Review of the PC version of the game Returnal – uncompromising quality

Returnal puts a lot of emphasis on MYSTERY, on the actual EXPLORATION of the alien planet.

Not only because of this, it is best to experience it COMPLETELY “BLIND”, without any information.

Returnal was the best game of 2021 for me, and in my review of the PS5 version I mentioned at the time that the only reason it didn’t get the top rating was the lack of save progress to pause and return to play. The creators subsequently added this feature to the game via DLC (along with the ability to play online in co-op with a second player and also including a special mode for endless play), which I duly appreciated. This extraordinary game comes to PC today already equipped with all these improvements, but also with a great benchmark, full support for DualSense controller haptics, support for ultra-wide monitors, DLSS and other conveniences that help this absolutely extraordinary game on PC shine even more than before she originally succeeded on console. If you like immersive challenging games like Elden Ring, diamond-cut action like Doom (2016) or atmospheric horrors in the spirit of Aliens, the planet Atropos will have you wrapped around your finger too.

• Platform: PC (reviewed), PS5
• Date of publication: 15. 2. 2023
• Manufacturer: Housemarque (Finsko)
• Genre: Roguelite Soulslike Bullet Hell
• Czech localization: it is
• Multiplayer: online, co-op, 2 players
• Data to download: 60 GB
• Game time: 30+ hours
• Cena: 1420 CZK (Steam)

The terrifying mystery of the planet Atropos

Cosmonaut Selene Vassos, working for the space agency ASTRA, is shipwrecked on the forbidden planet Atropos while searching for the source of a mysterious distress signal. The darkened alien jungle gradually reveals the gigantic ruins of an ancient alien civilization, but it’s also infested with murderous monsters straight out of Howard P. Lovecraft’s nightmares. To make matters worse, extraterrestrial technology builds treacherous copies of her house from Earth for Selene. But the most terrifying secret is revealed by the planet after Selene dies during the exploration – death in this place does not mean the end, but a ruthless return back to the beginning, to the wreck of her spaceship named Helios. Trapped by this Cycle, Selene has only one option: try to find the cause of it all before she goes completely insane.

Returnal is a game first and foremost, so no one will blame you if you just mindlessly enjoy it as an adrenaline-fuelled shooter set in beautifully terrifying settings. This is by no means one of those “movie games” following the “PlayStation template”. But if you’re a more thoughtful player and enjoyed the subtext in the original Silent Hill or the immersive history of the Elden Ring, then Returnal’s cryptic storytelling will introduce you to the highest level of this storytelling style yet. Every word, every object, every shape is part of one big puzzle that finally snaps together with a deafening thud. The icing on the cake is the performance of Selene, who is only kept from falling into madness by her innate drive to analyze scientifically (in this case, to analyze the unthinkable alien horror before her eyes). This is a journey into the heart of darkness that takes the video game storytelling format to a new level.

Break the Killing Cycle

One of the great things about this extremely well-thought-out game is its incorporation of gameplay mechanics right into its lore – and vice versa. The mysterious Cycle returning Selene back to the wreckage of her ship after death is of course a cover for modern roguelite (not to be confused with roguelike, where there is no permanent progression across lives/deaths) mechanics. The planet reconfigures into new combinations after each of your deaths, so you never know what room will be behind the next door, what items, weapons… or monsters you’ll find in it. The fun of the game then comes from making your way through this world as far as you can, finding better and better weapons and collecting items that increase your chances of survival. Each of the planet’s six biomes will also throw an unforgettable epic boss fight against you at the end.

One of the reasons people don’t like roguelike games is the sense of wasted time or cruel difficulty. The first is treated here (as well as all aspects of the game) in terms of gameplay and story. Even as you die, Selene’s commentary on each death adds to, deepens, and enhances the narrative context of her pilgrimage. The story in the game is not only not linear, but also extends in several directions in terms of time and meaning, so although you can die ten times in a row, you will find ten different notes or alien runes that will take you further in understanding the story. Likewise, you also find permanent items that stay with you across the Cycle. In addition to the keys to the individual teleportation gates to the individual biomes, there is mainly the unlocking of perks on weapons, which once it reaches 100%, will add the given property of the weapon to your library and thanks to this you have a chance not only to find it again next time, but especially to use it right away. No minute is wasted in this game, no death is wasted. You are always moving closer to the goal.

No minute is wasted in this game, no death is wasted.

Praise PC gaming

Returnal arrives on PC in excellent condition, at least as far as I can tell from testing on my setup (i7-9700F, 16GB DDR4, RTX 2070 Super). Even before starting the game, it offers you a well-crafted benchmark in which the camera flies past various types of effects (particles, physics, reflections, number of enemies, etc.) and at the same time displays the current FPS values ​​or the load of individual components of your setup. The benchmark is finished with a screen with a detailed report of the results and recommended settings for your machine. If you change some settings and run the benchmark again, the subsequent report will even show you the difference between the two tests. It’s a very convenient and clear way to work towards the ideal setting without spoiling the game experience (a lot of things or dialogues in the game only happen once and cannot be repeated!).

On my machine, the benchmark recommended (at 3840×2160) to play on “medium” graphics settings, which I did and the game ran at a steady 60fps. Out of curiosity, I also tried the highest “epic” graphics setting, including enabled ray tracing. Strangely enough, the game ran at 50-60 fps most of the time, but dropped to 30 in some places. Given the extremely smooth and fast-paced nature of the action, I highly recommend doing your best to make the game as smooth as possible. Of course, the PC version is also armed with NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR technologies, as well as support for ultra-wide monitors (21:9 and 32:9), on which the gloomy beauty of the alien landscape really stands out. You shouldn’t underestimate the absolutely top-notch 3D sound, which supports Dolby Atmos, among other things. The icing on the cake is the full support (after a simple USB cable connection) of the DualSense controller’s haptic response – this is one of the few games that really uses this controller to the full and non-stop, playing with it significantly deepens the experience.

Gameplay above all else

This is a rare case of a great AAA story game with a strong story and beautiful visuals, where all this modern tinsel pales in the blinding glow of pure gameplay. If you have played the previous games of the Finnish creators from Housemarque studio, then of course this will not surprise you, because the diamond-cut arcade gameplay has been their unmistakable signature for many years. Still, it’s amazing how they managed to squeeze speed, fluidity and absurd destruction into a game that looks very mature and “cinematic” at the same time. I know very well that some players have an insurmountable problem to overcome the visual contrast between realistic graphics and a flood of wild special shooting effects (yours and enemies’), but it’s just a matter of habit, and on the contrary, you will admire over time how wonderful reflections or lighting these effects generate in the game the environment comes to life thanks to it like no other game. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll have a hard time putting it down, and almost every other game will feel slow or at least clunky. The satisfaction from this gameplay cannot be described well enough in words.

If you’re still not convinced (or if you’ve already played and you’re having trouble), I’d like to offer a series of streams where I’ve gone through the game from start to finish without dying, offering all kinds of advice and insights on the various environments, weapons, enemies, and mechanics. Streams are chronologically divided into introductory performance (prolog), advanced gaming (first three biomes) a the most beautiful location in the game (fourth to sixth biome). And if you have already finished all the endings of the game, you will definitely find it useful to dive deep into the explanation of the story, which, considering the complex nature of the work, offers at least one of the possible interpretations of all contexts. The only reason I have devoted so much time, unique videos and articles to this game is simply because it is one of the most interesting, smartest and funniest games I have ever played in my entire life. As for her assessment and final grade, I am completely clear. Take this as the highest recommendation possible.