Returnal Ps5

The game as a whole is very atmospheric with some well designed battles. Just fair warning it takes some time to get used to the systems.You have your basic jump, dash, and attack. You can reload weapons after using ammo by hitting R2 at the right timing.You get a few small abilities by killing enemies without dying.There are aliens you can attach to you that buff but debilitate you in different ways.There are “malfunctions” that you can get by getting items that are malignant. You can remove these malfunctions by succeeding in the tasks shown on screen or using items. However, there’s always a chance you might not get those malfunctions.Beyond that, the only tip I can give is you can dash through projectiles so use that to your advantage. I don’t want to ... MoreThe game as a whole is very atmospheric with some well designed battles. Just fair warning it takes some time to get used to the systems.You have your basic jump, dash, and attack. You can reload weapons after using ammo by hitting R2 at the right timing.You get a few small abilities by killing enemies without dying.There are aliens you can attach to you that buff but debilitate you in different ways.There are “malfunctions” that you can get by getting items that are malignant. You can remove these malfunctions by succeeding in the tasks shown on screen or using items. However, there’s always a chance you might not get those malfunctions.Beyond that, the only tip I can give is you can dash through projectiles so use that to your advantage. I don’t want to spoil anymore, but I hope that helps.I got the game to try out the dual sense and I feel it definitely adds to the overall experience.

Frustrating, but awesome

Love, love, love this game. The mechanics of gameplay are great and the environment is stunning. Gameplay is slightly repetitive because you restart every time you die, but the environment (to a degree), changes each time you reset. The fact that you reset is the frustrating part. Grinding for over an hour to gear up just to die a few minutes into the next zone sucks. As you get through zones and fight the bosses, the game gets harder as would be expected. Some of the intermediate fights leading to boss are difficult, and you will die....A LOT. The fact that you die and reset is a mechanic built in the game so it is unavoidable, but that is part of the story progression. The story is incredible and leaves room for various interpretations. I truly enjoyed this game ... MoreLove, love, love this game. The mechanics of gameplay are great and the environment is stunning. Gameplay is slightly repetitive because you restart every time you die, but the environment (to a degree), changes each time you reset. The fact that you reset is the frustrating part. Grinding for over an hour to gear up just to die a few minutes into the next zone sucks. As you get through zones and fight the bosses, the game gets harder as would be expected. Some of the intermediate fights leading to boss are difficult, and you will die....A LOT. The fact that you die and reset is a mechanic built in the game so it is unavoidable, but that is part of the story progression. The story is incredible and leaves room for various interpretations. I truly enjoyed this game and sometime in the future I will likely start fresh and play through again. The co-op mode isn't a typical two player experience. You can join a friends "instance" of the game, but all progression and unlocks are only given to the first player (not the player who joined). For example, you start a game and your friend joins you. You fight and kill Phrike (the first boss). Only you get credit for the fight, your friend doesn't. So when your friend goes back to their own game, they will be back at the point they left off - without the boss win. I enjoyed playing with a buddy and really didn't mind playing through some of the boss fights twice so we both could progress. The boss fights are tough, but sometimes getting to the boss is the biggest challenge in the game.

Get your dancing shoes on and grab the guns!

Far from perfect, but so beautiful in it’s successes that it comes closer to perfection than it should. At this point, it’s not much of a secret that Returnal can be somewhat of a difficult game - and in that, I believe it’s not as hard as some others have had with it, but the game is challenging in its fireworks and fodder arcade-style combat - mostly due to the long, save-less, runs that requires a level of flawlessness that takes some time to perfect. At least for most, including myself. As said before, the save points are few and far between, and what lies between will cause you to live, die, repeat while losing weapons and items, only to put you back to the beginning for an attempt at a deathless run. Each cycle bringing a new layout of the land, or biome. It’s ... MoreFar from perfect, but so beautiful in it’s successes that it comes closer to perfection than it should. At this point, it’s not much of a secret that Returnal can be somewhat of a difficult game - and in that, I believe it’s not as hard as some others have had with it, but the game is challenging in its fireworks and fodder arcade-style combat - mostly due to the long, save-less, runs that requires a level of flawlessness that takes some time to perfect. At least for most, including myself. As said before, the save points are few and far between, and what lies between will cause you to live, die, repeat while losing weapons and items, only to put you back to the beginning for an attempt at a deathless run. Each cycle bringing a new layout of the land, or biome. It’s at the end of these biomes where the save points exist, but only after defeating a boss that will challenge every tool and twitch one has learned in the hours leading up to these encounters. While all of this may sound stressful, or even time-wasting, it falls far from misery, throwing some of the best feeling shooter mechanics I’ve felt in a long time, very similar to the fluid chaos of Control. Jumping and dodging are rarely unfair, if ever, always zipping you around like a well-controlled human pinball. Some tools, like the melee sword, stick with the player though runs, and provide even more power to conquer the strange life-forms of the wonderful worlds in Returnal. This is Control by way of a souls-like, but never lacking the arcade elements the production team made their name in perfecting. Strap in and get ready to dance!

Great PS5 showcase game

Great game to play! First, the overall gameplay, sound tech (the 3D audio especially), visuals, haptic feedback, controls, all of that are awesome and very tight and adds to the overall experience and is a good showcase of the PS5. Overall story was intriguing and kept me curious as to where it was going.I'm just going to go into the gameplay a little. It's also a 3rd person view shooter game (think Uncharted, Gears of war, etc...). Now, this game actually has a pretty good auto aim system so if you like to run and gun without trying to aim directly at enemies, this is actually a very viable way of playing (actually the way I mostly played too). A lot of the time, you just don't have the time to manually and and shoot so this is something you will want to get used ... MoreGreat game to play! First, the overall gameplay, sound tech (the 3D audio especially), visuals, haptic feedback, controls, all of that are awesome and very tight and adds to the overall experience and is a good showcase of the PS5. Overall story was intriguing and kept me curious as to where it was going.I'm just going to go into the gameplay a little. It's also a 3rd person view shooter game (think Uncharted, Gears of war, etc...). Now, this game actually has a pretty good auto aim system so if you like to run and gun without trying to aim directly at enemies, this is actually a very viable way of playing (actually the way I mostly played too). A lot of the time, you just don't have the time to manually and and shoot so this is something you will want to get used to if you're not.There are complaints about there being no save feature (currently) and I definitely understand the sentiment. I had times when I had to put my PS5 into Rest mode because I had to step away. BE SURE TO TURN OFF AUTO-UPDATE IF YOU GO THIS ROUTE AS IT WILL RESTART YOUR PS5 IF THERE IS AN UPDATE. If this makes you worried, make sure you have a few hours free before you start playing, or set a goal that may be shorter to achieve. I would say my longest run probably took roughly 2 hours. As you progress in the game, you gain access to be able to go to further levels faster without having to repeat boss fights. I would say no run should last more than 3 hours (unless you're just spending time to clear out everything in every biome, which isn't necessary honestly).The final thing I'll note is the difficulty. Lots of people that say the game is very difficult to beat. I personally didn't think the game was overly difficult, and I'm not trying diminishing their experiences. It could be that the game just clicked with me. Most of the deaths I had were due to my personal performance rather than cheap random kills by the game (I say MOST). I believe I had roughly 25 deaths by the time I completely finished the game. I think as long as you're paying attention to your surrounding (3D audio actually helped a lot here) and stay on your toes and don't play too defensively/passively, you'll get far.Now, there were just 3 things that marred the experience for me somewhat. First, there were a couple of run ending glitches/crashes that ended a run I was on. There are some rooms that you can't leave until killing all enemies. One of these rooms didn't open after I cleared the room so I had to restart unfortunately. A couple of times the game just crashed. Now these were very rare for me (I think 3 times total in a roughly 24hr total experience) so overall not bad but wanted to let people know that this may happen (maybe patches have fixed by now). The other 2 things I have issues with are RNG related (basically lucked based mechanics if you don't know what RNG means). Just to avoid potential spoilers, there are 2 different types of things that you collect during your play through the game. These are randomly generated as you play so there is no guarantee that you'll be able to find what you are looking for in the area you are looking in, and those kinds of mechanics always leaves a little bit of a sour note for me. I will note that most of these are optional, so it doesn't necessarily contribute to you being able to complete the game (except for 1 particular set of items). I'll probably play this game again every once in a while to try and find everything, but no rush since I've beaten the game. PSN ID jjashikeegah if you want to verify I beat the game or if you want to ask questions.Overall a very fun experience that you don't usually see too often so if you want to try something new that's somewhat challenging, I would definitely recommend this game.

Hindered by its Roguelike gameplay

This is a tough game to review! Almost as hard as the game itself.After sinking 10+ hours in it, I feel like it's a great game that is handicapped by the "Roguelike" elements. For those of you that have played games like Hades, or Dead Cells, you'll understand the general concept of the Roguelike part. You make it as far as you can and when you die you start at the beginning again. Rinse and repeat. Depending on how far you made it, when you start fresh you may have some power ups that are now part of your tool belt.The main difference with Returnal and those other games is the lack of those permanent power ups or upgrades. Sure, there are items you can unlock that are permanent, but you never unlock a larger health bar or increased strength that remains with ... MoreThis is a tough game to review! Almost as hard as the game itself.After sinking 10+ hours in it, I feel like it's a great game that is handicapped by the "Roguelike" elements. For those of you that have played games like Hades, or Dead Cells, you'll understand the general concept of the Roguelike part. You make it as far as you can and when you die you start at the beginning again. Rinse and repeat. Depending on how far you made it, when you start fresh you may have some power ups that are now part of your tool belt.The main difference with Returnal and those other games is the lack of those permanent power ups or upgrades. Sure, there are items you can unlock that are permanent, but you never unlock a larger health bar or increased strength that remains with you during fresh starts. Each start is truly FROM SCRATCH as far as I'm concerned.That turned out to be a deal breaker for me as far as my time investment in this game. The 10 hours I've spent with it have been fun, it gave me some good times, but I'm burnt-out on it now. Making it from the start to just the 2nd or 3rd level will feel like a HUGE endeavor. And when you die, and start again, you will feel tired. This is where the developers could have done a bit better.

If Dark Souls was a 3rd person bullet-hell shooter...

If you've played other Housemarque games (eg. Nex Machina, Matterfall, Alienation), you know what to expect: an alien Sci Fi setting and some well-made challenging shooter action. Returnal is their first AAA game and they've taken that playability from their previous games and put it into Returnal. The story and atmosphere is a dark alien Sci Fi affair, the graphics and sound are stunning and it feels more next-gen than any other ps5 title I've played so far. The protagonist sprints fast and responds immediately to the controls and it's a joy to play. I've heard a lot of talk about crashes, but I'm guessing it's patched now, because it's played perfectly for me, I've not had a single glitch (although there was an issue using the pre-order suit, which I haven't, so I ... MoreIf you've played other Housemarque games (eg. Nex Machina, Matterfall, Alienation), you know what to expect: an alien Sci Fi setting and some well-made challenging shooter action. Returnal is their first AAA game and they've taken that playability from their previous games and put it into Returnal. The story and atmosphere is a dark alien Sci Fi affair, the graphics and sound are stunning and it feels more next-gen than any other ps5 title I've played so far. The protagonist sprints fast and responds immediately to the controls and it's a joy to play. I've heard a lot of talk about crashes, but I'm guessing it's patched now, because it's played perfectly for me, I've not had a single glitch (although there was an issue using the pre-order suit, which I haven't, so I wouldn't equip that without checking first.) The only potential stumbling point for some people is the high difficulty of the game. It's beyond even the Dark Souls games. There's no xp and levelling up in this game, so you can't grind to beat a boss. As you use the guns, your proficiency increases unlocking higher level guns, but when you die, you start again at the beginning of the game, your proficiency returns to zero and you have the same gun you began with. Yep, you lose any guns, artifacts, obolites (currency),parasites and consumables you collected. Some unlocked gameplay mechanics (eg. melee attacks) and ether collected does carry over, but you'll lose most things. The game is a rogue-like though, so you won't be treading the same ground over and over again. The level layout and items, weapons, etc will be different this time, but you'll still have to face the same boss again to progress. Another thing is there is no save system as we know it. The game will remember your progress as far as ether and permanent unlocks goes, but if you turn off the game part way through playing, it treats it as if you died, you will restart at the beginning again. Unlike Dark Souls we do get a pause button though, so that's something haha. People are calling for a save option so they can come back to a game because it's frustrating to have to leave a good run, but at this time there's no word of that being changed as far as I know. There's not even an option or title screen. When you start the game again, it will throw you right into your next cycle. This might all sound strange or ridiculously cruel, but it works. The cycles are part of the lore (and even the title) and it's so addictive and great to play that I wouldn't change it. It's a genuine original. Even Immortal Unchained and Remnant are too far off to be convenient reference points. Definitely worth getting, but if you're concerned about the difficulty (for reference, I have completed Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3, both The Surge games and Alienation, but with about 10 hours playtime, I have yet to beat the first Returnal boss (3 phases, sadists! Haha)) or the save system, maybe wait for a good deal on it because you might not get the full benefit of the game if you're not able to persevere.

Looks amazing although very hard

This is a sleeper title on the PS5, thing Dead Souls that is a bullet hell kind of game. The semi rouge like gives it an additional challenge.I always suggest people to watch a gameplay video to get a better understanding of the game mechanics. Otherwise the game doesn't get many chances because it can be too hard.It is the most played game on my PS5 and for very good reason!

PlayStation 5 video game

I bought Returnal for PlayStation 5 and paid a quarter of what it goes for retail and they sent it to me. It got there a day early so it only took three days for it to get to my house from the time I ordered it but the game was an excellent condition. They had even re-shrunk wrap it, like like there was straight from the factory. The only thing I can say is the owners manual for the game is missing or the manual but to me it’s not the end of the world I just wanted the game and I am very happy with their product. They sent me the way they packaged it, the time it took to get to me there was not one bad experience with this company as far as buying video games I totally recommend them

Return to nothing and repeat...a lot

After hours and hours of play and being frustrated with the format (losing everything once you die), I decided to not judge a book by its cover and only give a review after having beaten the game. I’ve beaten the game and here’s my review.The pros: the graphics are absolutely incredible. I played the game on a 65” OLED and it was stunning to watch. The haptic feedback on the controller was amazing. You could feel the rain drops and vibrations as you navigated through the game. The weapons are pretty cool and reminded me of the game Dead Space which I loved.The cons: each run through the biomes/levels is incredibly long. Attempts to push through without first repeating everything you have already done will set you up for failure, dying and repeating again with the ... MoreAfter hours and hours of play and being frustrated with the format (losing everything once you die), I decided to not judge a book by its cover and only give a review after having beaten the game. I’ve beaten the game and here’s my review.The pros: the graphics are absolutely incredible. I played the game on a 65” OLED and it was stunning to watch. The haptic feedback on the controller was amazing. You could feel the rain drops and vibrations as you navigated through the game. The weapons are pretty cool and reminded me of the game Dead Space which I loved.The cons: each run through the biomes/levels is incredibly long. Attempts to push through without first repeating everything you have already done will set you up for failure, dying and repeating again with the basic crappy weapon. So expect hours for some runs to guarantee a fighting chance for each boss. So what do you get for spending hours building up your character and purchasing an extra life and upgrades and maxing out health and finally beating a boss? (third boss I believe) A cool weapon?? A bonus armor upgrade?? Spoiler alert***No, you crash and start over again losing everything, map all cleared and back with the basic crappy weapon and with 33% health. That’s right, not full health even. 33%. Now I understand the game is designed to be if you die you start from scratch. But, beating a boss you shouldn’t be penalized for winning.The game crashed on me several times into long runs wiping out all progress and starting me over from the beginning. Once I got to the final boss, I didn’t even realize it was the final boss. I was sure there was more game left because there are a ton of sections you can’t access without a certain feature which is not unlocked till very late on in the game. But no, you are expected to do that after you beat the game which is pointless. Then the final cut scene explaining the story which in my opinion was horrible. And what do you get for beating the game? A cool new weapon? A fancy armor? Nope...back to the beginning with everything erased.If I just had to rate the graphics and controller integration I would give it a 5 but too many terrible aspects of the game brought it down to a 2. I would not recommend this game to anyone.

Returnal Review

I don't think I've ever played a game where I was so immersed in it's gameplay in such a way. The unbelievably tight controls, the incredible use of 3D audio, the fluidity in Selene's movement and the macabre atmosphere all around you.It's the kind of game I decide to put down after a long session and just keep thinking about it for the rest of my day until the next session.It's honestly the only game that genuinely feels "next gen" to me as well, with how much haptic feedback and adaptive triggers shine here. combine that with what I think is the best use of 3D audio in any game, ever, and when the game finally clicks for you, you find yourself in that Returnal zone, like a special state of mind where you're suddenly aware of everything happening around you in ... MoreI don't think I've ever played a game where I was so immersed in it's gameplay in such a way. The unbelievably tight controls, the incredible use of 3D audio, the fluidity in Selene's movement and the macabre atmosphere all around you.It's the kind of game I decide to put down after a long session and just keep thinking about it for the rest of my day until the next session.It's honestly the only game that genuinely feels "next gen" to me as well, with how much haptic feedback and adaptive triggers shine here. combine that with what I think is the best use of 3D audio in any game, ever, and when the game finally clicks for you, you find yourself in that Returnal zone, like a special state of mind where you're suddenly aware of everything happening around you in the game, even when it turns to an absolute bullet fireworkfest you get confident enough that you can get through this if you just stay calm and concentrate, read all the cues, listen to the sounds and react accordingly. And you eventually do react accordingly.It's like you as the player do level up along with the character. Not often do you get past that boss fight you've been stuck at for so long because you've entered that arena dozens of times and memorised every single one of his attacks, or because you found that super ultra mega rare piece of equipment that immediately trivialises him, but because you eventually got better, your reactions are faster, you're better at reading the situation and you're much more aware of your surroundings.The game certainly moves you in a way, not to mention the feeling of beating a hard area or a boss for the first time with how hard they can be could not be any more satisfying.Overall, despite there being some missed opportunities, like the lack of an adequate synergy system, it's still an absolute 10/10 for me.