Returnal

Before I begin this review, let me preface it by saying I have only played one other roguelike game in my life, and it was the first Diablo back in '98. So to say I'm unfamiliar with the genre is a vast understatement.

I'll also admit that I didn't do much research into Returnal before purchasing it for full price. So once I got home, started to install it, and THEN discovered the premise behind it, I almost instantly had buyer's remorse. I'm, for the most part, a leisurely gamer. The idea of dying and returning to the beginning of a game doesn't sound much fun to me.

I only mention that to say that all those things considered, going in completely blind, not being a fan of extreme challenges in games, and not having any past experiences with the genre, I'm still absolutely adoring my time with Returnal.

For whatever reason, every negative review I've seen for this game reads like it's from someone who stopped playing after the first boss, or failed to progress any further. I'm reading complaints about repetitive level design and enemies, but each biome (map) in Returnal is completely different. Spanning a dense forest, vast desert, huge sprawling structures you can platform between using a grappling hook, hell, even under an ocean. There is a ton of variety between areas, and the enemies within them, and they're all gorgeous to explore.

Now, let's get to the elephant in the room. Yes, when you die in Returnal you return to the very first moment you started the game at, essentially waking up in your crashed ship as if everything you just did in the game was some sort of dream. This seems like it would be frustrating, but as you die, and return to the ship you also piece together parts of the main character's story. The biome you're on also completely rearranges itself, meaning you're not going to have to slog through the same identical map each time to get back to where you were. It's also worth mentioning that once you have a permanent unlock that's required to move onto the next biome, and have beaten the boss within the biome you're working on, you can quickly travel to the next ones without having to repeat what you've already done.

The game softens the blow of dying, by rewarding you with new opportunities, new places to explore, new glyphs to translate, and new items and power ups to use. By the point that I'd reached the halfway mark in the game I wasn't dissuaded at all by deaths, and found myself opting to explore EVERYTHING rather than zipping back to where I'd died.

I should also mention that the difficulty of this game has been SUPER overexaggerated. At the time that I write this I've almost completed the game, put 11 hours into it, and have only died 6 times. Two or more of which were from falling while in mid combat. The combat is actually quite forgiving if you use your resources intelligently and don't make silly mistakes.

If I had to mention one gripe I have with the game, it's that you're not informed of some extremely beneficial aspects of your inventory. For example, if you pick up health drops while you're at full health, they will actually extend your health bar, giving you some much needed extra integrity. Which means it's a much better idea to actually clear out most of the areas without picking up health (if possible, easier said than done) and to stick to using consumables to heal. Then, prior to fighting a boss you can retread the areas you've been with health drops, and in most runs almost double your health bar. Little (but significant) things like this aren't explained by the game, and I had to find out through some tutorial and tip videos.

The haptic feedback function is in full effect throughout this game. You feel each gust of wind, each drop of rain, and the shifting terrain through little vibrations throughout the controller. The triggers fluctuate in tension depending on what weapon you're using, and aside from Astro's Playroom, this is the first game I've played on the PS5 that really makes use of the feature.

I cannot recommend Returnal enough. It's getting a very unfair shake from certain reviewers, and it's really sad that some people might miss out on such an incredible experience because a handful of people gave up on the game before seeing its' full potential.

If I can play this game without wanting to rip my hair out, believe me, you can too.

and above all else, you should.