Returnalisn’t your averagePS5exclusive, in that it isn’t a linear narrative blockbuster or an open-world epic with unparalleled production values. Instead, it’s a roguelike third-person shooter defined by its relationship with death, following protagonist Selene Vassos as she crash lands on an alien planet and fights her way through myriad ancient civilizations in search of a way home. Every death has her transported back to where it all started, while fragments of her dark past bleed into the emergent narrative. It’s a masterfully made game, one that deserves all the attention it has received, and more.
Modern Sony exclusives are never especially difficult. In fact, they do everything they can to make sure you’re able to reach the end, either through adjustable sliders or characters more than happy to shout out obvious hints if you get stuck for more than five seconds. I know Demon’s Souls isn’t in that camp, but given it’s a remake of a cult classic which was primarily marketed on its signature difficulty, I’m not sure it counts. I’m talking about games likeHorizon Zero Dawn,Ratchet and Clank: Rift ApartorThe Last of Us Part 2. Cakewalks, all.
Obviously, making games easier and more approachable for wider audiences is never a bad thing, but sometimes it can be refreshing for an experience to bake difficulty into its very being. Returnal isn’t afraid to kill you again and again and again if you fail to learn its controls or the patterns of enemies, but this never feels frustrating because failure is baked into every part of its identity. Selene is stuck in an endless loop, an extraterrestrial purgatory designed to make her question her mental wellbeing and whether getting off this rock is even possible at all.
Yes, I know Returnal came to PC recently, but everything does these days, so get off my back.
After your first failed run she awakens in a state of disbelief, confused about why the death she just experienced has suddenly been reversed, and why she is suddenly back where it all began. It takes Returnal several hours to answer these questions, and often it won’t at all, deciding to work the smallest pieces of information into dialogue and logs instead of explaining the mystery outright. You’ll need to piece most of it together yourself, entering your spacecraft in search of answers only to find a lone astronaut lingering outside, or a computer terminal that doesn’t provide nearly enough context for the nightmare you’re now trapped within.
I’ve always admired how Returnal folds its procedural nature into the horror narrative it tells, and how Selene truly is trapped within an inescapable labyrinth that shifts and changes of its own accord, either due to its alien origins or the fragile state of her mind. It’s never clear exactly which, and that ambiguity is a big part of the game’s brilliance.
Returnal slays from a narrative and stylistic perspective, and is worth playing for that alone, but its presentation is complemented by immaculate gunplay and swift movement. Housemarque has always been a mechanical developer, and its previous games Resogun, Alienation, and Nex Machina all feel incredible to play.
But in those games you are ultimately chasing high scores and untouchable skills more than a worthwhile plot. So, when Returnal was announced, there was an understandable fear that the studio was moving away from its roots, and would abandon everything that made it such a special developer. Turns out we had nothing to worry about.
Don’t be afraid of death in Returnal. Much like in Hades, view its presence as a chance to advance the narrative and further your skills each and every time.
The unforgiving challenge folded into its endless hordes of enemies is translated perfectly into this new perspective, with Selene boasting a repertoire of unique weapons and skills in most situations. But one wrong move can still spell doom even in the simplest of stages. It becomes a rhythmic dance after a certain point as you learn to flank enemies and predict attack patterns, jumping over laser beams and jumping atop platforms to make sure you’ve always got the upper hand.
It can feel impossible at first, but with each run you get a tiny bit better. A lot of players were turned off upon its release because it was absolutely ruthless to get through and didn’t allow you to save progress mid-run, but those who stuck with it, have nothing but praise to throw at Returnal’s feet.
Housemarque celebrated its third anniversary with an animated version of a graphic novel that expands upon the existing narrative, and it’s just as chilling as you’d hope. A few other things have been trotted out to mark the occasion too, which has already convinced me to redownload this underrated gem and take it for another spin. It’s on PS+ these days, so if you’ve been on the fence or scared about it being too hard, why not give it a shot?
Returnal
WHERE TO PLAY
Returnal marries the roguelike and third-person shooter genres in Housemarque’s PlayStation 5 exclusive. You play Selene, an explorer stranded on the planet of Atropos, and must battle both hostile aliens and a time loop to discover what happened.
