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Returnal |OT| Live. Die. Repeat.

Mr Hyde

Gold Member
Time to take a break. This game is kicking my ass so hard. Holy shit. I was prepared for a challenge, but Housemarque was all like "hold my beer" and turned it up to 11. Gruesome. And people say Sony is only catering to casuals and doesn't take risks? It takes some serious balls producing a game like this on a AAA-level with these kinda production values. Sony is still courting the hardcore audience, make no mistake. First Demon's Souls and now Returnal. It's a one two punch right in the kisser.
 
i am going through the same thing since last night. beat the first boss with no problems. then have wasted almost 6 hours on this second boss. have only fought him twice because i also randomly die. those damn turrets are the worst.

i just use the first world to get some health but thats it. i am not going through 75% of the level jsut to get to the shop so i can buy the integrity upgrade. especially when the weapons dont level up beyond 5.

i cant believe they thought spawning you with a handgun everytime was a good idea. i have to fight those flying mantis enemies in world 2 with a level 0 pistol. like wtf.

Use the first world to get a better weapon. There's very, very little difference between a level 0 and level 5 weapon

You'll be able to jump straight to the 3rd world from the 1st once you've beaten the boss (still need to find the shortcut of course)
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Use the first world to get a better weapon. There's very, very little difference between a level 0 and level 5 weapon

You'll be able to jump straight to the 3rd world from the 1st once you've beaten the boss (still need to find the shortcut of course)
can i take on the second world boss with a level 5 weapon? im at a point where i am just thinking of running through the levels and using the boss shortcut to fight the boss instead of going in there all prepared.
 

Thief1987

Member
Time to take a break. This game is kicking my ass so hard. Holy shit. I was prepared for a challenge, but Housemarque was all like "hold my beer" and turned it up to 11. Gruesome. And people say Sony is only catering to casuals and doesn't take risks? It takes some serious balls producing a game like this on a AAA-level with these kinda production values. Sony is still courting the hardcore audience, make no mistake. First Demon's Souls and now Returnal. It's a one two punch right in the kisser.
Did you beat third boss?) Your previous post was so intense😅
 
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can i take on the second world boss with a level 5 weapon? im at a point where i am just thinking of running through the levels and using the boss shortcut to fight the boss instead of going in there all prepared.

I beat him with a level 0 carbine. Damage output doesn't change much from a level 0 to level 5 weapon

The perks made more of a difference i.e armour piercing
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
I beat him with a level 0 carbine. Damage output doesn't change much from a level 0 to level 5 weapon

The perks made more of a difference i.e armour piercing
thanks. thats good to know. i was saving ether for reconstruction but now i figured id just use it at the crash site to unlock some artifacts. where else can i use ether besides removing malfucntion on chests? is there a shop inside the ship?
 
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thanks. thats good to know. i was saving ether for reconstruction but now i figured id just use it at the crash site to unlock some artifacts. where else can i use ether besides removing malfucntion on chests? is there a shop inside the ship?

Nah nothing on the ship besides the daily challenge stuff

I generally just trade mine for the currency to buy a large medpack/any good artifacts at the shop
 
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GHG

Member
Lol I completely ignore everything to do with malfunctions.

They are not worth the risk at all

I might start doing that.

The parasites are a great design choice but some of these malfunctions are something else.
I am so fucking done. So many idiotic design choices.

There is a boss portal shortcut. Good
It's mid way through the second World. Bad.
You still have to go through the first World every time just to get to the second world. Stupid.
The shop that sells health upgrades, resurrection stones and all other critical items you need to beat the boss is NOT at the boss portal shortcut. It's much much further into the second World so you basically have to replay the entire level hat to get to the boss with decent items and weapons.

Moronic.

You keep nothing. You don't keep your weapons. Your artifacts. Heath upgrades. Weapon levels. Mods only get added to the loot pool after you unlock them. What? Let me modify.

So many runs are ruined by rng. One only had malfunction chests. One had me go through like ten rooms just to get to the second world. Screenshot below.


nxoDbnp.jpg

Honestly all the reviewers who compared this to Hades are morons. They are nothing alike apart from the fact that death means you restart. All of this stuff is fine if you tell people that's what they are getting themselves in to but when I saw comparisons to Hades I thought, ok cool, there's some meta progression. Nope, not that I've seen so far.

I mean, is there even a way to eventually chose your starting weapon or is it always guaranteed to be the basic pistol?
 
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trikster40

Member
I preordered at Best Buy yesterday and it was listed as ready to pick up the following day. Today came, though, and it just sat at the same status all day: preparing order for pick up. I just checked a local Taget and one store nearby had 4 copies. Reserved there and supposedly it's ready for pick up. Canceled the Best Buy order.
Thought about doing that myself, but I don’t want to miss my preorder bonuses. Apparently they’re coming in Tuesday, guess I can wait.
 
I might start doing that.

The parasites are a great design choice but some of these malfunctions are something else.

Yeah especially when they get paired with some ridiculous criteria to get rid of them

Had one that required me to get 4 multikills which is just an absolute pain in the ass

Once you ignore them though the parasites are even better. I had a whole stack where most of the negatives were based on malfunctions so essentially free buffs
 
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Spukc

always chasing the next thrill
wave 2 boss 3 and I died. Fuck this game so bad. Do I srsly need to climb this clownhouse of doom every fucking time I want to have a go at this boss? Jesus.
act 2 did this way better. It's not hard it's a fucking drag.

esp the golem part there is absolutely zero fucking reason to take on those big ass monsters... when all you need is your health for the boss.
Fuck i tried rushing.. I ended up at the boss. with half a inch of health..

F


yes parasites with slower combo timer and bad malfunctions. or higher chance to malfunctions are my fren :messenger_sunglasses: :messenger_beaming: :messenger_sunglasses:
 
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GHG

Member
Seriously what's the quickest way to get back to the first boss?

I don't think the boss itself is that hard, it's all the shit I have to get through to get back to him that's the problem at the moment.
 
When the RNG goes against you this game is harder than Dark/Demons Souls.

Seriously, fuck the malfunction that makes you lose health every time you pick something up. I just had a run end because I forgot about it...

I feel like the game would be much more balanced if so many of the items weren't locked behind RNG.

Like for instance, every fabricator area should have health vials that you can buy. And similarly, there should be dedicated areas where you can farm for obelerites.

As of right now the health situation just feels like a roll of the dice. If each playthrough I could stock up on a few vials it would make the sting of these mini-bosses in confined environments less of an issue.
 

GHG

Member
I feel like the game would be much more balanced if so many of the items weren't locked behind RNG.

Like for instance, every fabricator area should have health vials that you can buy. And similarly, there should be dedicated areas where you can farm for obelerites.

As of right now the health situation just feels like a roll of the dice. If each playthrough I could stock up on a few vials it would make the sting of these mini-bosses in confined environments less of an issue.

I just want a way to be able to select my starting weapon.

If I want to shotgun everything to the face then I should be able to do so from the very first room.
 
I feel like the game would be much more balanced if so many of the items weren't locked behind RNG.

Like for instance, every fabricator area should have health vials that you can buy. And similarly, there should be dedicated areas where you can farm for obelerites.

As of right now the health situation just feels like a roll of the dice. If each playthrough I could stock up on a few vials it would make the sting of these mini-bosses in confined environments less of an issue.

The fabricators always have a large health vial for sale. I don't believe i've run into one where they haven't

Make sure you do the optional blue doors. Once you've unlocked the third world you'll have more areas available to you in the first and second world to get some additional items and buffs.

I've managed to start every run in 3rd biome with at least 200% integrity, 2 large med packs and some additional buffs on top. + I've always found my weapon of choice
 
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Spukc

always chasing the next thrill
The fabricators always have a large health vial for sale. I don't believe i've run into one where they haven't

Make sure you do the optional blue doors. Once you've unlocked the third world you'll have more areas available to you in the first and second world to get some additional items and buffs.

I've managed to start every run in 3rd biome with at least 200% integregity, 2 large med packs and some additional buffs on top. + I've always found my weapon of choice
Episode 4 Tegridy GIF by South Park
 

skit_data

Member
Starting to get a hang of it now, just killed Phrike and I’m exploring the Crimson Desert atm. Haven’t experienced any more crashes to homescreen, changing suit to the standard one might have helped with that.

I’m getting more and more impressed by Housemarque, they have somehow managed to create a 3rd person shooter in a roguelike formula that one have to approach with a arcade shoot’em up mindset. Truly original, there is definitely nothing like it at this moment.

But I also see why some people may get very frustrated, it really is unforgiving and old school in some aspects.
 
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DonJorginho

Banned
This game is breaking me, on the third biome with a great set up and have gotten through to the bridge to get into that broadcast tower, as i run across 15-20 robot drones appear with their missiles barrage me and kill me due to not being able to deal with them all at once (literally 15-20 of them coming at me at the same time) but I was happy as my Astronaut figurine brought me back. ONLY TO SPAWN ME OFF THE BRIDGE CONTINOUSLY sending me into a panic where I tried to dash back onto the bridge whilst these fucking robots kept firing, I eventually managed to dash onto the bridge with half my health, and as I step foot onto the surface of that cold alien bridge, a barrage of missiles cunt me right in the face and that 1hr 15 minute run is for nothing.

I am a broken man, I have been stuck in this biome for 4.5 hours after zooming through the first two, this biome sucks SO much balls and I don't know what Housemarque were thinking with the drastic increase in difficulty, maybe I'm just getting unlucky with the procedurally generated runs but it seems everytime I reach the Derelict Citadel every room has either multiple flying drone robots or them with a massive automaton for measure.

My biggest problem with Returnal is that my runs aren't feeling meaningful, I'm not getting anything that I can carry over other than Ether rn, my deaths are mostly feeling cheap compared to the first two biomes, and the runs just take too long for them to be easy to pick up and play. Either you rush into the biome you need to get to but arrive underpowered and in bad shape health wise which leaves you fucked or you take too long getting prepared for the biome only to lose 3/4s of the way into it to something cheap (ie. bridge spawning me off of it with 15 missile drones, 3 big automaton robots coming at me in one room at the same time)

I am ALL for a challenge, I am loving it when the third biome gives me a fair challenge, it's just when something cheap happens it rubs some of that shine off my initial impressions, I really feel like a save function is needed as if runs aren't rewarding enough for the amount of time they require of the player, then the player should have the option to partition that marathon run into bitesized chunks, especially if they have real life tasks they have to do daily that take them away from the console (and please do not give me that rest mode excuse, it's a pitiful "solution" and we both know it)

So yeah, still fond of this game, but I'm starting to like it more than I love it, just for these cheap feelings beginning to become more of a regular occurrence.

Jim Carrey Scream GIF
 
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skit_data

Member
I was going to wait to purchase the game, but I decided to jump after seeing a lot of the positive feedback on this game..


This game is great. I feels like Metroid mixed with Control - two games that I really love.
It really is like Metroid Prime and Control but its just as much, if not more, a pretty hardcore shoot’em up and that really needs to be emphasized

Edit: I really have no idea how Bo_Hazem Bo_Hazem managed to finish the game in 11 hours. I think I’m at roughly 6-7h and I’ve only managed to finish the first boss. Kudos to him, the tips proved very much useful!
 
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GHG

Member
I swear it's like Housemarque took all the best theories from the early Death Stranding trailers and made them into a game.

So many parallels to some of the themes in Death Stranding.
 

Brigandier

Member
Love the gunplay in this game its fantastic, controls outside of a derpy jump are great and it runs great too.

I'm finding it a little obnoxious having to restart with nothing, I very nearly beat boss 2 but took a beating off the blue walls in 2nd life bar.

I had full health and lots of upgrades and a really powerful gun, If I had that gun now I'd smash it.

Ran around a little to get some health upgrades and some suit augments and I landed in a pit with a monster and some spheres shooting lazers at me.. Died turned the game off, I'm currently pissed off.
 

FrankWza

Member
.
Ran around a little to get some health upgrades and some suit augments and I landed in a pit with a monster and some spheres shooting lazers at me.
I’ve done this a few times now. It’s not even being greedy. It’s being needy. You know you’ll get beat down if you don’t so why not take the chance. But then you second guess whether you should have just gone for it. Crazy
 

GHG

Member
Love the gunplay in this game its fantastic, controls outside of a derpy jump are great and it runs great too.

I'm finding it a little obnoxious having to restart with nothing, I very nearly beat boss 2 but took a beating off the blue walls in 2nd life bar.

I had full health and lots of upgrades and a really powerful gun, If I had that gun now I'd smash it.

Ran around a little to get some health upgrades and some suit augments and I landed in a pit with a monster and some spheres shooting lazers at me.. Died turned the game off, I'm currently pissed off.

I'm laughing because I can 100% relate to this.

This game has managed to piss me off in ways that no Dark Souls games has ever done.
 

JusticeForAll

Gold Member
I really enjoy the game, but to be honest, I feel it would be better if there was more of a sense of progression between deaths. Now there's... Ether? And that's about it. Makes runs where you RNG ***** you over feel totally meaningless.

I don't even need a save option, but just more of a sense of progression would go a long way.
 
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skit_data

Member
Holy shit, got to Ixion. Managed to get him to 1/5 of his last healthpool.

These bullet hell visuals, so sick. I’ve had less intense and trippy acid experiences than this.
 
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Thief1987

Member
Will be interesting to see percentage of game completion trophy in the future. 37.4% already beat first boss, i think it's not a bad start.😁
Only beat first boss on my second run, and it was pretty easy, but was quickly wiped by giant flying thing with tentacles in the second biome. All right, game, challenge accepted!
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
I am a broken man, I have been stuck in this biome for 4.5 hours after zooming through the first two, this biome sucks SO much balls and I don't know what Housemarque were thinking with the drastic increase in difficulty, maybe I'm just getting unlucky with the procedurally generated runs but it seems everytime I reach the Derelict Citadel every room has either multiple flying drone robots or them with a massive automaton for measure.
nah, you just got lucky with the first two worlds. i beat the first world in like an hour or two. i think i only died once.

world 2 was insane. i kept getting moments like that where all of a sudden people would gang up on me, or i would just get the shittiest RNG. took me 6 maybe 8 hours to beat.

world 3 has been challenging but ok so far. there is no difficulty increase. its all RNG.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
It really is like Metroid Prime and Control but its just as much, if not more, a pretty hardcore shoot’em up and that really needs to be emphasized

Edit: I really have no idea how Bo_Hazem Bo_Hazem managed to finish the game in 11 hours. I think I’m at roughly 6-7h and I’ve only managed to finish the first boss. Kudos to him, the tips proved very much useful!

Went back for that sun pieces BS. Finished the whole biome, and even killed the boss while at it. Opened every room, went to every secret, back and forth and found NOTHING! If Housemarque wanna play BS stuff with me I'm done with the game, though would get anything extra from the house but nothing. The secret place as I can see is in front of the house but you can't reach there. I'll just go watch it on youtube. Took me I think one hour or less to fully complete the 1st biome. Man, melee attacks are really OP! Should add that to the tips!
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
The fabricators always have a large health vial for sale. I don't believe i've run into one where they haven't

Make sure you do the optional blue doors. Once you've unlocked the third world you'll have more areas available to you in the first and second world to get some additional items and buffs.

I've managed to start every run in 3rd biome with at least 200% integrity, 2 large med packs and some additional buffs on top. + I've always found my weapon of choice
yeah, but thats what an hour or two of grinding just to get to world 3? and what happens when you walk into a room with lasers and robots exploding in your face? you lose all that progress you spent hours grinding for.

i am now climbing the tower in world 3, and now they are adding platforming with lasers. like come on lol. im just trying to get to the boss.

is it just me or have they increased the difficulty in world 1 and made them even longer to get to world 3?

i swear these devs. just add shortcuts to the other worlds next to the ship you dumb cunts.
 

bender

What time is it?
Made it to the second biome and the combat just isn't clicking with me. I think part of it is the bullet travel time to enemies. I really wish the active reload mechanic for overcharge was mapped to a different button that fire. I'm having a hard time with special awareness is combat encounters with large groups of enemies and I always seem to be a tick off on jumps or dashes to avoid enemy attacks. From a design standpoint, I'm not really loving the diversity of the stitched together sections of the map as they repeat early and often. From an itemization standpoint, it feels like they drop way too many consumables or maybe I should just be using them more. I also think it tends to rely a little too heavily on most items having a bonus and a penalty. The challenges to clear suit corruption is a brilliant idea. I do wish there were some mechanic to recycle unused drops (weapons, consumables) to gain currency in the game.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
yeah, but thats what an hour or two of grinding just to get to world 3? and what happens when you walk into a room with lasers and robots exploding in your face? you lose all that progress you spent hours grinding for.

i am now climbing the tower in world 3, and now they are adding platforming with lasers. like come on lol. im just trying to get to the boss.

is it just me or have they increased the difficulty in world 1 and made them even longer to get to world 3?

i swear these devs. just add shortcuts to the other worlds next to the ship you dumb cunts.

Just go to the gate with the circle above it, that will make you go straight to the next biome. You should find it within 1-3 minutes.
 

skit_data

Member
What's the deal with dodging. I'm still getting hit
I’ve noticed its when and where to dodge that is most important, in bossfights it gets extremely important because if timing is off you can get killed fast by being ”off rythm”. I think it takes a while to get used to the length of the dodge and a couple of enemy/boss encounters to learn how to time the dodge depending on how their projectile pattern looks/behaves
 
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