Board 8 > Returnal review zone

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://opencritic.com/game/11173/returnal

86% average through 84 reviews that's a lot of reviews!

Is this the biggest budget roguelike ever created? I'm not a big fan of the genre so I'm not sure. Sounds like the game itself is very good, but $70 might be a big ask for this type of game. Being a true PS5 game though might be enough for me to check it out eventually.

IGN - 8/10
Its roguelike runs are too long and it needs a way to save in the middle of them, but Returnal's third-person shooter action, clever story, and atmosphere are excellent.

Game Revolution - 9.5/10
As it did with the PS3, Vita, and PS4, Housemarque has once again provided Sony with another launch-era hit and in doing so has created a rewarding, replayable, and revolutionary game thats hopefully the foundation for other future AAA titles that are as clever with the roguelite blueprint.

Destructoid - 7.5/10
Returnal is a mostly thrilling sci-fi action romp that suffers from a lack of scale at times. In the moment, I'm completely fixated on my run, upgrading like a fiend, and dashing around for iFrames like I was playing a Capcom game. But after that run ends and I'm looking at the bigger picture, Returnal can feel a little smaller than it actually is. Keep that in mind before you take the pricey plunge.

GamesBeat - 3/5
This lack of variety in the style of play makes every run feel samey, and they begin to blur together. That leads to a roteness that made me want to put down the game when I was struggling with the difficulty. I like challenging games, but roguelites need to walk a fine line between familiarity and routine. Familiarity is the warm embrace of something that feels like home. Routine is boredom, and it is poison for a game like this.

Push Square - 9/10
Housemarque has delivered the PS5 promise with Returnal. All the console's bells and whistles enhance the experience, making this a real showpiece for the hardware. But more than that, the game is a force to be reckoned with; the breathless combat, super slick gameplay, and the subtle but unsettling story combine for an experience of surprising scale. Rogue-lite aspects mean it won't gel with everyone, but for those looking for a challenging, addictive arcade shooter, this comes highly recommended.

Playstation Lifestyle - 10/10
Returnal is an essential PS5 title, now and throughout the console's life. Housemarque took the rogue-like bullet-hell formula and applied it to a AAA experience in a way that creates something exceptionally unique yet wholly familiar. Returnal is an engaging experience in narrative, gameplay, and player discovery, consistently surprising on every level. Utilizing the PS5 technology in a way that most other developers are barely tapping into, Returnal feels like one of the first truly next-gen experiences, letting Housemarque set the stage for the new console. And like Housemarque games before it, it's the kind of game that will withstand the test of time, begging for additional cycles well into the future.


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I don't own a PS5 nor am I a huge fan of roguelikes, but I will buy any and all Housemarque games.
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I really want to play this actually. This completely snuck up on me though.

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This honestly looks way better than I ever guessed it would. I suppose the PS5 has exactly one game I want, now!

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Easy Allies - 8.5/10
https://youtu.be/wp4tN3bg7G8

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YongYea likes it. He has some complaints already listed, but he just lurves the gameplay.

https://youtu.be/p8tggYwigCg

I'm more fond of rogueli*es than I used to be, don't have a PS5 so obv won't be getting this but it looks really cool imo. My hope is that Returnal : Metroid Prime :: Dead Cells : Super Metroid. Though obviously this has a much greater focus on shooting, the atmosphere still looks really cool and I love the horror vibes that it seems to have.

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Listen, this is the only review I need to see about this game by only the most prestigious real gamer.

https://twitter.com/TheyCallMeDSP/status/1388010775369818115?s=20

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Why wouldn't a game like this have frequent autosave? You can still suspend it, but I'd be worried about crashes this early in the console's life. My PS5 just hard crashed while I was playing SCVI.

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Hey, Returnal is extremely fun. Played it for a while today before the first boss stomped me. Really good stuff. Loving the atmosphere.

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