In a year full of satisfying time loops, Returnal is often the longest and most punishing year. But every time Selene’s ship crashes into the wet, foggy regions of Atropos, it’s another chance to chase down the mysterious white noise. Another shot to challenge the ever-changing landscape rife with deadly horrors. Once again to discover how long Selene has been trying in vain to figure out why she was on this bleak planet in the first place.
Housemarque’s biggest achievement is how incredible Returnal’s sense of play is. Sprinting from room to room, jumping and dashing, taking out tentacle horrors in every nook and cranny; every movement is fast and agile. You always feel in control of what Selene is doing. While the control scheme isn’t complicated, it’s structured in a way that welcomes people back to the game days, and even sometimes weeks, later and feels like you’ve just laid down the console. control a few minutes ago. Drawing from previous shooters (specifically Super Stardust HD and Resogun), Housemarque implements the concept of bullet hell perfectly in Returnal’s 3D space. Incorporating relentless projectiles into most enemy attacks means that death can come from careless actions or negligence in judgment.
Innovative weapons and the risk/reward nature of the glitched collections make each run feel different. You can find a powerful carbine with a solid replacement flame and get amazing perks from the parasite, ensuring that the enemy swarm will vanish before your new power. Or you might have to survive on a toothed skin, work a miracle together with a shoddy shotgun, and hope for the best from the next item maker you can find. or may not be found. Either way, more often than not, the world’s mysteries will become a little clearer, or you’ll get better at surviving, making every run a worthwhile adventure. .
Supporting the relentless battle are the equally beautiful and terrifying biomes of Atropos. Hidden among overgrown ruins, sandy waste, and more diverse areas are exotic vegetation, ruined structures and ancient technology like teleporters that you can use to make advantage for yourself. Along the way, you’ll learn to read alien languages, stumble across tombs and museum-like areas that tell the history of the people who once lived on the planet, or you can will have unhappiness when fighting to the end. Selene will also learn about her plight through runaways with improbable homes or unsettling visits from an astronaut. These fascinating moments fuel the need to gather more information and find out what Selene’s ultimate purpose is.
Housemarque’s first three-A adventure shows the promise of what the studio can do with deeper pockets. Whether it’s stunning visuals, stellar sound design, rhythmic action, or a story and setting brimming with mystery, Returnal demands replay over and over. It’s an exciting feeling and a thrill ride that you want to return to right after departure. | Our review
