre-existing gameplay sequences for The Last of Us 2, with the potential to unlock unique cosmetics and characters while exploring the full breadth of the game's combat avenues.

God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC Packs a Smart Story Punch

At its core, God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC plays the same as No Return, with the free expansion seeing players once again take control of Kratos in a replayable experience that encourages different builds and gameplay possibilities. In a given run, players can choose between short-term boosts or permanent upgrades, with Kratos fighting through Valhalla during a journey of deep introspection.

The Valhalla mode acts as a direct epilogue to the main story of God of War Ragnarok, making it a must-play feature for hardcore fans of the franchise. This narrative value behind Valhalla is its largest strong point, making the rougelike mode less of a novelty and more of a constructive aid to the game's main story.

The concept of Valhalla perfectly fits the tenets of roguelike experiences, with the mythological power of the realm making Kratos' infinite lives fit directly into the lore of the DLC. While The Last of Us 2 Remastered and God of War Ragnarok are both set to receive engaging roguelike modes, the direct ties that the latter shares to the game's main story make it a much more interesting prospect than the former.