Returnal, the next big title for the PlayStation 5, is set to release on April 30, 2021. A sci-fi, third-person psychological horror video game developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. If you’re excited about this game and are looking forward to playing it, here are 11 things you need to know about Returnal. Let’s jump into it.
1. Returnal is developed by Housemarque – 0:34
Housemarque is a Finnish studio and known for their games such as, Super Stardust HD, Next Machina, and Resogun. Housemarque has been making arcade shooter games for 25 years. With that being said, they are really experienced when it comes to engaging gameplay combined with reactions, power-ups, and different kinds of enemies and environments.
2. Returnal is on another level – 1:07
Earlier hits from Housemarque were mostly 2D and 2.5D games, on the other hand, Returnal will be in third-person with a focus on exploration and combat. Also, the story is set after crash landing on a shape-shifting world with Selene, the deep space scout, as the main hero of this game.
3. A mysterious signal on alien planet – 1:34
Speaking of the story, we will see Selene responding to a signal of unknown origin being broadcast from an unmapped planet, Atropos. After crash landing, Selene will find herself in an alien world filled with ruins, technology, corpses, and deadly creatures. As Selene explores this world, she will eventually find herself dead, which will bring us to our number 4.
4. Selene wakes from death – 2:08
Selene will find herself back in her ship again, moments before her crash. She’s trapped in a time loop and forced to figure things out again and again; it will become her motivation. This also gives Returnal a roguelike gameplay, where players will discover that just as the planet reconfigures each time and changes every cycle, so do the items, loot, and enemies, representing a fresh challenge for players.
5. Progress can be made – 2:39
Despite the seemingly-unending time loops, progress can still be made, although in what form this will take is still unclear to us. Also, Selene will be able to find items and weapons that can stay with her and persist through the death cycle. You will also find boss creatures, but once you defeat them in the planet’s distinctive areas, Selene won’t have to face them again.
6. The biomes of Atropos – 3:00
The planet will be divided into areas or biomes, where they will be different enemy types and environments. These biomes will not just show different characteristics but will also highlight the brilliant details of the alien planet, differentiating wildlife from various plant life and create a unique atmosphere in each biome.
7. 2D shooting in 3D – 3:43
Of course, we’re all looking forward to the combat in this game. As all know, Returnal will be a 3rd-person shooting game. Selene will have to face dangerous creatures and deal damage with her weapons and power-ups all while avoiding the enemy’s attack. Selene’s dash ability and hook shot grapple, where you unlock early in the game, will help to give her mobility. Attacks will be coming from any direction and will require players to have 360-degree awareness, the PS5’s 3D audio and a compatible headset will help here too.
8. Abilities and upgrades – 4:37
These abilities and upgrades will also help Selene in combat. She’ll be able to find different weapons and mods that will enable alternate firing modes, there are also artifacts that will give buffs and parasites that give advantages and disadvantages at the same time. There also will be a bunch of other upgrades that will surely help in combat and survival.
9. What happened here? – 5:46
As Selene explores Atropos, she’ll find clues about who made these technologies, what happened to their civilization, what was the emergency signal that Selene responded to, and also reveal the mystery of Selene’s death loop. As you also progress in the story, you’ll find some corpses that will turn out to be Selene as well. It may be your past death locations or it can be projections of other players that can be delivered through the online system of the game. It will also deliver some audio logs from the past or future which Selene has no memory of.
10. The House – 6:28
At certain points in Selene’s adventure, the camera will shift into 1st-person perspective and Selene will encounter a house that seems to be familiar to her. With this, Selene has to deal with her past which will involve her own backstory and is likely linked to the mysteries she faces in Atropos.
11. Greek mythology – 7:00
Housemarque had specified that Selene is Greek-American, which is unusually specific. In Greek mythology, Selene is the name of the Greek moon goddess riding her chariot in the heavens, just like Selene in this game. Atropos, on the other hand, is the name of one of the three Fates of Greek mythology who’s in charge of ending lives.
Credits
| Program | Founding Writers |
| Author | Joshua Fernando |
| YouTuber | PlayStation Access |
| Publisher | MGN |
| Game | Returnal |