Games are designed to be beaten these days, especially Sony published ones. If you look at the completion rate for releases like God of War and The Last of Us 2, they’re extraordinarily high, despite delivering fairly long campaigns. Returnal is an exception: the punishing roguelike demands perfection, and current Trophy data reveals that only 58 per cent of players saw off the first boss.
It’s perhaps not surprising to see the Housemarque release among the most retired games of 2021, then. The data has been published by HowLongToBeat.com, and thus only reflects the active community of that particular website – but it’s largely corroborated by Trophy data, where just 10 per cent of players managed to see off Act 3. Retired, in this instance, refers to players dropping the game prior to completion.
Games like Twelve Minutes, The Ascent, Outriders, and The Medium were retired by more players than Returnal, and it’s interesting how the list is largely dominated by releases that launched on Xbox’s Game Pass subscription – you could perhaps infer from the data that gamers feel less compelled to complete games they didn’t pay full-price for, which makes sense.
Nevertheless, Returnal’s inclusion on the list is no real surprise: it’s demanding by design. Clearly not everyone had the patience for it, though.
[source howlongtobeat.com]
Comments 114
I'll probably never finish this but it's the only game I've ever played 99% knowing I won't finish but still love it.
If that makes sense !
Like you said… game pass is showing it’s influence there.
I made it to the boss in Biome 3 with about 5% health and died. It pretty much killed my spirit and haven't touched the game since. I moved on to other games. I told myself I would come back Returnal but never have. That said I don't regret paying full price for it. I enjoyed my time with it. Outstanding use of the DuelSense and 3D audio.
@hypnotoad
Sometimes we hate the things we love haha.
I finished this game 100%, pre-patch. Grew up playing Housemarque games. Love arcade style games, and this really isn't even their toughest one by a country mile.
And honestly... this is my least favorite game of theirs. The grind was pretty rough. The time travel story devolved into vague nonsense, or I was too stupid to understand it. Game did not resonate with me... so I do understand you.
Act 2 has a 23% completion rate - I imagine some would consider that beating the game. I guess that’s still kinda low though
I gave up after biome 5 in Returnal. That was too much bull**** for me to deal with. I'm amazed it ranked higher than Oddworld though. That broke my patience with the blimp level.
Also, I get why 12 Minutes is #1, because that thing is tedious as hell if you don't have that point-and-click fortitude.
Finally, I'd love to know why people gave up on The Medium so much. I didn't like it, but it's not a very scary nor challenging game at all. It's played and written like baby's first horror game. Maybe it was just so boring for a lot of people that they gave up. Lord knows the awful ending isn't worth the slog through it.
@UnlimitedSevens Well I've only played this game, Super Stardust and Resogun and I've loved them all.
Really glad Sony have swallowed them up tbh, mate.
@UnlimitedSevens Nah, you weren't too stupid to understand it. Even after diving into the lore on TV Tropes, I still felt completely unsatisfied with how they presented the narrative. It's a lot of work for very little reward.
@RBMango Monty On The Run on C64 - now that was a lot of work for little reward !
I did fully complete it and I’m glad I did despite grabbing it off a user on here because imagine paying the full £70 and not even getting your money’s worth!
I've put this game down, with the intention to play again, but who knows, my library is full of games I've put down but not come back to. Just a thought, was this game made so hard to justify the price point? If the game takes longer to finish, there is more value.
Not surprised. A challenging action game with rougelike elements that lead to you having to start your runs over from the beginning? Sounds frustrating.
Then again, there's a reason I avoid the genre, apart from Toejam and Earl.
@UnlimitedSevens The ‘plot’ was complete nonsense from start to finish. Raising questions with zero answers doesn’t even amount to a plot. You aren’t stupid at all!
If it hadn't have been for Ratchet and Psychonauts 2 then this would've been my game of the year....instead of a 3 way tie.
You will have completed multiple full runs if you manage to finish Act 3. While sure, it’s the real ending, it’s still like beating the game multiple times. I am sure there are people who beat the final boss the first time and were like cool, and moved on.
I died at the boss of Biome 3 in the end stages too many times, became frustrated and gave up. I don't regret my purchase. Great showpiece for the 3D pulse headphones. Love the warping from place to place also Good game I just didn't have the patience to "get good".
My GOTY. Absolutely love the atmosphere and the controls are top notch. When I get hit or die in Returnal, it’s because I messed up - unlike in Demon’s Souls where there’s so much BS and cheapness - plus if you have a bad build and/or world tendency you’re in for an even rougher time.
I get why people couldn't finish Twelve Minutes, I myself got quite frustrated after exhausting basically every different combination I could possibly think of the story somehow still did not progress lol. The Ascent bugged out on me so never got to play it any further 😅
The other games I've played on that list I have actually completed and thought were very worthwhile.
@hypnotoad that is me with every Soulsborne release. Love everything about 'em except for the fact that I am just not good enough (or patient enough) to finish them. I'm sure I will repeat the insanity with Elden ring 😂
I’m in the top 10% 🥲
@TBubs311 Me too mate with regards Elden Ring.
I've pre-ordered it knowing that it will kick my arse all over the place.
I'll still enjoy it though.
"Retired, in this instance, refers to players dropping the game prior to completion."
Thank you.
Never played this 1, not my thing. Maybe next year after my kid finishes Elden Ring and it's on sale for like $10 we'll pick it up and I'll watch them play for a bit just to see what it's like.
Game is completely inaccessible to me. I don't have the reflexes and coordination I used to. Not asking it not to be either. Every game can't be for everyone.
I think this game looks really good and I want to play it but I don't want to because I know how hard it is and I won't waste money on a game that I know will frustrate the heck out of me. If it comes to PlayStation Plus or Now or the new Playstation Pass then I will be the first one in line.
The Ascent. I was really looking forward to that, but I thought it was awful. Played about 30 minutes and 10 was creating a character. Haha.
I finished the game but the survey trophies are too RNG-dependent! I do feel that the bosses weren't particularly challenging. Biome 4 and the final boss seemed half-assed tbh. I guess the difficulty came from having the patience to start from scratch more than the actual fighting. Was easy to find the perfect "sniping" positions more often in the various biomes. Maybe that made it easier than intended. Died to bosses and mobs way more times in souls-likes. That said, I enjoyed the game but only because I could finally save progress as I often get tempted to switch to multiplayer games with friends. Surprised about Outriders though. I enjoyed its gameplay loop and keeping to the highest world tier was sometimes quite challenging.
If Act 3 is the threshold, then I technically haven’t beat it either. I’ve left it installed though, telling myself that I’ll pick away at Act 3 over time. It’s a really great game.
And I'm one of them, if it wasn't for the difficulty I would of completed it and so would many many more people and it probably would of stood a better chance of getting game of the year, a difficulty option goes a long way
Also for those not sure if they wolant to buy it I would wait as I'm pretty certain it's going to be a ps plus game next year
When, or rather if, I buy a game new at release I damn well make sure I get through it. Bugged or glitchy or whatever, I'm not going to drop it if I paid full price for it. I'll suffer through it if I have to.
If Sony had a refund policy though? Now there would be a different story...
The Ascent wouldn't be so high up that list if it had difficulty options at launch. I finished it before they got patched in and it was brutally hard at times. Brilliant game regardless of the spikes.
The learning curve is pretty high in Returnal. Having to start over again just to run through the same scenarios over and over again (even though they change every time you die, you eventually see the same ones) to make it to the boss only to die, is a bit exhausting.
I wonder how this game did in sales? It makes me wonder if having difficulty settings might have made the game a bit more accessible and therefore a better seller…
For anyone moaning about having to restart this game regularly, you really need to go back to the 8-bit computer days.
You really do...
I've had the game since pre-order but am yet to start it (I just have way too much to play, right now). Do the statistics include people such as me, or would you actually have to start the game to be included in the statistics?
I finally got around to playing returnal and just beat it the other day. I didn’t find it to be very difficult and I don’t think I’m particularly good at video games. I guess the looping nature of it turns people off.
I seriously doubt there will be a sequel. And in a day where anything even moderately financially successful gets a sequel that speaks volumes
@hypnotoad That’s a bit of a stretch mate, I don’t think anybody would really want to go back to waiting 10 minutes for a tape to load or having zero saves at all. Roguelikes are designed that way, at least it doesn’t have a password system!
@nessisonett 10 minutes !!!
A tad conservative, my friend.
SPOILERS!!!! If anyone wants a way to cheese the ending make sure to use the Reconstructor. I did it on a previous playthrough after dying to the boss and when you get back there is a glitch where it doesn't show up. Luckily didn't need it when I finally got the key.
Different take on game pass: it allows players to try games they had no interest in, just because it was free to try and simply there. If it’s not their cup of tea, it’s not their cup of tea and they just drop it.
Good to see I am one of the elite that actually finished Act 3. 😉
Absolutely stellar game and definitely among my favorite games over the last couple years. Definitely worthwhile to stick with it and complete, for those who are on the fence about pushing through that awful Biome 3 😄
According to the trophy for Act 3, 30.6% of players have it. So it doesn’t seem like the folks using how long to beat are entirely representative of the Sony ecosystem.
This baffles me. I get maybe not making it a ton further than the first boss, but to quit before even seeing a different biome? It wasnt that hard.
I feel like games have gotten so on rails easy, focused more on the playing a movie type scenario, that we have lost the fun challenging aspect that brought people to gaming in the first place.
Naughty dog is especially ridiculous in this manner. I can barely finish one of their games because they are nothing, but crappy gameplay dressed up with cinematic scripted set pieces. I managed to get through the soap opera nonsense that was the last of us games, but man, uncharted 3 and 4, i just couldnt finish. They were so lame gameplay wise. Then you have the games are just focused on nonsense like addictive digital enticement like cosmetic skins rather than engaging gameplay or innovation. Ubisoft garbage is another example of tailoring their games to a laughable difficulty to get the most dollars they can squeezed out of them. Even Horizon was too easy on hard.
Returnal was a masterpiece in my opinion. Far more accessible than a souls game and far more polished than anything Fromsoft continues to reskin and put out. I just don't understand why people keep buying into these walk and watch or slot machine game designs to the extent now where the vast majority of the industry is focused on adopting some form of mental addiction design elements to squeeze money out of the masses.
This game was way beyond my abilities, or so I thought. I bought it at release and platinumed it. If I can do it then anyone can. It’s a challenging game but it’s all about having patience. Once you find your way with it it can be the most rewarding experience and it’s one of the best examples of a PS5 going.
Loved the game, but could never get past the third Biome boss. Tried sooooo many times. I'll give it another go sometime, but I've got other games for now.
Hollowseeker with the portal trait was my favourite weapon, an incredibly satisfying game to play.
Some folks just don't have the patience to replay the same sections over and over. Happy to have got the platinum!
@marnelljm What cheapness and bs? Lol
I was enjoying it until my save corrupted and deleted all my progress after I had to leave it in rest mode because of a ridiculous save system. Traded it in after that.
I wonder how they measure this… Trophies were beyond borked at launch. It looks like I skipped 2 bosses on my profile and act 3 didn’t pop either
@Tharsman For me personally i eontnhave enough time so im not 3v3n brothering with the pass i cant even be bothered to finish the Plus selection my BL takes all my time.
I came close to beating Impossible Mission on C64 once so I know I can beat this.
Or can I
Flaming_Kaiser, no clue what 3v3n is… 3-vs-3-ing?
Anyways, for the most part I only play brand new games in GamePass. For older games, they are already too cheap to justify any subscription since they tend to be cheap by the point they get added to anything. I don’t think I have ever played any of the PSN plus games I claimed. If I play 3 day one games a year on GamePass, that more that breaks me even.
I'm one of these people. I cannot go pass the 3rd boss, and honestly, having to replay the zones again for me it's a detriment to the game instead of enhancing the experience.
@Athrum which is exactly why rouguelike “died” as a common gaming genre in the first place way back when
With how buggy my experience was I will never buy a Housemarque game full price ever again. No save states combined with the constant crashes and progression stopping bugs really killed my enjoyment.
I killed Nemesis twice, but I'm sure there's more to the game. I really do not care at all though. The story of Returnal has to be one of the most pretentious things I've experienced in a long while. What a boring premise...at least...the premise that is traded for the one that was initially presented. Seriously don't pretend to be a time looping game when you're not, that just sucks.
I did, and am happy i platinumed
@RBMango @UnlimitedSevens @nessisonett
I think this is a story about interpretation. There's no real answer.
My conclusion about the story (which is a subtle guess) is:
SPOILER
She felt guilty about the car accident, killing herself and her kid. She wasn't paying much attention to the road. That astronaut she saw on the bridge that caused the accident, was everything she kept getting reminded of. There was a monster by the river or whatever it was, and grabbed her and idk how, but she made her enter a nightmare-ish cycle of guilt.
On another note. Either Tales or this game are my goty, but since both games are niche in terms of how many players talk about it, they got pretty much ignored in awards.
Platinumed and loved it. Most people that got hold of a ps5 this year are not proper gamers (yet) anyway, so this game would have been a baptism of fire for the lockdown crew.
Hard and stressful games are not fun. They never have been and they never will be.
@Fiendish-Beaver - No mate, you're not included. The tracked stats are based on members of the HowLongToBeat website that played and gave up on the listed games.
Not a fan of difficult games normally, bought this day one, took about a month to complete and loved it. Not surprised at the first boss kicking butt, I personally found that boss the hardest. Left a great feeling when you took down a boss, not many games have recreated that level of excitement for me in recent years.
I mean I love the game. But yeah, I am stuck at Biome 6 and just really tired of how frustratingly difficult the game can be.
Shame, as it's not as hard as it first seems. It's more about unlocking better weapons and upgrades. I think the mistake a lot of people make is dying a few times on the first boss and thinking it won't get easier, so they give up.
Truth is every run brings new stuff to use that make the game more manageable.
I didn’t buy it (yet), but I can assure you if I spent £70 on it.. I’m finishing it.
Ahh, right, @Shigurui, of course. I do wonder though, whether the Developers can see people like me who have bought the game but not played it, or whether my having the game without playing is calculated in the Trophies, i.e. the Trophy for beating the game is made all the rarer because I haven't played it, but it is still included in the statistics.
@kingbreww When did that happen?
@PossibLeigh pre Ps1
I platted returnal.
The early stages are by far the most difficult.
First boss took me 25 tries or something.
The second like 5 and after that it was smooth sailing.
Getting the last glyph on the wall took forever. The rng gods weren't really on my side with that one.
I've Platinumed harder games, I walked away because I don't really enjoy the constant rebuilding every time you die or the bullet hail style, that said its beautifully crafted , loved the tone of the game.
I'll probably try it again soon.
Interesting, this top 10 can seemingly be split into 2 categories:
Loved Returnal, beat it pre-patch. You really need to max out your health and try different weapons. The Rotgland Lobber and Electropylon Driver are really good, just need to keep firing and focus more on dodging.
I beat the final boss, but I didn’t find the car keys so I haven’t gotten the true ending. At least I think that’s how it works.
I beat it pre-patch. I recently started playing again because I'm SO close to getting the Platinum (I don't usually worry about trophies, but I'm so close on this one I figured I'd try). Abyssal Scar survey 98% complete and I just have to get my weapon proficiency to 30. Very doable and the game is fun, so I don't mind.
I completed the Medium & Outriders on Game Pass. I tried the Ascent because it looked 'pretty' but its not generally a game-play style I enjoy so didn't play much of that and had no interest in 12minutes. I can see people trying 'more' games because of 'game pass' and therefore may find that these games don't appeal - but at least they could try before buying...
Back 4 Blood is only 3 Acts and progression wasn't 'easy' at launch as you could only 'progress' online so put people off.
The one thing about these is that each one made their games look interesting but not quite the game you expected at launch and/or had game-breaking (at least for some) issues - whether its not being able to play 'solo' because server issues in Outriders or finding out you can't save a few hours into a good run in Returnal or finding out you can't play solo in B4B and get any trophies or progression...
The state of games at launch also has to have some impact on how far people are willing to play through as well as the way games are portrayed in their marketing.
@Ilovecoffee personally I agree but there are definitely people out there that love screaming at their tvs and punching things until they get through a tough fight. It's never been for me but everyone plays games for different reasons.
I think people did finish it they just didn't "finish it". Can stick your damn fetch quest, I did the last boss
The gamepass mention is disingenuous. For most the majority of games we have in our libraries we don't complete...long before gamepass was a thing. What that tells me about gamepass is that it simply offers gamers more options to try games they wouldn't have normally tried.
£70 to not get passed the first boss is a bit worrying though. But you learn a lot with a game like dreams...majority of gamers don't have patience...they want something quick and instant. Or they simply move on. This is why cod and FIFA sell so well.
For me Returnal is similar to the also excellent Nex Machina since both start with very fun gun gameplay, but overwhelmed by enemies. However, as you became better it quickly stops feeling impossible and you can not stop untill the game are finished. Both games are very similar to me in other aspects too (in good ways, both are masterpieces).
Damn shame so many people are giving up, game looks like alot of fun from the gameplay I've seen and reviews I've read.
However I'll be waiting for a $30 sale or cheaper before I try it out, my backlog is still crazy massive.
@nessisonett yea I don't know how old you are but I'm with @hypnotoad 10min really conservative, we are so lucky these days, I remember going round to my m8s house playing the spectrum put in the tapes and literally you were lucky if the game actually loaded after that annoying sound trying to load so yea 10min very conservative lol. And no kind of checkpoints at all. But do agree that rougelite games are are designed that way but back in the day you literally had no saves or you had to write down a code lol. Even looking back to PS1 PS2 days it's so weird deleting saves for games to make room on the memory cards lol. I recently played sonic and remember when I was a kid breezing through it, and actually thought it was pretty hard now lol. I just think it's the limitations of the time tbh we now have literally a checkpoint every few mins were as in the early days it was fail start again lol. But as I said it was the times and actually the games were short but because of no checkpoints or saves you pretty much had to finish in one sitting which made the games harder to complete. But I guess there is an argument for both depending on the type of game and I think returnal got it right it was supposed to be played like that. And I do like the story it makes it more interesting when it's open to interpretation in my opinion as people perceive things in a different way so when you talk to someone who played it they might see things differently. Where as if you have a game with a set story with no room for interpretation that's it basically although some might enjoy it more than others.
On topic though I bought returnal thinking ps5 game looks decent but not really my kind of game not much out at the time and ended up putting over a 100 hours in and my game of the year, I can totally understand why some people didn't enjoy it or got bored of it but I thought everything about it was great it ended up being my game of the year, first couple of hrs it was literally what I thought it would be good game but kicked my arse but as soon as everything clicked it was more that was my mistake I need to learn to play it or not try and kill everything quick it's more tactical in what and how you play, I think the light bulb moment for me was how to spend the yellow orbs the space figurine being the go too. But also it just depends on the items that drop which could be annoying sometimes, I thought the first couple of biomes were hard but 3 was ok then I think it was 4 or 5 was the worse I actually found the final biome to be pretty easy compared to the previous ones I think because it was underwater bit made it feel different to the others but yea returnal game of the year fir me. Wow that was a long post sorry lol.
I really need to get back to this. Played it for a weekend and absolutely loved it. But after a run that took about 3 hours where I killed the second boss and reached the third boss before dying, it dawned on me how long this game is and how it wouldn't be maintainable for me to continue on without the ability to save. I think I tried once or twice more using the shortcut to area 3 but I was just too underpowered to fight the enemies there (even with the modest weapon level up you get) and just gave up at that point.
Finished Returnal. Never had a sitting last more than 35 minutes.
Anyone saying 'iTs NoT tHaT hArD' is insane.
I love housemarque games and Returnal is by far the most difficult. Biome 3 and that's it for me.
In many ways I wish it wasn't a rogue like as in forums they talk about weapons and abilities I haven't seen on my runs.
For most of us, it takes a real 'I will not quit' attitude to beat it. Took me nearly 10 times fighting my way uphill through the mud to finally beat Phreke. The bosses got easier after that. (Although Nemesis and the Biome 5 gauntlet were extremely hard, frustrating.) Definitely a 2-week struggle for me, and that was playing it every single day, multiple hours a day, dying, and then jumping right onto the saddle... Once you start Act 3, doing it all over again is easier. After the numerous updates since the release it's definitely been made easier to platinum it, with much better RNG.
I've been playing games for 30 years and Returnal is Top 10 all time for me.
I thought it was difficult for sure, especially by modern standards aside from a self stlyed souls game. However, it wasn't too hard in my opinion, and I actually found that the balance they struck with character and gun progression combined with increasing skill through practice was perfect. Persistence very much required though.
Such was my love for the game, that I subjected myself to the platinum even before they changed some of the RNG.
For me, it was the best game I have played since Bloodborne, and I'm really sad it doesn't have a wider audience.
71 people “retired” Twelve Minutes on HLTB. Those are the numbers we are dealing with here.
Ashamed to say i still need to get this. I love housmarque games and i know this is a highly praised title but i just couldnt bring myself to slap out £70 for it. Ive plenty of games to crack on with but i do keep my eye out for a reasonably priced used copy.
It wasn't difficult after 15 hours in just have to have the patience. Great game and should have won GOTY . It was a great platinum to achieve.
I was one of the first to complain about returns and how it felt no real progress after runs in the same easy Hades. Now though, this is the game of the year for me. Completed it several times and now in the hands of RNG gods to get the survey of the biomes completed to get plat.
What makes it, is the sheer joy of the weapons, the responsiveness of the character.
I struggled with first boss and weirdly the 4th boss took me longer than it really should. 3rd boss and 6th boss are easy if you build your character well (good health and good gun - the one with plasma beam or turret makes short work of bosses).
My Game of the Year. I didn't get the true ending yet as I am missing one key, but loved it all. I understand the biome 3 spike. If you make it that far I feel its not get gud, its get Gud gear. Once you get that perfect run it feels amazing.
@Fiendish-Beaver - Trophy stats are based on the overall player count and trophies earned, not game ownership. You only become part of the stat % pool when you actually play the game.
@Tharsman I start a lot of games on Game Pass that I have little expectation of finishing just to try them out and see a wider spectrum of games than I otherwise would choose. Every now and then one clicks and that's plenty motivation for me to keep on trying the odd ball stuff.
@Daleaf Yep, taking a screwdriver and adjusting the heads until the pitch sounds just right on the tape you copied from your mate who copied from his mate who.... But the worst where the games with copy protection, purchased games would take 10 minutes Plus and fail to load half the time once the tape had been worn a bit. Often spent half a morning getting something to load and would beg my folks not to turn off the spectrum just to get home to see it unplugged every time.
This is one of those games that you have to adapt your gaming habits to. Similar to Sekiro, once you stop trying to play it how you think it should be played, and learn to play how the game wants you to play it, it really is magic. It's up there with my favourite games of all time.
@TheRealist You mean you took your time with it?
@nessisonett That's no the plot. The plot tells you answers to the questions you don't yet know, because they will be presented at the end of act 2 in cinematic.
@Ashkorsair There's a simple trick to finding glyphs and logs: complete a biome, if you still have something to find there - restart the cycle from the menu (not dying). Followed this tip and it worked for me.
For people who struggle:
1. Turn on always sprint in settings. Just do it.
2. Try different weapons. They all become tremendously good as you permanently unlock new perks.
I can sort of understand. Got to the very end of A Plague Tale Innocence. After more than a few goes of dodging rats and trying to land the killer blow on the Bishop , I gave up with a " You Know what, I can't be arsed " comment . Went to You Tube watched the ending on there and then uninstalled it. Watching the ending finished the story for me . Trouble is I've to many games to play , and to little time.
@middyone I meant to say never had a run take more than about 35 minutes. I played a couple hours a day. Finished it in about 15 hours or so.
@TheRealist ah I see...You must be very good then lol.
@Iver Why do you buy the other 80% of games if you already go into it knowing you don't finish them? Do you also go to movies and walk out after a half hour? Lol
Game is actually not that hard if you know what you doing. Level up properly before fighting boss and don´t touch malignant items. Also smart not to open all weapon chests before getting to max level in each biome. Just backtrack to unopened chests before boss fights. Play smart and game will reward you.
@tselliot I hear you my friend, I was born in 64 so my twitch reactions are not what they were!!
That being said, I'm a big housemarque fan and so I let them beat me up.. I've never beaten the 3rd boss and I've played over 90 hours. Cant fault my perseverance, but I'm at the limit of what this old boy can handle, loved everything about the game, and it does suck a little that I'll never get to see the end. I do believe games can be designed to be more inclusive and if the devs had thought about accessibility, having at least some control of difficulty is not backing down or becoming less hard core, its about opening up your title to more than young core gamers.
Still, I don't regret buying Returnal, its been one of the genuine next gen experiences I've enjoyed this year..
It's a brilliant game but three words are a big reason a lot of gamers got put off - LACK OF CHECKPOINTS.
Phrike took me maybe 6 attempts, played smarter each time. Then got to the second biome, red desert and almost all the way to the end before dying. I figured, hey, it'll at least save me back at the start of this area right? No. All the way back to the ship. I tried a few more times, never got as far as the first time when I had amazing weapons and perks, heart wasn't in it. Sold both the game and PS5 (the game was a big part of the reason I bought one), haven't thought about either much since.
Returnal is an incredible game and yea its hard. I have platinumed this game and hope for DLC too. Too many cry baby causals who are clearly ***** at the game! Don't play roguelikes and expect to have your hand held. I don't know any roguelikes that have level checkpoints! Another great one is dead cells! Finished outriders too but that was mega trash endgame! Even after all it's patches there is still zero new gear! So what for the extra maps if you are farming for nothing!
"Can't be Returnarsed" killed me 😂
Or many people, who would never bought it, tried it because of gamepass and stopped playing when they realized they don't like it.
Kind of a shame but I understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea. Personally, it was quite easily my game of the year and one of my favourite games of the past decade. The only thing that annoyed me was the stupid RNG on collectibles but I guess that gives me a decent excuse to go back to it at some point.
I can't believe how many people didn't finish Twelve Minutes. It's only Twelve Minutes.
@Tharsman the only ones arguing against gamepass are the dudes and dudettes that have never enjoyed the benefits of the service. For the rest of us, especially people with PS consoles, gamepass is godsent. Saved me a heap while still letting me play so many great games since the start of 2020.
@johncalmc hahaha, that's right dude, good one.
@themcnoisy
Yeah, not to gloat or nothing but genuinely don't believe the game was too bad. Average Joe gamer here.
I'm guessing what is moving the needle from "Challenging Game" to "Almost Impossible Game" for people is they are using the wrong weapons or playing in some way that is counterintuitive.
I died 8 times to get through it. (Again, Average Joe gamer here). The key I found is to move fast in combat then slow down after you clear rooms and really explore for those upgrades and health pick-ups. Fast in combat, then slow down and explore.
Resogun, Super Stardust, Nex Machina - those games never let you slow down and yes, they kick my butt.
@UnlimitedSevens If you die less the game is easier. I got to B3 on my second Life in a new save. But it's kind of counterintuitive to not look around for me, I take games really slow and it's just too much for my 41 year old eyes to react to.
Great work either way buddy.
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