Developer Housemarque is not known for its expansive 3D action-adventures, but it will be now. Returnal is a hugely accomplished game elevated by a clever, discoverable story and memorable set-pieces. Hopefully this is the start of something big for PlayStation.

Deep and involving storyline; Great life cycle premise; Superb shooter action; One of the first PS5 games to truly make use of haptics; Stunning visuals;

Rock hard - maybe too much so for some;

Returnal puts its own stamp on the roguelike genre, blending ever-changing levels and permadeath with an intense third-person shooter experience. While players are often at the mercy of Returnal’s unpredictability – for better or worse – the immersive storytelling and the utilization of Sony’s latest hardware makes it feel like a true PS5 exclusive.

DualSense support is subtle but effective; Sounds amazing with headphones; Seamless loading times; Immersive storytelling; Environment changes keep gameplay fresh;

Few persistent upgrades; Runs can feel needlessly long; Combat can feel repetitive

Developer Housemarque is not known for its expansive 3D action-adventures, but it will be now. Returnal is a hugely accomplished game elevated by a clever, discoverable story and memorable set-pieces. Hopefully this is the start of something big for PlayStation.

Deep and involving storyline; Great life cycle premise; Superb shooter action; One of the first PS5 games to truly make use of haptics; Stunning visuals;

Rock hard - maybe too much so for some;

Returnal expertly weaves shoot 'em up and Metroidvania mechanics into its base, roguelike gameplay. Though its tight controls, visual fidelity, and intriguing story may entice you to play, the game's almost insurmountable difficulty will certainly alienate a portion of its intended audience.

Stunning, next-gen graphics, Unpredictable, ever-shifting environments, Tight controls

Unforgiving difficulty

Something very very unique among triple A titles, if you like shooting and wee bit of horror this is it.

OMG the best Sci-fi plus a bit of horror game ever play. It is impressive overall.

Returnal is an arthouse blockbuster, both a technical marvel that fully showcases every aspect of the PS5 that makes it features absolutely sing while providing a bold choice of structure, narrative twists and other leftfield moments that embrace the new weird. It’s also uncompromisingly tough as nails, which might scare off a more mainstream audience. But this is a game that doesn’t do half-measures on either its gameplay or as a truly next-gen exclusive that you won’t find anywhere else. Let its tentacles embrace you and by the time you come out the other side bruised and battered from your infinite battles, you won’t want to let go of it either.

Showcases every unique feature of PS5 to its fullest; Brilliant combination of bullet-hell shooting, exploration and roguelike; Epic memorable (and tough) bosses; Constantly surprising with its story and structure;

Frighteningly difficult at first; Some runs can be down to luck;

It'll all make (dual) sense in the end

Truly awesome 60fps presentation, Immersive surround sound mix, Clever life cycle premise, The gameplay is simple to get into, but complex, Best use...

This game will kick you in the face if you don't concentrate, but when you do actually make progress through it, no other game feel like this. One star off for how rage-inducing this game is when you die during a long run.

Incredibly hard rogue like game with amazing graphics, atmospheric 3D audio and very addictive gameplay. Get ready to write off a large chunk of your time!