Returnal is a captivating PS5 game with a rogue-like structure that helps to make it more challenging. The game, quite hard, requires one to do some trial and error before getting the hang of it. However, the good thing about it is its mysterious setting, fun gameplay, and the fact that it has excellent use of DualSense technology with fantastic audio and appealing visuals. Once a play tackles every challenge, they will be satisfied with everything the game has to offer.
Visuals
With Returnal, you get to understand the power of PS5. The game has stunning graphics, and the environmental design is very appealing. Every move and sway in the game looks marvelous. You will notice that it does not have any hiccups when playing the game since it utilizes the 60 frames-per-second frame rate. This is important, especially during the battles when the player needs to time their move perfectly.
Housemarque uses very eye-popping visuals that have screen-filling particle pyrotechnics. With PS5, the gamer enjoys fluid simulations and weather that is easily controlled alongside great particle animation to identify enemies and environments. The lighting is also awe-inspiring, and it seems to adapt in real-time to the dynamic environment of Atropos.
Gameplay
Returnal’s gameplay is based around relentless deaths and respawning. With a PS5, the gamer enjoys a speedy SSD making the experience better than it could have been when using PS4. The game takes very little time to load, and the transitions are also fast, which helps to enhance the experience of this game. When playing the game, you will be involved in constant running and jumping to escape the enemies as you avoid the radiantly colored projectile waves. You will be able to perform numerous tricks trying to evade the enemies that will make your heart rate increase.
Once you die in the game, you go back to the crash scene, having carried nothing, be it weapons or upgrades. You start playing without anything except a pistol, and every death will get you back to that same situation. The downside is that you will be unable to save the game or pause the progress. Once you switch the game off without completing it, you lose your progress, and after getting back, you return to the crash scene.
The developers should have included a save and exit option to make the game more interesting and accessible to people who are unable to play for hours on end. Without the save, button players are also able to cheat death with constant saves.
Innovation
Returnal is a highly innovative game with numerous interlocking systems. The gamer gets two currency types, i.e., Ether and Abilities that cannot carry over when running. You can also get different kinds of pickups, for instance, parasites that can attach to your body and give you a positive upgrade or a negative impact. Once you complete a random task, you can remove the parasites. You may also get artifacts and malignant chests that can negatively affect you, but you can cleanse them using Ether. Other innovative features include overloading that positively rewards gamers.
Every system and innovation within the game is thrown to the player all at once from the time they begin playing rather than slowly introducing the systems. You may get overwhelmed by these systems and the numerous upgrades. Before you start playing, you will be warned about the challenging experience you are about to get, and at first, you will start on an easy patch.
However, the game becomes challenging as you progress. Another innovative feature of this challenging game is the Haptic feedback that senses in-game actions, whether big or not, during play. You will experience a heightened sense of immersion with this wonderful feature that will make your game worthwhile and exciting.
Sounds
Returnal game is beautiful with high productions, marvelous music, and sound that make the gaming experience absolutely beautiful. If you have a decent headset and the right surround system, you will enjoy playing the game with the 3D audio, as the environment will truly come to life. You will be able to hear any sound the creatures make even in the background and all other unnoticeable sounds to help with the game.
The sound design of this game makes it extremely creepy, especially when listening to the monsters making some sharp noises while approaching, thus, why you will stay glued while playing this game. The DualSense allows for subtle vibrations that will make you distinguish between each sound clear enough, whether it’s the sound of a weapon or raindrops. However, you may feel some creepy noises coming from the speaker, but as long as you have a good headset, you may miss those sounds.
Story
The story behind this awesome game will keep you hooked till the end. Once you begin playing, you meet astronaut Selene who just crashed on planet Atropos which is filled with hostile aliens. Selene must fight the aliens to keep going, and every time she is killed, she returns to the crash site and must start again to be able to maneuver Atropos. She is also expected to find out why she got trapped in the hostile planer.
The story unfolds through the randomly generated logs, which will keep you interested throughout. You will also be immersed in Selene’s 20th-century house from her past, which surfaces on the hostile land. The segments can be very captivating and quite bizarre, but they will keep your adrenaline in a rush throughout.
The environment constantly changes to keep the game fresh so that whenever you are taken to the crash scene, as you try to navigate the land, you may find a room you’ve never come across before and may never see again. The conclusion of the Returnal, unfortunately, feels rushed, although somehow satisfactory.
Conclusion
Overall, the Returnal is a remarkable game that stands out in terms of audio quality, visuals, gameplay from other previous games. It is a perfect game for those who love taking on new challenges. The game involves many risks and a lot of unpredictability. The game can also be very punishing, especially when you die because you must start all over again, which can make you get stuck for many hours. However, it is important to acknowledge how Housemarque has blended the rogue-like with an epic shooter and creates a bullet hell that we have never experienced before.
