Returnal - PlayStation 5

I don’t know how I missed the boat on this game when I first got my PS5, however, now in 2025 I decided to try this game after borrowing it from my local library. I liked the game so much that I went out and bought myself my own copy, even though I could’ve kept using the one from the library indefinitely. The first biome in this game was pretty difficult for me at first and I almost was going to give up on the game. I’m sure glad I didn’t because the game gets easier as you go along and becomes even more fun. It is still a very hard game to be sure, but it is extremely fun and addicting. I spent many late nights telling myself OK one more game over and over until several hours had passed and I finally had to get some sleep. The shooting in this game is extremely satisfying and no matter which weapon you choose to play with, they are all really fun. I don’t usually care much about the story and games as the gameplay is more important to me, however, this game has a pretty interesting story which never hurts. This is a game that I would have gladly paid 70 bucks for when it first came out had I known how much I was going to like it. Watching some YouTube videos on it doesn’t do it the justice it deserves. It doesn’t look all that great from just watching videos, but playing it is extremely fun and satisfying. on a sidenote, I guess this game is considered a roguelike, or roguelite game but up until playing this game, I had no idea what that even was. So it turns out this is the first game of this type I’ve ever played and I’ve been playing video games for well over 40 years starting with the Atari 2600. Read more

It seems like many of the reviews of this game either didn't reach the first boss or didn't beat it. This game is just a downright masterpiece. The game does in fact have a type of checkpoint system in place, people telling you their runs are lasting over an hour, no offense, aren't playing the game right or are getting God Runs without realizing it. I haven't had a run go over 45 minutes unless I have beaten several bosses in a row, and that's on the long end of it. For example, your first mission is to find a key, that's it. Once you find that key you no longer have to find it on subsequent runs, it is automatically in your inventory. From that point you can go straight to the first boss of the game after about 10 mins or so on every run after you find the key. Once you beat the boss, you unlock the next area, and the same type of checkpoint system applies. Once you beat the first boss you do not have to beat it again on every run after the winning run, you can go back to fight the boss if you CHOOSE to, otherwise you can skip it and go immediately to area two. This pattern applies to the rest of the game as well. Yes, dying after a longer run can be frustrating, but you have to know that you are making progress, sometimes it's just hard to see. Now onto the actual review of the game. The sound design, visuals and gunplay feel spot on. Most important of all of these is the sound design, what enemies are in a given area, where they are in that area, the game gives all of that information to you through sound alone. The visuals... I mean, it's a game running at 4k 60fps, it's gonna look good. The enemy designs are all a work of art each in their own right, especially some of the bosses (No spoilers). Gunplay is quick and snappy with tons of depth to each weapon. Do I like all the weapons? No, but that's because of my personal playstyle, people will find the weapons they like and use them more than others. The name of the game is movement, enemies are relentless in their pursuit of your demise, so it's very important to move constantly and create space between you and your attackers. The further you go into the game the more abilities you unlock to avoid incoming projectiles. Speaking of projectiles... There is a TON of them coming at you. Housemarque is known for their Bullet storm games and this game is no exception. The longer you have to react to incoming attacks, the less likely you'll get hit. Overall, this game is absolutely fantastic, is it more of a niche title than say Uncharted or God of War? Yes, absolutely. But if you're willing to push past that first initial wall of the first area and reach the first checkpoint, you'll never want to put the game down. Read more

Returnal has the greatest console gameplay of all time. It has outstanding weapons and weapon effects. Incredible music, atmosphere, and biomes. You can move at the speed of thought. Greatest melee weapon ever. Superb boss fights. The story is unforgettable. It makes the best use of haptics of any PS5 game. Returnal is a must play game. Read more