Returnal is a frustratingly addictive game that is a must play for any gamer in 2021, if not for the thrilling combat then for the deep philosophical story. The journey may not be the longest but it is by far one of the most enjoyable and profound ones you’ll make in a long time. With so many different variables in mind I've tried to compile a few of the most notable features that really help show what makes this game so enjoyable.

Who needs Retinas anyway?

The graphics really help show the generational gap between consoles and solidify the fact that we’re entering a new age of gaming with Ray Tracing and 4K being the most common buzzwords you’ll hear. Sadly this title can run as low as 1080p but throughout my play through I never noticed a dip in resolution and it kept at a steady 60fps almost all the time which isn’t a surprise as it should be considered an industry standard now as we enter this new console generation.

Have you ever wondered what the visualisation of a stroke would look like? Well now you don’t have to, the bullet hell elements mixed with the particle effects cram the screen with so much vibrance and colour I’m surprised my retinas weren’t burnt out by the time I saw the credits roll. It is one of the prettiest games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing through and I truly hope that we see more from the team behind Returnal in the future.

PS5 controller go brrrrrr

Sony’s new duelsense controllers offer adaptive feedback and triggers which this game utilises beautifully, feeling the raindrops land on the controller really helps to immerse the player and by letting them experience their surroundings. Having an alternate firing mode set on the same adaptive trigger is an ingenious concept on paper but can be a little irritating to get the hang of initially, that being said after about 10 hours I had fully warmed up to the idea and hope to see more games follow in Returnals footstep and make use of Sony’s new hardware.

AAA Rogue like 3rd person sci-fi bullet hell, phew that was a mouthful

Returnal marks an important leap for the Rogue-like genre, showing off what that genre can really offer, throughout my playthrough I was hooked on making my runs last as long as possible with every hour passing, feeling myself become more and more powerful just to lose it on a boss reminded me a lot of why I love challenging games. I wouldn’t say that this game is hard but it definitely has a challenging difficulty curve for beginners but once you set aside your preconceived notions of how a video game should be played and listen to the message Returnal is trying to teach you’ll have a much easier time.

In a sense Returnal is very reminiscent of the Arcade genre, to me this really offers the same sort of challenge that we’re all familiar with from the early days of gaming. Most of us have that nostalgia for challenging games that once you die you go back to the title screen, only to start all over again and Returnals Rogue-like mechanics really remind me of simpler days but jacked up as a blockbuster sci-fi film.

Story time

The story in Returnal is a deeply philosophical and thought provoking journey that will leave you with more questions than you can shake a stick at, it can feel a little convoluted but I think that’s for the better as they clearly wanted it to be as ambiguous as possible leaving it fairly open to interpretation. This game had me laying in bed at night trying to piece together this intricate tapestry of loose threads to try and weave together a sensible explanation to no avail. I hope that one day we do get a definitive explanation but until that day comes we’ll be left scratching our heads even after those credits have rolled.

Look ma’ Aliens

The enemy design in this game is on another level, there is definitely a running theme of H. P. Lovecraft inspired tentacle creatures that still amaze me even after completing the game. The larger enemies carry a very intimidating presence that is really unlike anything I’ve witnessed or felt from a game before. There are sentient life forms on Atrapos that offer an incredibly interesting insight on war and humanity's senseless violence that is depicted to be the natural course of events for any growing civilisations. However I can’t discuss this in too much depth to avoid spoilers so you’ll just have to find out for yourself.

The bullet spray from the various enemies really captivates your full attention as you bob and weave for survival, nothing feels more alien than being attacked by luminous orbs of light but this really helps add to the overall expression of feeling abandoned on an alien planet, isolated with little to no hope surrounded by nothing that should be considered comprehensible to you.