Returnal is a third-person shooter video game written by Luke Maulding that relates the life of a rogue character. Housemarque developed the game, and Sony Interactive Entertainment released it. On April 30, 2021, Sony released Returnal exclusively for the PlayStation 5. The game portrays the life and encounters of an Astra scout called Selene. The scout was trapped in a time loop during the space journey, searching for the mysterious white shadow signal. The scout eventually crashed in on a mysterious alien-dominated planet called Atropos. The journey of the character thus begins. After its release, reviews were quick to come in, and Returnal was acclaimed for its combat, visuals, and technical breakthroughs. 

Many have pointed out that the PlayStation 5 exclusive game can be challenging and complex, as you are likely to die time after time.  However, the game has shown what PS5 can do in combining rogue life and deep space shooting to deliver an experience worth reliving. The game’s origin explains the life of a rogue, but more distinctly, a lost survivor stuck in a repeating and never-ending loop. This is identified by the characters reappearing in the same crash site whenever she dies in the game. While the game seeks to offer the scout a chance to explore an alien world, it is more of a survivor game that every PlayStation 5 player would enjoy.

Single-Player Gameplay with Strong Elements

Returnal is a single-player video that follows the psychological horror genre. It contains elements such as shooting, alien combat, and survival with a deep-space setting. It is a third-person shooter game, making the player in charge of everything the game represents. The game narrates the life of a rogue who disobeyed the corporation’s order to investigate the “white shadow signal.” Three strong elements permeate the game; a rogue character, unending time-loop, and survival. The actions of the rogue also portray the undying interest to discover the source of the White Shadow signal, despite crash-landing and losing contact with the corporation. This brings the element of discovery into the game. 

The player is Selene, a space scout who went on an expedition but crashed on a strange planet, Atropos, inhabited by aliens. After the crash, we see Salene alone in the crash site, where the game begins. The game gives Selene (the player) access to a suit and sophisticated weapons from the beginning. The mission in the game is straightforward. Selene has to navigate her paths in the alien world. 

This would not be easy as she has to face and combat alien beings in her quest to survive. If she dies at any point in the game, she will resurrect in the crash site and begin the journey repeatedly. The strive for survival in extraterrestrial environments brings the game to focus more on killing her enemies instead of enjoying deep space exploration. 

Unending Actions That Keep Your Adrenaline Pumping

You would love this game for its actions. Returnal is packed with so many enemies you have to go through to further your journey. Your survival solely depends on how ruthless you are in taking down aliens who are shooting at you from every direction. While the game may seem like you will die frequently, it does give you a huge boost when you return. The moment you are in the game, nothing else matters but sending those dreadful-looking creatures to their graves. Interestingly, the need for survival does not make you a merciful soldier, and you are in for a nasty end if you think you can survive without killing everything that comes your way.

Playing In A Repeating-but-different Scenario

Returnal can be a challenging game due to the looping effect. First, each time the player dies, she will return to the crash site where it all began. However, every “run” looks different. According to the narration, the planet remixes itself when you die, and even though you will start from the same crash site, your experience is not the same. You will find different weapons and face foreign enemies on your way. You can say the game does not reward your grind as it brings an entirely different scenario and challenges when you resurrect. Perhaps that’s one thing that makes the game addictive. You will always feel like you can do more in a new challenge.

A Real-life Alien Movie Packed In A Game

The alien world sure does look like a real-life picture. The graphics, special effects, and environments are painted to give you a real-life experience of the dark world. You will see ancient ruins, creepy bioengineered technology, and combinations of lights and colors rendered in perfect detail. One of the special effects is the fast travel effect, making your character melt and disappear into thin air.  The sounds also add to the eerie nature of the game. For those like me who like scary things, you would feel good hearing the growls and screams of monsters and other creepy sounds in the game.

Possible Unending Journey

You cannot miss the scenes of Selene’s other selves, the corpses. This makes me wonder how long has she has been stuck on that mysterious planet. It is not enough explanation that she starts all over from the crash site. It is scary seeing corpses of the character I am playing in the game. This brings the question if she would ever get back home. What confirms the possible eternal nature of the game is you never know when a run will end. I later figured it is not about getting her home. Survival is more profound than looking for trails of pleasing accomplishments. Maybe there is no end, and all that exists is a life struggling to survive in a never-ending scenario. This idea will send cold chills down your spines, and perhaps it’s another reason why the game will get you hooked.