Returnal

 PlayStation 5
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3997 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,738 out of 3997
  2. Mixed: 333 out of 3997
  3. Negative: 926 out of 3997
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  1. Haschtro
    Aug 9, 2021
    10
    This game is damn good ! My first Rogue like, usually not a fan of dying again and again, but the loop in this game is very well done. Plus, gameplay is addictive, you never want to abandon it. Each run you get better. Give it a try !
    edit : just beat Act III, what a game !!
  2. Garrett2526
    May 5, 2021
    10
    Just smooth controller and the 3d audio is amazing and graphics make well worth it price , the game makes a shout out to old school hard-core gaming
  3. HcoreGamer
    May 5, 2021
    10
    More Metriod than Prime.

    I'm having a tonne of fun with Returnal, far more than expected. It's a brutal challenge especially in the beginning but once you find your flow and actually start taking your time, giving thought to which rooms to enter next, which weapons, upgrades, artifacts & consumables to pick up or come back to you'll really start to appreciate the level of detail that's    More Metriod than Prime.

    I'm having a tonne of fun with Returnal, far more than expected. It's a brutal challenge especially in the beginning but once you find your flow and actually start taking your time, giving thought to which rooms to enter next, which weapons, upgrades, artifacts & consumables to pick up or come back to you'll really start to appreciate the level of detail that's gone in to fine tuning the gameplay over any other aspect.

    Not to say that the graphics or sound are lagging behind, far from it. Returnal is fast, fluid and the neon colours of many, many special effects on screen really pop in HDR especially when played on an OLED TV. The sound design is equally outstanding with moody, atmospheric music & sounds that heighten the fast paced, Alien/ Prometheus esk setting.

    At it's core this game is a true 'gamer's' game and brings about a sensation that I've not felt from a game in a very long time which is a great thing. You won't be bored here. The shooting mechanics & bullet-hell gameplay is excellent and the Super Metriod style exploration and power ups make the game feel pleasently gamey like no other triple A game has. The game is more creepy than I expected as it pulls off the physiological horror elements very well too. The Dualsense controls, haptic feedback and controller sounds are by far the best implemented so far in a game this gen and go a long way to heighten the experience. Especially the adaptive triggers. Very impressive stuff and combined with 60fps it really is a treat to control. Is it worth £70?

    I will say that I certainly wasn't happy to learn that Sony's first party games this gen will cost £70 at launch. So much so that I vowed to wait for price drops as this is too much to ask for a game in my opinion. However. My girlfriend picked this up for a birthday present for me and I'm now left rethinking my decision moving forward.. I've sunk 35hrs in so far and they've flown by! I have so much more left to do and can't see me putting this down for a good while. I've still not quite finished the story but I've made it to biome (level, area) 5 out of 6 so far and can see me replaying over and over to get better equipment & weapons and taking on some daily challenges once I'm good enough. If this is the quality of an experience we get for £70 this gen I'm surprisingly happy about it. Go out and buy this game! You won't regretal it!    … Expand
  4. Ybendi
    May 5, 2021
    9
    The accessible roguelike that you need to do ! Housemarques made their best game till now !
  5. Alexis0091
    May 5, 2021
    10
    The Game is very beautiful, stupid People always complain.
    Go to play Fortnite.
  6. kisherman
    May 6, 2021
    10
    Nice game, concept is not new, but in "Returnal" it works. Also you need to know what you buy, if you die you lost almost everything.
  7. JAREDNUNEZ
    May 5, 2021
    10
    Me ha encantado el juego, gráficos, sonido, inmersión, mecánicas armas, duración, para mi la única pega es que los ciclos duran mucho, pero eso no cambia la experiencia de juego,
  8. JimShinigami
    May 5, 2021
    10
    Gongrats Housemarque for this brilliant game, im very happy to see a roguelike AAA hardcore game on playstation and i hope to see more often game like this with big budget. All is perfect, the shooting, the atmosphere, the excellent use of dualsense, the sound. Im sure the hardcore gamers love returnal.
  9. The_hump_
    May 5, 2021
    10
    Amazing game. Hard, beautiful, unique and an amazing experience. The controller feedback is also perfectly executed.
  10. Doril
    May 5, 2021
    7
    This game is meant to be hard, so please don't buy it without doing your homework first and watching some gameplay to see if it's your cup of tea.

    Overall, the game is pretty good. The combat feels fluid and fair. The story and setting are intrguing at first but personally I found the ending unsatisfying. Additionally, unfortunately the rest of the content is a also little lacking. I    This game is meant to be hard, so please don't buy it without doing your homework first and watching some gameplay to see if it's your cup of tea.

    Overall, the game is pretty good. The combat feels fluid and fair. The story and setting are intrguing at first but personally I found the ending unsatisfying. Additionally, unfortunately the rest of the content is a also little lacking. I finished an entire playthrough clocking in 20 hours. The balance isn't great: some weapons/traits feel way overpowered while others feel useless. Some of the later environments seem like lazy copies of the prior one and enemy density starts to decrease greatly, we especially on the last biome. The main complaint that most people have is that there is absolutely no manual saving, not even a way to suspend and quit, meaning you have to put your ps5 in rest mode to "pause" your run, locking you out of playing any other games. Furthermore, if the game gets patched and you have autoupdates on, it'll force close your app after the patch. Not the best design.

    I think the game is worth playing if you like ultra challenging games, but I don't think the price is justified at 70 usd (or your local equivalent) - wait for a sale unless you are a megafan and want to support the developer.    … Expand
  11. Budlite
    May 6, 2021
    9
    This game is fantastic! At first I wasn't going to buy this game based off the trailer because it gave off basic shooter vibes but BOY was I wrong! This game gives me metroid prime feels! The scenery, the sound effects, even the doorways all just brings me back flashbacks of metroid. I would give this game a 10 but lord forbid your game crashes... not that it happens often but it'sThis game is fantastic! At first I wasn't going to buy this game based off the trailer because it gave off basic shooter vibes but BOY was I wrong! This game gives me metroid prime feels! The scenery, the sound effects, even the doorways all just brings me back flashbacks of metroid. I would give this game a 10 but lord forbid your game crashes... not that it happens often but it's happened to me once at the worst possible time...… Expand
  12. Anzem
    May 6, 2021
    10
    Graphics are great, sound is epic and gameplay is smooth but challenging. Lack of save before quit can be frustrating to some people that dont have many hours to play each sitting like myself actually, but i still think this game is sooooooooo good that i can look past that. Best game ive played since Bloodborne and first game since Bloodborne that im going for the platinum trophy :)
  13. Quain
    May 6, 2021
    10
    Gameplay 10/10, graphics 10/10, sounds 10/10, vibrations 10/10 are all perfect. If Housemarque gets the SoundBug under control, it is currently the best game for PS5.
  14. Jekyllblade
    May 6, 2021
    10
    Superb game. Excellent gameplay, sublime audio, great graphics and fairly interesting story. Finished the first playthrough last night, no bugs. Did not find it overly difficult, but weapon choices and understanding the mechanics is important. Definitely highly recommended. Imo best ps5 game out there. Will do more runs and exploration starting today.
  15. Actarus85
    May 6, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A very complicated game, but one that gives you great satisfaction. It's fun and keeps you busy for hours… Expand
  16. GenNew
    May 29, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Been waiting for a next gen game that was built from the ground up and a completely new IP. The graphics/performance (60FPS), gameplay, and story are great and the developer deserves its kudos. Housemarque is a definitely a developer to keep an eye on. I'm genuinely excited to see what they do next.

    Initially the game kicks your ass but don't give up. I struggled in the beginning but got much better as I persisted. It gets easier as you progress in the game. Focus on unlocking weapon perks. Your progress is permanent and some traits are truly worth your time and will make the game a breeze. When you die during a run just remember that your weapon progress is making your stronger and will pick up where you left off when you start again. Ether carries over as well and becomes way more abundant in the second and third acts allowing you to use a resurrector each level without depleting your supply. When that frustration peaks, just remember that you are getting stronger each run. I really saw it when I finally unlocked certain weapon traits and literally cruised through the last few biomes and beat the game without dying on my first attempt. There is a method to the madness if you stay persistent.

    Definitely is my game of the year and I doubt that I will play anything better. The story is deep and intriguing and can be interpreted in many ways. Even though I have finished the game and seen the true ending, I have continued to play to unlock all the weapon traits and find all the collectables. So glad that I continued on and didn't give up. When you are successful in Returnal you truly feel a sense of accomplishment.    … Expand
  17. Tomato21
    May 6, 2021
    10
    This is an incredible experience. It is not a game for everyone and that causes division in the player base. However if we do not allow developers to create different experiences, all games will become similar made with the same template. I think diversity is very important and we should rate every game based on it's own type. Warning: DO NOT SPOILER the game if you are interested inThis is an incredible experience. It is not a game for everyone and that causes division in the player base. However if we do not allow developers to create different experiences, all games will become similar made with the same template. I think diversity is very important and we should rate every game based on it's own type. Warning: DO NOT SPOILER the game if you are interested in rouge-like games. One of the biggest strength is the mystery and discovery it by yourself. Very addicted, cannot stop playing or thinking about it.… Expand
  18. kimchi98
    May 31, 2021
    8
    UPDATE as of May 31 2021
    I am increasing the score from 0 to 8 since the game has been patched and is more stable. I haven't experienced a single crash since, and I am truly beginning to enjoy what the game has to offer.
    ******************************************************************************* I am extremely angry. I was starting to enjoy the game and get used to the mechanics but    UPDATE as of May 31 2021
    I am increasing the score from 0 to 8 since the game has been patched and is more stable. I haven't experienced a single crash since, and I am truly beginning to enjoy what the game has to offer.
    *******************************************************************************
    I am extremely angry. I was starting to enjoy the game and get used to the mechanics but since the patch, the game crashes at random. This is unacceptable! Especially for this type of game where there is no save feature and you cannot even turn the console off otherwise you must start from scratch again. And that’s a 80 dollars game for crying out loud!! I don’t want to start another run now, I am scared that the game will crash right during the second boss fight!! NEVER have I scored a game zero. It pains me to do it but it’s just unacceptable. Housemarque, get your **** together!!!    … Expand
  19. HE_XAD
    May 6, 2021
    10
    questo gioco è esattamente quella cosa nuova che non si era ancora vista che tutti avevamo bisogno
  20. Ponds98
    May 6, 2021
    10
    Simply AMAZING
    Sound design, enemies, gunplay, location, level designs, biomes, lore, graphic: simply perfection.
    Not for all players, really hard but so fun.
    The haptic feedback and the 3d audio combined create an amazing experience, never heard a sound design better than this game.
  21. Pedroig
    May 6, 2021
    10
    Challenging and demanding Game. Maybe not a 10 but being fair with It, It doesnt deserve review bombing
  22. rogs93
    May 6, 2021
    10
    i made extra an account to write a review of this game.

    Never would i thought that this game would be this amazing. At first, you fight some strange aliens, then step by step you understand what its about. The graphics are beautiful. Gameplay feels exceptionally good, even when sometimes you get awfully bad luck. Adaptive triggers are well used, haptic feedback feels strangely good    i made extra an account to write a review of this game.

    Never would i thought that this game would be this amazing.
    At first, you fight some strange aliens, then step by step you understand what its about.

    The graphics are beautiful. Gameplay feels exceptionally good, even when sometimes you get awfully bad luck. Adaptive triggers are well used, haptic feedback feels strangely good and so much more cool features.

    After 32 hours i beat the games act 2. Had 4 crashes, that ruined my fun for a time. But i still managed to play through it. Now i'm almost at platin and would love to have a dlc or a spin of with different characters.

    Housemarque you did an amazing job, please continue like this.

    The German translation is very well done too.

    Btw, i kinda like that there is no save feature and hope there will never be one. It adds its own flavor to the game and makes it unique.    … Expand
  23. Tommano
    May 6, 2021
    10
    Everything I could hope for. If you’re into dark sci-fi and amazing sound design, do yourself a favor. Ps5 game of the year.
  24. KhanMaytok
    May 6, 2021
    10
    Gran juego, lo he disfrutado mucho, así es, sí que sí, Glorioso juego, uno de los mejores en cuanto a su genero. Housemarque cada vez lo hace mejor
  25. Crashbdx
    May 6, 2021
    10
    Awesome game, frustrating at first but super addictive. Not as hard as a fromsoft as it gets way easier after first biome with lots of shortcuts etc but the overall experience is very nice, once you get used to the rogue like reset cycles if you are not :)
  26. Sina_ghost
    May 7, 2021
    10
    The best game i ever played its very hard game but its good thanks for new game playstation
  27. Omnicloud
    May 7, 2021
    10
    Amazing game...there’s definitely some growing pains and runs can feel painful if you don’t take out a boss. Also you can’t play other games in the middle of a run have to suspend...Everything from gameplay to graphics to the sense of accomplishment is first class. I feel like a kid again playing contra on SNES!! Once it clicks, it kicks!
  28. dhananjaybawa19
    May 7, 2021
    6
    too hard.. too many bugs. might not be my type of game so i leave a 6, just wish developers would improve the issues players are having
  29. Lorentoo
    May 7, 2021
    10
    For me this game is just brilliand,graphics story, all the time reapat cycle, amazing gameplay and this fight with bosses are so dramatic, love this game ! :) 30h and game ended, going for platinum :)
  30. CowsDoFly
    May 7, 2021
    10
    So far this game is awesome! Roguelite heaven. (5 hours in). I have only gotten to the 2nd biome but getting there was amazing! Best AAA rogue lite available.
  31. yolautaro
    May 7, 2021
    2
    Menos que un indie, pero a precio de AAA, no vale la pena sobre todo por la gran cantidad de fallas de lanzamiento. Es posible que cuando lo corrijan y bajen el precio a uno acorde a su calidad, sea una buena opción, mientras tanto no lo es
  32. Nimesin
    May 7, 2021
    10
    I finished the game two times already and I just wish it was longer and with more bosses. It's and amazing game. Takes some time to get good at it, but once you do, it's an amazing experience and I just want more of it.
  33. cdy2847
    May 7, 2021
    7
    the game is fun for a few days but no save points and ver y long run attempts with 0 reward is what makes the game longer that should be. its basically one of the 1980's 2D space shooters like galaga but updated to modern specs and 3D. this is an Arcade game in the year 2021 which is ok if your into that thing. does a great job with the ps5 duel sense controller. the landscapes are not asthe game is fun for a few days but no save points and ver y long run attempts with 0 reward is what makes the game longer that should be. its basically one of the 1980's 2D space shooters like galaga but updated to modern specs and 3D. this is an Arcade game in the year 2021 which is ok if your into that thing. does a great job with the ps5 duel sense controller. the landscapes are not as random as the game devs made it seem, they just recycle arenas in different orders. i beat the first 2 bosses. the story seems Meh cant really grasp whats going on unless your good enough to get that far. after awhile you realize it was an attempt to get something out just for the ps5 no more no less. its not a good reason to buy a ps5 yet so save your money for demons souls. definitely a waste of 70$ this is a 30-40$ game at most .… Expand
  34. TucsonHawk
    May 7, 2021
    10
    Look at all these **** crybabies...ohhhh they don't have a save feature, yeah....no **** that's the game!!!! Maybe this game is too hard for you cupcakes and that's fine - go play Animal Crossing or Minecraft. This game is absolutely incredible and Housemarque deserves all the praise it can get. And sure, it has a few bugs, but what game this ambitious and gorgeous wouldn't? And SHUT UPLook at all these **** crybabies...ohhhh they don't have a save feature, yeah....no **** that's the game!!!! Maybe this game is too hard for you cupcakes and that's fine - go play Animal Crossing or Minecraft. This game is absolutely incredible and Housemarque deserves all the praise it can get. And sure, it has a few bugs, but what game this ambitious and gorgeous wouldn't? And SHUT UP about this being too hard, not everyone needs a participation trophy. Bravo to the developers! Can't wait to see their next game.… Expand
  35. Sergio32
    May 7, 2021
    9
    Ce nouveau jeu first partie de la ps5 est vraiment très intéressant et cet assez audacieux de faire un rogue-lite triple A ,cet un style peu représentée sur console qui est par contre très présent sur la scène indépendante et surtout sur pc . Son scénario est basique mais efficace car difficile à cerner avec peu d’infos qui vous sont distillées au compte goutte tout au long de votreCe nouveau jeu first partie de la ps5 est vraiment très intéressant et cet assez audacieux de faire un rogue-lite triple A ,cet un style peu représentée sur console qui est par contre très présent sur la scène indépendante et surtout sur pc . Son scénario est basique mais efficace car difficile à cerner avec peu d’infos qui vous sont distillées au compte goutte tout au long de votre aventure .
    L’ambiance est très bien rendue grâce au graphisme très joli et une bande son vraiment incroyable qui ce vie au casque de préférence pour une immersion totale et aussi pour profiter du son 3D qui aide pour ce sortir de situation compliqué car oui ce jeu est très exigeant et demandera bcp de persévérance pour espérer triompher du bestiaire varié et d’une inspiration lofcraft plutôt cool qui inspire autant de fascination que de la crainte. L’esquive fait partie intégrante du gameplay autant que les armes pour ce défendre et c’est sans compter sur la multitude d’objets disponibles pour nous aider mais qui très souvent oblige en permanence à jonglé avec du bonus et du malus très intéressant qui nécessite de réfléchir un petit peu pour ne pas faire n’importe quoi,car les mauvaises décisions ce paient cache et nous font recommencer l’aventure depuis le début avec des raccourcis bienvenus,mais ces boucles sont l’essence même du rogue-lite avec ces difficultés à surmonter petit à petit car oui ils faut mourir pour progresser. En conclusion cette un jeu très intéressant et il serait dommage de passer à côté a cause de certaines polémiques justifiées ou non, si vous découvrez ce style assez particulier je conseille de ce renseigner un petit peu pour bien savoir où vous mettez les pieds.    … Expand
  36. Noze
    May 8, 2021
    9
    Excellent Rogue-Lite/Shooter/Bullet-Hell. Housemark s'appuie sur sa maîtrise des jeux typés arcade pour nous proposer ici un jeu à la fois exigeant, agréable à prendre en main et offrant une magnifique sensation d'accomplissement. Techniquement solide, la direction artistique n'est pas en reste.
    Plein de choses le rendent accessible. Le jeu n'est pas si difficile.
  37. Jonathan_8Ochoa
    May 8, 2021
    8
    Me gusto bastante, el juego es muy divertido pero a la vez muy difícil si eres de los que les gustan los retos este juego es para ti
  38. SweetTea
    May 8, 2021
    9
    An absolutely brilliant entry into the rogue-like genre. HouseMarque's latest game is vibrant, addicting and downright unnerving. The game definitely has a learning curve, but the difficulty is completely manageable. The game play loop is punishing but rewarding. The story at times may be to subtle for mainstream audiences, but is a great accompaniment to an absolutely chilling atmosphereAn absolutely brilliant entry into the rogue-like genre. HouseMarque's latest game is vibrant, addicting and downright unnerving. The game definitely has a learning curve, but the difficulty is completely manageable. The game play loop is punishing but rewarding. The story at times may be to subtle for mainstream audiences, but is a great accompaniment to an absolutely chilling atmosphere created by the games setting and score. This game is outstanding and an absolute reason to own a PS5… Expand
  39. ksparrow1001
    May 8, 2021
    10
    Fantastic game. Amazing addictive gameplay and haptic feedback with controller. Intriguing story and cut scenes. Con being no ability to save so you have to leave the ps5 on or in safe mode to not lose a run.
  40. Vlado519
    May 8, 2021
    10
    Fantastic game! Been playing none stop. Going for plat! Would recommend this game to anyone. It is a bit hard at the start but when you get used to it, it gets easier.
  41. XiyoRevan
    May 9, 2021
    9
    It’s a good game and it’s a lot of fun. It would be nice to be able to save mid-play so you could play something else but that doesn’t mean it should be bombed by 0s for it.
  42. Rakimou
    May 9, 2021
    10
    This is one of the very few high budget games that is not a part of the long standing existing franchise or another formulaic AAA garbo produced by robots. Returnal feels like it was made by people who love video games. And on top of that, it's just a very well made game - it plays great, it looks great, it sounds great.

    The roguelite aspect of the game works best for the story. The    This is one of the very few high budget games that is not a part of the long standing existing franchise or another formulaic AAA garbo produced by robots. Returnal feels like it was made by people who love video games. And on top of that, it's just a very well made game - it plays great, it looks great, it sounds great.

    The roguelite aspect of the game works best for the story. The tight connection between gameplay loop and storytelling is very engaging and keeps you going forward.

    I've put 50 hours into the game, because I really wanted to see a certain part of the story, and also because the gameplay itself is so good, I just wanted to play more. But I also would be happy to stop at 25 hours, after finishing the main story.

    I've always been baffled when people try to assign a certain playtime per price value to a game, as if the playtime matters at all. Those 50 hours is the most fun I've had in a video game for quite some time.

    The game has also been a victim of unfortunate circumstances and questionable marketing. Last year two hugely successful and popular roguelite games were released: Risk of Rain 2 and Hades. And since Returnal was marketed as a roguelite, naturally, many people new to the genre assumed it has to play like Hades or RoR2. It doesn't. The "rogueliteness" of Returnal is mostly for the story, it doesn't do much for the gameplay. There's a bit of variance between runs and stuff to discover, but eventually, you'll be done with the game. So if you are looking for a standard roguelite experience, Returnal is not it.

    If you're looking for something fresh and good, have 70 bucks to spare and you don't measure your enjoyment of things in hours per dollar, Returnal is very much worth it.    … Expand
  43. Renryu
    May 9, 2021
    10
    Roguelikes aren't usually my thing but this one just clicked. The atmosphere and sound design are absolutely amazing, and while short-lived, the storyline is interesting and keeps you involved.
  44. alexruilli
    May 9, 2021
    9
    It's an awesome game, the PS5 feature well executed, the details, mystery story for a roguelike/lite is good! I have a lot of fun with this game. This not a roguelike/lite in the whole meaning and borrow a lot of this genre, it's a unique game, you can return and play over and over again but not like a roguelike you will end a run in 40+ minutes at least not at the beginning I think withIt's an awesome game, the PS5 feature well executed, the details, mystery story for a roguelike/lite is good! I have a lot of fun with this game. This not a roguelike/lite in the whole meaning and borrow a lot of this genre, it's a unique game, you can return and play over and over again but not like a roguelike you will end a run in 40+ minutes at least not at the beginning I think with some time and the learning curved past you will be able to complete in a very short time.

    Patch issue didn't affect my save but I can understand some people losing their progress and bad review for that.

    But the one with 0,1,2,3,4 because the game doesn't have a save-state or it's too difficult is just a lazy excuse. I have never complete a souls-like game because of the difficulty and I complete this game and beat every single boss the first time, so it's not that hard.

    Checkpoint is in Biome 4, even if you turn off the console or play other game you will start in biome 4 so don't cry too much people. gg    … Expand
  45. Burnam
    May 9, 2021
    9
    Jeux totalement addictif la difficulter n eat pas a prendre comme avec lea autres jeux car rentre dans le cadre du gameplay et de l histoire. Mourir dans avec ce jeux est une notion necessaire a mes yeux et ma permis de m ouvrir a une nouvelle facon de penser en jouant c eat agreable mais effectivement rigoureux . Les graphismes sont beaux et le cheminement de selene est rempli deJeux totalement addictif la difficulter n eat pas a prendre comme avec lea autres jeux car rentre dans le cadre du gameplay et de l histoire. Mourir dans avec ce jeux est une notion necessaire a mes yeux et ma permis de m ouvrir a une nouvelle facon de penser en jouant c eat agreable mais effectivement rigoureux . Les graphismes sont beaux et le cheminement de selene est rempli de suspense et les musiques nous mettent dans une ambiance enveloppante et sombre.une rejouabilitè bien presente augmente la duree de vie de façon signigicative seul bemole le prix de 80 euros qui pour ma part est un peu cher.… Expand
  46. hybridgenesis
    May 9, 2021
    10
    Great dark and terrifying story. Difficulty is at the extreme level in this game, but this is functional to the story. And viceversa the story justify the difficulty. This game in the true PS5 Next-gen experience. Good job housemarque. Unfortunately people giving low rating are casual gamer who should have not get this game.. Returnal is made per people who like a hard challenge.
  47. K-L-Y
    May 9, 2021
    10
    The best PS5 game to date. Had so much fun playing and definitely get it if you’re tempted by it!
  48. L-T-K
    May 9, 2021
    10
    The best PS5 game you can buy so far! Innovative and fun. I hope Sony acquires Housemarque after this!
  49. Vinnman21
    May 9, 2021
    10
    OMG this game its so amazing! A must-have for all PS5 owners! You should buy this game.
  50. MAT_ZAR
    May 10, 2021
    8
    For me Returnal os a challenge - certainly the most difficult production I've played on the premiere on PS5.Althought it annoys me a lot when die and i go to the next biome back,but there is something in it that incredibly draws you in and you want to continue playing.I give 8,beacuse I found numerous bugs,throught which the door to the next room się not open and i had to reset the cycle.
  51. GitGudLoser
    May 10, 2021
    10
    This game is an ABSOLUTE blast topped with a super interesting story and atmosphere, easily one of if not the best rogue-like I have ever played. If you've looked through the negative reviews you likely saw the rambles of some guy who didn't like the difficulty, TOUGH SH*T BUD! That's what makes the game so good! Its supposed to teach you how to get farther and farther by your own skill! IThis game is an ABSOLUTE blast topped with a super interesting story and atmosphere, easily one of if not the best rogue-like I have ever played. If you've looked through the negative reviews you likely saw the rambles of some guy who didn't like the difficulty, TOUGH SH*T BUD! That's what makes the game so good! Its supposed to teach you how to get farther and farther by your own skill! I can see what people are saying regarding the length of a run but that's what the shortcuts are for, even than I like the game so much as I don't even take those. All im tryna say is if you are willing to play a game that tests your skill through every step of the way with a dash of story than buy this game at full price, and support these developers and these types of games… Expand
  52. Silverbullet743
    May 10, 2021
    10
    Funny seeing all these reviews about how hard this game is ...reminds me of the good old days where you couldnt just check point your way to victory with unlimited continues and unlimited chances ...all you new school gamers quit crying and grow a pair ...Game is great looks great sounds great with a challenge that separates the strong from the week
  53. gonzalo_arg
    May 10, 2021
    9
    It’s definitely a solid 9. Why not 10? After beating the final boss game gets too repetitive and become much much easier. If you complain about difficulty, you really must s*ck in shooters, the game is very forgiving if you know what to do. And there are some weapons that are overpowered.
    The real question is, is it worth 70 us dollars/80 Euros? ...I can’t answer that question, it depends    It’s definitely a solid 9. Why not 10? After beating the final boss game gets too repetitive and become much much easier. If you complain about difficulty, you really must s*ck in shooters, the game is very forgiving if you know what to do. And there are some weapons that are overpowered.
    The real question is, is it worth 70 us dollars/80 Euros? ...I can’t answer that question, it depends on how much value you give to your time and money. There’s no doubt the game itself it’s worth playing.    … Expand
  54. Apollo1988
    May 10, 2021
    10
    Finally, we have a different game. The game. Play is fast and nice for the gamers
  55. Deornelas
    May 10, 2021
    10
    Ass you will read. Bad rating are gamers that have never ever played a Roguelike game. The game is not for casuals that just want to cheese the game and call it a day. This is not a Doom, you will never feel overpowered. You need to think before you act every single act, and as IN EVERY ROGUELIKE if you due, you start over. The game is kinda enough to give you a shorcut close enough toAss you will read. Bad rating are gamers that have never ever played a Roguelike game. The game is not for casuals that just want to cheese the game and call it a day. This is not a Doom, you will never feel overpowered. You need to think before you act every single act, and as IN EVERY ROGUELIKE if you due, you start over. The game is kinda enough to give you a shorcut close enough to send you to another biome/world if you already finish the first one. There is a lot of trial and error, which is also what the whole story is about. Amazing game, graphic and gameplay to be honest. This game is just being bombarded by people who loooves being spoonfeeding games.… Expand
  56. I--BEM--I
    Jun 8, 2021
    10
    Masterpiece! Music, Visual, Gameplay, Game design. 10/10
    Polish and challenging game with a superb gameplay and art design.
  57. Yasuke
    May 11, 2021
    9
    Not for everyone but if your a gamer who likes a challenge then this is the game and its just stupid fun n fast paste when you die you just go again lol
  58. Yeluna
    May 11, 2021
    10
    Just a wonderful game made by Housemarque. People complaining about difficulty or the fact you lose stuff or can't save just don't know what roguelikes are. If you don't like em', don't play em', but it's not fair to put bad reviews on this game for these reasons. You think you'd enjoy the game if everything was easy ? What's the point ? One bullet on each enemy and that's it ? No patternsJust a wonderful game made by Housemarque. People complaining about difficulty or the fact you lose stuff or can't save just don't know what roguelikes are. If you don't like em', don't play em', but it's not fair to put bad reviews on this game for these reasons. You think you'd enjoy the game if everything was easy ? What's the point ? One bullet on each enemy and that's it ? No patterns on bosses ? No challenge ? No interests on your choices of relics, parasits, or how you invest your money in game ? Please don't tell me you want that, be honest to yourself, changing difficulty only means destroying this game ! What about that feeling of accomplishment ? The fact of being proud of yourself when you finally kill that boss that killed you many times ? Yea you're gonna cry, but you're gonna have you hands shaking and you're gonna scream "Victory !" some day. Just keep going, play again and again, learn, be better, take the good decisions and trust me all those bosses are gonna fall one by one. Don't blame the game, don't blame the developers, don't blame the difficulty or god knows what. Housemarque did everything perfect, the story, the atmosphere, visuals and musics... This game is a blessing, it's a 10/10. Keep going, don't give up.… Expand
  59. ElectroKaos
    May 11, 2021
    9
    - Gameplay: The Dual Sense makes a great difference for this game, it feels fantastic, and it is highly responsive. I only found a couple of glitches on some rooms and had to restart the cycle. 9/10.
    - Graphics: Is incredible how good it looks, all textures and assets look great. No frame rate drops or any visual glitches 10/10.
    - Audio: All the audio effects feel great "in screen" and    - Gameplay: The Dual Sense makes a great difference for this game, it feels fantastic, and it is highly responsive. I only found a couple of glitches on some rooms and had to restart the cycle. 9/10.
    - Graphics: Is incredible how good it looks, all textures and assets look great. No frame rate drops or any visual glitches 10/10.
    - Audio: All the audio effects feel great "in screen" and with the controller, the atmosphere they produce, make you feel really immerse in each situation 10/10.
    - Story: It is a good thriller shrouded in mistery, it takes references from different sources and combines them really well. 10/10
    - Personal experience: It is a difficult game, but it takes really good advantage of the PS5 features, looks great and the atmosphere is intense, I just had a couple of bad experiences because there was a bug not allowing me to continue my journey, I had to restart the cycle, and this could ruin the mood, and prevent you from playing for a while. 9/10.

    Recommended!    … Expand
  60. Yakz
    May 11, 2021
    10
    Most harder game ever played, best game of the year so fast far. The game has a deep trama and amazing playability
  61. etHik2
    May 11, 2021
    10
    It’s rare to play to a game so innovating and beautiful in the image and sound. And I’m not a big fan of shooter normally.
    I hope there will be a next for this wonderful game
  62. rvurs_eli
    May 13, 2021
    8
    Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in theLorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.… Expand
  63. Ricky050884
    May 13, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I took it upon myself to create an account to review this game, because frankly, I’m exhausted and frustrated by the trend regarding new games launching with more then just a few glitches and bugs. Especially considering that this game costs 90$ new and still suffers (1 week after launch) from hard crashes. I wish I could give it top score, but for the sake of the gaming community, I’ll be as impartial and simple as I can. I’ll spoil as little as I can.
    PRO:
    - Graphics and atmosphere are gorgeous.
    - Combat is fluid and very responsive.
    - Enemies art work and movement is beautifully executed.
    - Biome structure is interesting to explore and a run for each Biome can take as little as 45min or up to 2+ hours depending on play style. - It’s a rougelike game, therefor dying and respawning are part of the game itself. It’s well executed given that with each death and new run, you’ll be presented with new fragments of the story.
    - the story is well crafted and good enough for most to find it intriguing and genuinely care for the main character.
    - the dual sense shines bright with tons of feedback. Be it from rain drops to the alternative fire mode. holding down the left trigger half way for aiming down the sight and full press for alt fire activation.
    - consumable items, resources and artifacts are various and each new run spawns them randomly scattered around the biomes. Making each run exiting and addictive.
    - the difficulty (1 standard difficulty) is more then manageable. Once you learn enemy behavior and attack patterns. You’ll be going Rambo style on them in no time. It’s by no means a souls style game difficulty. But don’t be fooled to think it’s easy either. It’s a well balanced difficulty for most. Perhaps easier for those who are more familiar with the shooter genre.
    - the 3d audio (headphones only) combined with the dual sense feedback make it a smile inducing experience. Hearing and feeling a enemy breaching the ground right next to you and you reacting immediately with a light saber melee attack not only feels badass, but is also extremely satisfying.
    - the game has some mild save features. Either(resource), equipment such as (sword, grappling hook,etc.), weapon alt fire mod and some other few things are kept upon death and transition to subsequent runs. Consumable, artifacts and main currency does not. There is also one hard save when you beat biome 3. So each subsequent run afterwards will start you in biome 4 upon death.

    Cons:
    - despite the latest update that supposedly fixed unresponsive doors and bugged alternative suits. Hard crashes are still happening. And by hard crashes I mean complete a app shutdown.
    - no midway save option! Many have voiced,who are well within their right as a consumer, that paid full price for a defective product, that a save option should be made available for those who wish to use it. Instead we get instructions to use a console feature(rest mode) in order to suspend the game for later use. Problem is our should I say are: - if the game crashes: you’ll lose your run.
    - if you receive an update while the console is in rest mode: you’ll lose your run.
    - if there’s a power outage where you live: you’ll lose your run.
    - if you feel like playing something else after a 2 hour session: nope, you can’t do it because...you’ll lose your run. I had to manually close a run on multiple occasions because I simply don’t have the time to play for 2-4 straight to reach biome 4 for a the only hard save. Nor do I feel compelled that a game developer dictates on how I should use my hardware. I’m aware that the lack of save option is to deter cheating in form of save backups. But considering that it’s a single player experience, I can’t grasp the stubborn decision to withhold that option from those who payed full price day one and therefor support the developers. Not everyone has unlimited time for gaming. Wether it’s work, family or trivial things. The fact that other rouge type games feature some sort of a save option leaves me baffled and disappointed as to why developers or whoever, choose not to include it.

    Resume: I can’t praise the developers enough, given that I played and throughly enjoyed previous games from them. Returnal is a huge leap for them and a fresh and exciting experience for us. But the fact remains that the game should had not been launched yet and still needed some fine tuning. And the lack of a normal feature (save option) is beyond my understanding and really leaves a bad taste. I wish I could recommend it to others. But as it stands right now. Don’t spend your hard earned money on a defective product that doesn’t allow you to control when and how long you should play    … Expand
  64. Megap0waz
    May 14, 2021
    10
    This is an amazing game. Bravo Housemarque!! Thank you to sony for giving small studios the opportunity to express themselves.
  65. Arnoldex24
    May 14, 2021
    10
    Returnal. Awesome game. yes It is hard but very Fun! First time I played this kind of games, rougelike. once you develop the character like a freaking Rambo to war; The way becomes easy guys. Graphics and Show lights A complete 10 out of 10.
    For those complaining about no saving system! Sorry u all are not gamers.
    Thanks and warms regards
  66. m7maloney
    May 14, 2021
    10
    Amazing game. Might be a bit buggy now but that will get fixed. Deep, thoughtful story and fun gameplay.
  67. Jedisharp
    May 15, 2021
    10
    41 deaths; 73hours; what a FABULOUS experience...The gunplay, the mystery, the enemies, the challenge rooms, the artefacts, the different environments, the graphics, the bosses, the sounds (especially when you wear a 3D headset), the way the controller actually enhances the gameplay, the same feelings of ‘duh’ when you screw up like you did in Demon Souls or Dark Souls and the feelings of41 deaths; 73hours; what a FABULOUS experience...The gunplay, the mystery, the enemies, the challenge rooms, the artefacts, the different environments, the graphics, the bosses, the sounds (especially when you wear a 3D headset), the way the controller actually enhances the gameplay, the same feelings of ‘duh’ when you screw up like you did in Demon Souls or Dark Souls and the feelings of exhilaration when you blast through an entire biome and come out stronger at the end with a gun you love...IF you love the challenges of rogue like games this is a must buy...enjoy it...’you must go on’ … Expand
  68. Stevets
    May 15, 2021
    10
    This game isn't for everyone. It's punishing, and even after getting good at it I will have runs that end in the first room if I don't give it my full attention. Even trying hard I can die a few rooms in if I have bad luck and don't get the right items and weapons for my play style. That's just how rougelikes go. But it's gameplay is just so perfect I'm not bothered. I'm excited to hopThis game isn't for everyone. It's punishing, and even after getting good at it I will have runs that end in the first room if I don't give it my full attention. Even trying hard I can die a few rooms in if I have bad luck and don't get the right items and weapons for my play style. That's just how rougelikes go. But it's gameplay is just so perfect I'm not bothered. I'm excited to hop back in and go again. From movement to shooting to the feeling of discovery when you unlock a new weapon trait, this game just tickles me the right way. Some people will find it frustrating and give up, but its one of my favorite games ever.… Expand
  69. Bignotsmall
    May 15, 2021
    10
    It’s difficult , you can’t save mid run. I already knew all of that going in. It’s $70. I’d buy it again if I had to.
  70. ichigokiller47
    May 15, 2021
    4
    This game had a potential to be really good, however the balance and pacing issues with it drag down any redeeming quality it could have. There are a lot of people out there who like rogue-like games, whether its Dead Cells or Lost Castle; that being said this game suffers the same problem those games do. After the first several hours of playing it your having fun. But when you get to aThis game had a potential to be really good, however the balance and pacing issues with it drag down any redeeming quality it could have. There are a lot of people out there who like rogue-like games, whether its Dead Cells or Lost Castle; that being said this game suffers the same problem those games do. After the first several hours of playing it your having fun. But when you get to a certain part in the game where you just can't get past even after taking hours and hours before fighting a boss to progress is only met with failure and no do-over's makes it really lose its appeal for fun. That being said, the story and the atmosphere and gameplay and level design are all really well done not to mention the visual's. All the other parts of the game are amazing. I have played games like Sekiro, all the Darks souls games, Devil May Cry all of them hardest difficulty as well as Ninja Gaiden Black on hard, the original God of War on the hardest difficulty. I couldn't even get through the 2nd boss fight of this game. Due to the fact I got tired of restarting from the beginning. There are buffs and even an extra life you can get as well as healing items. But when a boss can basically 2-shot you it makes all the hard work you did before mean nothing I don't really see myself wanting to continue that loop. So in closing I will say this. This game has a very steep curve for difficulty, and unless you are extremely patient with restarting over and over again and have a very high skill level and you like rogue-like games, then this game is for you. If not don't buy it, rent it or wait till it comes down in price or the developers add a mode for people who don't prefer the rogue-like element. Like I said the story and game design and gameplay are all incredible. The rogue-like element is just not for me.… Expand
  71. MattyV
    May 15, 2021
    9
    I love this game, the story is pretty good, but where this game shines is the graphics and mechanics. It utilizes the controllers haptic feedback triggers to such a great ability, the controllers vibration function picks up when it’s raining it’s really something else to experience. I loved going from each biome. The game surprised me and had me wanting to come back for more each time. TheI love this game, the story is pretty good, but where this game shines is the graphics and mechanics. It utilizes the controllers haptic feedback triggers to such a great ability, the controllers vibration function picks up when it’s raining it’s really something else to experience. I loved going from each biome. The game surprised me and had me wanting to come back for more each time. The bosses were challenging but not overly difficult. I love the weapon choices and the depth of each weapon themselves, from the perks you gain earning weapon proficiency to the slight differences in some modes of the same type of gun. There are so many play styles it was fun to do different things on different runs. Test out tactics see what works and doesn’t. You can tell this game was made with love. I didn’t find a lack of saving an issue, when you get to a boss it creates a “short cut” on any subsequent runs, just head to the red door. I beat the game including act 3 in about 37 hours of game play. I’m mot the best but I had beaten act 2 in under 50 deaths, it’s all about pattern recognition. The game is fantastic. The only thing holding me back from giving it a 10 is some performance issues, I had some frame rate drops, a corrupted save file and 2 trophy glitches, one of them would require me to delete my entire save file and beat the game over. (Hoping they patch that). Yes this game is hard, but that’s the point.… Expand
  72. arian_0902
    May 17, 2021
    10
    this is one of the best rouge like in the world and best game in 2021 so iys goty for me!
  73. Altriious
    May 16, 2021
    3
    WARNING: Wait until there are more updates. The game is fun as hell but there are not auto save or check point features. I get that this is a decisive issue and I understand this is the creators intent etc. But, the game crashes a considerable amount. When it crashes, back to the beginning you go. It's vomit inducing to have you God run absolutely destroyed by the game crashing andWARNING: Wait until there are more updates. The game is fun as hell but there are not auto save or check point features. I get that this is a decisive issue and I understand this is the creators intent etc. But, the game crashes a considerable amount. When it crashes, back to the beginning you go. It's vomit inducing to have you God run absolutely destroyed by the game crashing and everything being completely out of your control. Wait until these problems are fixed and don't waste your time/money taking the risk like I did. I want to play the game but all I can do at the moment is sit and seethe while completely helpless as multiple hours of my weekend were just wasted and I was spit on.… Expand
  74. Venoht
    May 16, 2021
    9
    To give some perspective, I didn't play Hades, but many shoot'em ups, and rogue lite games.
    I don't give 10/10 to Returnal because I just want more of it. More areas, more weapons.
    Returnal is one of a kind in this industry. It brilliantly mixes up a 3rd person, SHMUP and rogue like. I really liked that they build a story about the very principle of a rogue like game. Quite a full of    To give some perspective, I didn't play Hades, but many shoot'em ups, and rogue lite games.
    I don't give 10/10 to Returnal because I just want more of it. More areas, more weapons.

    Returnal is one of a kind in this industry. It brilliantly mixes up a 3rd person, SHMUP and rogue like.
    I really liked that they build a story about the very principle of a rogue like game. Quite a full of mistery though, especially with this gloomy ambiance all along the way.

    Gameplay-wise it's 10/10, it's deep, demanding and really fun, once you get the mechanics, it's pure joy.

    You're having a bad run ? RNGesus betrayed you, but you don't care, because you'll want to make the best of it, and that's what this game is about.

    You want checkpoints, saves etc ? Then sorry, but you don't get the idea.    … Expand
  75. Givman
    May 16, 2021
    10
    Very good. I have opened both endings and will wait some DLC. Glad to have PS5
  76. Leporello
    May 16, 2021
    9
    Sorprendente e innovador concepto de roguelike. Mundo inmersivo. Gran calidad técnica. Aprovecha muy bien los nuevos recursos de la PS5.
  77. BadNewsBaldock8
    May 16, 2021
    10
    Wow some jealous xbox fanboys trying to drag this score down?
    How could any normal gamer score this any lower than an 8.
    Amazing game with so much replay value
  78. Bodipo86
    May 17, 2021
    9
    Me parece un juego de sobresaliente. Creo que es de admirar la propuesta arriesgada de hacer un Rogue like de esa magnitud y con esa complejidad. Es de valorar también la narrativa tipo souls ya que hace más inmersiva la experiencia. Tiene un gun play exquisito y una jugabilidad bastante adictiva. Gráficamente me parece un juego muy vistoso aunque lejos de lo que puede llegar a ser laMe parece un juego de sobresaliente. Creo que es de admirar la propuesta arriesgada de hacer un Rogue like de esa magnitud y con esa complejidad. Es de valorar también la narrativa tipo souls ya que hace más inmersiva la experiencia. Tiene un gun play exquisito y una jugabilidad bastante adictiva. Gráficamente me parece un juego muy vistoso aunque lejos de lo que puede llegar a ser la nueva generación. Por último decir que el rendimiento es muy bueno sin caídas de frames ni Bugs molestos. En definitiva un juego distinto de una muy buena ejecución.… Expand
  79. Me2man
    May 17, 2021
    10
    Absolutely beautiful game. The game is hard in the first couple of hours, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes really satisfying and fun. Very solid gameplay, and especially the atmosphere in this game is exceptional.
  80. T_K_L
    May 17, 2021
    10
    10/10! very fun game and very unique. Was definitely worth $70 in my opinion.
  81. Fling00
    May 18, 2021
    10
    After getting used to the mechanics and the items and guns, this game turned out to be the best video game I have played in the last decade aside from Zelda botw. I am horrible at games so I thought that I would be returning it after a week but I kept at it and beat all 3 acts in 48 hours and since the game is so addicting I went for the platinum trophy and it took 98 hours in total toAfter getting used to the mechanics and the items and guns, this game turned out to be the best video game I have played in the last decade aside from Zelda botw. I am horrible at games so I thought that I would be returning it after a week but I kept at it and beat all 3 acts in 48 hours and since the game is so addicting I went for the platinum trophy and it took 98 hours in total to achieve it. I still go back and play it to use different guns that I avoided during my previous play throughs and the game gets better every time. If you have a ps5 then this is a must own. It’s by far the best next gen game so far. I can’t wait to see what housemarque does next and I hope it’s a sequel to returnal along with some dlc to add another biome or 2.… Expand
  82. Ps5-reviews
    May 22, 2021
    9
    This game is one of the most beautiful and next gen game ever made for a young consoles like ps5. Is another great exclusive for the japanese company the gameplay is beautiful but really hard. The thing that made really well this game is the cycle.You dye and selene becomes more and more crazy because he wanna escape the planet...and you become more triggered because you wanna finish theThis game is one of the most beautiful and next gen game ever made for a young consoles like ps5. Is another great exclusive for the japanese company the gameplay is beautiful but really hard. The thing that made really well this game is the cycle.You dye and selene becomes more and more crazy because he wanna escape the planet...and you become more triggered because you wanna finish the game,so you fell in the cycle to.The plot is one of the most unsudnelly well developed and misterius of the story of videogame.The game didn't tell anithing to you from the start to finish,you have to discover the truth and the game gives you only some clues to compose the story.I found the gameplay really funny and the bosses are perfect.I dont understand why the aliens spawns randomly some times and the game sometimes bugs and the cycle restarts.And this is unexeptable because you have to restart everything from the beginning for one stupid bug.For the rest this game is really well.
    FINAL RATING:9/10 "Another great playstation 5 exclusive"    … Expand
  83. Spacemonkey85
    May 19, 2021
    9
    Since I became a dad 7 months ago I became a very typical casual gamer with less and less time. With that said I had concerns about the difficulty and effort I have to put into the game to complete it. After 3 hours I entered the 3rd biom (here it starts to become really difficult). After 15 hours I finished my first playthrough.

    This game is amazing! I can’t wait to start my second    Since I became a dad 7 months ago I became a very typical casual gamer with less and less time. With that said I had concerns about the difficulty and effort I have to put into the game to complete it. After 3 hours I entered the 3rd biom (here it starts to become really difficult). After 15 hours I finished my first playthrough.

    This game is amazing! I can’t wait to start my second playthroug. If you don’t mind a little challenge you have to dive into Returnal!i    … Expand
  84. phatwiener
    May 19, 2021
    1
    Game was good. Had an interesting story I was interested in following. It felt good to play and the vibes were pretty good. That was until I'm mid-battle in of of those rooms where the aliens try and eat your ass like its Friday night at Ram Ranch and my ears started BLEEDING and the game CRASHED. I thought, man, that must be a one time gig. I"ll keep giving it a shot, y'know, the gameGame was good. Had an interesting story I was interested in following. It felt good to play and the vibes were pretty good. That was until I'm mid-battle in of of those rooms where the aliens try and eat your ass like its Friday night at Ram Ranch and my ears started BLEEDING and the game CRASHED. I thought, man, that must be a one time gig. I"ll keep giving it a shot, y'know, the game just tried to snatch my soul from my body through my headset, but I'm invested. NO. As soon as you start seeing all those **** BALLS and the damn shooty **** red green neon **** on your screen, you better turn off the whole ps5 and burn it because as soon as that bass starts dropping there's no RETURNAL-ing. No. I'm not sorry for that joke because this game isn't sorry for causing the three generations beyond me to hear what I just heard echoing through time and space. FIX YOUR GAME, PLAYSTATION.… Expand
  85. frederickrandal
    May 20, 2021
    3
    I really wanted to like this game, the graphics and the gameplay are sound enough. The rebirth mechanic and dark overtones look promising when first starting and playing the game. While I've beat hard games, such as Punch-Out, section z and dark souls, also playing first person shooters on their hardest mode to get the Platinum. But this game leaves no room for saves or anybody who's aI really wanted to like this game, the graphics and the gameplay are sound enough. The rebirth mechanic and dark overtones look promising when first starting and playing the game. While I've beat hard games, such as Punch-Out, section z and dark souls, also playing first person shooters on their hardest mode to get the Platinum. But this game leaves no room for saves or anybody who's a casual player. I work, I've got chores I'm a father, if eternal would update with a save mode or way too shorten their runs or adjust the difficulty my rating would be much higher. For a $70 price tag this game should appeal to a much wider audience.… Expand
  86. Byewig
    May 20, 2021
    6
    Honestly, this game is *fine*. The controls are responsive, and it uses the dualsense really well, and the scope and graphics are lovely. But it almost feels like it doesn’t want you to play it. The lack of any sort of save and return feature is truly baffling and seems to serve no purpose beyond making the game less accessible. The balance of risk and reward are intolerablyHonestly, this game is *fine*. The controls are responsive, and it uses the dualsense really well, and the scope and graphics are lovely. But it almost feels like it doesn’t want you to play it. The lack of any sort of save and return feature is truly baffling and seems to serve no purpose beyond making the game less accessible. The balance of risk and reward are intolerably skewed—there’s essentially no justification for taking on any malfunctions or parasites. I’m not *mad* I bought this game, but I am kicking myself for buying it at full price.… Expand
  87. TheLastEngineer
    May 21, 2021
    9
    Very good Rogue-Lite.

    - The atmosphere is captivating. - Sound is amazing. - Addictive game. I want to play it every day. - A challenging game, even too much in some cases. Sometimes mini bosses don't reward enough. - Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, , ... you will be better and the gameplay will become a second nature. - Review the balance of certain weapons. - Sometimes you feel like you    Very good Rogue-Lite.

    - The atmosphere is captivating.
    - Sound is amazing.
    - Addictive game. I want to play it every day.
    - A challenging game, even too much in some cases. Sometimes mini bosses don't reward enough.
    - Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, , ... you will be better and the gameplay will become a second nature.
    - Review the balance of certain weapons.
    - Sometimes you feel like you haven't learned anything.
    - Auto save ? Where is it ?    … Expand
  88. dave55man
    May 21, 2021
    3
    Returnal is a super aggravating rougelike with great combat and an interesting story. But the lack of any save feature makes the game almost unplayable. Updates, restarts, powerless, pretty much anything will cause you to loose all your progress and be reset back to the beginning. I would not recommend this game at all until they address this issue. On top of that the game isReturnal is a super aggravating rougelike with great combat and an interesting story. But the lack of any save feature makes the game almost unplayable. Updates, restarts, powerless, pretty much anything will cause you to loose all your progress and be reset back to the beginning. I would not recommend this game at all until they address this issue. On top of that the game is incredibly hard and unforgiving so when you do loose your good run you end up having to spend a ton of time just prepping for the next zone.… Expand
  89. Carnifex93
    May 24, 2021
    8
    Returnal è un gioco che sicuramente può appagare gli appassionati del genere, riuscendo ad avere un gameplay interessante ed una buona resa grafica. È sicuramente complesso, ma non tanto quanto lo ha dipinto la gente. Spero che Housemarque stia già valutando qualche espansione, perché sicuramente meriterebbe di essere esplorato maggiormente.

    Pro: - Gameplay appagante - Boss fights    Returnal è un gioco che sicuramente può appagare gli appassionati del genere, riuscendo ad avere un gameplay interessante ed una buona resa grafica. È sicuramente complesso, ma non tanto quanto lo ha dipinto la gente. Spero che Housemarque stia già valutando qualche espansione, perché sicuramente meriterebbe di essere esplorato maggiormente.

    Pro:
    - Gameplay appagante
    - Boss fights avvincenti
    - Ottima integrazione con il Dualsense
    - Framerate perfetto anche in scenari carichi di particellari ed effetti

    Contro:
    - Poca varietà di scenari, armi e potenziamenti
    - Troppo poco longevo per un roguelike (completato al 100% in 30 ore)    … Expand
  90. Supermanatemydo
    Jul 7, 2021
    9
    A tremendous game which tests you from start to finish. Every death is a lesson, and you get better each time you die until you start to feel invincible. The world's are beautiful, it looks stunning on the PS5. The next gen haptics are fantastic, and 3D is basically essential to success. Don't sleep on this, and don't give up either!
  91. filosofiagaming
    May 25, 2021
    10
    Me encanto el mejor juego que e jugado en toda mi vida después de the last of us 2 que puedo decir es una obra maestra no es compara con la mierda de resident evil 8 solo tengo una queja por favor no sexualisen a los personajes
  92. MoreBiscuits
    May 27, 2021
    10
    This game put me totally out of my comfort zone. Yet after hours of playing and finally championing the story and each zone I can easily say it’s the most unique gaming experience I’ve had in a long time. Intriguing story, brutal but fair combat, an incredible choice of weaponry and ridiculously addictive gameplay. A must play for any PS5 owner.
  93. arcboy
    Jan 13, 2022
    10
    Seems like everyone thats writing bad reviews needs to git gud. Beat the first boss on 2nd try

    A lot of people these days seem to like to play games that hold your hand through the entire game. But seriously, I was almost scared away by some of the bad reviews but I reminded myself I’ve read similar reviews hating on souls games too so I gave returnal a shot and I’m glad I did. Awesome    Seems like everyone thats writing bad reviews needs to git gud. Beat the first boss on 2nd try

    A lot of people these days seem to like to play games that hold your hand through the entire game.

    But seriously, I was almost scared away by some of the bad reviews but I reminded myself I’ve read similar reviews hating on souls games too so I gave returnal a shot and I’m glad I did.

    Awesome graphics, fast and responsive controls and gameplay, fun exploration, and when you get past a certain area or boss or unlock a permanent upgrade it’s a great feeling. The use of the adaptive triggers and vibrations in the ps5 controller, while may sound gimmicky on paper, but truly feels awesome and next gen when you play it.

    I like the way they use the story to explain why you keep dying and coming back in the same spot, and the way you find out more about the story is cool.

    I can see why there would have been complaints about the save feature because the runs can get very long, but they have obviously listened and have added this feature and it’s great to see devs that listen to the reviews and community. Also I havnt experienced any bugs or crashes in my hours of gameplay.

    Overall, if you don’t like easy games or if you’re expecting this to be like halo or something then you’re going to be disappointed. If you want a fast paced, shooter rogue-like with sick graphics with a lot of difficulty, you’ll love this game    … Expand
  94. Why22
    May 28, 2021
    8
    There's alot of intrigue to this rouge like the keeps building up from run to run . The game plays well enough and the game has a nice difficulty as it stands but there's one problem here and that is luck . There's a pretty big luck component to returnal some runs you get good stuff and others you get bad and this can screw up a run but that's really my only gripe with the game it's good
  95. SeixasV
    May 28, 2021
    9
    Great game! Fantastic gameplay, and a great narrative, the history could be more objective and give to the player more details of what is really happening. But this is ok compared to what is this game! To the ps5 owners, It's a must-buy!
  96. NemesisGaymes
    May 28, 2021
    8
    Great game, 8/10. Its can be really difficult and frustrating but just as rewarding and addictive.
  97. Cyellit
    May 29, 2021
    9
    You're probably gonna start off feeling that it's too difficult but if you give it a little time to learn the systems you'll see this game is an amazing experience. It's special
  98. DanEvilTwin
    May 30, 2021
    9
    Amazing game, but one point down due to missing save possibility and occasional crashes.
  99. AndyOfNZ
    May 30, 2021
    10
    It's been many years since I've rated a game so highly. The challenge, the music, the story, 3d sound, haptic feedback, the sense of achievement when completing each milestone... It's all just perfect. Just over 50 hours and the credits have just rolled for me, yet I feel there is so much more to achieve in this game. I can't wait to have another run!
  100. Thecashcowz
    May 30, 2021
    10
    Best game I’ve ever played . Stays with you long after you’ve finished . It’s very difficult in parts for a casual gamer but that makes the wins all the sweeter . Definitely worth getting !
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Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2021
1
#1 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 115 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 107 out of 115
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 115
  3. Negative: 0 out of 115
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 15, 2022
    100
    A perfect example of the performance of the PS5 and all its functions. Great gameplay and the music catches and won't let go until you get to the bottom of it all. But in the end, the final may surprise you unpleasantly.
  2. CD-Action
    Dec 7, 2021
    85
    An unobvious reinforcement of PlayStation’s range of exclusives. You can love Returnal, you can hate it, the feelings can even be simultaneous. Even though it’s tough love, there’s something about this game that makes you scream into a pillow and then try again. And again. And again. [07/2021, p.44]
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Sep 3, 2021
    83
    Returnal has everything you’d expect from an exclusive that comes early in a console’s life-cycle. It shows off everything PS5 has to offer, while delivering a solid roguelike experience. [Issue#254, p.54]
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