GameSpace.com
8.0Returnal is the first game in a long time to bring back that sense of excitement for gaming for me. When you wake up in the morning, you can't wait to jump into the game for a couple of hours.
Returnal
Housemarque · Apr 30, 2021
About
Returnal combines action with roguelike gameplay into a third-person shooter where players fight to survive a hostile planet that changes with every death. Players can switch instinctively between firing modes by using a single adaptive trigger and can get right back into the action after dying. PS5's immersive 3D audio brings the alien world to life around the player, helping players navigate the intense positional combat.
Trailers & screenshots
Scores by platform
8.1
Critic reviews
- NoobFeed9.0Overall, Returnal doesn’t exactly follow the standard formulation for a Roguelike game, while it takes it a step further with new twists and turns. You’ll need a keen eye and fast reflexes if you want to survive the dangers of Atropos as it throws you into a Metroidvania-style bullet hell filled to the brim with breathtaking sights and equally dangerous challenges. It’s a refreshing redesign of the Roguelike genre combined with Metroidvania amounts of bullets flying all over.
- WorthPlaying8.5Returnal is a solid roguelike that does a very good job of encouraging you to play just one more run over and over again. The shooting and traversal are solid, and the fights may be tough but never feel cheap. The inclusion of the DLC and the Suspend mode from the get-go ensures that the game seems more fair, even though death can still come easily.
- Game Revolution9.0It has the looks, the performance, and the best controls, ready to reward those who waited for the PS5’s timed-exclusivity period to end with a compelling, mysterious story and top-tier bullet hell gameplay.
- Twinfinite8.0Naturally, the combat in Returnal is a huge component of that, even if you start things off with just a pistol. Every creature that stands in your way brings something unique to the table, offering a level of challenge that tests your fast reflexes and aiming, and at the same time, pushing you when it comes to cosmic horror.
- Attack of the Fanboy6.0You won't want to break the cycle because Returnal offers an immersive experience that sucks you in for hours. However, when you finally break the cycle and reach the end of Selene's journey, you will realize just how much of a masterpiece Returnal is.
Gamer reviews
Remarkable:
07/25/2022: Upon purchasing the game I never knew this would be the best game I have ever played months after completing it and having nothing else to play, stunning visuals, dungeon crawling masterpiece with great art design, if there were dlc for this game that added more to the story, I’ll throw my money at Housemarque, the best part of this game in my opinion was that it was not too hard, and it was not that easy, they hit the nail on the head with this one and I will ever be so astonished by have played this masterpiece! Spoiler Free here but the boss fight leading up to the top of the mountain was jaw dropping, props to the developers of this!!!
Alien Planet
I really suck at these types of games. Returnal by far is actually one of the hardest games I have experienced. Played on PS5. The haptics and 3D Audio are impressive. The combat is really that satisfying but unforgiving. I like the fact that the levels will randomly generate every time you die. It added more depth to the game. As a person who really sucks at rogue-like games like this. I swear to God that I had a hard time playing this. It took me several hours just to get out of the first world. Well, imagine every time you die, you will respawn from the very beginning. Damn, that really hurts. This is actually of those few games that I won't get back to playing again in the future. **VISUALS** _Artistry: 12/12_ _Technical Merit: 7/8_ **SOUND DESIGN** _Music: 12/12_ _Sound Effects & Vocals: 6/8_ **INTERACTION** _Control & Interface: 6/8_ _Player Agency: 6/8_ _Accessibility: 3/4_ **MECHANICS** _Feedback & Fun: 10/10_ _Depth: 4/5_ _Variety: 5/5_ **CHARACTER** _Narrative: 6/8_ _Heart: 3/6_ _Originality: 5/6_
Returnal
This review contains spoilers.Show spoilerHide spoiler
The plot of the story is about Selene, an astronaut who is investigating a white shadow signal. For some reason, Selene crashed on the planet and discovers a body, which it is Selene itself. Here is what the true game begins. The game is a rare combination of bullet hell, rogue-like and 3rd person shooter. The more I play, the more I want to beat each boss of each biome. The trophies of the play indicates it has 3 acts, 3 endings basically. But it doesn't feel like a you really "end" the game, after getting the first act (ending 1). Selene returns to the planet and now you have different biome. This game is really crazy, but if you like rogue-like as Binding of Issac and shooters games as Resident Evil... well this strange combination is perfect for you. Returnal is a hard game, but it is really fun, like any hard game. Take it easy, and don't get desperate. Also for some reason this game remains me the films of Alien and Predator.
Excellent game. It was my first roguelike. The story was just enough to keep me compelled but also not too intrusive. Sometimes I like to just mindlessly play a game without feeling like I have to pay too much attention to a heavy story. This is the perfect game for that. The shooting, audio, ambiance - all excellent.
Roguelikes are having a renaissance at the moment and Returnal helps gives the genre a bigger budget title. The atmosphere is pretty haunting in some areas. The gameplay is fast and frenetic, smooth and supple, heavy hitting and hardcore. The storyline is pretty good too which surprised me, especially the twist in the game you will see as you get through what you think is the end. If there is anything to really complain about it would have to be the weapon pool, out of the 8 or 9 guns, 2 of them are pretty useless. With that limited pool and the random chests means you will be stuck with one of them sooner or later. But other than that minor complaint, Returnal is a great game to add to the small pool of PS5 games. High replay-ability and great pick and play title. Still knocked off a few points in the score for having to pay $70 for what felt like a normal length game though.
Returnal (Edited post-save feature update)
Gameplay is ridiculously tight, responsive, and exciting so that propels it past the average score of 5. The music and bosses make it a 7 because (for 2021) it’s quite a unique experience. Now because of awful replay value and lack of save states which makes it impossible to turn off ps5, which isn’t cool, objectively, the game will not be a 9 or 10. The story is also pretty underwhelming when you figure out what’s going on. Original-ish, but it’s been done before, so no points. Because RnG is big in this game and that can either enrich or debilitate your joy in the game, no points. It’s a 7 for everyone else, imo. Because I enjoy sci-fi of this nature, it’s a high 7 for me and because sometimes I hated the game, it’s not an 8. 7.8 it is! January 2022 Update: They added a save feature and optimized the experience further. Its time to change the review score. The game is great all the time now. That places it at an 8 for me, and it can be really amazing (9) sometimes. I will give it an 8.7. Well done, Housemarque; I truly love your creation.
Rate this game
Drag or use arrow keys to rate
to rate this game.