Returnal

About

"Returnal" is a single-player or 2-player co-op Action game, exclusively on Steam, with a great story and stunning gameplay. It features amazing graphics, a masterful soundtrack, and is highly replayable due to its roguelike elements and the Tower of Sisyphus mode. Link your Steam and PlayStation™Network accounts to unlock bonus outfits.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 6,648 reviews

story814 positive mentions

optimization258 negative mentions

Incredible graphics and atmosphere that create a haunting and immersive experience.
Fast-paced and fluid gameplay with satisfying gun mechanics and tight controls.
Engaging and mysterious story that unfolds as you progress, encouraging exploration.

Severe performance issues, including memory leaks and texture quality drops after extended play.
Frustrating difficulty spikes, especially with bosses that can feel unfair.
Co-op mode is poorly implemented, with significant limitations on progress and connectivity.

story
1,886 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The story of *Returnal* is widely praised for its depth and complexity, intertwining themes of trauma, grief, and existential horror within a sci-fi framework. Players appreciate the non-linear storytelling approach, which relies on subtle imagery and environmental cues rather than traditional exposition, allowing for personal interpretation and engagement. However, some find the narrative convoluted and frustrating, with a lack of clear resolution, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution and impact on gameplay.
- “The story is fantastic.”
- “The story of Returnal is what made it the most enjoyable for me.”
- “This made the narrative so compelling for me and every hour I played left me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the story and wanting more.”
- “The game never explains the story clearly and leaves it to a guess.”
- “What could’ve been a compelling story ends up disjointed and incoherent, feeling like a patchwork of ideas that never fully connect.”
- “The story is nonsensical and the ending/conclusion is unsatisfying; a good story is one most people understand and can relate to, not abstract themes about the protagonist's mother issues.”
gameplay
1,550 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
50%
3%
The gameplay of Returnal is widely praised for its fast-paced, fluid mechanics and engaging bullet-hell elements, creating a thrilling experience that keeps players coming back for more. While some players find the roguelike elements and enemy variety lacking, many appreciate the tight controls and satisfying combat, which contribute to a rewarding gameplay loop. However, technical issues and a steep learning curve can detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about its long-term replayability.
- “Returnal is an exhilarating and visually stunning experience that masterfully blends roguelike mechanics with intense, fast-paced action.”
- “The gameplay is tight, fast and furious.”
- “The gameplay loop is excellent and addicting.”
- “Even though the game has some good elements, the gameplay is quite shallow and boring in many aspects.”
- “The gameplay is okay when it works, but has what feels like some significant flaws in how it treats save games, co-op, and recovery from crashes.”
- “The gameplay loop gets old really fast.”
graphics
862 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
41%
1%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, intricate details, and immersive atmosphere, often described as breathtaking and top-notch. However, some players have reported performance issues, including stuttering and graphical bugs, particularly on lower-end systems or after extended play sessions, suggesting that optimization could be improved. Overall, while the graphics are a highlight, they may require a powerful PC to fully appreciate without technical difficulties.
- “The big difference here is the phenomenal graphics mixed with the great world building and smooth fluid gameplay.”
- “The game’s atmospheric world is beautifully crafted, pulling you into its eerie, ever-changing alien landscape with breathtaking graphics and a hauntingly immersive sound design.”
- “The graphics are jaw dropping if you have everything on ultra + the RTX features turned on.”
- “Unfortunately, this game suffers from a rather major graphical bug that seems to occur with extended playtime.”
- “No matter what graphics setting I set it to, it stutters in the same locations.”
- “The graphics are too dark most of the time; the designers wanted dark with bright enemy bullets, but it often leads to falling into holes or missing important details.”
optimization
790 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
44%
33%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant stuttering and performance issues, particularly on high-end hardware. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay with minimal problems, others have faced severe frame drops and crashes, leading to a consensus that the game is poorly optimized for PC. Despite recent patches improving performance for some, many still find the game unplayable due to ongoing technical issues.
- “The amount of settings you can adjust and test out to make sure your rig can run the game at the highest level is insane.”
- “Performance - 9/10 || extremely well optimized with perhaps the most impressive benchmarking tool I've seen in a game on PC outside of the latter Gears of War titles.”
- “The optimization is so good I can run everything at max with ray tracing and still average 100fps on my 13900k/3080ti build.”
- “This game is very poorly optimized for PC.”
- “The worst optimization I've seen since 2008.”
- “Most poorly optimized game I have ever played to the point it's comparable to Cyberpunk on release.”
atmosphere
328 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
32%
1%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating and immersive qualities, combining stunning visuals, haunting sound design, and a rich sci-fi aesthetic that draws players into its eerie, alien landscapes. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke feelings of tension and mystery, likening it to a blend of cosmic horror and psychological depth, making it a standout feature that enhances the overall gameplay experience. While some note that the repetitive level design can detract from the atmosphere over time, the overwhelming consensus is that the game's atmospheric elements are exceptional and integral to its appeal.
- “The game’s atmospheric world is beautifully crafted, pulling you into its eerie, ever-changing alien landscape with breathtaking graphics and a hauntingly immersive sound design.”
- “The immersive atmosphere pulls you in from the start, with high-fidelity graphics that make every alien landscape stunningly detailed.”
- “Had to stop playing to mention that this is an absolute atmospheric masterpiece!”
- “The atmosphere is alright, but the levels are very repetitive visually.”
- “When it comes down to rogue-lite and such, Returnal refuses to reinvent the wheel and instead focuses on three features: a thick atmosphere, a consistent art direction to the point of repetitiveness and a nailed-down game feel.”
- “I hit the credits at about 17 hours, definitely not full price material, and even though I had fun playing it the atmosphere and annoying writing concepts give me little to no reason to continue for the 'true ending' which is the exact opposite of what you should feel with a roguelite type of game.”
music
248 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
49%
1%
The music in the game has been widely praised for its atmospheric and haunting qualities, effectively complementing the gameplay and enhancing the overall experience. Many players noted that the soundtrack elevates intense moments, particularly during boss fights, creating a deeply immersive environment. However, some critiques mention that while the music is fitting, it can occasionally fade into the background, becoming less memorable compared to previous titles from the developer.
- “The music is powerful and haunting, the perfect soundtrack to frantically blast your way through waves of aliens while maneuvering deftly past streams of radiant projectiles.”
- “The soundtrack is incredible, and if you can make it to the fourth boss you are in for something that is unlike any other boss fight I have played in a video game in a long time.”
- “The music complements the fights and environments beautifully.”
- “The repetition of the combat music fading in every few seconds becomes grating on the player.”
- “There is no music in this game.”
- “The music is more of an ambient layer, but not very memorable.”
stability
160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
1%
56%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly on the PC version. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay and minimal problems, others have faced frequent freezes, stuttering, and game-breaking errors, especially in co-op mode. Overall, the game is described as enjoyable when it works, but its current state is deemed too unstable for a full recommendation.
- “The game runs great without stuttering even after going through multiple biomes.”
- “This game marries graphics, story, and gameplay into a finely tuned machine that runs great and is fun to play.”
- “Game looks great, runs great, and more importantly, has amazing gameplay and a great storyline.”
- “Overall the game seems like it could be fun, and has a really interesting premise, but it's just too buggy to be playable.”
- “Game-breaking fatal errors that have no fix, and having to start all over because they released a buggy game.”
- “This is an absolutely wonderful game but it's horribly buggy even now months after release on PC.”
replayability
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
53%
4%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, driven by engaging mechanics, beautiful graphics, and a compelling story. Many players appreciate the procedurally generated levels and various gameplay modes that keep the experience fresh, although some express concerns about limited content and memorization hindering long-term replay value. While it excels in replayability compared to some titles, others in the roguelike genre are noted to offer even more variety and depth.
- “Top notch game design and controls, intriguing story, gorgeous graphics, and a bunch of content that makes it endlessly replayable.”
- “The replay value is incredible, thanks to procedurally generated levels that keep things fresh and exciting every time you play.”
- “Returnal is extremely engaging and you can tell as soon as you start playing it that this is one of those games with infinite replayability.”
- “The problem is that these sections are very, very limited and you'll quickly memorize everything, thus hampering replayability.”
- “I thought I was going to get another great shooter roguelite like Risk of Rain 2 or Synthetik, but instead I got a gimmicky and short game with bad replayability for all of my $50.”
- “There isn't much content to justify a $60 price tag. If you play other roguelikes, then you'll beat this game in 10-15 hours. The problem is, unlike other roguelikes, there isn't much replay value since Returnal is pretty story-driven and has Metroidvania mechanics to it. You'll beat the game and will have seen almost everything.”
grinding
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
5%
94%
The reviews highlight a pervasive sense of tedium associated with grinding in the game, with many players finding the process repetitive and frustrating due to randomization and scarce resources. While some appreciate the challenge, the overall sentiment suggests that the grind often detracts from enjoyment, making the gameplay feel unnecessarily prolonged and tedious. Players express a desire for more meaningful progression and less reliance on grinding to achieve completion or unlock content.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “But the game feels frustrating, unpolished, grindy, is 2x as long as it needs to be, stops being fun in 1/4 of that time and it's already over after only 14 hours despite all the grindiness they designed.”
- “The gameplay is okay until the moment you realize that certain actions impede your movement... in a rogue-like where enemies surround you... and the grind... oh the grind, there is no chance of beating this without grinding entire sections of the map again and again and again, no issue if it was fun, but it is not, it becomes a chore fast.”
- “Game would be much better if it didn’t waste your time on meaningless grinding, and just had a checkpoint at the beginning of the biome.”
emotional
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
6%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its intense gameplay and masterful narrative, which evoke a range of feelings from exhilaration to heartbreak. Players report being deeply moved by the game's brutal yet human themes, with a storytelling style that is both cryptic and resonant, creating a unique emotional experience. Despite some criticisms of the plot's clarity, the overall emotional impact is praised as one of the best in the roguelike genre, effectively showcasing trauma and tragedy.
- “The intentional nature of the design influences you to become just as intentional, and follow along a harrowing, heart-wrenching, truly masterful style of narrative that I truly believe could only be possible in the medium of video games.”
- “Despite the brutality, the coldness of the world, the sheer difficulty of the moment-to-moment gameplay, this game is ultimately and deeply human and emotional in an utterly unique way.”
- “9/10, by far the best story I've ever experienced in a roguelike let alone any video game in regards to properly showcasing trauma and tragedy; it's absolutely heartbreaking once the entire story comes to an end and you realize what has happened.”
humor
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, with players enjoying the comedic elements of co-op gameplay and the absurdity of dying and resurrecting in a changing world. Many reviews mention the laughter shared among friends during gameplay, particularly when facing challenges and misfortunes, contributing to a lighthearted and entertaining experience. Overall, the game is described as a funny and engaging rogue-like that keeps players entertained through its quirky mechanics and humorous scenarios.
- “Funny thing is every time you die in the game you start from scratch and the world changes.”
- “Last time I played this, my buddies and I were all passing the controller around like the days before Xbox Live became a thing, laughing at each other's misfortune and cheering successes.”
- “This concept of dying and resurrecting was funny maybe 4-5 times, because with each iteration I was able to find or learn something new.”
monetization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, the monetization strategy of the game is viewed positively, as it is not seen as predatory and primarily serves to promote Sony's hardware and services. However, some users express a desire for more customizable controls, particularly regarding aiming mechanics.
- “A true masterpiece not marred by predatory monetization.”
- “Since Sony Interactive Entertainment sees its PC releases as an advertisement for people buying PS5 consoles, PS5 controllers, and signing up for their PlayStation Network.”
- “The monetization strategy feels more like a push to sell hardware rather than providing a fair gaming experience.”
- “It seems like the game is designed to encourage spending money rather than rewarding players for their time and effort.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
17%
17%
Character development in the game is highly praised, with players noting that each death unlocks more of the story and deepens character arcs, creating an engaging narrative experience. The combination of compelling character design and an intriguing storyline keeps players invested beyond the initial rogue-like gameplay.
- “You will die a lot in the beginning and that's okay because with each death, more story and character development is unlocked.”
- “Amazing game, came for the rogue-like experience and short fun runs, stayed for the intriguing story and character development on the edge of madness.”
- “The character design, enemies, and gear are amazing.”
- “You will die a lot in the beginning, and that's okay because with each death, more story and character development is unlocked.”