Back for seconds
PS5-exclusive arcade-roguelike Returnal gets free expansion, plus online co-op
Returnal wowed us last year with its demanding action and impressive implementation of PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech. Protagonist Selene is trapped in a roguelike loop on a hostile alien planet, though time isn’t exactly repeating itself, as evidenced by the bodies left behind after your earlier, failed runs. A free update capitalises on that existential horror with co-op functionality and much more besides.
Update 3.0, the Ascension expansion, introduces not only a helping hand but a hefty serving of challenge. The Tower Of Sisyphus is a new location that presents an arcadey, endless-run-style gauntlet. Every phase of the tower ends with a boss encounter, and they get harder the higher you climb. There are more crumbs of Selene’s story sprinkled throughout too. As this is something of a return to developer Housemarque’s arcade action roots, there’s plenty of opportunity for chasing high scores, with points multipliers and leaderboards to scale.
A CLONE IN THE DARK
If you’re looking for something less competitive and more collaborative, the added online co-op is worth investigating. As long as you’ve got a PS Plus subscription, you can join a public cycle and help a stranger out, join a chum’s private cycle, or host your own. Just access the Chronosis portal (you’ll find this near Selene’s crash site, as well as at a few other spots in-game), and you’ll be away. With both of you playing as Selenes from different timelines, progression is largely tied to whoever is hosting the cycle. Partnering players will retain any logs or xenoglyphs that they uncover, though. And if one of you is downed, the other Selene can attempt to revive her mirror image, albeit at the risk of exposing herself to any lingering threats. Still, on Atropos two heads are always better than one and it’s worth the risk.
You can jump into Atropos with a friend or stranger right now, or, if you fancy a tougher challenge, try your luck ascending the Tower Of Sisyphus. What do you think about the expansion? Let us know @PLAYgamingmag