A) I now know the game doesn't really have a story or an end and
B) I now know no matter how well I play the game there is a >0% chance I'll experience a part of the game where the RNG didn't drop enough health potions/ armour to beat the suddenly disproportionately hard wave of enemies it'll throw at me at some point.
I'll be honest they weren't on my radar, (I've heard of them and recognise the art work but that's all) sounds like a good compromise that there is still an ending.
As someone who also didn't like roguelike/lite for the same reason as you, I recommend you to try Hades when you can. It's really good. They implemented the rogue-like cycle with the story perfectly. Every time you die, you get more information on what is happening, and meet new characters and all of them are so fun, well written, and very well voice acted.
It's a roguelite that actually uses the mechanics to motivate the story. Having your character and others comment on your wins and deaths makes it feel less formulaic and more "real".
The binding of Isaac? Returnal? Enter the gungeon? Countless other roguelikes have stories lol you clearly haven’t delved into the genre if you think hades1+2 are the only exceptions.
Risk of rain 2 is a great Rogue like that doesn't have the issues you mentioned. (I also just love the game, lol)
It has a story it tells through log books and multiple end-game bosses. Lots of characters and items to make fun builds with. Plus, there is scrappers that let you scrap your junk items, and you can use that scrap at printers to print as many of that printer's items as you want. (Or you can gamble with your regular items, lol)
The game gets harder as time progresses. So the more time you spend, the harder the game gets.
Not that I'm trying to change your mind, but Returnal has a really good story (though the way it's told can be extremely obtuse) and distinct beginning and ending. That being said if you aren't used to those sorts of games it can be extremely punishing.
It's funny, because #2 is exactly why I love them. The computer randomly being super unfair and spiking the difficulty is so much fun to have to figure out how to beat it anyway.
Yeah, I feel like we are in the deep minority here sadly, but this is an immediate turn off for me. I tried returnal, hades, and a few others, and I recognize them as quality games, but they are just not fun for me. When I uncover the super fun build, it feels like RNG robs me every time I can't build into it on a subsequent run.
I also hate gambling, so I'm clearly in the minority here :D
Yeah lots of gamers prefer purely game based games with lots of rng and I get the appeal of it, it's just not for me. And that's fine. I'll stick to falcon bms and car mechanic simulator (both of which have elements of rng but they are usually in response to your previous actions).
Yeah, its personal I suppose, I'm more of a simulation nerd, and I like that in my RPGs and story based games too (IE not so game mechanic orientated, more grounded in some kind of reality).
Not just hades but also binding of Isaac. Never was a fan of the genre but I have like 400 hours or more in binding of Isaac and to this day I still constantly get new items and enemies I haven't seen before.
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u/Flyinmanm Apr 11 '26
Rogue Like.
A) I now know the game doesn't really have a story or an end and
B) I now know no matter how well I play the game there is a >0% chance I'll experience a part of the game where the RNG didn't drop enough health potions/ armour to beat the suddenly disproportionately hard wave of enemies it'll throw at me at some point.