Its attacks are exactly what you’d expect from Returnal – an onslaught of projectiles that require quick maneuvers to avoid. It’s a creepy manifestation of Selene’s mom, with nasty tentacles from the waist down (symbolizing her spinal injury), and one huge, bulging eye. Though I was disappointed to see the same boss show up a second time (when entering a new phase), it does stand on its own. Lastly, the Tower introduces a new boss to Returnal. They almost feel like cheating, but it feels good since the game is so punishing in the first place. They can clear a significant portion of a boss’s health in one go, making me wish the disgorgers were in the original game as well. It’s hard to describe just how satisfying these weapons are as they unleash an onslaught of projectiles at the enemies or a gigantic beam that destroys everything in its path. Another new element is the disgorgers, which are powerful weapons available for a limited amount of time. I enjoyed playing with these malfunctions because it felt like the game was trying to stop you from making it higher into the tower, only to feel more rewarded when you make it to a few more rooms. The malfunctions include things like obolites, the currency in Returnal, disappearing faster or decreased weapon damage while in the air. It’s normally possible to fix malfunctions by achieving a goal, but this time you’ll have to learn to live with it. It’s not only rewards though, the game will also trigger a permanent, unavoidable malfunction in Selene’s suit. I focused on upgrading my damage output and expanding my health bar by collecting the various silphium found in the world. Sometimes these rooms will have a dual fabricator, meaning you have to choose between two different upgrades.
#Returnal permanent upgrades free#
I would find my hands clinging onto the controller, and my whole body stiffen when I try to make it through a room with a sliver of health, only to experience a moment of relaxation when the next room has a green silphium resource free for the taking. Sometimes you are low on health and are praying that the next room will reward you in some way instead of being another onslaught of enemies.
I found these rooms crucial to my enjoyment and success in the tower.
#Returnal permanent upgrades series#
They will, instead, have some upgrades to choose from or a series of obstacles that hide valuable items on the other side. Selene will get some brief respite as some rooms don’t have any enemies. Everything in Returnal is fast, from Selene’s movement speed to the progress to each new area. For me, Returnal clicked when I realized how fast the combat was and how that never interfered with the game’s performance. It’s designed with speed in mind, with the player receiving bonuses based on how fast they clear a room, which is an excellent way to encourage players to play Returnal the way it is intended. While the tower is endless, the goal is to get higher each time and beat your previous score. One room may have a couple of those Groot-inspired tree enemies mixed with an envoy of flying drones, while another room has one menacing Severed that teleports across the play area and slashes Selene with his sword. I like how it plays with all the enemies Selene encounters in the game, mixing them into the same combat encounters. Each time you enter the tower, much like the base game, each room and set of enemies will be different. The structure resembles an endless arcade run with several rooms divided by phases. In other words, it’s designed for continuous play after each death. The tower’s base is your new starting place to encourage continuous runs and neutralize the short walk from the crashed ship to the skyscraper. Walking up to the base and looking up is like seeing a New York skyscraper for the first time, except this tower never ends. The tower is intimidating as it stretches into the sky with red undertones sketched into its design. With that aside, I want to focus on the new content, the Tower of Sisyphus.
It’s odd to add co-op to your game, but, at the same time, block co-op from the newest and exciting addition.Įither way, co-op should be an enriching addition to the base game that welcomes new players, and alleviates the difficulty hump. The revelation might be my biggest disappointment with the update. It’s easy to do and fits with the game’s lore, but I was disappointed to discover that the Tower of Sisyphus is only available in single-player. Alongside the tower, there is a blue sphere that initiates cooperative play. Selene comments on narrative threads based on her knowledge of the story to create a spoiler-free atmosphere for all players, wherever they may be in the campaign. It was easy to start the updated content since the tower is right at the start, inviting you to enter. However, this time, there is a tower looming in the distance. The game begins as it always does, with Selene waking up outside a crashed ship on a mysterious planet.
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