Returnal (PS5) | PC 2023 - Third-Person Rougelike Bullet Hell - April 30, 2021

[6souls]

Developed by Housemarque Games (Stormdivers/Resogun)

Returnal transforms roguelike gameplay into a third-person shooter where players fight to survive a hostile planet that changes with every death. Players can switch instinctively between firing modes by using a single adaptive trigger and can get right back into the action after dying. PS5’s immersive 3D audio brings the alien world to life around the player, helping players navigate the intense positional combat.

https://housemarque.com/

[6souls]

[6souls]

Hi everyone! I hope you’re enjoying the recent videos we’ve shared about Returnal. With this latest update we wanted to share some more details about the gameplay, which we know you’ve all been looking forward to.

With Returnal we’ve aimed to blend a unique mix of game styles. It combines our trademark explosive arcade action, responsive controls and bullet hell gameplay, and this time it’s all presented in third-person. There will be fast and frenetic combat and intense gunplay, and also some rich exploration and traversal as you explore the procedurally generated environments of Atropos. We’ve created Returnal to be a challenging and rewarding experience, with enough variety and depth to keep you always coming back for “one more go”.

From lightning to tentacles

Selene will have many weapons and devices at her disposal to survive on the hostile alien planet Atropos. Some she’s brought with her – others she’s found and made her own. The above video shows some of the various abilities you’ll find while playing Returnal which we’ll dive into below.

The game features a number of base weapons that are augmented as you play. For example, the living Spitmaw Blaster weapon starts as a shotgun archetype you all know and love. As you progress, you’ll unlock and add on various Weapon Traits, each providing a unique gameplay modifier to the base weapon’s behavior. These Weapon Traits are custom tailored for each gun type – so your Spitmaw Blaster might gain exploding shells or generate acid pools upon impact; while the Electropylon Driver might extract extra loot from enemies, or generate shields for the player. These Weapon Traits will also stack, so the combined effects can lead to many surprising results that can have unique advantages and playstyles to explore.

Each weapon will also have an alt-fire mode randomly assigned to it from our diverse pool, ranging from the electrical impulses of the Shockstream to the tentacles of the Tendrilpod, and everything in between.

These can be used without ever taking your finger off the trigger using the default control scheme: with the adaptive trigger on the DualSense controller, just press L2 halfway to aim down the sights and use the main fire of your weapon, and squeeze it all the way down to enter your alt-fire mode.

With 10 base weapons, more than 90 Weapon Traits (each with three levels)and 10 alt-fires, there are numerous weapon combinations to test out on your journey.

While new weapon drops are frequent, Selene can only hold one weapon at a time, so your choice is important. Different challenges and enemies will also require different strategies to overcome, so you’ll need to be constantly adapting, experimenting with different weapons, and developing your skills to survive on the hostile planet of Atropos.

Making progress

For Selene, death is no escape. Each death sends Selene to the start of the time loop, just moments before crashing on the planet. Most abilities and items collected on the previous cycle will be lost…but not all of them. Some persist across sessions, so you’ll still make progress every cycle.

One of these persisting elements is the mysterious Cthonos, an alien device that generates a random item at the beginning of each cycle. This otherworldly device is tracking your performance, and when enough progress is accumulated you will be rewarded with a brand new item for immediate use, which will also be permanently added to the pool of available loot from that point on as well.

The items you earn or discover as you explore the planet Atropos will change the way you play and offer a wide array of effects and strategic options for Selene. They can be offensive Tools like the Dismantler, a smartbomb-style explosion which annihilates all enemies around you; defensive consumables like the Kinetic Siphon, which restores Health through melee kills; or more strategic Artifacts that give Selene some unique advantages under certain conditions.

Risk and reward

There’s plenty of loot to be found on Atropos, but be wary that not all that glitters is gold. Some items, called Parasites, have both positive and negative effects. You’ll need to think twice before picking up a Parasite that, for example, regenerates you while at low health but also causes enemies to leave behind a pool of acid on death.

Collecting Parasites will often feel like a risky decision, but there are multiple other scenarios that can help shift the odds in your favour, like for example carrying an Artifact that can increase your max health for every Parasite you’ve attached.

There are many other cases where risk and reward will come into play, which can all drastically alter how each cycle plays out. You might encounter a “cursed” container that can be holding valuable loot, but opening it might trigger a random Suit Malfunction which, for example, can damage Selene every time she uses door and chest opening Keys, and can only be repaired by collecting a large number of obolites. Obolites can be exchanged for valuable items to increase your chances of survival, but if you’re on a good run you might prefer to spend them on activating a checkpoint – die and you’ll resurrect there with your current items and abilities, rather than restarting the cycle.

These are just a few quick examples of the many interesting scenarios and tough decisions you will be facing. Returnal will be available starting March 19. Stay tuned as we bring you mode details in the upcoming weeks.

Harry Krueger - Creative Director, Housemarque

https://blog.playstation.com/2021/01...d-risky-buffs/

[6souls]

https://twitter.com/PlayStation/stat...06469116346372

[6souls]

[6souls]

We here at Housemarque are in the midst of finalizing our latest and greatest project to date, Returnal, and the time for unleashing the tentacles will soon be here!

We are so excited to have the privilege of Returnal featuring in a State of Play, getting to really dive deeper into the game, and taking in some intricate details.

Returnal’s gameplay is a relentless and fast paced shooter in the beginning. We’ve taken a lot of inspiration from the different genres (roguelikes and other likes) and created something really special that offers a unique challenge with a strong focus on the tight gameplay we’re known for.

As a fresher component to a Housemarque game, the State of Play also touches upon the ways we create a tangible atmosphere, where you’ll piece together the story’s mysteries. We recently shared a bit more about the world of Returnal in our “Atropos” video (check it out here if you missed it). Narrative is a big part of the Returnal experience, though we’re telling that story in some subtle ways: You’ll encounter voice logs and glimpses of different realities on your journey, without distracting you from the bullet hell action of the main game. This all adds up to a layered and personal story that we can’t wait to have you get stuck into – especially the playable sequences which you’ll learn more about very soon...

Hope you enjoy the show and look forward to more info as we get closer to the launch!

Mikael Haveri - Housemarque

https://blog.playstation.com/2021/02...rnal-gameplay/

[Byrd]

That looks a lot like the P.T. hallway at the very end of that trailer, doesn't it? I can't imagine it is, but wouldn't that be one hell of a mind-bender?

[6souls]

[6souls]

[6souls]

https://twitter.com/ranger_rapid/sta...639304196?s=20
https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/...turnal-review/

[6souls]

[Odesseiron]

Game is sold out most places. You could always go digital, but personally I like having the option of both. I'll more than likely end up picking this up due to my love for rogue likes.

[silverdragontyr]

Yeah. Had to go to three stores to find my copy.

[Nitsuki]

Third person bullet hell, count me the fuck in, already bought it at best buy, picking it up after work!

[AoE]

Think I'll wait on a price drop for this one.

[Uzor]

I feel like I’m bad at these games, I’ve died 14 times so far and have yet to beat the first boss.

I can get TO the boss just fine now, but then it kills me I need to learn the pattern better

[Cyn]

That's pretty much the point of roguelikes though. Generally they're pretty short, and you're expected to die a lot until you get good enough to beat it all in 1 go.

[Celeras]

Yeah. Had to go to three stores to find my copy.

Couldn't believe it. I just did Amazon since I'm playing NieR right now anyway. I probably accidentally sassed the local Gamestop kid when he said he only had enough for the preorders lol. Fucking Returnal on that console nobody can get? Really?!

[Uzor]

That's pretty much the point of roguelikes though. Generally they're pretty short, and you're expected to die a lot until you get good enough to beat it all in 1 go.

No I know, just saying. I did manage to best the boss ok the next run though. Second biome is feeling a lot easier, but my current build is quite strong

[Odesseiron]

It's either the stores under ordering because they don't think it will sell, or Sony pushing the digital version. I ended up ordering from Amazon, it'll be here tomorrow. Every place I've looked it had copies early in the day and then sold out later. Not that I'd go to any of those stores as they were super out of the way. But people are chomping at the bit for a good new PS5 game. I hope they know what they're getting into with a a bullet hell roguelike.

I know games are super expensive to make, but part of me died on the inside when I saw $75 with tax for a new game. At least a lot of the next gen versions that coincide with current gen (or last gen now I guess?) are still $59.99, but I don't expect it to last much longer.