Roguelikes like Housemarque's Returnal can be notoriously difficult, as they're designed with repeated deaths in mind - the idea being that things are slightly different in each playthrough. Not everyone has the time or will to grind, though, so it may be surprising (especially as a flagship PS5 title) that Returnal has no difficulty settings at all. This was a deliberate decision, it turns out, and there are other ways to blunt Returnal's edge.
In Returnal, players assume the role of Selene, a woman who crash-lands on a planet called Atropos, where she's stranded with a pistol, a single objective, and no communications. Levels are generated procedurally and offer an assortment of weapons and other boosts, though many of these come with additional risks tacked on. As players progress through Returnal, they gradually learn more about their situation and why Selene keeps reliving her crash and returning from the dead.
Difficulty control is baked into Returnal's structure, Housemarque marketing director Mikael Haveri told Push Square in February. As players get further into the game, more and more pathways open up, and it's how "aggressive" players choose to be about exploring these areas that determines challenge. Action game veterans may choose to wander into new levels with minimal preparation, while newcomers might instead slow their roll, working on weapons and upgrades until they have a fair shot. It should become obvious which sections are too dangerous to explore right away.
Returnal's Difficulty Doesn't Undo Player Progress
"That relationship people have with the difficulty will not be as rigid or intimidating as it might seem initially," director Harry Kreuger added in the same interview. Some progression, at least, is permanent, carrying over after each death. In theory, players should always have a fighting chance, even if they may need spend time (or another run) earning upgrades to survive tougher enemies. Returnal is also designed to have clear goals at every step, such as crossing a chasm, which should keep newer players from getting too lost or confused.
Returnal is built to take advantage of the PS5, offering near-instant load times and 4K graphics at 60 FPS, even with ray tracing turned on, but it remains to be seen if this PS5-exclusive - one of the few available so far - will catch on beyond diehard roguelike fans. Still, Housemarque appears to have made some effort to cater to those who would just as easily choose a more beginner-friendly game as their introduction to the console.
Returnal launches for PlayStation 5 on April 30, 2020.
Source: Push Square