Returnal - RLLMUK and BAFTA GOTY 2021 - Free Ascension DLC out now!

[smac]

3 hours ago, p1nseeker said:

 

It means that item is now added to the pool of items you can find / buy from that point on. 

 

Yeah, thanks, that makes sense.

[smac]

58 minutes ago, SpagMasterSwift said:

My advice is to use all the guns you can, try them all out and level them up because there will be a point where you get a certain weapon and you won’t go back. It’s a bit game breaking, but by that point it will feel very much like a reward.

 

So, how does levelling up weapons work, and what persists across runs?

[SpagMasterSwift]

The more you use a weapon the more of its traits are unlocked and stay in the pool across runs.

[LaveDisco]

Bought the game at launch. Drifted away due to the difficulty (loved it - just wasn’t messing with a stressful time at work). I knew it was good, but couldn’t feel it - if that makes sense. 
 

The GOTY talk got me back. Boy it’s so fucking good. Just took down the shrike. Bellowed like a fool. 
 

What a game! 

[Vemsie]

 

[Floshenbarnical]

I have to say, I love the Dreadbound. Short-to-medium range it shreds enemies, just a non-stop barrage of punishment. Encourages high-risk gameplay but the payoff is fantastic

[LaveDisco]

I think the trick to enjoying this is to forget the 'rogulelike' aspect, and just understand that Arcade isn't dead. This is just what Arcade games look like now.

 

I might never complete it, but that just means I get to keep enjoying it.

 

But yeah, Shrike down, I can have  a decent stab at Biome 2. 

 

It's brilliant.

[Floshenbarnical]

Playing just for playing’s sake is so enjoyable. That being said I do need to bite the bullet and just smash biome 6 somehow. 

[jonamok]

Haven’t played in a few months, so last night I created a new profile on my PS5 called Returnal with the astronaut as the avatar, just to start this from fresh. The early game is so good as you gradually collect the tools and listen to the opening audio logs.

 

Anyway took on old Phrikey with a level 4 carbine and dropped him first visit. Something that took about 25 deaths the first time I played it. Amazing how much your skills improve. Easy mode basically.

[Stanley]

Bloody hell and I thought the first boss was hard 

 

I the hollowseeker now btw 

[LaveDisco]

Incredible evening on this. Found a parasite that boosted max health for getting or curing malfunctions and went full out to get malfunctions. Had 250% health by the time I got to the second boss (for the first time ever) neon everywhere, completely in the zone. Killed boss with a tiny slither of my health reminding. First time. Unbelievable feeling. 
 

Should have been higher in my GOTY list. 

[LaveDisco]

On 11/01/2022 at 17:55, Gigawatt said:

My number one tip for the whole game is to turn on ‘always sprint’ and never stop moving. If you treat it like a cover shooter then you’re doing it wrong in my opinion. 

This completely opened up the game for me. Thanks so much for posting this. 

[Stanley]

9 hours ago, LaveDisco said:

Incredible evening on this. Found a parasite that boosted max health for getting or curing malfunctions and went full out to get malfunctions. Had 250% health by the time I got to the second boss (for the first time ever) neon everywhere, completely in the zone. Killed boss with a tiny slither of my health reminding. First time. Unbelievable feeling. 
 

Should have been higher in my GOTY list. 

I need to start thinking this way more - I keep avoiding anything malignant. 

[GamesGamesGames]

As someone suggested upthread, and it can't be stressed enough, this is an arcade game. Play it as such.

[LaveDisco]

12 minutes ago, GamesGamesGames said:

As someone suggested upthread, and it can't be stressed enough, this is an arcade game. Play it as such.

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was claiming that arcade was dead. 
 

[smac]

42 minutes ago, Stanley said:

I need to start thinking this way more - I keep avoiding anything malignant. 

 

Suit malfunctions are going to like any other RNG result - you can be mildly affected, or they can be very bad for your build.

 

So far I've been routinely picking up malignant items - if you shoot the purple cabbage gems/alien egg-like things, that sometimes generates them. Suit malfunctions are always correctable individually by doing X more than Y times, and there's a consumable that clears them all.

 

The worst one I had was taking damage whenever you picked up any item - that killed me before I cleared it; stuff like 'Damage is 30% while you are not moving' never really bother you.

[Stanley]

I’m having an amazing run at the moment, the more parasites I have the quicker my proficiency goes up by 20% got loads of extra heath, two nullification spheres and all kinds of augments, and I’m only on the first world - that adrenaline leech is the bomb. 

[Stanley]

So I beat Ixion and just, just, wow.

 

I took my time today as I had a day off and I just devoted it to playing this. Just one run but it was so perfect. Everything clicked and fell into place to the point it felt almost predestined. I feel like I’m growing a real affinity for the game and its systems now, and, again, it’s just perfect. 
 

It’s not often you get to say that about a game is it, that it’s perfect, and maybe, eventually, I’ll discover something about it that I think is less than perfect, or off, or whatever, but for now, it really is just this masterfully crafted piece of perfect arcade genius. 

I stuck Halo Infinite on the other day as I still haven’t finished the campaign, and it’s great, I love it. But you know compared to this is like comparing Super Mario Odyssey to some third party nonsense such as Spyro. Ok maybe that’s a bit harsh as like I say I love Halo, that and Zelda are my faves, they will always be my faves. But this now occupies a space in my being only really joined by the Dark Souls series, it’s special. It just sits there in the ether in its own dazzlingly perfect blue sphere. 
 

So yeah I beat Ixion and the exhilaration I experienced was like nothing else. My whole body was shaking and my head was so hot I thought the headset might be welded to my ears.

 

Today was quite possibly the best gaming experience I’ve ever had. 

 

[SpagMasterSwift]

Take that you flappy bastard!

[LaveDisco]

I totally agree @Stanley. It's magical.

 

When HouseMarque called Arcade dead [to them] it really hurt.

 

But I realise now it was like if Nintendo announced the Platformer was dead on the eve  of Mario 64's release. Or Action RPGs before Ocarina of time. It's not dead. it's just everything is changing.

It's no exaggeration to say this game is that level of paradigm shift. They've dragged the Arcade into the future.

[Sarlaccfood]

Yeah now it has mid-game saves this is a 10 isn’t it?

[Stanley]

47 minutes ago, LaveDisco said:

I totally agree @Stanley. It's magical.

 

When HouseMarque called Arcade dead [to them] it really hurt.

 

But I realise now it was like if Nintendo announced the Platformer was dead on the eve  of Mario 64's release. Or Action RPGs before Ocarina of time. It's not dead. it's just everything is changing.

It's no exaggeration to say this game is that level of paradigm shift. They've dragged the Arcade into the future.

Yeah it’s has an energy I’ve not felt before in a game, and just as Mario 64 was that perfect synergy of creativity and technology, so is this. There’s no way it would work on last gen consoles, at least not without so many sacrifices that it would look and feel, and sound, really different. 

[BitterToad]

2 hours ago, Stanley said:

Yeah it’s has an energy I’ve not felt before in a game, and just as Mario 64 was that perfect synergy of creativity and technology, so is this. There’s no way it would work on last gen consoles, at least not without so many sacrifices that it would look and feel, and sound, really different. 

If it ain't making my hands all rumbly it ain't Returnal. 

[Stanley]

I love all the little sounds and rumbles the pad does in this, some of them are quite retro too. 

[jonamok]

The greatest sound/haptic combo in all of gaming happens when your alt-fire is fully recharged.

[Stanley]

Flippin’ eck level 3 boss 

 

I have got some cool shit now, and the game keeps getting weirder. 

[Sarlaccfood]

3 minutes ago, Stanley said:

Flippin’ eck level 3 boss 

 

I have got some cool shit now, and the game keeps getting weirder. 

My favourite Biome that. Reminds me of Doom/Quake too.

[smac]

1 hour ago, jonamok said:

The greatest sound/haptic combo in all of gaming happens when your alt-fire is fully recharged.

 

Especially when taking on a challenge arena. Here’s the pain, you muddyfunsters.

[CrichStand]

6 hours ago, Stanley said:

So I beat Ixion and just, just, wow.

 

I took my time today as I had a day off and I just devoted it to playing this. Just one run but it was so perfect. Everything clicked and fell into place to the point it felt almost predestined. I feel like I’m growing a real affinity for the game and its systems now, and, again, it’s just perfect. 
 

It’s not often you get to say that about a game is it, that it’s perfect, and maybe, eventually, I’ll discover something about it that I think is less than perfect, or off, or whatever, but for now, it really is just this masterfully crafted piece of perfect arcade genius. 

I stuck Halo Infinite on the other day as I still haven’t finished the campaign, and it’s great, I love it. But you know compared to this is like comparing Super Mario Odyssey to some third party nonsense such as Spyro. Ok maybe that’s a bit harsh as like I say I love Halo, that and Zelda are my faves, they will always be my faves. But this now occupies a space in my being only really joined by the Dark Souls series, it’s special. It just sits there in the ether in its own dazzlingly perfect blue sphere. 
 

So yeah I beat Ixion and the exhilaration I experienced was like nothing else. My whole body was shaking and my head was so hot I thought the headset might be welded to my ears.

 

Today was quite possibly the best gaming experience I’ve ever had. 

 

100%! I was watching Halo Infinite the other night and it just hit me how it’s not really changed much since the original, which was Halo Infinitely better. Lol. The campaign seems really dated and the quality is nowhere near the Sony first party stuff. Jumping onto this its like blasting off into the future. It’s proper next gen but retains the Housemarque arcade magic from their other games.
 

Have you played Resogun? It’s got the same energy as Returnal, amazing game. Stuff like Ninja Gaiden and Bayo have to a certain extent too. Biome 3 Boss is very Ninja Gaiden/Bayo. This is now top dog for me though. Best game I’ve ever played. Absolute class!

[Stanley]

6 hours ago, CrichStand said:

Have you played Resogun? It’s got the same energy as Returnal, amazing game. Stuff like Ninja Gaiden and Bayo have to a certain extent too. Biome 3 Boss is very Ninja Gaiden/Bayo. This is now top dog for me though. Best game I’ve ever played. Absolute class!

Yeah Resogun and Nex Machina are two of my favourite PS4 games. 
 

I definitely need to study level 3 boss some more, I was all over the show 

 

This is one of those games that just makes me appreciate all games more really, every now and then you need one to reinvigorate the medium, and it does that. 
 

I wonder what Housemarque will do

next, I’m hoping Sony just gives them free reign. 
 

You know one game I didn’t play though, Matterfall. I’ll have to give that a go I reckon.