Returnal (Housemarque) [PS5, PC]

[Cynicalking]

So when's the reviews embargo up?

 

[chris1515]

So when's the reviews embargo up?

Tomorrow

 

[snc]

wccftech

Save for an ending that crashes nearly as hard as Helios' entry onto Atropos, Returnal checks all of the marks for what a best-in-class roguelike should aim for. A gameplay loop that rewards the player for innovation and mastery, loot that can synergize to create some unstoppable character builds, and most importantly, weapons that simply feel right in the player's hands. Without a doubt, Returnal is one of the finest PlayStation 5 exclusives available in 2021 and those that are eager for the next great challenge can find plenty to look forward to with Selene's first steps onto the alien planet again and again.

fextralife

Returnal was neither a game I was looking forward to, or knew too much about before playing this past week. I’m generally not a fan of rogue-like games, but Returnal has changed my perspective completely. And, while I enjoyed Hades immensely “for a rogue-like game”, I simply enjoyed Returnal. Full Stop.

This is not something you expect from many games these days, and ones with strong narratives tend to take a backseat to mechanics or multiplayer in order to sell more units. Returnal is proof that superb writing can still be achieved while incorporating fun, challenging gameplay, and raises the bar for future titles, particularly on Playstation 5.

Returnal is game that transcends genres, allowing it to speak to a broader audience across the entire gaming stratosphere. For some Returnal will be the game they hoped it would be, but for others like myself, Returnal will be an experience they will never forget. If you own a Playstation 5, this is a must buy game.

9.3/10, still pass for me but reviews looks very good

 

[chris1515]

wccftech

fextralife

9.3/10, still pass for me but reviews looks very good

Google cache ot the two reviews

wccftech 9.3/10

https://webcache.googleusercontent....s-i-see-that-house/+&cd=1&hl=it&ct=clnk&gl=it

EDIT: Spoiler in wccftech review

fextralife
https://webcache.googleusercontent....+&cd=1&hl=it&ct=clnk&gl=it&client=firefox-b-d

 

[PSman1700]

Already posted. (though not by sony members, but still)

 

[Deleted member 11852]

9.3/10, still pass for me but reviews looks very good

I have a suspicion this will be one of those games I will play in a few years - perhaps free with PS+ - then complain that nobody told me it was good even though the meta score was great. I played - and enjoyed - the original Rogue game using IBM character set graphics but I'm not a fan of the modern rogue genre.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I have a suspicion this will be one of those games I will play in a few years - perhaps free with PS+ - then complain that nobody told me it was good even though the meta score was great. I played - and enjoyed - the original Rogue game using IBM character set graphics but I'm not a fan of the modern rogue genre.

Oh surely there must be some rogue-like or rogue-lite that you like. The genre has exploded and much like other genres from previous generations it has splintered into a myriad of sub-genres.

You have card battle rogue-likes (Monster Train and Slay the Spire are EXCELLANT), you have metroidvania rogue likes (Slay the Spire), you have RPG rogue-likes, you have twin stick shooter rogue-likes (Binding of Isaac), you have 3rd person action rogue-likes, you have FPS rogue-likes, and the list goes on and on. Hell there are even some decent "adult" rogue-likes.

While I can say I'm not into all rogue-likes or rogue-lites, there are quite a few that I can easily sink hours of my life into.

Regards,
SB

 

[JPT]

Cool that this seems to be staple titel for PS5 like Resogun was for PS4. And personally I think Superstardust HD was great to.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Oh surely there must be some rogue-like or rogue-lite that you like. The genre has exploded and much like other genres from previous generations it has splintered into a myriad of sub-genres.

I lean towards games that let me invest in the character or abilities, I like the sense of progression in games and even rogue-lites rarely permit this. It's the defining feature of the genre.

 

[Globalisateur]

Cool that this seems to be staple titel for PS5 like Resogun was for PS4. And personally I think Superstardust HD was great to.

Yes indeed. I admit I am positively surprised about the excellent previews. I tried the Vita version of Resogun yesterday (already platinumed the PS4 game) and I had a ton of fun as this version works really well on a small screen and using Vita controls.

 

[London Geezer]

I'm a little surprised by the review embargo. Why keep it so close to release?? Normally Sony leaves a few days or even a week between embargo and release. Now I might as well just wait for midnight and play the damn thing.

 

[snc]

I'm a little surprised by the review embargo. Why keep it so close to release?? Normally Sony leaves a few days or even a week between embargo and release. Now I might as well just wait for midnight and play the damn thing.

maybe because is quite challenging

Returnal expertly weaves shoot 'em up and Metroidvania mechanics into its base, roguelike gameplay. Though its tight controls, visual fidelity, and intriguing story may entice you to play, the game's almost insurmountable difficulty will certainly alienate a portion of its intended audience.

If you like a stiff challenge, you'll love Returnal. This is, by far, one of the hardest titles released by a major publisher. Demon’s Soul is a cakewalk compared to Returnal. Although the game’s challenge makes it appealing to a certain demographic, it will be off-putting for mass audiences.

I’m a lifelong gamer with over 30 years of experience and, at the time of this writing, have yet to defeat the second boss after twenty hours of playing.

PC Mag

 

[Arwin]

Aren’t there difficulty settings?

 

[snc]

Aren’t there difficulty settings?

nope

 

[London Geezer]

Aren’t there difficulty settings?

Dead Cells did. Hard, Harder, Hardest and Batshit Crazy.

 

[BoardBonobo]

I’m a lifelong gamer with over 30 years of experience and, at the time of this writing, have yet to defeat the second boss after twenty hours of playing.

Well that might be their problem right there. 30 years of experience, they're getting old, reactions are slower, arthritis is playing up. Probably lumbago as well.

Also they're a PC player, if it hasn't got a console with a god mode option they're probably out of their depth

 

[Deleted member 13524]

I'm a little surprised by the review embargo. Why keep it so close to release?? Normally Sony leaves a few days or even a week between embargo and release. Now I might as well just wait for midnight and play the damn thing.

It probably has to do with how soon/late the reviewers got their codes?

I don't think a lot of people pre-ordered this game and I doubt the late embargo is going to chance that.
There's no mega-successful Returnal N-1 to use as reference, nor did Housemarque ever release a high-profile AAA game in the past to warrant such faith in the franchise / developer.

maybe because is quite challenging

I'm very skeptical about that "Demon's Souls is a cakewalk in comparison".
That's a pretty difficult game to finish.

 

[chris1515]

https://housemarque.com/news/2021/4...ade-action-game-released-tomorrow-4slkn-dw2na

A little part of the blog post about Returnal creation

When we started our pre-production of the game almost exactly four years ago in March 2017, we never would have imagined how big a production we eventually would be making. Looking back, it’s almost incomprehensive to think that we were working on four (!) different projects and we only had 50 people in-house at the time! We were finalizing two different projects, Nex Machina and Matterfall, prototyping and experimenting with a multiplayer project we later named Stormdivers and were starting a small pre-production of a totally new game.

Although we managed to release one of the best reviewed new game of 2017 according to metacritic, we were certainly left disappointed with the sales leading me to declare #arcadeisdead and ending our long standing commitment to the arcade genre. Giving up on the genre didn’t mean that we’d be giving up on our deep commitment to fast-twitch action gameplay. Instead, we wanted to take on the challenge to figure out how we could translate our arcade 2D gameplay expertise into a 3rd person action game. On the other hand, it was still very uncertain, if we’d be able to move past the prototype phase and convince Sony to keep on funding a new, unproved concept. The concept was ridiculously ambitious and looking back we as a company really weren’t totally appreciating the challenge ahead of us and how hard it could be to tackle it.

In the age when game publishers are taking less and less creative risks, we are truly thankful to our publishing partner Sony, who has given us an opportunity to work on something very risky and has given fantastic support during the whole project. We are forever grateful for having this opportunity.

Finally, huge thanks to our team, which has overcome many challenges during the development of the game and many key team members have pushed themselves beyond any expectations to bring a unique game to the markets for our fans to enjoy. Getting a game out does not happen every day and it’s always a big moment and worth celebrating. Game development is really like magic as things are created out of thin air, starting from a small idea and eventually those ideas start to cluster together to form a game concept. Very few concepts come to fruition. In our case, the first pitch deck of the game was put together in August 2015 and now many years later we are witnessing the release of the most ambitious and daring game of our history. This is truly miraculous!

 

[London Geezer]

Ah! Nex Machina, forgot about that one - amazing game and also 'crushingly difficult'. SNOWFLAKES!

 

[London Geezer]

I'm very skeptical about that "Demon's Souls is a cakewalk in comparison".
That's a pretty difficult game to finish.

This whole 'game is very/too difficult' narrative is kinda pathetic. Some games are difficult. Some games are difficult for some people, other games are easy for other people. Personally I found Demon Souls super easy - but I was coming fresh from getting the Dark Souls 3 platinum which was basically hell.

I platinumed Resogun (took a million years) and I think I only managed to actually kill the final boss once or twice - and only cause one of the trophies required me to do it, and only on Easy (if I remember correctly). I don't think I ever managed to beat that final boss on any harder difficulties. After racking up hundreds of hours of fun on the game. And I kept playing it again because it was so much fun, which is exactly the point of these games.

When did gamers become such babies?

I don't think a lot of people pre-ordered this game and I doubt the late embargo is going to chance that.

I did, more because I think Housemarque are friggin amazing so I want to support them. And the game looks hella fun too.