Despite being a very niche title, Returnal has fared well with critics and with gamers that have embraced its rogue-like nature. It’s a difficult game, but also an immersive one. It adapts the old-school mechanics of classic bullet hell coin-op shooters from the 1980s, and puts them in a modern blockbuster for the PlayStation 5.
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Developed by Housemarque, Returnal is the studio’s first title since 2017’s excellent Nex Machina. Unfortunately, Nex Machina wasn’t the huge success that the studio hoped for. This led to studio's transition into developing a AAA PS5 exclusive with Returnal. It’s a stunning game, but thanks to niche mechanics, it still won’t appeal to everyone. Here are some of the best and worst aspects of this title.
10 Loved: The Tense Atmosphere
With Returnal relying on procedurally generated levels and biomes, one could forgive the game for taking a somewhat generic approach to level design. However, that isn’t the case with this game. Every inch of Returnal’s levels is dripping in the atmosphere.
The environments are weird, inhospitable, and keep the tension at an all-time high. The levels and game progression are kept fresh by the reset mechanic, which triggers upon every death.
9 Didn’t Love: The Heavy Reliance On Luck
The procedurally generated levels in Returnal will help keep things fresh when participating in several playthroughs, as well as returning to the game long after it’s finished. It also fits in with the game’s narrative and unpredictable nature.
Unfortunately, thanks to this mechanic, there is a heavy reliance on luck. Some biomes can be so full of hazards and dangerous enemies it can be almost impossible to make it out alive. Even when players take their time and adapt to each situation, sometimes the game will just throw far too many enemies at the player.
8 Loved: The Sound Design
The game's visual design is incredibly striking, and the atmosphere will draw players in from the start. However, special mention has to go to the sound design and the game’s use of Sony’s 3D audio.
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Just like other PlayStation 5 exclusives, Returnal makes use of Sony’s Tempest 3D Audio Engine. Players will be drawn into the game’s world with atmospheric sounds and monsters' cries coming from all directions. In addition, the music is outstanding, and dynamically reacts to the action around the player.
7 Didn’t Love: It’s Very Unforgiving
As a game that’s heavily influenced by horror, Returnal is undoubtedly one of the tensest games in recent years and that includes the recent Resident Evil: Village. One of the things that ramps up that tension is the game’s unforgiving nature.
This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It’s great because the tension adds to Returnal’s unrelenting atmosphere. However, it’s very frustrating to finally make it to a major boss fight, only to die and have the world reset all over again.
6 Loved: The Haptic Feedback
The stunning sound design in Returnal is further enhanced by the superb use of the PlayStation 5’s haptic feedback on the DualSense controller. Games like Astro’s Playroom proved that this can be more than just a gimmick.
This haptic feedback adds a sense of immersion that goes way beyond vibration and the rumble effects of competing controllers. A perfect example of this is the feeling of raindrops on the controller. The feeling is just incredible, a truly next-gen experience. It’s one of the few games that can almost match a VR game in its sense of immersive realism.
5 Didn’t Love: The Lack Of A Save System
Returnal is a tough game made harder by the unpredictable nature of its procedurally generated worlds and the total lack of a save system. It’s difficult by design, and the lack of a save system is a deliberate way of ramping up the pressure.
However, when each boss fight requires the player to learn their patterns and tells before beating them, not getting a chance to try again before the world resets feels unnecessarily punishing. Having some kind of one-off temporary save system in place would go a long way to making sure players don’t throw their controllers down in frustration.
4 Loved: The Combat Mechanics
The developers at Housemarque have already established themselves as one of the best studios in the business when it comes to bullet hell shooters. They successfully modernized the classic formula with top-down hits like Resogun, Alienation, and Dead Nation.
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With Returnal, however, Housemarque modernizes this further. This title combines bullet hell mechanics with a full-blown third-person shooter. It’s satisfying and old-school, reminiscent of arcade shooters and Nintendo’s classic shooter Metroid Prime.
3 Didn’t Love: The Price
As a game that falls into a rogue-like sub-genre, Returnal is already an acquired taste. It’s comparable to both Dark Souls and Metroid Prime, and is arguably harder than both. It’s surprising that, as one of the PlayStation 5’s first exclusives, it has such a high price point.
A game like Returnal is never going to have the same kind of mass appeal as a new Uncharted or a sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man. So the price of $69.99 in the US and the more expensive £69.99 in the UK is a big ask for gamers looking for the next big PS5 exclusive.
2 Loved: Ambitious Storytelling
Since everything else seems to fall into place from a gameplay perspective, some players might forgive Returnal if its storyline didn't quite measure up. However, the game’s science fiction and horror-influenced narrative are just as ambitious as the mechanics.
The game’s story slowly unfolds as the player progresses deeper into its alien world. The way the game sets up certain story beats will have players questioning Selene’s sanity, and whether or not her past revelations are real or not.
1 Didn’t Love: The Ending
The storytelling and stunning science-fiction narrative are very well done. The game slowly reveals more and more pieces of the puzzle as Selene’s past and present open up for the player. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the game’s divisive ending.
There are some fans who will enjoy Returnal’s ending, but many will feel left out in the cold since it’s very much open for interpretation. It’s pretty unsatisfying as a whole, but Selene’s journey is still a compelling one.