It's a new game, but fans are asking the same old question. Is there multiplayer in Returnal? Unfortunately, the short answer to this question is no, there is no way to play with or against other players while experiencing the game's story and atmospheres. That said, there is one online element in the game that fans will be able to use to help each other out in an indirect way. This feature is baked into the game's story and helps to show just how long Selene has been stuck in this nightmarish time loop she's found herself in.

Returnal places Selene on the planet of Atropos, a hostile and deadly place where everything seems to want to kill her. It doesn't take long for them to succeed at this, but then Selene wakes up to the moment just before her crash landing. It's up to the player to continue to try and solve the mystery of Atropos after countless, gruesome deaths.

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Although players can't play online or engage in any kind of co-op or pvp with other players, they can interact with each other to a degree. While exploring Atropos, players will discover corpses from Selene's other attempts to break the loop. Interacting with these corpses will show how another player died, providing insight on what the best way to proceed is. This is very reminiscent of the bloodstain feature from Dark Souls, which let the player see the final moments of other players online. It's limited, but at least there is some connectivity between players.

While it would be awesome to play Returnal together with a friend, it doesn't make much sense narratively and would likely change the atmosphere. Selene is alone on this strange planet, and the game seems to be equal parts rouge-lite and horror. Having another player along for the ride tends to dampen the horror aspects of a game, and it would clash with the story as well. Some games have been known to cast story elements aside in favor of including co-op, but it seems as though Returnal is going for an immersive and gripping story.

This doesn't mean there will never be any multiplayer elements added, as it is very possible that Housemarque could add something in the future with an update. A wave-based survival mode with multiple players might fit the formula of Returnal well, although that is purely speculation. Until then, players will need to survive Atropos on their own.

Returnal releases on April 30th for PS5.

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