Returnal Reviews
Scratch beneath that surface and the game doesn’t say much to justify its existence, and it is going to be far too challenging for a lot of players, but within its fairly narrow scope, for the audience that it was made for, Returnal is going to be a vividly entertaining ride.
A fast paced and intense shooter true to the developer's pedigree, with an intriguing and mysterious world, marred only slightly by some control issues and its brevity
Review in Arabic | Read full review
It’s easy to misjudge Returnal as some kind of pretentious Sony story-driven drivel. The truth is that it’s a hardcore 3D action game that has more in common with Doom Eternal and Metroid Prime than anything Sony has ever made before. It does suck to lose almost everything and starting from the beginning, but sometimes that’s just the way it goes.
Returnal brings all the high-tension, arcade-inspired gameplay from the PS5 to PC while adding a whole new host of bells and whistles, making it the definitive way to experience the game.
Housemarque's hotly anticipated roguelite is finally here, with the promise of horror and intrigue, but does it live up to the hype? This Returnal review will explore the high-highs and low-lows of PlayStation's latest hyped exclusive.
Returnal is the most important game for Housemarque, with a stellar gameplay and a ever changing structure of levels. However, procedural algorithms create some problem with casual enemy spawn and luck managment.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Returnal stands as Housemarque's most ambitious title yet, taking the studio away from the arcade genre and into uncharted territory.
Returnal on PC is an excellent move for everyone involved, especially with the quality shown in the port. A new audience can finally have a taste of that amazing blend of gameplay that constantly beguiles players into taking one more run, enhanced by the bells and whistles made possible by the power of the PC. As one of the PS5’s best games, it would make perfect sense that Returnal maintains that form in its migration to the PC, and it proves just that.
Returnal takes full advantage of the PS5's features to give players a fast and furious sci-fi spectacle.
Returnal is a brutally difficult roguelite shooter.
Returnal excellently blends third-person shooter gameplay with bullet-hell style enemies and roguelike elements to craft a fun, challenging action game that you'll have a blast learning to master. The only real shame is that the action is yoked to a story that mistakes being vague for being smart and interesting.
It is frustrating and empty; and yet we'll start over right away. We need to find out what happened, we want to discover more of the unparalleled world, we want to fight even harder against all the vile monsters that stand in our way. The unforgiving arrangement will be a watershed, but for anyone with the slightest interest in sci-fi, Returnal is worth having on the radar.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
While the PS5 has hinted at its power with the odd excellent remake and some impressive cross-gen titles, Returnal genuinely feels like the first truly fresh title designed for a new generation of hardware. Gorgeous graphics, intelligent controls and an astounding level of immersion combine to create an atmospheric thriller that wouldn't have been possible on older hardware. The game is tough, but every failed loop is a lesson learned, a push to do better and a pull to uncover more of the game's plot.
Returnal is a bold sci-fi adventure, where the plot and the setting co-exist in a very natural way, while everything else being brought to life trough unique DualSense features and great sound from Pulse 3D headset.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Dazzling next-gen graphics belie a hardcore rogue-like which could test your patience as much as your reflexes
While Returnal’s marriage of rogue-like loops and serpentine story isn’t perfect, it’s a dark, engaging, and innovative experience which provides plenty of gameplay grunt to match its brain-teasing plot.
Returnal mixes the peculiarities of roguelike with continuous progress that rewards the efforts and dedication of the player, with an enigmatic story that will keep us prisoners of that house that we will visit (or not) in each new attempt. Perhaps it fails in trying to offer an experience like infinite roguelike.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Returnal can be messy, tough, and perhaps a little too uncompromising for a $70 game. And yet, despite the moments of pad-clenching exasperation, it remains a moreish experience even after you've plummeted its depths.
Its roguelike runs are too long and it needs a way to save in the middle of them, but Returnal's third-person shooter action, clever story, and atmosphere are excellent.
Returnal is a beautiful PlayStation 5 exclusive that mixes a third person shooter with several aspects of the roguelike and bullet hell genres. The Housemarque’s game is an interesting newcomer: it is funny, but at the same time difficult, and it never bores while you start over a run again, and again, and again.
Review in Italian | Read full review