Housemarque’s rogue-like third person shooter, Returnal, is a perfect example of integrating the subgenre into the game’s narrative. Much like Supergiant Games’ Hades, Returnal has you wanting to play more after each defeat as the surrounding levels change upon every death, making each run refreshing.

Returnal follows Selene Vassos, an Astra explorer who crash lands on a planet and follows a mysterious signal. Upon doing so, ends up experiencing the life of Bill Murray’s Phil Connors in Groundhog Day. Without giving away too many spoilers, this is where things get weird as there are times where you come across decomposed bodies of your former self which usually is accompanied with an audio log of sorts. Trying to piece together this mysterious time loop, foreign planet and local life forms might remind you of Ridley Scott’s Aliens/Prometheus universe. Through the game, you come across hieroglyphics which you slowly unravel information about an alien race and their mystifying disappearance(?).

To add with the mystery of a whole new planet and environment, Returnal’s sci-fi horror visual and design is one where it encapsulates by making you feel absolutely isolated and alone. Not only does the whole vibe feel creepy and uncomfortable, but when you do encounter an alien lifeform and their endless chaotic bullet attacks, it puts players into a panic by making you feel as though you have to frantically run, dodge or kill enemies. The visuals of every detail clearly shows the capabilities of the PS5. Speaking of, so far the PS5 games that have been released haven’t really showcased what ‘next gen’ can really do apart from the free demo that came with the unit, Astro’s Playroom. Returnal utilises the haptic feedback and vibration motors in the PS5’s DualSense controllers. 

Much like in Astro’s Playroom, you can feel the difference in the trigger resistance when you’re at a halfway point vs when you pull it all the way in. Not only that, but as you brush through the flora and fauna environment, you can feel the DualSense kicking in with vibrations and movement. This is finally a welcome as all other games released prior to Returnal had people questioning the hype around ‘next gen’ consoles.

In addition to the chaotic gameplay, Returnal isn’t sorry for it’s difficulty. Some players have managed to complete the entirety of the game in as little as 18 runs (or less), but the average gamer would find it rather challenging. As each run changes the rooms and levels, Returnal keeps you on your toes at all times as you’d have to manage the room full of enemies filled with an explosion of projectiles being aimed at you, as well as constantly dodging, running and shooting at the same time. 

Each run gives you the chance to get further by having the opportunity to level up your weapon’s strength level. Not only that, but a variety of weapons from a pistol type, shotgun and all the way through to an automatic machine gun are available if found while exploring. Each weapon has its positives and negatives, but it all depends on your game style. As per usual, a shotgun type weapon is well suited to close combat with heavier fire, whereas machine guns are better suited for longer distances. Couple those weapon options with your secondary fire, which comes in the way of a range from heat-seeking to a laser beam, might just give you a chance of lasting long enough to get to the final boss without having to start over from the very beginning. 

A great new addition is the ability to see previous players' echoes prior to them dying when you’re online. This gives you an idea as to what they were doing moments before their death. This has also been integrated into the gameplay/narrative as some echoes give you the option to play a challenge giving you high rewards, which is a continual theme through the game. Returnal teases players with the opportunity to pick up great rewards or power ups, but at a risk. Depending on how your run is going, you may or may not want to roll the dice on it.

Returnal’s demanding concentration and skilled control game may be quite difficult and intimidating, but on the flipside also gives players the satisfaction when you’re able to push through and get even further than your last run. That being said, it’s definitely not for all gamers as it can become tedious and frustrating, which is mind telling you to put the controller down and take a break. However, the atmosphere, world and just its creepiness would definitely make players curious and wanting more, especially Ridley Scott fans.