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.

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.

Returnal (Edited post-save feature update)