1, No one said it’s a rogue like, Idk why people even try to call it rogue like 2, Every game has either trash mobs or hard mobs. Think about from software games for example: Either you run thru them or you struggle. Same with any other challenging game. 3, Dual Sense works with a lot other games, idk why you say the same BS every time^^ 4, The price is pretty ok, you pay 10€ for a 2 hour movie 🍿 Quality costs money 5, A lot stuff will be fixed over time Imo. Dlc will also come (have my source for it).
I got Returnal about a week ago on PC and I haven't been able to put it down. My god...There was so much passion, thought, and artistry put into this game. Every aspect of it is just so well made. The ability the atmosphere and sound design has to immerse you is on another level. When I put my headphones on, I am instantly transported to jungle on a hostile alien planet. And the combat...Just wow. When you get a boss down to the final phase and you're just barely holding on by a thread, there is nothing more exhilarating! I beat the 4th boss on my first attempt with about a millimeter of health left, and it was one of the best feelings I've ever had gaming. My butt cheeks were clenched so tight during the whole 3rd phase hahaha. This game is amazing! I've gotten to the 5th biome now and I can't wait to see how the story unfolds from here.
Well said. He does it with enthusiasm and sincerity too! One of his best reviews to date, and of course it's helped by being excited by the experience, but I also find he's got some of the best critiques of poor quality games too.
Exactly. SkillUp is the reason I felt in love with Nier Automata even before playing it. Same goes for Returnal (which is finally klcking my arse now as I waited for PS5..).
“the beginning of the game isn’t that hard. i only died twice getting to the second biome” meanwhile, i have died approximately 5,000 times and only made it to the first boss thrice
This skillup-guy must be some kind of genius. This whole game is so fucking hard, I cant believe people dont have problems with this. Plus, Im in biome 3 now, and he says here it gets WAY harder and more frustrating from there on. I want to like this game, but the difficulty is just frustrating
@@4fingaz I didn’t struggle as much as you seem to be but one think that I did that really helped is focusing and getting really good at not getting hit as much so that you can increase your integrity faster. Don’t try to fire at everything all the time, but focus on what the enemies are doing and how you can better position yourself. Hope that helps and keep on pushing!
@@seven9583 sony does see the value in the souls games, hence the demons souls remake at launch. I wouldnt be surprised if they have fromsoftware starting on preproduction right now. Wishful thinking maybe?
For those wondering about the difficulty J-Curve, the difficulty of Act 2 is dependent on how much time you spent in Act 1. I got crushed in Act 1, and moved significantly more easily through Act 2. It may be vice versa for others however.
I just got the game, when you say act do you mean biomes? Or 1st half and 2nd half? I know with minor spoilers that the game is broken into two halves 3 stages each. I have been stuck on the 2nd stage for days now. Am I making the next stage harder for myself by spending so much time exploring and trying to upgrade??
@@MrTalithan i just did the same thing, genuinely wonder if they do curve the difficultly or if it is just a “i got gud” phenomenon. i was flyin thru the second half, literally couldn’t be touched. felt like a god. such a rewarding experience
I kept dying while trying to clear Biome 3 and on one run it felt like I was getting more health and an easier difficulty curve. I don’t even care if the game was pitying me at that point - I just wanted to beat Nemesis 😂
Since I saw him boasting about the sound of "Hunt", I feel like he hasn't played enough games (which I don't actually believe) or paid well enough attention to their sound-design to put "Hunt" above all the rest. - I'm not saying the sound of "Hunt" is bad, I'm saying there definitely must be other games that do it the same or better. - Ralph just likes to make bold statements... BUT, it does indicate he likes the sound of 'Returnal' a lot. - Whether that's accurate or not... It's just an opinion.
That seems more like Playstation's reaction and then they do a quick turn at the Devs, who are sweating and whistling while avoiding eye contact because they've just been called out.
Thanks Skill up, like seriously. I wouldn’t have bought this game if it wasn’t for your review, so far I’m absolutely LOVING Returnal. This game definitely isn’t for everyone but if you have a Ps5 and actually want to play a next gen Ps5 game instead of just playing backwards compatible titles, this game is AWESOME.
@@kirion111 sometimes it’s reassuring to know it’s a good game. Look at biomutant for example, I planned on getting it but after hearing reviews and reading comments, it doesn’t seem worth it anymore.
It's quite endearing to see Housemarque, a criminally underrated developer, finally venture out of its niche and try their hand in AAA production. And to see it succeed with flying colours is just a cherry on the cake! I really hope that Housemarque continues this franchise (Sony hinted at this) and builds on this formula to make a timeless masterpiece.
But is it really out of their niche? Seems to me like a 3rd person version of their isometric shooter, just more mature in terms of gameplay and technical design
Yah its still niche, this genre is niche. For a lot of people this genre is just not fun. I'm one of those. It reached mainstream eyes for sure but a lot of people will play it and dislike it im afraid. The Rogue mechanics for me personally, kill what looked to be an amazing game. Not the games fault, just the genre and now I know never to buy anything in this genre again. I hate having no progression. If they wanted to break out of the niche they'd make a separate "mode" to let you keep certain things when you die, or even better for me would be a leveling system even if it only makes very slight differences. Really even if I just kept my gun and that's it, I'd play this through probably but theres nothing even driving me. A lot of people think this as well and for that reason it will probably stay niche. This might be the closest it gets to mainstream but when others discover what it is it will quickly go back to niche. Who knows, I could be wrong though. Gameplay is awesome though.
@@manada00 Yah and I was dumb enough to do it without fully looking into it. It's not a bad game (for those who knows what it is), but $70 for a game that may not be enjoyable? Too risky. For someone who's familiar with the genre and knows what they are getting into maybe. But not for the average gamer for sure.
@@xtcaudio u dint have to start from when celene technically landed but you did have to start from the first area with a starter pistol. Same as now. What they're talking about is a feature that allows u to save mid run and quit out and then come back
I find that active reload is a lot easier with automatic weapons like the carbine. That way you can just hold down the fire button till it's empty, then tap R2 at the right time. With semi-auto weapons, it's very easy to accidentally press R2 after you've fired your last shot, and screw up the active reload
This review when it came out made me buy the game. I beat the first biome in a few days and put the game down, and picked it back up this past week (still haven't beat the 2nd boss, but I've reached him). Even despite the frustrations, I've been liking the fact that I'm still learning about how to play the game. I don't know if I'll ever finish, but it's now a gaming goal that I'll come back to time and time again.
@@shinryusaiha I still haven't beaten it. I was getting better at it. I made it to outside the door of the 6th biome's boss. I stopped playing there that night so I could come back to it fresh. Then I lost power and my run. Haven't touched the game since.
@@yxz5198 well you can't back then up at this time. I don't mind not being able to save scum, but it would be nice if they implemented a better way to save your run when you need to get off (like saving it but you have to leave the game, returning to the game deletes the save).
@BG no. I will someday. It's the only rogue-like game I've played, but I enjoyed it. My main game is Destiny 2 and been playing a lot of that lately. I'll go back and finish it at some point.
I can’t wait to play this tonight. This game has been the biggest turn around from “Returnal? What is that?” to “I’m so excited about this!” ever haha.
Games like this remind me exactly how passed my prime I really am. My best reflexes were wasted on jumping over pitfalls and eating glowing pellets while dodging ghosts.
im fourty and went from "omg i cant beat this game" to "i can go into bullettime in real life now" within a couple of hours. this game is extremely fair and shows you when to dodge or reload with visual, auditory and haptic clues. try it. youl be pure reflexes, no thinking, in no time
@@cirescythe I've always wanted to try this game but was worried that it would be too difficult as I'm also in my forties.. and your comment gives confidence to give this game a go
I just finished this for the 1st time tonight, after 11 deaths, 1.4k kills and ~18 hours and man... I was absolutely blown away. After the first few bosses the game is just getting started. And that last biome - holy shit. I am SO glad I watched nothing about the game - literally everything after the 1st boss was completely new to me. Edit (October 2023): I’ve started playing again and I’m sitting at 40 deaths. Have not beat the game again since launch lol. I believe I got lucky.
@@AnywhereMiami yeah 1080p game upscale to 1440p then dynamic 4k60fps after all that it still has stuttering but the game is good so ignore because it's a sony game and it's 70 dollars no thank you. The only game I played from this dev that I like was resogun so I am not missing much.
@@glenmcl Not really, not if this is their first dance with a game like this, and the fact it's new hardware people are just beginning to play with. This has typically happened with the early releases on consoles, usually Sony as their stuff is custom (PS3 being the most difficult of all). And I think you just mean stutters maybe, because many games have frame drops just because things are being taxed at points. With the particles + enemies on screen + movement speed...I can see it happening. I don't think we've seen a game like this to even compare.
Sort of. I'm not a huge movie buff but it's more like metroid prime. You're exploring the charred remains of a once living civilization. It's interesting trying to envision how they once lived on this planet
The sound design is amazing as well. The first time I heard my secondary start to charge back up while every other damn thing was going on, truly blew my mind. You really just have to experience it.
You can really tell that Housemarque took a lot of inspiration from Alien and HR Giger in their world design. Looks dope, can’t wait to play it tonight!
Seems like they were influenced by Zdzisław Beksiński paintings more than anything his fingerprints are all over this game but giger was a massive fan of his work (which also shows) the massive obelisks and color pallet look straight out of a Beksiński painting. Look him up you won’t be disappointed
Holy fuck. I can’t believe I just spent 45 min of my life watching a game review. Guess what? AWESOME REVIEW! I think this was the best and longest review I’ve ever watched for a video game in my entire life. So comprehensive and interesting. 👍🏻
To this day, Returnal is still the only PS5 game that I have played that truly feels next-gen in terms of the things you brought up about the haptics, the sound design, the particles, the load times, the lighting. It is really hard to describe, but it just feels different
That’s so funny bc I literally thought the same thing all the other ps5 games just tbh seem to have better shadows really like if you compare cod mw2 ps4 pro vs ps5 version Shadows and foliage looks realistic but even from 360 too ps4 it felt like such a noticeable jump it was dope this time it’s more like uk it will be worth it but deff doesnt feel quite there yet
@@IWantToStayAtYourHouse they've made fun addicting games from day 1. Super talented little studio. Glad Sony is giving the chance to run with the big boys this time around.
@@enzog1078 I used talk to text and that's just what it gave me so thank you for letting me know. Also it took every fiber of my being to not just repost that quote as a reply to your comment. I took the high road on this one.
I’ve played it all the way through and I’ve never played a rougue like/light or whatever it is called and going into it was far harder than I ever expected. It is certainly its own thing and I tell you if you have a PS5 and it looks cool to you pick it up. The combination of the haptic feedback on the controller, the stunning visuals, the crisp and powerful sounds, and the snappy controls make for entirely new experience. He didn’t give enough credit to the feedback you feel in the controller. It’s otherworldly. You feel the rain, you feel the sounds of the game. I’d give it a 9/10.
Nope just a cult. The game is boring and unimaginative, repetitive, and easy. SkillUp must have gotten perks to say it is a must play. Even he says it’s seriously lacking in terms of replay-ability, and lacks all the important rogue aspects that Hades mastered. Hades is absolutely superb compared to Returnal. This is a low B grade game.
There are sorta rare "save stations" in the biomes (at least in the first half), where you can spend resource to allow you to respawn at that station with all your gear.
I finally got to the final boss one year later after quitting the game in frustration with how hard it was. When I went back to it though, I was hooked and tried to be patient and now I absolutely love it
Dude I was the same... I had trouble with the first act and stopped playing for a while then I started from the beginning and I finished the first act in only 4 runs. Sometimes coming back to something fresh is a good idea, also this game has taught me how to stay calm in tense situations. Social anxiety, cured
The symbolism of the events, the bosses, the biomes, the story, is freaking INCREDIBLE. I obsess over well done symbolism and my god it’s so good in this game. It’s one of those stories that absolutely does not give you anything for free. You have to put the pieces together to see the bigger picture and man it’s so cool. Highly recommend watching interviews with the devs talking about it cause it’s so dang cool.
I'm 15 seconds in, and I can already tell you're going to make me want to buy this game....just like the Automata and Monster Hunter. (Those were legendary reviews of yours BTW. They're my go-tos for when I want my friends to play those games hahaha) Ugh...I hate your reviews sometimes, but for all the right reasons! You keep me playing the best games! hahaha! Cheers my man!
Wow, what a review, subscribed on the strength of this alone. This is the sort of reviews and breakdowns that the big boys like ign and gamespot should be doing but never will. Sensational
Some since Sega Master System. Phantasy Star release price was $69.99. That was back in '86 or so. I finally got it a week before the Genesis released for $40. Game pricing is why I went full PC shortly after the 360 released. Most PC ports could be found for 30% less than the 360/ps3 counterparts. Just had to wait a few weeks.
The very few, you mean like this game for example which is only 1 of 2 games built ONLY for PS5 right now. If there’s any game to spend the extra money on it’s THIS!
80 euros here which is honestly way too much when I can buy AAA games on PC for 60. I still want to get a PS5 at some point to check out the exclusives but I'm in no rush to find one yet because of this.
@@aravindpallippara1577 true but I was like 12 at the time the trilogy was out on Wii and stuff so luckily I was able to enjoy it. and despite being a PC user now also, I did end up getting a switch for Monster Hunter Rise lol.... but who the hell knows when theyll ever release another metroid again. metroid4 was teased a few years ago and the only news since is that they restarted the project or something
The most disappointing thing is the lack of item synergy. That's what makes Hades/Isaac so repayable and exciting to uncover new items. Still, very much looking forward to it. Roll on midnight!
The fact that it lacks variety is a serious blow to it for me. I had the same issue with Hades (the differnt gods are simply modifier of your existing skills. By that I mean how it simply modifies the effect of your skills for the most part.) This just seems much worse and for a roguelite, I expect much more.
@@TheOriginalMomos But here’s the thing about Hades’ boons: they’re simple yes, but they all have value! Every Boon is going to give you something you can use to survive longer, which means you have to agonize over which boon to get because each one is important and has an actual effect on your survival
Hades got boring rather quickly for me because you are fighting the same 4 bosses and a handful of enemies each time. Though it was indeed impressive that boons you get randomly could change your strategy on the fly. You could tell the game was play tested to death to make sure no truly useless boon or perk existed in the game.
My problem with hades has been the slow pacing of the story - it could afford to wind up a bit faster. But the gameplay is excellent, build crafting is great, voice acting and music is exceptional - standard fare for supergiant games. The gameplay is too twitchy for my taste with too much visual noise - but that's personal preferences, it's not very hard unless you start adding on the modifiers of course. I think I prefer my games to end on a definite note than go on eternally - well that's a point in favour of returnal then
@@aravindpallippara1577 But there is a definite ending to Hades? Dont know how far you got into Hades, but there is an end credits + epilogue once you start to max all the gods relationships.
I’ve spent roughly 30 hours in the game and still haven’t beat it (on the last boss though)! It’s depressing but I keep coming back cause it’s one of the most fun I’ve ever had in a game.
Bloody love your reviews, ever since your feature on Days Gone I really find the comments you make reflecting my own feelings about games I play. This video has made me happy with my decision to wait a little longer for Returnal. The price tag already made it a no-go but your comments about its current balance issues and frame drops make me happy to hang on for a few patches and a price drop. Cheers for the video guys! The amount of effort and passion you put in really shows.
This game is just pure genius. Sometimes after getting my arse handed to me after a long run, I'm like "I'm never playing this again". But I'm always back the next day...and every day I get a little bit better. Yes it is a tough game, but the way you consistently improve your skills in each run just makes it so satisfying. One of my all time favourites.
@kiwiklogg exactly it teaches you a lot about yourself. Most times I died because of a choice I bad decision. Others in new attack methods from enemies.
OK, I can't stand Rogue Lites but was willing to give this game a chance. But the fact that you can't even shut down your PS5 and if it crashes you loose progress along with only saving between the 2 acts? I think I'll pass on this which is s shame because the gameplay looks fantastic.
Yeh it's put me off a little... apparently the devs have taken note of a massive reddit page that has a massive discussion regarding the lack of save points. I hope the devs listen and add some sort of save function because thats what is putting me off getting it right now...
Just in case you still haven't played this game, they've added a feature that allows you to suspend your run and quit the game. I'm not sure how it handles crashes, because I have yet to get a single one in around 10 hours of gameplay. So I do recommend you trying it now, it really is the best time to jump in, I think! Also, it's on sale currently. I picked it up because of this review, although I'm not a rogue fan (except Risk of Rain, it slaps), but Returnal is just exceptional.
@@spuffles2104 I mean that the actual steps (is this the word?) are for human legs obviously! I don’t know how the architects of all this look in the game, but the video made me think that they are giant and not humanoid, some lovecraftian types. Surely the architecture should reflect that? If they are humanoid - that’s fine, but I still find this moment in the video funny.
Loving your review. In my experience the difficulty bumped up from the Boss in biome 2 until finishing biome 3. Biome 3 was so rough that biome 4 felt like a cakewalk. Then biome 5 got rough again and the last one a bit easier. I feel like biome 3 trains you well for the rest of the game.
The second biome boss, the flying one..... I beat it with 1 hit of damage left on both of our respective healthbars, with a single mid-air-dash sword swipe. I dodged into a wall of bullets and got him at the last second. I havent set down a controller and paced around, shit talking a game in EASILY a decade. Love this game.
He's a big NieR fan, so it's not like he's throwing shade. Also, "X is the 'best' Y" is a little ambiguous here and it could well be fair to say NieR is overall a 'better' game, while Returnal does Bullet Hell better specifically. Or not - play it to find out 😄.
@@dannysandoval8296 Yeah, Nier Automata is on a level which can't be compared anymore. That does not mean that there are no other games on that level. Actually there are, but comparing them is like comparing apples and pears. I believe Returnal is a great game but without having played it, I doubt very much that it can hold a candle to Automata in any way.
@@subzilver come on now.. there's no denying it's good but you're exaggerating it's nowhere near that high level. Hades for example is more of a bullet hell than Neir imo
I see your point but games like Mortal Shell and The Medium look so much more like either Giger or Beksiński than this does. This has maybe 10% of that visual DNA on it, tops.
Really hope the devs watch this and tweak it as per your suggestions for when the rest of us get to play it in (insert future ps5 stock date). Some mid-level mini bosses? Some more meaningful augmentation pick-ups? A few more level tiles? Incredibly atmospheric game, love the voice acting. Great review, thanks Skill Up Sahib.
I bought this on PC, and I'm completely obsessed with it. I cleared biome 5 last night with a fraction of my health left, and my heart was pounding. This is the ultimate flow state game- You just get into it and you're flowing and reacting for hours and you are completely focused. The boss fights, I think, are extremely fun. They are not puzzles at all- you always can tell what you need to do.
I was unsure of this game when I first bought it but I assure this game is worth it. So much fun and it is rewarding as hell. Looks incredible and feels incredible. Also, fuck everything that flies in this game.
When I read: I strongly recommend from you, I immediately felt the pain. Game selling for 350 bucks in Brazil. Standard edition... it sucks being brazilian.
Yeah I'm aware of that. The USD dictates the price all over the world and as far as I'm concerned, games have cost 60 USD since ever. I guess that's a fair price tbh. What sucks is, as I mentioned, living in Brazil and having our coin worth 19c US. Still, game looks pretty sick and it is what it is...
This game is unbelievably good, and I never expected it to be! Thanks to this review I bought the game, and I haven't regretted it. Even though I'm two weeks in and haven't even beaten the second boss.
good luck and keep at it, it's incredibly good isn't it! word of advice if you get frustrated... don't treat each run as attempting to hit a boss, treat it as what you can unlock . that way you'll still feel like you're progressing. absolutely my game of the year, just entrancing.. and if you like the art style, a lot of it is "inspired" by an artist called Zzdizlaw Beksinski
I watched Max's entire play through. No regrets. Metroid Prime/The Alienverse, Edge of Tomorrow/All You Need is Kill, with a good dose of Lovecraftian horror and Jungian undertones all blended together seamlessly.
The way sony treats their companies seems so healthy it makes me happier playing their games, and it makes better games. Freedom to create is beautiful. Death stranding and returnal are good examples. Love death stranding, understand why some don't, glad it exists. And the developers are also happier
@@TheRealist1. Horizon's combat is based mostly on shooting and sniping with the bow, so there's waiting for a complete draw and trying to hit tiny weak spots on fast moving enemies, and your arrows have travel time (trying to aim at humans is the worst). And yeah, this is my like 5th time replaying since the recent Play At Home gave us the Complete Edition.
@@TheRealist1. not sure if we're playing the same game or you played at a lower difficulty, but even at Normal you have to use the bow a lot. It's not possible to fight Thunderjaws and Rockbreakers with just melee.
I was really scared with news and rumors saying Sony was going to play it safe and cut down On the new exclusives and pump out on the same big exclusives but nope. Playstation delivered big time with this game can't wait for more
@@treemane0 you don't play it safe if you launch your console with a demons souls remake that is sure to turn off a lot of people because of the difficulty
@@i-10haula88 demon souls remake coming after the celebrated dark souls trilogy is imo pretty safe. Souls series isn't truly hard - I was able to get through it with liberal amount of exploiting, there are very few bosses, especially in dlcs that are actually very hard. The actual games themselves tests patience than player skill.
I got this game and Demons Souls Remake when I bought my PS5, and as much as I was looking forward to getting through Demons Souls after years of playing the Souls series, I ended up absolutely loving Returnal for every reason that Skill-Up talked about in here. Fortunately I did you get any performance issues whatsoever, and had no problem with crashes. One point for anybody who has watched the review but is worried about not being able to save/play other games whilst in the middle of a run, Housemarque have added a feature where you can save the current run you are in so that you can use other apps and play other games and later come back to Returnal
The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/skillup04211
thanks
Hey nice! The description got cleaned up! Good stuff SkillUp!
1, No one said it’s a rogue like, Idk why people even try to call it rogue like
2, Every game has either trash mobs or hard mobs. Think about from software games for example: Either you run thru them or you struggle. Same with any other challenging game.
3, Dual Sense works with a lot other games, idk why you say the same BS every time^^
4, The price is pretty ok, you pay 10€ for a 2 hour movie 🍿 Quality costs money
5, A lot stuff will be fixed over time Imo. Dlc will also come (have my source for it).
I wanna know how much these ads help the company
Question does 6 biomes mean 6 bosses or are there more hidden bosses
this review showed me every thing about the game and yet didn't spoil anything, my review for your review is 10/10
And a 10/10 for you for the heads up
@@SytzeJS and a 10/10 for your comment :D
You get a Super Nova out of Super Nova for your support and comment!
Audit the audit
Your review of SkillUp's review told me nothing about the content of his review. 6/10, not enough spoilers.
I think the most shocking part of this review was finding out that rice Krispies are called rice bubbles in Australia wtf
welll.. they are literally krispy rice bubbles are they not?
@@Jack_Sparrow_85 this is true
I’m more shocked they’re not called rice blisters or something there.
Whut tha fuk?
Rice bubbles bro. Rice bubbles.....
I got Returnal about a week ago on PC and I haven't been able to put it down. My god...There was so much passion, thought, and artistry put into this game. Every aspect of it is just so well made. The ability the atmosphere and sound design has to immerse you is on another level. When I put my headphones on, I am instantly transported to jungle on a hostile alien planet. And the combat...Just wow. When you get a boss down to the final phase and you're just barely holding on by a thread, there is nothing more exhilarating! I beat the 4th boss on my first attempt with about a millimeter of health left, and it was one of the best feelings I've ever had gaming. My butt cheeks were clenched so tight during the whole 3rd phase hahaha. This game is amazing! I've gotten to the 5th biome now and I can't wait to see how the story unfolds from here.
This looks awesome! Can't wait to play it in 2035 in my Mars colony condo when the PS5 is available again...
Dont kid yourself. We won't even make it halfway.
TVs in that time only have a laser5 output.
Hell yeah u tell it like it is. This comment made my day LMFAO!
I have one, must suck to still be waiting.
Comments like this makes me feel lucky!
Dude this is what you do best. Disassembling a game in detail and poking at the mechanics of it. Great stuff.
Well said. He does it with enthusiasm and sincerity too! One of his best reviews to date, and of course it's helped by being excited by the experience, but I also find he's got some of the best critiques of poor quality games too.
Exactly. SkillUp is the reason I felt in love with Nier Automata even before playing it. Same goes for Returnal (which is finally klcking my arse now as I waited for PS5..).
“the beginning of the game isn’t that hard. i only died twice getting to the second biome”
meanwhile, i have died approximately 5,000 times and only made it to the first boss thrice
I know you exaggerate, but I'm in the same boat. But I love the game, so I'm not bothered!
I feel like this is how I would do, were I able to buy the game. It looks super fun, but I am not a very good at high difficulty games :D
This skillup-guy must be some kind of genius. This whole game is so fucking hard, I cant believe people dont have problems with this.
Plus, Im in biome 3 now, and he says here it gets WAY harder and more frustrating from there on.
I want to like this game, but the difficulty is just frustrating
@@4fingaz I didn't find the game that hard. I beat the entire first act without dying. The only time I almost died was during the second boss.
@@4fingaz I didn’t struggle as much as you seem to be but one think that I did that really helped is focusing and getting really good at not getting hit as much so that you can increase your integrity faster. Don’t try to fire at everything all the time, but focus on what the enemies are doing and how you can better position yourself.
Hope that helps and keep on pushing!
Biggest reveal in this video is discovering aussies call Rice Crispies “Rice Bubbles”. Love it! ❤️
Even South African’s call em Rice Crispies
Oh wow i always windered what rice crispies were.. yep im Australian
looooooooooooool
@@jethrohopkins550 Snap, Crackle, and Pop
Just imagine saying the word 'crispies' in an Aussie accent. Imagine how that would feel in the mouth. It's no way to start the day.
The obsession and thinking about the game while not playing it reminds me of when i played bloodborne
Fuck same
God I want a 60fps patch for that masterpiece! Nice to be a PlayStation owner
@@malazan6004 I'll buy the ps5 just for the sequel if they do make it.
Bloodborne and God of War 4 both gave me that feeling.
@@seven9583 sony does see the value in the souls games, hence the demons souls remake at launch. I wouldnt be surprised if they have fromsoftware starting on preproduction right now. Wishful thinking maybe?
For those wondering about the difficulty J-Curve, the difficulty of Act 2 is dependent on how much time you spent in Act 1. I got crushed in Act 1, and moved significantly more easily through Act 2. It may be vice versa for others however.
I just got the game, when you say act do you mean biomes? Or 1st half and 2nd half? I know with minor spoilers that the game is broken into two halves 3 stages each. I have been stuck on the 2nd stage for days now. Am I making the next stage harder for myself by spending so much time exploring and trying to upgrade??
I literally first tried the entirety of act 2 immediately after finally clearing act 1 after a long ass time
@@MrTalithan i just did the same thing, genuinely wonder if they do curve the difficultly or if it is just a “i got gud” phenomenon. i was flyin thru the second half, literally couldn’t be touched. felt like a god. such a rewarding experience
@@noahp67890 It was kinda the same with me, although a few bad encounters meant I was limping along for a good many rooms.
I kept dying while trying to clear Biome 3 and on one run it felt like I was getting more health and an easier difficulty curve. I don’t even care if the game was pitying me at that point - I just wanted to beat Nemesis 😂
You know if SkillUp compares sound to Hunt Showdown he definitely likes it
If he compares ANYTHING to Hunt you know he likes it 😂🙌🏼🔥
Since I saw him boasting about the sound of "Hunt", I feel like he hasn't played enough games (which I don't actually believe) or paid well enough attention to their sound-design to put "Hunt" above all the rest. - I'm not saying the sound of "Hunt" is bad, I'm saying there definitely must be other games that do it the same or better. - Ralph just likes to make bold statements... BUT, it does indicate he likes the sound of 'Returnal' a lot. - Whether that's accurate or not... It's just an opinion.
@@michaelmonstar4276 can you give an example
Yup
@@michaelmonstar4276 yes, it turns out game reviewers give their opinion
SkillUp: "It's not trying to sell 30 million games"
Developers: He said WHAT?!!!
😂😂😂😂
LMAO i spat my drink 😂
That seems more like Playstation's reaction and then they do a quick turn at the Devs, who are sweating and whistling while avoiding eye contact because they've just been called out.
Sony: "No sequel for you!"
*Banished to PC!*
PC players: "Welcome! - We take care of all the rejects here..."
Yeah, especially with that price.
Thanks Skill up, like seriously. I wouldn’t have bought this game if it wasn’t for your review, so far I’m absolutely LOVING Returnal. This game definitely isn’t for everyone but if you have a Ps5 and actually want to play a next gen Ps5 game instead of just playing backwards compatible titles, this game is AWESOME.
did u really have to watch a review to understand how beautiful this game is..
@@kirion111 sometimes it’s reassuring to know it’s a good game. Look at biomutant for example, I planned on getting it but after hearing reviews and reading comments, it doesn’t seem worth it anymore.
You should also play the new Ratchet and Clank, it's easily the most "next-gen" game I've played so far
It's quite endearing to see Housemarque, a criminally underrated developer, finally venture out of its niche and try their hand in AAA production. And to see it succeed with flying colours is just a cherry on the cake! I really hope that Housemarque continues this franchise (Sony hinted at this) and builds on this formula to make a timeless masterpiece.
But is it really out of their niche? Seems to me like a 3rd person version of their isometric shooter, just more mature in terms of gameplay and technical design
Yah its still niche, this genre is niche. For a lot of people this genre is just not fun. I'm one of those. It reached mainstream eyes for sure but a lot of people will play it and dislike it im afraid. The Rogue mechanics for me personally, kill what looked to be an amazing game. Not the games fault, just the genre and now I know never to buy anything in this genre again. I hate having no progression. If they wanted to break out of the niche they'd make a separate "mode" to let you keep certain things when you die, or even better for me would be a leveling system even if it only makes very slight differences. Really even if I just kept my gun and that's it, I'd play this through probably but theres nothing even driving me. A lot of people think this as well and for that reason it will probably stay niche. This might be the closest it gets to mainstream but when others discover what it is it will quickly go back to niche. Who knows, I could be wrong though. Gameplay is awesome though.
@@MrKing-qd7gi another reason it stays niche might also be that 70$ price tag, man that's heavy
@@manada00 Yah and I was dumb enough to do it without fully looking into it. It's not a bad game (for those who knows what it is), but $70 for a game that may not be enjoyable? Too risky. For someone who's familiar with the genre and knows what they are getting into maybe. But not for the average gamer for sure.
The devs said this is their last game they are making with this concept. They won't do risky games anymore.
Just finished this game... Utterly brilliant. Early game of the year contender for me.
It's a GREAT game I just don't like how you can't save
@@dazdealz4648 you can now 🥳
@@King-Chub Yay! Been meaning to get back to it. Only halfway through as of August. Still, enough to cement it as my Game Of The Year.
@@dazdealz4648 did you used to not be able to save? Like you had to start from the beginning beginning?
@@xtcaudio u dint have to start from when celene technically landed but you did have to start from the first area with a starter pistol. Same as now. What they're talking about is a feature that allows u to save mid run and quit out and then come back
I swear, you have some crazy way of turning a gaming review into some kind of beautiful art! Always a good watch man!
I wasn't previously excited about this.
I am now stupidly excited about this.
I have now added Returnal to my list of must-buys when I can finally purchase a PS5.
And a 4KTV.
@@LifeWulf At this rate, I think you can purchase a PS5 Pro or a PS6 before you can buy a PS5 (standard)
I find that active reload is a lot easier with automatic weapons like the carbine. That way you can just hold down the fire button till it's empty, then tap R2 at the right time. With semi-auto weapons, it's very easy to accidentally press R2 after you've fired your last shot, and screw up the active reload
This review when it came out made me buy the game. I beat the first biome in a few days and put the game down, and picked it back up this past week (still haven't beat the 2nd boss, but I've reached him). Even despite the frustrations, I've been liking the fact that I'm still learning about how to play the game. I don't know if I'll ever finish, but it's now a gaming goal that I'll come back to time and time again.
@@shinryusaiha I still haven't beaten it. I was getting better at it. I made it to outside the door of the 6th biome's boss. I stopped playing there that night so I could come back to it fresh. Then I lost power and my run. Haven't touched the game since.
@@MtlRocker ah that sucks ): i guess its a lesson to always back up ur saves.
@@yxz5198 well you can't back then up at this time. I don't mind not being able to save scum, but it would be nice if they implemented a better way to save your run when you need to get off (like saving it but you have to leave the game, returning to the game deletes the save).
@@MtlRocker they patched it in
@BG no. I will someday. It's the only rogue-like game I've played, but I enjoyed it. My main game is Destiny 2 and been playing a lot of that lately. I'll go back and finish it at some point.
I can’t wait to play this tonight. This game has been the biggest turn around from “Returnal? What is that?” to “I’m so excited about this!” ever haha.
Yes my fellow Rizwan.
you should try Control if you haven’t already. this game is very similar to it
Games like this remind me exactly how passed my prime I really am. My best reflexes were wasted on jumping over pitfalls and eating glowing pellets while dodging ghosts.
im fourty and went from "omg i cant beat this game" to "i can go into bullettime in real life now" within a couple of hours. this game is extremely fair and shows you when to dodge or reload with visual, auditory and haptic clues. try it. youl be pure reflexes, no thinking, in no time
@@cirescythe I've always wanted to try this game but was worried that it would be too difficult as I'm also in my forties.. and your comment gives confidence to give this game a go
I’m 40 and I’m about to start playing it.
I just finished this for the 1st time tonight, after 11 deaths, 1.4k kills and ~18 hours and man...
I was absolutely blown away. After the first few bosses the game is just getting started. And that last biome - holy shit.
I am SO glad I watched nothing about the game - literally everything after the 1st boss was completely new to me.
Edit (October 2023): I’ve started playing again and I’m sitting at 40 deaths. Have not beat the game again since launch lol. I believe I got lucky.
18 hours is nuts man you locked in
11 deaths? That's what I had in the first are.
You are good!
I beat the game my 4th play through lol
How the heck do you get 1.4K kills with only 11 deaths? 😂
It took me 26 deaths to finish the game. Great job :))
“The frame rate takes a dive when there are tons of enemies on screen”
……the EDF Deploys!
Vrr is needed something sony does not have after 7 months on the market so by the time ps5 is available again it would probably have it maybe.
EDF! EDF!!
@@AnywhereMiami yeah 1080p game upscale to 1440p then dynamic 4k60fps after all that it still has stuttering but the game is good so ignore because it's a sony game and it's 70 dollars no thank you. The only game I played from this dev that I like was resogun so I am not missing much.
Frame drops and stutter are unacceptable for a game like this
@@glenmcl Not really, not if this is their first dance with a game like this, and the fact it's new hardware people are just beginning to play with. This has typically happened with the early releases on consoles, usually Sony as their stuff is custom (PS3 being the most difficult of all).
And I think you just mean stutters maybe, because many games have frame drops just because things are being taxed at points. With the particles + enemies on screen + movement speed...I can see it happening. I don't think we've seen a game like this to even compare.
This game is a healthy dose of "yes please", for me.
Honestly, I'm thinking this looks like a day 1 purchase for me. I'm stoked.
yeah! I mean, I'm a SERIOUS Metroid fan and Returnal kinda seems like Sony's answer to it in it's own way! It looks so good! and pretty!
This game feels like it belongs in the “Alien” universe!
if i was Disney i would order a Aliens game from Housemarque straight up.
Very good observation. Totally looks Aliens/Prometheus like.
This game makes you FEEL like an alien killer
10/10 -IGN
Yeah, Alien and Edge of Tomorrow somehow come to mind experiencing the story, the creature design and kind of suspense.
Sort of. I'm not a huge movie buff but it's more like metroid prime. You're exploring the charred remains of a once living civilization. It's interesting trying to envision how they once lived on this planet
Looking forward to your Ratchet and Clank review in June
The question is are you supporting it?
@@Disinfectantanime yeah
The person designing the levels REALLY love Zdzisław Beksiński's art 😁
Me: I like "Medium" artstyle, but not the gameplay. I wish it could be a fast passed shooter.
Returnal: hi, handsome...
The sound design is amazing as well. The first time I heard my secondary start to charge back up while every other damn thing was going on, truly blew my mind. You really just have to experience it.
You can really tell that Housemarque took a lot of inspiration from Alien and HR Giger in their world design. Looks dope, can’t wait to play it tonight!
Seems like they were influenced by Zdzisław Beksiński paintings more than anything his fingerprints are all over this game but giger was a massive fan of his work (which also shows) the massive obelisks and color pallet look straight out of a Beksiński painting. Look him up you won’t be disappointed
Giger + Beksinski + Alien/Ridley Scott influences + a little bit of Lovecraft. Amazing combo!
Holy fuck. I can’t believe I just spent 45 min of my life watching a game review. Guess what? AWESOME REVIEW! I think this was the best and longest review I’ve ever watched for a video game in my entire life. So comprehensive and interesting. 👍🏻
Welcome to skillup
To this day, Returnal is still the only PS5 game that I have played that truly feels next-gen in terms of the things you brought up about the haptics, the sound design, the particles, the load times, the lighting. It is really hard to describe, but it just feels different
Couldn't agree more 😊
Bro the game is a barren lifeless pile of absolute garbage😂😂😂
@@TheRisingTide89 woah really? An apocalyptic setting is barren???? No way!
That’s so funny bc I literally thought the same thing all the other ps5 games just tbh seem to have better shadows really like if you compare cod mw2 ps4 pro vs ps5 version Shadows and foliage looks realistic but even from 360 too ps4 it felt like such a noticeable jump it was dope this time it’s more like uk it will be worth it but deff doesnt feel quite there yet
@@TheRisingTide89Just tell us the game was too hard for you, it's ok we won't judge...much
I was really hoping this would turn out well and I’m so happy rn
Same, I love housemarque. From resogun on. I suck at their games, so I'm ready to get my ass kicked
i never heard of this studio before this. I might actually give their other games a shot
@@IWantToStayAtYourHouse they've made fun addicting games from day 1. Super talented little studio. Glad Sony is giving the chance to run with the big boys this time around.
@@salsaucy2547 And now Sony has a leg up on Microsoft thanks to it. They’ve got themselves a truly next gen game
@@IWantToStayAtYourHouse if u like twin stick shooters, twitchy fast gameplay with a dash of old-school arcade. you'll love them
"Celine handles like a dream" is the best skillup quote ever.
😂🤌
😉😉😉
It’s Selene, Celine is my wife’s name
@@enzog1078 I used talk to text and that's just what it gave me so thank you for letting me know. Also it took every fiber of my being to not just repost that quote as a reply to your comment. I took the high road on this one.
@@sukamadik5983 haha fair play my friend
This sounds like a cult classic already
Definitely.
@@williamcahill2743 agreed. cant put it down. it is so good
I’ve played it all the way through and I’ve never played a rougue like/light or whatever it is called and going into it was far harder than I ever expected. It is certainly its own thing and I tell you if you have a PS5 and it looks cool to you pick it up. The combination of the haptic feedback on the controller, the stunning visuals, the crisp and powerful sounds, and the snappy controls make for entirely new experience. He didn’t give enough credit to the feedback you feel in the controller. It’s otherworldly. You feel the rain, you feel the sounds of the game. I’d give it a 9/10.
This game is doing the most for me
Nope just a cult.
The game is boring and unimaginative, repetitive, and easy. SkillUp must have gotten perks to say it is a must play. Even he says it’s seriously lacking in terms of replay-ability, and lacks all the important rogue aspects that Hades mastered. Hades is absolutely superb compared to Returnal. This is a low B grade game.
I love that this review is 44 minutes. That's showing love. Can't wait for your Nier Replicant review!
That's why he's the best!
Tbh all SkillUp reviews are at least 40 minutes long. That's why we love him.
There are sorta rare "save stations" in the biomes (at least in the first half), where you can spend resource to allow you to respawn at that station with all your gear.
I finally got to the final boss one year later after quitting the game in frustration with how hard it was. When I went back to it though, I was hooked and tried to be patient and now I absolutely love it
Dude I was the same... I had trouble with the first act and stopped playing for a while then I started from the beginning and I finished the first act in only 4 runs. Sometimes coming back to something fresh is a good idea, also this game has taught me how to stay calm in tense situations. Social anxiety, cured
I will never understand how people rage quit a singleplayer game because it's too hard.
@@evoke2976 Hesitation is defeat
@@evoke2976I mean, you just answered it, it's too hard for them lol
Now THAT is what I call a review. Holy shit so informative and I feel like I'm more informed which doesn't happen often with reviews
I strongly recommend you have a ps5 to play this game
Thanks, I took your advice and got one, and it's great!
@@apictureoffunctionI recommend control for ps5 graphics are amazing 👏
The symbolism of the events, the bosses, the biomes, the story, is freaking INCREDIBLE. I obsess over well done symbolism and my god it’s so good in this game. It’s one of those stories that absolutely does not give you anything for free. You have to put the pieces together to see the bigger picture and man it’s so cool. Highly recommend watching interviews with the devs talking about it cause it’s so dang cool.
You are literally my official favourite reviewer on RUclips. I absolutely love your vocabulary just everything about it man. Great job.
New Skill Up reeview???? its 40 minutes long??? And he recommends it????? Time to sit back and enjoy
Returnal is REALLY cool. It can be difficult but the shooting is more about strategy and position rather than quick reactions. One of PS5s best
This is the game I wanted a PS5 for... and it's the game I'm still wanting a PS5 for, lol.
Yup lol me too !
Rip
It hits PC next year! Don't buy a $1200 ps5 lmao just wait
Bruh you hyped for returnal 😂😂😂 play demon souls its 10 times better
@@keeganmayers6925 they both lit boyo
“It’s just Returnal man” - SkillUp 2021
Game is unreal. It's such a great game with amazing gameplay.
One of the best
Really like how Doom music came in outta nowhere. Love it.
I absolutely love when a game evokes this kind of response from anyone. Its just the epitome of the hobby I love, and I can't wait to play this.
I'm 15 seconds in, and I can already tell you're going to make me want to buy this game....just like the Automata and Monster Hunter. (Those were legendary reviews of yours BTW. They're my go-tos for when I want my friends to play those games hahaha) Ugh...I hate your reviews sometimes, but for all the right reasons! You keep me playing the best games! hahaha! Cheers my man!
After playing Dead Cells, the mashup of Rogue Like and Metroidvanias may be my new fave genre
Ever heard of Sundered? It's quite good and although not a roguelike, it's definitely a metroidvania... kinda.
The writing in this review has tempted me to drop the money and get a PS5, just to play Returnal.
Bravo.
The only person whose reviews I care about. Great review Mr. Skillup
I really enjoy the quality of your videos man, it’s always an engaging cinematic experience regardless of the content
I kept on refreshing until I came across this review. Super excited for this game.
me too XD
the music in this game has been imprinted into my mind its so mysterious and haunting ive never forgotten it
You can tell this is a real gamer doing a genuine review, and being awfully professional about.
Releasing April 30th: Returnal $70, Pokemon Snap $60, Star Wars Pinball VR $30 = $mywifeisgonnakillme
Sooooo....try so buy something for her? then get Returnal
The deluge of big video games coming through the next couple of months are divorce worthy.
@@julespleeswoah859 rofl exactly!
@@loksunl8714 You sly foxxx!
@@throwaway450 Pinball where you get to also decorate the room 👍
This is such a fantastic review for a game. One of the best reviews I've seen in recent memory.
Wow, what a review, subscribed on the strength of this alone. This is the sort of reviews and breakdowns that the big boys like ign and gamespot should be doing but never will.
Sensational
70usd made me a patient gamer. Only buying games on a 50%+ sale now. Except the very few.
Smart people have been doing that since the ps3 era.
Some since Sega Master System. Phantasy Star release price was $69.99. That was back in '86 or so. I finally got it a week before the Genesis released for $40.
Game pricing is why I went full PC shortly after the 360 released. Most PC ports could be found for 30% less than the 360/ps3 counterparts. Just had to wait a few weeks.
The very few, you mean like this game for example which is only 1 of 2 games built ONLY for PS5 right now. If there’s any game to spend the extra money on it’s THIS!
80 euros here which is honestly way too much when I can buy AAA games on PC for 60. I still want to get a PS5 at some point to check out the exclusives but I'm in no rush to find one yet because of this.
@@cosmancho2959 except many of those sales people don't end up beating the game. Hence why backlogs gets so big.
29:45 "Ladies and gentlmen, we present you - DOOM RETURNAL"
The landscapes and enemies reminded me of Metroid Prime and Prometheus.
man... as a huge metroid fan im so sad about the PS exclusive of this game
looks so enjoyable
@@imadeamistak4905 well isn't metroid series itself a Nintendo exclusive?
I wish I was even able to compare them.
-The pleb PC gamer
@@aravindpallippara1577 true but I was like 12 at the time the trilogy was out on Wii and stuff so luckily I was able to enjoy it.
and despite being a PC user now also, I did end up getting a switch for Monster Hunter Rise lol.... but who the hell knows when theyll ever release another metroid again. metroid4 was teased a few years ago and the only news since is that they restarted the project or something
@@imadeamistak4905 man I hope they'll deliver with Metroid Prime 4. It needs a dark brooding atmosphere
@@teehundeart im really just hopeful for an amazing and memorable soundtrack tbh
The most disappointing thing is the lack of item synergy. That's what makes Hades/Isaac so repayable and exciting to uncover new items. Still, very much looking forward to it. Roll on midnight!
The fact that it lacks variety is a serious blow to it for me. I had the same issue with Hades (the differnt gods are simply modifier of your existing skills. By that I mean how it simply modifies the effect of your skills for the most part.) This just seems much worse and for a roguelite, I expect much more.
@@TheOriginalMomos But here’s the thing about Hades’ boons: they’re simple yes, but they all have value!
Every Boon is going to give you something you can use to survive longer, which means you have to agonize over which boon to get because each one is important and has an actual effect on your survival
Hades got boring rather quickly for me because you are fighting the same 4 bosses and a handful of enemies each time. Though it was indeed impressive that boons you get randomly could change your strategy on the fly. You could tell the game was play tested to death to make sure no truly useless boon or perk existed in the game.
My problem with hades has been the slow pacing of the story - it could afford to wind up a bit faster. But the gameplay is excellent, build crafting is great, voice acting and music is exceptional - standard fare for supergiant games.
The gameplay is too twitchy for my taste with too much visual noise - but that's personal preferences, it's not very hard unless you start adding on the modifiers of course.
I think I prefer my games to end on a definite note than go on eternally - well that's a point in favour of returnal then
@@aravindpallippara1577 But there is a definite ending to Hades? Dont know how far you got into Hades, but there is an end credits + epilogue once you start to max all the gods relationships.
I’ve spent roughly 30 hours in the game and still haven’t beat it (on the last boss though)! It’s depressing but I keep coming back cause it’s one of the most fun I’ve ever had in a game.
Bloody love your reviews, ever since your feature on Days Gone I really find the comments you make reflecting my own feelings about games I play. This video has made me happy with my decision to wait a little longer for Returnal. The price tag already made it a no-go but your comments about its current balance issues and frame drops make me happy to hang on for a few patches and a price drop. Cheers for the video guys! The amount of effort and passion you put in really shows.
definitely gonna buy this in 5 years when the PS5 will finally be in stock
I got it in Feb , keep a look out. You might find it eventually !
Sony will have banned white males by then. Sorry, PS5 Eye confirmation required to boot.
woUw sO fUnNiEWE
wait this is only on ps5?
Or in 2 years when SIE releases it for PC
This game is just pure genius. Sometimes after getting my arse handed to me after a long run, I'm like "I'm never playing this again". But I'm always back the next day...and every day I get a little bit better. Yes it is a tough game, but the way you consistently improve your skills in each run just makes it so satisfying. One of my all time favourites.
@kiwiklogg exactly it teaches you a lot about yourself. Most times I died because of a choice I bad decision. Others in new attack methods from enemies.
OK, I can't stand Rogue Lites but was willing to give this game a chance. But the fact that you can't even shut down your PS5 and if it crashes you loose progress along with only saving between the 2 acts? I think I'll pass on this which is s shame because the gameplay looks fantastic.
Yeh it's put me off a little... apparently the devs have taken note of a massive reddit page that has a massive discussion regarding the lack of save points. I hope the devs listen and add some sort of save function because thats what is putting me off getting it right now...
Just in case you still haven't played this game, they've added a feature that allows you to suspend your run and quit the game. I'm not sure how it handles crashes, because I have yet to get a single one in around 10 hours of gameplay. So I do recommend you trying it now, it really is the best time to jump in, I think! Also, it's on sale currently. I picked it up because of this review, although I'm not a rogue fan (except Risk of Rain, it slaps), but Returnal is just exceptional.
“Architecture is too large” - while the main character runs on very human-sized stairs :)
bro who's stairs is like 10 humans wide with the climb height of 3 houses
@@spuffles2104 I mean that the actual steps (is this the word?) are for human legs obviously! I don’t know how the architects of all this look in the game, but the video made me think that they are giant and not humanoid, some lovecraftian types. Surely the architecture should reflect that? If they are humanoid - that’s fine, but I still find this moment in the video funny.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Massive staircase with small steps?
@@niki_bbb The natives are about 3 meters tall, so yah it's weird the stairs are so small. I think the devs overlooked it.
its a ramp for them
Loving your review. In my experience the difficulty bumped up from the Boss in biome 2 until finishing biome 3. Biome 3 was so rough that biome 4 felt like a cakewalk. Then biome 5 got rough again and the last one a bit easier. I feel like biome 3 trains you well for the rest of the game.
Fourth Category of people: Those waiting to be able to get a PS5
Scalpers are real bad right now
Bro I found 1 for like $1000🙃.
It's really not that hard to find anymore
Where are they then ?
@@freesheep0 In stores? They sell out quickly but there's a new deal almost every day.
me: "oh no who tf gonna watch a 44 minute long review smh"
me after watching the 44 minute long review: "ok nvm"
The second biome boss, the flying one.....
I beat it with 1 hit of damage left on both of our respective healthbars, with a single mid-air-dash sword swipe. I dodged into a wall of bullets and got him at the last second.
I havent set down a controller and paced around, shit talking a game in EASILY a decade.
Love this game.
"Best 3rd person bullet hell on the market"
*NieR fans disliked that*
He's a big NieR fan, so it's not like he's throwing shade. Also, "X is the 'best' Y" is a little ambiguous here and it could well be fair to say NieR is overall a 'better' game, while Returnal does Bullet Hell better specifically. Or not - play it to find out 😄.
Why? Cause nothing can be better than Nier? Come on now 🤣🤣🤣
NieR is great. It's not even top 3 bullet hell games on the market.
@@dannysandoval8296 Yeah, Nier Automata is on a level which can't be compared anymore. That does not mean that there are no other games on that level. Actually there are, but comparing them is like comparing apples and pears. I believe Returnal is a great game but without having played it, I doubt very much that it can hold a candle to Automata in any way.
@@subzilver come on now.. there's no denying it's good but you're exaggerating it's nowhere near that high level. Hades for example is more of a bullet hell than Neir imo
The second "mom's spaghetti" cracked me up pretty good 😂
And that's how i found out Rice Crispies were also called Rice Bubbles
Do they also have Rice Bubble Treats?
If Zdzisław Beksiński and HR Giger made a AAA version of Risk of Rain 2?
Yes. Especially the Beksiński part.
I see your point but games like Mortal Shell and The Medium look so much more like either Giger or Beksiński than this does. This has maybe 10% of that visual DNA on it, tops.
@@tukkek I see your point, but why did you feel the need to turn it into a comparative competition?
@@daniellongpham1251 It's not a competition as much as you're wrong.
@@tukkek You seem pretty insecure.
Skillup flexing on his boss fight skills. 😏
Really hope the devs watch this and tweak it as per your suggestions for when the rest of us get to play it in (insert future ps5 stock date). Some mid-level mini bosses? Some more meaningful augmentation pick-ups? A few more level tiles? Incredibly atmospheric game, love the voice acting. Great review, thanks Skill Up Sahib.
Always appreciate the thought you put in to your reviews. Here's a comment for the algorithm!
Skill up: Feels like a world not build for humans
Also skill up: shows a clip of him walking up some stairs
*ALIEN STAIRS*
Ah yes the human creation of an inclined plane....
bruh my grandpa died from falling down stairs. Stairs are deadly
I bought this on PC, and I'm completely obsessed with it. I cleared biome 5 last night with a fraction of my health left, and my heart was pounding. This is the ultimate flow state game- You just get into it and you're flowing and reacting for hours and you are completely focused.
The boss fights, I think, are extremely fun. They are not puzzles at all- you always can tell what you need to do.
I am also having a fantastic time with it on PC!
@@three_seashells glad y'all are liking it! Enjoy getting all the endings and then playing the amazing tower mode 💪
This is the best long-form review of Returnal. Great stuff, looking forward to post-spoiler discussion!!
Late but I just finished the game yesterday and what a masterpiece! Definitely my 2021 GOTY and the best roguelike I've ever played
I was unsure of this game when I first bought it but I assure this game is worth it. So much fun and it is rewarding as hell. Looks incredible and feels incredible.
Also, fuck everything that flies in this game.
“Snack, Crackle, Pop.”
Returnal Sound.
Oh, and “Selene handles like a dream.”
-Skillup 2021
When I read: I strongly recommend from you, I immediately felt the pain. Game selling for 350 bucks in Brazil. Standard edition... it sucks being brazilian.
100$ flat over here in Canadian dollarydoos. That’s fucking criminal tho
That's $84.49 in Australian coin, we have to pay $125 which is $518 Real.
Hope that makes you feel a little better.
Yeah I'm aware of that. The USD dictates the price all over the world and as far as I'm concerned, games have cost 60 USD since ever. I guess that's a fair price tbh. What sucks is, as I mentioned, living in Brazil and having our coin worth 19c US.
Still, game looks pretty sick and it is what it is...
bought the game because of this review...holy shit, its incredible...im generally more of a laid back rpg enjoyer, but this one just hits different
Same! Now I'm addicted to towers!
i refreshed sooo many times before waiting for YOUR REVIEW!!! Finally. I already preordered and im ganna glue myself to my PS5 all night
I feel so lucky to have been able to get a PS5 now.
Me too. I got mine last Thursday so just in time to get this game.
got mine yesterday just in time
Same got my ps5 from eBay a few months ago
@@danny.4506 Damn on eBay ? ... let me guess for $1000+ ?
I hope this game gets the success and recognition it deserves once PS5s are more available. It's such a blast to play.
This game is unbelievably good, and I never expected it to be! Thanks to this review I bought the game, and I haven't regretted it. Even though I'm two weeks in and haven't even beaten the second boss.
good luck and keep at it, it's incredibly good isn't it! word of advice if you get frustrated... don't treat each run as attempting to hit a boss, treat it as what you can unlock . that way you'll still feel like you're progressing. absolutely my game of the year, just entrancing.. and if you like the art style, a lot of it is "inspired" by an artist called Zzdizlaw Beksinski
Did you ever beat it?
I watched Max's entire play through. No regrets. Metroid Prime/The Alienverse, Edge of Tomorrow/All You Need is Kill, with a good dose of Lovecraftian horror and Jungian undertones all blended together seamlessly.
well put.
The way sony treats their companies seems so healthy it makes me happier playing their games, and it makes better games. Freedom to create is beautiful. Death stranding and returnal are good examples. Love death stranding, understand why some don't, glad it exists. And the developers are also happier
As someone who's been replaying a lot of Horizon Zero Dawn, I am noticing the heck out of the smoothness of the controls and aiming in this video.
Horizon isn't really based on shooting, but yeah this one is smooth. You replayed that game though?
@@TheRealist1. Horizon's combat is based mostly on shooting and sniping with the bow, so there's waiting for a complete draw and trying to hit tiny weak spots on fast moving enemies, and your arrows have travel time (trying to aim at humans is the worst). And yeah, this is my like 5th time replaying since the recent Play At Home gave us the Complete Edition.
@@Vesperitis I only have to shoot the birds
@@TheRealist1. not sure if we're playing the same game or you played at a lower difficulty, but even at Normal you have to use the bow a lot. It's not possible to fight Thunderjaws and Rockbreakers with just melee.
@@Vesperitis how many of those do you really encounter? Don't get cute. 95% of the robots are made for melee or override.
Returnal art team: our game is beautiful
RUclips Compression: hold my beer
Yeah I cant fully appreciate these next gen trailers on my 10yr old laptop
You do a lot of these "hold my beer" jokes dont you? You are that guy lol.
I am SO obsessed with Returnal. I have beat it all the way through 4 times now including the 2 endings.... and I cannot stop!
Jim Ryan wasn’t joking. The games are going to do the talking
Faxxx
I was really scared with news and rumors saying Sony was going to play it safe and cut down On the new exclusives and pump out on the same big exclusives but nope. Playstation delivered big time with this game can't wait for more
@@treemane0 you don't play it safe if you launch your console with a demons souls remake that is sure to turn off a lot of people because of the difficulty
@@i-10haula88 demon souls remake coming after the celebrated dark souls trilogy is imo pretty safe.
Souls series isn't truly hard - I was able to get through it with liberal amount of exploiting, there are very few bosses, especially in dlcs that are actually very hard.
The actual games themselves tests patience than player skill.
lol
I just finished Act 2 and can confirm this game is a god damn masterpiece. I love it so much. Please play it
I got this game and Demons Souls Remake when I bought my PS5, and as much as I was looking forward to getting through Demons Souls after years of playing the Souls series, I ended up absolutely loving Returnal for every reason that Skill-Up talked about in here.
Fortunately I did you get any performance issues whatsoever, and had no problem with crashes.
One point for anybody who has watched the review but is worried about not being able to save/play other games whilst in the middle of a run, Housemarque have added a feature where you can save the current run you are in so that you can use other apps and play other games and later come back to Returnal