returnal

Returnal’s Horror Combines the Best of Alien and Hereditary

When describing Returnal to anyone that’s maybe interested in the game, I’ve been relying on that classic “comparison” technique. For instance, I might say that Returnal is like “Risk of Rain meets Metroid,” or that its gameplay reminds me of a “Bullet hell shooter crossed with a roguelike.” Most people know that those kinds of comparisons are rarely accurate. However, they offer a simple way of describing something new by comparing it to things that are already known and more established. More often than not, the best way to get someone to try something different is to base your description…
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Returnal’s $70 Price Highlights Gaming’s Difficulty Divide

We really need a word or a phrase for when you’re a fan of something but not necessarily a fan of the fans of that thing. It’s a concept that’s impacted Rick and Morty, it’s an idea that has long negatively affected the Star Wars franchise, and it’s something that’s been on my mind lately as I’ve been playing more and more Returnal. Actually, the problem isn’t really Returnal itself so much as it’s the argument over difficult games. I generally love difficult games and have even recently highlighted some of the most challenging retro games across various generations. At…
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Can Returnal Sales Figures Be Blamed on PS5 Shortages?

In case you haven’t heard, Returnal isn’t just one of the first major PS5 releases of 2021; it’s one of the year’s best games and a fascinating project that’s smaller scope and strong creative voice make it the antithesis of the kind of blockbuster games the PlayStation team is reportedly focused on. Of course, there are some who wonder if Returnal could actually “overcome” its small nature and perhaps even become the next great PlayStation franchise. Maybe that’s why more people than usual seem to be focused on the game’s sales. After all, it’s hard for a game to become…
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Returnal: Ending and Secret Ending Explained

This article contains spoilers for Returnal. In case you haven’t heard, Returnal is one of the best games of 2021, one of the PlayStation team’s most original supported projects in years, and one of the best reasons to be angry that you still can’t find a PlayStation 5. Returnal is also the source of one of the most compelling and confusing video game stories in recent memory. Much like Hades, Returnal uses its roguelike gameplay as the basis for a complicated time loop narrative that leads to multiple endings that have so far left many scratching their heads. So what exactly…
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