Why does Selene's 20th-century Earth home show up on an alien planet? Who is the astronaut haunting her dreams? I appreciated the game's subtle approach to storytelling, but it can be frustrating if you're looking for more of a straightforward narrative. You won't be encountering many other characters, and you'll find more questions than answers to the game's many mysteries. It's clear that Selene has been trapped on the alien planet of Atropos long before you've actually started the game. It doesn't take too long before you encounter your own body, arranged in various portraits of death, with voice messages you don't remember leaving. Returnal also shares Hades' penchant for spreading its narrative throughout its loops, though to a lesser degree. You'll get better simply by playing the game more often, which allows you to learn the timing of enemy attacks, or the best way to use different weapons. There aren't any upgrades you can buy to get stronger. And there are a handful of equipment upgrades that remain permanently too, like your inevitable (and absolutely badass) laser sword. You've only got ether, a rare currency that sticks with you between runs. When it comes to actual gear, Returnal's loops are far less rewarding than Hades. Typically you can bring back some gear with you, but most of the time they're about sharpening your skills. That describes games which feature randomly generated rooms, where the whole point is to die often. Similar to last year's Hades, Returnal is a reinvention of the increasingly popular Roguelite genre. Update your settings here, then reload the page to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. It's at times frustratingly difficult, and its systems are sometimes tough to suss out. What makes it special, though, is how all of those disparate elements interact. The influences get even more specific the deeper you go, with space horror imagery from Event Horizon and the psychological intrigue of David Lynch. Every death brings you right back to the site of the crash, with only a handful of items and what remains of your dignity.įrom that description alone, you can take your pick of references from Alien, Metroid, Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow. Just about everything there wants to eat you alive - but more surprising is the realization that you're stuck in a time loop. A PlayStation 5 exclusive from Finnish developer Housemarque, best known for shooters like Super Stardust HD, the game puts you in the shoes of a lone female space explorer who crash lands on an alien planet. At first glance, it's easy to say "been there, done that" about Returnal.
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