In a new preview on PlayStation Blog, Sony revealed several new details about Housemarque’s Returnal including the presence of Adrenaline levels, an Active Reload (or recharge) system for guns and much more. However, it also confirmed that there would be daily challenges for competing in the online leaderboards (PlayStation Plus is not required). These involve completing certain conditions with a specific weapon and only having one life.
Level design is interesting because it’s not simply about providing large arenas to battle in. There’s plenty of exploration going on and the ambient sounds of wild-life along with rainfall (which can be felt via the DualSense’s haptic feedback) can be heard. Various side rooms, caves, catacombs and multi-tier structures can also be explored with different items – and even traps – hiding within. Some spots will be unreachable, requiring you to locate alien technology for use in future runs.
While each biome is unique, you may find Elite versions of certain enemies appearing in other areas. And while each biome has a boss, you don’t have to defeat it – it’s possible to travel to the next biome if you find the right area. For color-blind players, there are options in the HUD that allow for changing the color of loot drops.
Returnal is out on April 30th for PS5. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.
