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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 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.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The game looked great, sounded amazing and the dual sense feedback was cracking. Just after about 30-40 deaths trying to kill the 1st Biome boss I realised perhaps it’s not the game for me. Give it a go, you might love it. For me tho… I’ll stick to something less frustrating 😂
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The game is great to play, it's not a easy game to start with, the key is to keep dieing
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Challenging and addictive gameplay, keeps you coming back for more. A bit "souls based"
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This is a great game and is very tricky. You keep dying and everytime start back at the beginning. I would just rather spend my time playing something more enjoyable. It’s old school difficultly and not for casual gamers. It felt like work.
Verified purchase: No
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