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Returnal Review Thread (PS5)

FrankWza

Member
Hmm

VENTUREBEAT - Jeff Grubb (6/10)

Or

PLAYSTATION LIFESTYLE (10/10)

Who should I believe?
It’s neither. Very few games are 10s but there’s no way it’s a 6.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a 10/10 experience if you play it. It’s not a cop out when you read people say it’s something you have to play to appreciate or see to appreciate.
It has made a lot of the doubters look very silly.
Nothing but negativity at this game. First the framerate and price. Then the price. Then the genre and price. Then price again. Then some more price. Then the length and price. More price. Then release date so close to REVIll. Now it’s sub 4K and dips.

It looks great. Controls great. Sounds great.
it’s fun. It’s immersive. Doesn’t matter if you need or want to wait for a price drop or discount. It needs to be played.
 

MrS

Banned
It’s neither. Very few games are 10s but there’s no way it’s a 6.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a 10/10 experience if you play it. It’s not a cop out when you read people say it’s something you have to play to appreciate or see to appreciate.

Nothing but negativity at this game. First the framerate and price. Then the price. Then the genre and price. Then price again. Then some more price. Then the length and price. More price. Then release date so close to REVIll. Now it’s sub 4K and dips.

It looks great. Controls great. Sounds great.
it’s fun. It’s immersive. Doesn’t matter if you need or want to wait for a price drop or discount. It needs to be played.
Totally agree. My only gripe is the crashes that fuck up great runs. Really need to fix that and I'm confident they will. Don't know how anybody who loves games can talk shit about this game.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
I cant in good conscience reccommend this game especially at the new price. Iv played just under 6 hours today and its quite repetitive tbh.
It can also be really really punishing. The RNG can completely screw you over and finding health can be a constant struggle.
Wait until its cheaper.
I know some will say well dark souls etc is punishing but not like this. Trust me lol

Well, I'm happy that some are having a hard time, and sad at the same time. To me it was moderate but nowhere near being hard. Also enjoyed every second in the game myself. Gonna play some other loot that couldn't reach before the suit gear upgrades.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
Seems that Housemarque are considering a Save and Quit option:



I've not played the game yet, but I think I'd welcome this. People will use it to save scum, though. Maybe they'll say if you use it it will disable trophies or something?

Edit: Bo_Hazem Bo_Hazem - as you've finished the game, maybe you're a good person to lend your thoughts to this?


Had zero crashes and glitches. Maybe I'm lucky. Also used the main suit, some say it might be those extra suits making the crashes? Not sure.
 

Thief1987

Member
How was the absence of mid-run save and requiring to put your system in rest-mode as a replacement was so overlooked in the reviews?
It was not overlooked? It was mentioned in plenty of reviews. IGN writer, for example, even said that he lowered his score from 9 to 8 because of that and crashes.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
I found an artifact that shoots missles when you do a melee attack. Then I died and I've never seen it again :( RNGturnal/10

Maybe that's why I hade like little black cloud shooting bullets at enemies like a side kick by the 5th biome. It freaked me out, thought it was an enemy portal attack. :lollipop_tears_of_joy:
 

GHG

Gold Member
What?! Please, tell me it's because Returnal and Eternal sound similar, and not because the gameplay is similar to that shitty sequel of Doom 2016.

This is a fast paced 3rd person bullet hell shooter and Doom Eternal is a fast paced bullet hell first person shooter.

This is a lot more tough than Doom Eternal though, not for the faint of heart.

If that doesn't sound like your jam then pass.
 
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Can someone explain how traits work? I'm completely lost.
I start with a pistol that shoots these extra homing energy shots with each normal shot. I look at the traits and it has homing missile with a lock symbol and 40 next to it. No idea what that means. I read you can level up progression by using, but when my bar goes up in the hud, nothing changes on the stat screen - still shows 0% progression.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
Can someone explain how traits work? I'm completely lost.
I start with a pistol that shoots these extra homing energy shots with each normal shot. I look at the traits and it has homing missile with a lock symbol and 40 next to it. No idea what that means. I read you can level up progression by using, but when my bar goes up in the hud, nothing changes on the stat screen - still shows 0% progression.

You use it until it opens, then it's open permanently in the next gun. Didn't pay too much close attention to them but that how I opened them.
 
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You use it until it opens, then it's open permanently in the next gun.
What does it mean? 40? 40 what? 40 kills? 40 levels? Still shows 0% progression, yet my hud has a bar or 2. Also, it shows locked, but why is my pistol shooting these homing missiles already?

Edit: Now I picked up a rifle and it also has these extra homing things, but they bounce around off of walls. I swap to another of the same type and those homing things went away on both of them. wtf lol.
 
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Bo_Hazem

Banned
What does it mean? 40? 40 what? 40 kills? 40 levels? Still shows 0% progression, yet my hud has a bar or 2. Also, it shows locked, but why is my pistol shooting these homing missiles already?

Edit: Now I picked up a rifle and it also has these extra homing things, but they bounce around off of walls. I swap to another of the same type and those homing things went away on both of them. wtf lol.

Check the menus, I just kept using the gun until the suddenly unlock. Read what's in the menu, there should be some description.
 

e&e

Banned
Poor Ash Parrish, she just wants people that look like her to be trapped in a time loop fighting tentacle aliens forever, which to be fair is a weird thing to want.

How can you be this shallow? and in what way would this particular game have been different if the protag was a different race or whatever immutable characteristic they've latched onto today.

You actually just present literal, disgusting tokenism to these people and they go "I love this! More please!".
What’s the fine line between tokenism and actually representing other people?
 
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Kuranghi

Member
What’s the fine line between tokenism and actually representing other people?

You misunderstand me, I wasn't saying this character being black (which is what I assume the author would prefer) would be tokenism, I'm just saying that these critical race people would like people of X type to be in everything if they could, regardless of whether that would make those things better/good.

If you view there is a deficit of a certain type of character or representation then you should go and make that thing yourself, not force artists to change what they are making for your own agenda.

The annoying thing is that what you see now is people try to make their own art but they put an agenda rather than an honest artistic expression at the forefront and/or they just aren't particularly good at making said art and other people see it and go "This is rubbish" and then they say "Well see we can't even make our own art with the themes we want to see because everyone hates it because they are <X>ist".

It makes hold my head with both hands, they didn't understand that with "You can create your own art with your own themes and people will enjoy that" it was also implied "but it has to actually be at least superficially good if you want people to like it/it to become popular".

What the heck kind of upbringing do these people have? Their parents must've been absolutely terrible.

Okay ranting done, anyway this is the Returnal Review thread, so I'm not going to speak further on this because its not the right place for it.
 
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e&e

Banned
You misunderstand me, I wasn't saying this character being black (which is what I assume the author would prefer) would be tokenism, I'm just saying that these critical race people would like people of X type to be in everything if they could, regardless of whether that would make those things better/good.

If you view there is a deficit of a certain type of character or representation then you should go and make that thing yourself, not force artists to change what they are making for your own agenda.

The annoying thing is that what you see now is people try to make their own art but they put an agenda rather than an honest artistic expression at the forefront and/or they just aren't particularly good at making said art and other people see it and go "This is rubbish" and then they say "Well see we can't even make our own art with the themes we want to see because everyone hates it because they are <X>ist".

It makes hold my head with both hands, they didn't understand that with "You can create your own art with your own themes and people will enjoy that" it was also implied "but it has to actually be at least superficially good if you want people to like it/it to become popular".

What the heck kind of upbringing do these people have? Their parents must've been absolutely terrible.

Okay ranting done, anyway this is the Returnal Review thread, so I'm not going to speak further on this because its not the right place for it.
Curious to know if you have an example of this.
 

Corgi1985

Banned
I like the art design. Main character is boring. I hope they lean into some cosmic horror shit with a sequel but they can only do so much with a T rating
 

Bergoglio

Member
This game is like DOOM Eternal but in third person and with much better art direction, exploration, combat, enemy design, sound and progression. Easily worth the asking price imho. It has made a lot of the doubters look very silly.
You can find it at a better price in just few hours.

9v7WjeD.jpg


I’m negotiating a 50€ copy.
 
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What does it mean? 40? 40 what? 40 kills? 40 levels? Still shows 0% progression, yet my hud has a bar or 2. Also, it shows locked, but why is my pistol shooting these homing missiles already?

Edit: Now I picked up a rifle and it also has these extra homing things, but they bounce around off of walls. I swap to another of the same type and those homing things went away on both of them. wtf lol.
I think the homing missiles might be something to do with your adrenaline level.
 

Spukc

always chasing the next thrill
i got all the upgrades in act 1 was pretty beefy. then I decided to go straight to act 3 again took a good 50 min or so
And tried to fight instead of running like a little bitch. To the tower laser climb part

I got fucking nuked by 10 of those flying rocket fuckboys.

meanwhile my other tactic is to just run like a bitch and ignore all of them. That works way better.
Maybe just MAYBE tone down those enemies if you want your actual player of the game to try to take them on. Absolute opposite from act 1 or 2

each on their own but that is just shitty design imo.
all I do is risk losing all the health I collected
 

azertydu91

Hard to Kill
i got all the upgrades in act 1 was pretty beefy. then I decided to go straight to act 3 again took a good 50 min or so
And tried to fight instead of running like a little bitch. To the tower laser climb part

I got fucking nuked by 10 of those flying rocket fuckboys.

meanwhile my other tactic is to just run like a bitch and ignore all of them. That works way better.
Maybe just MAYBE tone down those enemies if you want your actual player of the game to try to take them on. Absolute opposite from act 1 or 2

each on their own but that is just shitty design imo.
all I do is risk losing all the health I collected
Yep I hate those flying rocket shooting bastards, I don't know if it is the timing that I don't have yet or that their rockets are barely visible but they are the most problematic ennemies to me.
Quick question though but it includes a spoiler is there a boss in world 5 and 6,I mean a proper one with 3 health bars instead of that elite ennemy(like the one at the bottom of the water, I haven't beaten him yet)?
 

Raonak

Banned
Ok? Do you just hate this guy or something? Is he not allowed to tweet hes impressed w the ps5 controller?

Yeah lol, I don't know why the poster is so upset by such a simple tweet?

I myself am impressed by the controller. honestly the dualsense + load times are the most next-gen feeling things about this generation. I hate going back to PS4 games because they feel so... flat(?) in comparison.
 

Hendrick's

If only my penis was as big as my GamerScore!
Of another Sony banger? True.

You of all people (remembering how you and I shared similar views in a now nuked subsection that shall not be named) should be all over Grubb for the sad attempt at being a "male feminista" m'ladying a they/them/indigenous virtual pet over criticism for another slacktivist styled hit-piece on gaming disguised as a "review."

Or is brand allegiance that much more important? Be honest with me, bruh.
I don't care for the man and I am not defending him. I just don't see the Xbox bias that is being insinuated.
 

Dibils2k

Member
Seems that Housemarque are considering a Save and Quit option:



I've not played the game yet, but I think I'd welcome this. People will use it to save scum, though. Maybe they'll say if you use it it will disable trophies or something?

Edit: Bo_Hazem Bo_Hazem - as you've finished the game, maybe you're a good person to lend your thoughts to this?

who has an issue with this? it doesn't take anything away from the game to have ability to not be forced into 3 hours straight of gaming, its a missing feature no doubt, thats why the recommend/promote the stand by approach

to be able to take a break you rither die or not be able to play any other games until you die lol
 

hroerekr

Member
It was not overlooked? It was mentioned in plenty of reviews. IGN writer, for example, even said that he lowered his score from 9 to 8 because of that and crashes.

Except is a huge problem and a deal breaker for many people. I don't care about the score, but the reviews I read didn't explain this issue properly.
It's not just about the crashes, but 6-8 hours runs without breaks.

Reviewers spend the whole day playing a single game because is their job. They forgot to realize how this would work for normal people with jobs and families.
But nowadays reviews for AAA games are just extended PR repeating bullet points provided by the publisher.
 
This game is like DOOM Eternal but in third person and with much better art direction, exploration, combat, enemy design, sound and progression. Easily worth the asking price imho. It has made a lot of the doubters look very silly.
I wouldn't say that at all. Eternal is on another level compared to this IMO. Still pretty fun
 

Entroyp

Member
I finished the game just now. While I got frustrated at the beginning with the lack of apparent progression, once it clicked (got gud I guess?) it became an unforgettable experience.

Housemarque is one of my favorite developers now.

If I have to give it a score it would be a 9.5/10. The game does need a save mid-run feature.
 

Shmunter

Member
I finished the game just now. While I got frustrated at the beginning with the lack of apparent progression, once it clicked (got gud I guess?) it became an unforgettable experience.

Housemarque is one of my favorite developers now.

If I have to give it a score it would be a 9.5/10. The game does need a save mid-run feature.
What was your longest and average single run would you say?
 

Caio

Member
9/10 from Shacknews

""
Returnal is strictly exclusive to the PS5 as it’s one of the handful of “next-gen” games that aren't playable on its predecessor. Aside from being an excellent roguelike, Returnal is a technical marvel. The locations are all so gorgeous and incredibly detailed. Even in moments where my screen was flooded with action and chaos, the PS5 held strong and I experienced practically no major stutters or hiccups.

Returnal is also the true showcase of just how spectacular the DualSense controller is. Players pull down the L1 trigger halfway to aim down sights, and you can feel a bit of draw and kickback when you do so. Pulling the trigger all the way is how you activate alt-fire. I originally thought this would be confusing and lead to screw-ups, but the DualSense tech makes it so easy that I don’t think it happened a single time.

The controller also emits a sound cue from its built-in speaker to let players know when their alt-fire is fully charged and ready to be used again. If you stand still, you can even feel the raindrops falling and hitting Selene’s spacesuit, thanks to haptic feedback.""

""Housemarque reminds audiences that it’s got the chops to be one of the premier-tier game developers with Returnal. The game is wholly difficult with a roster of powerful enemies and bosses to overcome, but also gives the player everything they need in order to succeed. The game just gets better and better as you go on, as recognizing patterns and learning to adapt is endlessly rewarding. Despite some issues with RNG, it’s hard to knock this creepy sci-fi adventure. Returnal is a must-play PS5 exclusive for any roguelike fan itching for their latest challenge.""

 

Cyborg

Member
This game is a solid 8.5 game. Its really amazing to see what a small studio did here. If you want a new(ish) experience, amazing story, amazing DualSense support with 3D audio this game is for you.

Is this game for the mainstream player? No! They will maybe buy it but return it asap.
 

Shmunter

Member
My longest run was today from around 5:00 pm to around 10:00 pm. I went from Biome 4 to the last boss in that run.

For my average run I would say it’s around 1-2 hours.
I do see that as an issues for time poor gamers, including myself. Anyway got the game all ready to go for me to properly dive into it tonight.
 

Shmunter

Member
This game is a solid 8.5 game. Its really amazing to see what a small studio did here. If you want a new(ish) experience, amazing story, amazing DualSense support with 3D audio this game is for you.

Is this game for the mainstream player? No! They will maybe buy it but return it asap.
It's bogus how I can't get 3d audio out of my expensive home theater headphones without being tethered to the controller or the console. It's ridiculous and Sony needs to fix this arbitrary stupidity. Will be playing in old fashioned stereo for the time being, because of reasons.
 
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OneTruth

Banned
It was 25. At least on Switch. Returnal looks like a full priced game. One more damn day to wait.
Returnal looks like 40$-50$ games and 0$ game with crashes and random bugs, like door not open and dont working teleports. The worst 70$ game i ever seen.
 
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GymWolf

Member
What?! Please, tell me it's because Returnal and Eternal sound similar, and not because the gameplay is similar to that shitty sequel of Doom 2016.
It's nothing like eternal, you don't need to do shit to replenish ammo and you can shoot all you want.

But there are some annoying small platform sections with lasers tho.
 

THEAP99

Banned
After playing 23 ish hours I'd give this a 7/10. It's decent but not worth the full of admission. Still stunned that similar to cyberpunk major glaring bugs/crashes weren't discovered until the flood gates fully opened. but I guess that's the nature of the WFH beast.
 
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