![]() This isn't a precision-based shooter by any means, which just works given how fast things can unfold. Aiming itself is intuitive enough, as there's a large bit of auto-aim working here-aim at an enemy while running-and-gunning and shots are more than likely going to hit. There are a variety of different weapons to stumble upon and experiment with, never mind modifications to the suit or abilities. The game encourages backtracking to progress and even the slightest bit of exploration, with the twist that the order of the world changes with each run, of course.Ĭombat is always enjoyable and varied, which plays a big part in the potential GOTY status. The free-form exploration-with almost-reachable areas just taunting the player until they stumble upon an upgrade-is where Returnal feels like one of the old Metroid Prime games. She can trot along or sprint, mantle on things just out of reach, use a dash to clear big gaps or pass right through enemy projectiles and quite a bit more once she unearths certain technology. If a player thinks Selene can do it, she probably can. Returnal's traversal has a next-gen feel to it, too. But this adds a whole different dimension, the one true thing that feels next-gen about either new console so far. Sound design, especially with headphones, has been something special in other games. There aren't really enough words to describe how amazing the controller tech adds to the immersion. ![]() Step into some cover underneath a tree and it realistically adapts. The patter of rain Selene herself might feel on her suit is stunningly reflected in this new vibration technology. Interwoven with this feature are things like unlockable additional fire rates and the ability to have the weapon jam up.Īnd then there are the subtle things. Yanking it all the way down past the sticking point, though, enables a secondary fire that is more powerful. Pulling L2, for example, will aim down sights and enable the typical firing of a weapon. There are some expected things with this next-gen controller tech. It sounds silly, but it's a moment you truly have to experience. As Selene's ship comes to a gnarly end, every little impact it makes on the way down has a stunning, different vibration to it in a player's hands. The game's opening cutscene is it merely flexing this attribute repeatedly, albeit in the best way possible. We-and pretty much everyone-have raved about the PlayStation 5's new controller vibration technology, and Returnal feels like the first game to use it to its full potential. Every little footstep, enemy and drop of water has directional tech to it, accentuating the experience in a way most games have never been able to in the past. The sound design is a contender for best-ever status, by the way, especially with headphones. But the game toys with this, too-returning to a spot a player remembers could suddenly result in something shocking, such as a floor falling out from underneath Selene that didn't on the last run. There are claustrophobic spaces, sprawling ones with jaw-dropping architecture and so much more, plus the simpler, major differences between each biome. It's when the action slows down that a sense of awe highlights the experience.Ītropos isn't just gorgeous and varied. Prominent colors fly across the screen, but it's never difficult to make things out. The gradual degradation of Selene's suit alongside her own composure sure doesn't hurt, either.Īnd things look great when the action gets going fast. ![]() Returnal really sells the idea of an alien world both beautiful and terrifyingly dangerous, with a rather gigantic former civilization that used to inhabit it. Amazing little environmental details, like fluorescent plant life reaching for the game's protagonist Selene as she walks by, are a highlight of the experience. The color palette is diverse, there's detail oozing out of every crevice and plant on the hostile Atropos, and the shading and lighting work only heightens the sense of immersion-and horrific sense of overwhelming loneliness. It's the overarching package that makes Returnal feel like the first big next-generation game.
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