Returnal - "Hades x Aliens x Metroid" - PC version officially confirmed

Interesting write up, cheers Hexx

Save option incoming.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-01-housemarque-says-we-hear-the-community-as-returnal-players-call-for-save-and-quit-option

I disagree with Hexx on pretty much everything. Maybe I'll go into detail later but for now I'm enjoying the game too damn much to attempt a mammoth post.

I agree with Hexx on everything!

Have played for 4-5 hours now and haven't even reached the boss. Enjoying it, don't get me wrong, and I know I'm pretty rubbish at the game at the moment, but getting the correct build is completely random. It's like I'm beginning to devise a strategy, but whether I'll ever be able to get the right combination of upgrades to succeed is a random event. Just have to persevere and 'get good...'

OT but I think it’s pathetic that fanboys are trying to get Jeff Grubb fired because he gave Returnal
3/5.

Side issue, I remember saint quoting him last summer about knowing stuff and I didn’t know much about him and dismissed it but I owe saint an apology on that cos Jeff is pretty good on leaks and quite funny too.

I can't stop thinking about this game.

Mafro wrote:I can't stop thinking about this game.

How far into it are you?

Mafro wrote:I can't stop thinking about this game.

Having watched a few of your streams you seem to enjoy REALLY hard games. When you get killed you try again no bother, no real sign of Rage, I wish I was the same. :lol:

Zilnad wrote:
Mafro wrote:I can't stop thinking about this game.

How far into it are you?

2nd biome.

Photek wrote:
Mafro wrote:I can't stop thinking about this game.

Having watched a few of your streams you seem to enjoy REALLY hard games. When you get killed you try again no bother, no real sign of Rage, I wish I was the same.

I remember Devlin saying he was annoyed at how chill and calm I was when fighting bosses in Sekiro and Demon's Souls :lol:

Mafro wrote:I can't stop thinking about this game.

It’s so good. Best third person shootin’ since Vanquish, I’d say. Feels a lot like DOOM 2016 in the speed and state of flow you get into, and even looks a lot like it in the 2nd biome.

The risk/reward of parasites and malignancies are class too. Just an incredibly smart way to introduce player choice and variance to the runs that isn’t simply “do I buy this item or this one, do I go into this room or this one, do I pick this skill or this one”

I had one that made melee kills heal, but stopped me from healing otherwise. Made me practically invincible against ground enemies, but extremely wary against ranged and flying. Another was a parasite that would take 5 hits for me and then detach, but when it detached it reduced my max health by about 30%, so that run became all about dodging until the boss that I tried to just DPS before the thing detached.

My best run had me flying through Biome 2 with 180% suit integrity, 3 healing consumables and a lv 8 carbine, before I picked up a malfunction that added 2 secs to my melee cool down and that was quickly the end of me. :lol:

Has anyone come across another player’s body yet? I wonder if the servers have just been overloaded or something so it hasn’t been able to work.

jiggles wrote:
Mafro wrote:I can't stop thinking about this game.

It’s so good. Best third person shootin’ since Vanquish, I’d say.

Aye definitely.

jiggles wrote:Has anyone come across another player’s body yet? I wonder if the servers have just been overloaded or something so it hasn’t been able to work.

I didn't even realise this was a thing :slol:

I've kinda been avoiding most previews

Jiggles gets it. God, I want to play some more now :datass:

I was wondering about the online aspects earlier, I haven't come across anything either so I'm not sure if there's a problem or it's something that crops up later in the game maybe.

Watching the football now but have the PS5 in rest mode ready at the start of the second biome with a decent build of artefacts and parasites, and a Reconstructor extra life set up. Haven't yet got to the boss of the second biome but looking forward to giving it a good go tomorrow morning.

Couple of subtle things I noticed with the haptics:

- The alt fire cool down has a very distinctive vibration when it’s done. Like four very sharp pulses. If it’s difficult to distinguish the tone by itself in a firefight, the tone + the pulses is unmistakable.

- The vibration from firing changes position on the controller based on how much ammo is in your clip, moving from the very top at full to the very bottom at empty.

The dualsense haptic motors make plenty of noise themselves doing their thing, so you might think some noises are coming from the speaker but it’s actually just the motors. You can go turn the controller speaker volume down to zero in the audio menu to see what noises are from the motors. Some of them are pretty cool and fit well, like the rain drops and the sword swing

My sessions on this don't last all that long and so I am still in the first biome. But! I have managed to beat some of the harder enemies (the hulking red tentacle monster and the alien dog in the purple beams room) and so I am happy with that much. Next on the list: yellow dude.

Lots and lots of progress! In one playthrough! (In the first biome, like :lol:

) I picked up a cube thing which I *think* allows me to pass the red energy door. Cube text in suit computer UI says I can insert it into the appropriate receptacle but I haven't found that, as yet. I've also found what I think leads to the boss fight, and... THE KEY TO THE HOUSE! I dunno which of the two frightens me more :lol:

Are there any legit jump scares in the house? I don't mean bumps and footsteps, etc, but proper, cheap jump scares?

Saint of Killers wrote:Lots and lots of progress! In one playthrough! (In the first biome, like ) I picked up a cube thing which I *think* allows me to pass the red energy door. Cube text in suit computer UI says I can insert it into the appropriate receptacle but I haven't found that, as yet. I've also found what I think leads to the boss fight, and... THE KEY TO THE HOUSE! I dunno which of the two frightens me more

Are there any legit jump scares in the house? I don't mean bumps and footsteps, etc, but proper, cheap jump scares?

Not in the first two encounters. It is immensely unsettling though

The cubes are for the end of the level, though, after you beat the boss.

The Rotgland Lobber might be my new favourite gun. Made some stupid mistakes early on in this run and almost got myself killed very early but it's going pretty damn well now. Just had to get into the groove.

Anyone else think the key holes look a bit bellend like? I can't unsee it.

I think the game is actually better without headphones. The sound design is incredible and the controller is a big part of the experience. I only use a soundbar but it feels like I'm surrounded by things going pop and bang.

Spent today just going through the first two biomes again. Got through the second biome on my first attempt the other day so I don't feel quite ready to push on through the third until I've taken in more of two's atmosphere. The huge, open areas are an interesting change to the corridor-like forest.

Hitting flying enemies with the Rotgland Lobber looks amazing too. Green acid and fumes in the air, explosions and robot debris flying across the screen, golden currency bouncing across the ground. Visual delight :datass:

Returnal - "Hades x Aliens x Metroid" - PC version officially confirmed

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