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SummaryReturnal transforms roguelike gameplay into a third-person shooter where players fight to survive a hostile planet that changes with every death. Players can switch instinctively between firing modes by using a single adaptive trigger and can get right back into the action after dying. PS5’s immersive 3D audio brings the alien world to life aroun... Read More
Rated T
Rated Tfor Teen

Developer:Housemarque

Returnal

Released On: 
Apr 30, 2021
Metascore
Generally Favorable
86
User score
7.4
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
86
93% Positive
107 Reviews
7% Mixed
8 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Feb 15, 2022
100
LEVEL (Czech Republic)
A perfect example of the performance of the PS5 and all its functions. Great gameplay and the music catches and won't let go until you get to the bottom of it all. But in the end, the final may surprise you unpleasantly.
May 25, 2021
92
Impulsegamer
The core gameplay loop is definitely not for everyone but the rewards for persisting are well worth pursuing here. The gunplay and movement feels absolutely divine and the “one more run” approach to the gameplay is certainly addictive and unique amongst larger budgeted titles.
User score
7.4
68% Positive
3251 Ratings
12% Mixed
550 Ratings
20% Negative
955 Ratings
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
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Sep 6, 2026
10
erwk99
My first roguelike, and I was honestly pretty hesitant about it at first. Ended up absolutely loving it. The combat is incredible, and the atmosphere and mystery make you want to keep going.
Sep 5, 2026
10
JoaoLeal
Esse jogo me surpreendeu. Não é exatamente o estilo de jogo que mais me agrada, mas Returnal não é apenas sair correndo e atirando sem se importar com a própria vida, mesmo sabendo que você vai “retornar”. É um jogo que começa pequeno e confuso, mas, conforme a campanha avança, vai se tornando cada vez mais misterioso, instigando o jogador a continuar, mesmo tendo que retornar ao mesmo ponto em um loop. A história foi o que mais me prendeu e o principal motivo de eu ter continuado jogando e, no fim, gostado tanto do jogo. Returnal possui uma lore profunda, cheia de mistérios e interpretações, que faz você querer entender o que realmente está acontecendo. E, quando chegamos ao desfecho, em vez de simplesmente responder a todas as perguntas, o jogo consegue deixar tudo ainda mais misterioso. É um final incrível e que continua na cabeça mesmo depois de terminar o jogo. No fim, Returnal foi uma surpresa para mim. Mesmo não sendo o meu estilo de jogo favorito, sua atmosfera, sua história e principalmente seus mistérios fizeram com que eu continuasse jogando até o fim.
Apr 29, 2021
90
TheSixthAxis
It feels immensely satisfying to be sat here in 2021, eons after playing Super Stardust HD on PS3, and see just how far Housemarque has come. Offering a visual bullet hell spectacle, a showcase for the DualSense controller and a rewarding sci-fi narrative woven around the roguelike loop, we can say with unflinching confidence that Returnal is the PS5’s best game to date.
Apr 29, 2021
88
Worth Playing
If there's a sticking point to Returnal, it's that it's a big PS5 exclusive that is most definitely not for everyone. It's next-gen beautiful all the way, but if you've never played a game like this before, even all that beauty and amazing design might not be worth the sense of dejection you might feel as the body count starts mounting. Returnal and other games like it will force newer players to ask questions about what kind of games they want to experience. It takes a little bit of weird thinking to relish the prospect of repeated punishment. I recommend it, just for the experience of it. If you're part of that wider audience who wants to give a next-gen roguelike a shot, then be prepared for an awakening. And another one. And … another one.
May 20, 2021
80
Edge Magazine
Returnal is by turns a gloriously dynamic action game and a dark slice of psychological horror. [Issue#259, p.106]
Apr 29, 2021
80
Screen Rant
People who love hard video games will find a lot to praise in Returnal, but the haunting beauty of Atropos is surrounded by a harsh environment that will overwhelm those who can't keep up.
Apr 29, 2021
60
GamesBeat
This lack of variety in the style of play makes every run feel samey, and they begin to blur together. That leads to a roteness that made me want to put down the game when I was struggling with the difficulty. I like challenging games, but roguelites need to walk a fine line between familiarity and routine. Familiarity is the warm embrace of something that feels like home. Routine is boredom, and it is poison for a game like this.
See All 115 Critic Reviews
Aug 3, 2026
10
Harlemb4real
My favorite PS5 game to date, i have over 900hr in Returnal, love the coop, i helped many other players beat the game, my favorite weapon Rotglang
Apr 30, 2026
7
JLord701
Returnal is a gorgeous, intense, and challenging 3rd-person shooter...that honestly isn't a great roguelike. It combines personal, cinematic storytelling, 3rd-person bullet-hell action, and roguelike elements to create a unique AAA experience. It's certainly not the most revolutionary or "out there" game from a major publisher, but I respect Sony for putting out a game like this. I can't think of any other AAA roguelikes, or at least ones with this much depth and attention to detail. That being said, this isn't a great roguelike. My main flaw with this game is the urge to just play "one more run". A single run in this game can take a few hours, especially. Enemies are unforgiving and hit hard, and death will be frequent, a staple of the genre. Outside of a few items that affect the way you interact with the world, you will lose all your progress upon death. None of your proficiency, currency, items, or health upgrades carry over, and to reach the final boss again, it will take a few hours of repeating this cycle. This makes it one of the most punishing games in the genre, so the urge to continue isn't as prevalent compared to games like Hades and The Binding of Issac. That being said, this is one of the few "truly next-gen-feeling" games I've played. It uses the DualSense controller in very unique ways, and the amount of stunning effects on screen is a treat for the eyes. It's a miracle this game manages to maintain a consistent 60 FPS. I don't know who I would recommend this game to. There are far better and more affordable roguelikes out there, and this game is extremely punishing. Overall, though, I still enjoyed my time with Returnal. It's a solid exclusive.
Feb 4, 2026
7
BarackolypseNow
Good middle of the road game. I do not like roguelikes generally because of how they work, you lose all your stuff or start over after every death. Just not a fun or forgiving way to play even in the slightest. This games story was interesting enough that it made it somewhat worth it to keep playing. The speed and pace of the game are what's keeping this game afloat. I loved the fact you can easily reenter the "void" or world within like seconds after death, so your pacing wasn't destroyed. The bosses were cool but extremely cheap, like almost like dark souls' games cheap with their hitboxes on the character. Decent game if you're on PlayStation, I would never buy the game even for a discount but its free on PSN so why not.
Sep 13, 2026
4
cansoylu
A Slick Action Game That Doesn’t Respect Your TimeI gave Returnal about 10 hours—long enough to clear a few biomes and realize I was just forcing myself to play. To be honest, the narrative feels like it’s barely trying. There’s some interesting lore buried here, but it’s so fragmented and sparse that I kept forgetting what was even going on until I stumbled upon a new recording, only to forget it again ten minutes later. It just doesn’t stay "alive" enough to make you **** irony is that the actual gameplay and flow are fantastic. The gunplay is punchy, the movement is fluid, and it hits all the right notes for a high-octane action game. But as a roguelike? It fails at the most basic level: progression. While the micro-progression within a single run (weapons, artifacts, etc.) is decent, the macro-progression is honestly pathetic. You get a sword, you get a hook... and that’s about it. It adds almost nothing to the long-term **** a good roguelike, dying should still feel like you've moved the needle forward. In Returnal, if you don't get a lucky RNG run, you've essentially just wasted an hour of your life for zero gain. The game is incredibly repetitive, but without the "permanent growth" hook that makes the genre addictive.Eventually, I decided to pull the plug because my time is too valuable to gamble on a loop that doesn't feel rewarding. If the game doesn't respect the effort I put in, I don't see the point in finishing it. It looks great and plays well, but it just doesn't meet the standards of the genre.Great mechanics trapped in a frustratingly hollow progression loop. Unless you have infinite time to kill and don't mind the grind, this one is a pass.
Jul 15, 2026
4
LONAMI
Juego muy repetitivo y muy frustrante la propuesta no es mala pero la ejecución sí , los enemigos todos iguales y los jefes hay alguno demasiado difícil
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  • PlayStation 5
  • PC
Apr 30, 2021
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