Finished Returnal today after 55 hours, 73 deaths, three runs lost to crashes and updates, and at least ten times I turned off the console in disgust thinking I'm done with that fucking game.
What an amazing fucking game.
The real progression in roguelikes such as Returnal is the player getting better after being repeatedly punched in the face. Since that's a tough sell, the game dresses it up with upgrades and meta stuff. But I finally beat the game when I got gud, not when I got good items.
The first part of getting gud is developing instinct for dodging etc. The second, more difficult part, is the discipline to trust your instincts instead of trying to trick the game. You can't hide from the bullet hell, you can only dance through it.
Ultimately, I was almost watching myself play from the outside: dodging attacks based on cues too fast to process consciously, firing at enemies before I even registered that they're there. It's immensely satisfying to experience a work of art through complete mind-meld.