First off Returnal is one of my favorite games on PS5. So I was pumped for this game. I’m married with 3 kids and a full time job so my playtime is super limited, but since I love video games, I usually sacrifice some sleep and play for an hour or two after everyone goes to bed. As a Returnal lover and gamer dad, here is my take on this game so far after playing it for a few hours the past few days:
I went in totally blind with this game. I figured I got the platinum in Returnal so this would be cake. It was not cake. It is a challenge, especially the first boss. I also found myself comparing it to Returnal and at the start I was feeling like it wasn’t as good as Returnal. The issue was that this game took awhile to click for me, especially the shield. I died to the first boss like 5 or 6 times before I finally figured some things out. Now as I progress deeper into the 4th Biome I am completely hooked. The gameplay, graphics, sound, exploration and the insane bullet dancing is absolutely amazing. I LOVE this game. It’s a perfect successor to Returnal. My only issue is getting to find some time to actually play it. I highly recommend this game to everyone. It’s a 10/10 for me. Also unlike when Returnal first came out, you can sleep mode the game and come back to where you were (unless you are on a boss) and there are shortcuts you can unlock. So for my sporadic game time, it’s great. If your game play time is limited this is a game where you can do a run and shut it off then do another run later.
As I said, when I started playing this I played it blind. So I had no clue how stats worked or how to best use the shield, or what the heck the power weapon was. In fact my first 4 attempts at the boss I had no clue how to use the power weapon so I didn’t use it. In a later run, I stopped and just started practicing and testing everything out. Then I learned how to use my shield, how to punch/parry attacks, and how to use the super weapons. I also switched the dash from R1 to circle and as a souls game player that made it much easier as well. I recommend on the first few runs just to learn the abilities and try to use all your tools so you can master them.
I just wanted to share my experience with everyone. If you are on the fence about this game, I highly recommend getting it and playing it. It’s a masterpiece and it’s so much fun. This is a game you don’t want to miss.