Returnal, launching April 30, is not just one of the earliest exclusives for the PlayStation 5, but a considerable departure for developer Housemarque, which is best known for arcade-style games like Super Stardust HD and Resogun. This is the studio's first title to offer a true cinematic story, which typically means some sort of concrete ending. Because of the game's nature, though, answering the question of how long it will take to beat Returnal is somewhat complicated.
The game's premise sees its protagonist, Selene, crash on a planet called Atropos with a semi-automatic pistol and no immediate chance of rescue. In fact Returnal is designed to kill players over and over again, with each run giving Selene a chance to upgrade her weapons and learn more about her predicament. There will also be the opportunity to pick up boosts like regenerating health, although some of these will require attaching dangerous parasites. And while there is a roguelike structure to the game, defeating bosses should unlock new areas without having to cover the same ground (and waves of enemies) each time.
The complicating factor in determining how long it takes to beat Returnal is that Atropos is procedurally generated, with the goal of unlimited replayability and making each run unique, as Returnal director Harry Krueger tells GamesRadar. So while there are cutscenes, some players may encounter items that give them an early edge, while others might run into unexpected challenges. Presumably these are balanced to avoid anyone hitting an impassable wall or crushing the game in a single sitting, but that still suggests that there could be a few hours' difference between players of the same skill level. Veteran action gamers will naturally have a shorter experience than newcomers.
Is There A Firmer Window For Returnal's Completion Time?
One clue to Returnal's story length comes from Remedy communication director Thomas Puha, who recently told Twitter that people are "wrong" if they think the game is small, describing it as a "full-on Sony experience." Based on other plot-driven titles like The Last of Us Part 2, that would suggest Returnal has at least 10 to 20 hours of story play, possibly as much as 30 - assuming Puha knows more about the game than the average person. Players interested in racking up skills and gear will probably come closer to the 30-hour mark on their first playthrough.
The real test should come in the days after April 30, when tens of thousands of PS5 owners will have had a chance to complete the story. That should produce a true average, as well as an absolute minimum for the people who demand their money's worth. That's a big reason some people are concerned about how long it takes to beat Returnal - at $70, its competition automatically includes some of the longest PlayStation games available.
Sources: GamesRadar, Thomas Puha/Twitter