Sony Returnal - Information Thread, update: Digital Foundry PC Port Review - "It's Good, But Could Be Great"

[stepee]

13 minutes ago, JPDunks4 said:

Okay, still on my 2nd run, just got the credits to roll.  So I guess now I "beat" the game.

 

Total of about 7 hours, 3:30 minutes each run.

 

Only time I've wiped was falling off the ledge that I posted about last night.

 

* I've had two 3:30 long runs, and thank god neither time it crashed.  I'd be pretty furious if it did.

 

That’s crazy, it’s like because of our skill level we are going to play two totally different games.

 

Also, what counts as the first run? I went up to a point that some big thing killed me easily that it seemed I wasn’t meant to beat and then

the title card showed and I did a first person thing

Is that the first run?

 

If so I’m on my second run now and it seems like it’s a tutorial part teaching me things at this point.

[JPDunks4]

2 minutes ago, stepee said:

 

That’s crazy, it’s like because of our skill level we are going to play two totally different games.

 

Also, what counts as the first run? I went up to a point that some big thing killed me easily that it seemed I wasn’t meant to beat and then

  Reveal hidden contents

the title card showed and I did a first person thing

Is that the first run?

 

If so I’m on my second run now and it seems like it’s a tutorial part teaching me things at this point.

 

I count that as the introduction/tutorial.  Don't really count that as a legit run as you aren't in the real area's I think.  

 

I have 2 total deaths on the log thing.  One for the tutorial area, one for the death last night.

 

[JPDunks4]

2 hours ago, DarkStar189 said:

Somewhere I read there are 3 Acts in the game and a total of 6 different biomes to run through. Is that what you did? 

 

Spoiler

I did 2 Acts I think so far, and 6 biomes.  Respawned back at the ship after Act 1, and again after Act 2.  Maybe there is still 1 more act on this 3rd run.

 

[Bloodporne]

1 hour ago, SimpleG said:

Put a few runs in and my biggest issues are 

The dodge mechanic feels like a split second too short, I am sure I ll get it down but the speed in which she moves feels like the dodge should be longer

Games like Hades and ROR2 give you interesting perks and they come at a quick enough pace to keep it fun. The perks here are doled out much slower and they are kinda meh.

The camera is really really in tight and its cost me some runs, a mob was behind me and was essentially in the same location of the camera and I couldnt see it. I think it just glitched behind me though. Also fell in a pit that was tough to see, and I had some upgrades that looked like you could drop in above them but they were is water maybe and it damaged and respawned you. I had run where all the tougher mobs spawned right at the beginning of the run, had 2 big boys spawned at the crash site. The biome runs are too long, you can really see the repeating layouts, each full run should be half as long as they are.

 

 

Even with all the bitching I am enjoying it a lot, i think for me the game needs a bit more time in the oven.

 

Since I am really interested in the game still, I checked Housemarque's Twitter earlier after seeing that they're engaging with people about the mi-run save thing and I think based on some other comments, this'll probably be balanced and patched quite a bit.

 

It seems like an almost crazy ambitious game for them so I'm wondering if they'll tool around with it still for a bit before really sticking the landing on something so new for them.

 

 

[JPDunks4]

Oh yeah, one thing I did right from the start was remap controls.  

 

Put Dash on L1

Put Secondary Fire on R1

 

I haven't even tried the Secondary Fire on the Trigger.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Regarding mid-run saves...

 

[johnny]

ok yeah i died at the first boss. if we ignore that first thing you do then i got to him on my first run. now that i know his patterns and moves i think i can take him next time. had a fuckin pistol fighting him. gonna take the machine gun instead lol. 

[stepee]

7 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

Regarding mid-run saves...

 

 

PLEEEEEASE

[stepee]

56 minutes ago, JPDunks4 said:

 

I count that as the introduction/tutorial.  Don't really count that as a legit run as you aren't in the real area's I think.  

 

I have 2 total deaths on the log thing.  One for the tutorial area, one for the death last night.

 

 

Yeah, I agree with you, I think it shouldn’t count either. My first one and the only one where I was really trying (fucked around a bit after) I felt like it let me play for a bit before i died, maybe an hour or so, that is promising maybe. The part I did die at was some kind of challenge room and I basically just wasnt paying attention and did a dumb move.

[johnny]

this is so fun 

[Joe]

The Overload system drives me crazy. I never get it because I’m always spamming shoot lol.

 

[Chris-]

Ok I bought the game

[stepee]

ya this game might work 

[Keyser_Soze]

54 minutes ago, JPDunks4 said:

Oh yeah, one thing I did right from the start was remap controls.  

 

Put Dash on L1

Put Secondary Fire on R1

 

I haven't even tried the Secondary Fire on the Trigger.

 

Max did the same thing. Seems to be the pro move. Pushing down halfway to pick between alt and primary fire in the heat of the moment seems like a bad idea.

[Joe]

57 minutes ago, JPDunks4 said:

Oh yeah, one thing I did right from the start was remap controls.  

 

Put Dash on L1

Put Secondary Fire on R1

 

I haven't even tried the Secondary Fire on the Trigger.

Did you do O for Consumables?

[SimpleG]

39 minutes ago, stepee said:

The part I did die at was some kind of challenge room

Fuck that challenge room, I was having a hell of run and mobs just spawn forever and ever ..

[JPDunks4]

12 minutes ago, Joe said:

Did you do O for Consumables?

 

Yup

[johnny]

13 minutes ago, SimpleG said:

Fuck that challenge room, I was having a hell of run and mobs just spawn forever and ever ..

i haven’t encountered this yet. i’m scared 

[JPDunks4]

23 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

Max did the same thing. Seems to be the pro move. Pushing down halfway to pick between alt and primary fire in the heat of the moment seems like a bad idea.

 

I saw Jeff Grubb tweet it yesterday, and it sounded like it'd be pretty terrible to have to half press the trigger to have to use the alternate fire.  

[SimpleG]

Just an FYI

Leave health drops behind if you can, you can teleport back to your ship and rest to refill health, all the health drops become resin which you can use to fill the 3 bars next to your health that once filled raise your max hp.

[Mercury33]

26 minutes ago, SimpleG said:

Just an FYI

Leave health drops behind if you can, you can teleport back to your ship and rest to refill health, all the health drops become resin which you can use to fill the 3 bars next to your health that once filled raise your max hp.

ohhhhhhhh I was wondering what those three bars were for 

[JPDunks4]

2 quick tips that I think were huge in helping me succeed - I'll put in spoiler tags just in case people don't wanna hear them and figure out what works best for themselves, even if they aren't spoilers at all really.

 

Spoiler

-  If you see a Mini Astronaut Figurine Artifact, get it.  It's basically a 2nd wind.  If you get killed it'll just respawn you right where you are with Full Health.  Definitely a must have as if you get "killed' during a boss, you'll respawn right away and the boss will still be damaged.

 

- If you see those contraptions that cost 6 Ether, that is like the Minotaur looking thing, activate it for the 6 ether.  They also will respawn you if you die, but back at the contraption itself.  If you die to a Boss, you'll have to do the entire Boss fight over, but at least you're not dead.  It only works for the specific biome you are in at the time.  If you move on to the next Biome, I don't think it'll be active til you find the new one.

 

 

[johnny]

10 minutes ago, JPDunks4 said:

2 quick tips that I think were huge in helping me succeed - I'll put in spoiler tags just in case people don't wanna hear them and figure out what works best for themselves, even if they aren't spoilers at all really.

 

  Hide contents

-  If you see a Mini Astronaut Figurine Artifact, get it.  It's basically a 2nd wind.  If you get killed it'll just respawn you right where you are with Full Health.  Definitely a must have as if you get "killed' during a boss, you'll respawn right away and the boss will still be damaged.

 

- If you see those contraptions that cost 6 Ether, that is like the Minotaur looking thing, activate it for the 6 ether.  They also will respawn you if you die, but back at the contraption itself.  If you die to a Boss, you'll have to do the entire Boss fight over, but at least you're not dead.  It only works for the specific biome you are in at the time.  If you move on to the next Biome, I don't think it'll be active til you find the new one.

 

 

Spoiler

where do you get astronaut figures? i got one at the house but that’s it. 

 

[JPDunks4]

8 minutes ago, johnny said:

  Hide contents

where do you get astronaut figures? i got one at the house but that’s it. 

 

 

I saw it at a Fabricator once.  Also I think it can drop from Chests.  I think in the last biome, I had one from some chest, then had it used in some crazy room.  But I remembered I saw one at a Fabricator and made sure to go buy it before moving on.  

 

Also, my opinion, but the 1st and 2nd bosses are probably the hardest.

[johnny]

i found a challenge room lmao i got fucked up. so many enemies. 

 

when i get a notification saying a psn friend was last seen in ____ is that saying that that person died in that biome or that they’re just.... playing. 

[best3444]

8 hours ago, JPDunks4 said:

Okay, still on my 2nd run, just got the credits to roll.  So I guess now I "beat" the game.

 

Total of about 7 hours, 3:30 minutes each run.

 

Only time I've wiped was falling off the ledge that I posted about last night.

 

* I've had two 3:30 long runs, and thank god neither time it crashed.  I'd be pretty furious if it did.

 

🐐 

[Keyser_Soze]

Looks like if you are a fan of Terrance Malick you'll enjoy what happens at the end of a run.

[JPDunks4]

Welp, started another run, and died in the very 1st room.  The difficulty seems to ramp up after each clear, and this aint no joke now.   And I'm loving every second of getting my ass kicked.  Starting out with just the pistol and no other items against these mobs is just pure insanity.

 

Let the deaths start rolling in.  This is the difficulty I signed up for.

[Bloodporne]

I wish I could remember whose PSN name is who on here. There were three of you online playing Returnal and I forgot who the hell is who.

[SaysWho?]

I beat the first boss in one try.

[best3444]

Glad you guys are enjoying the challenge. Seems like it's frustrating yet very fun. 

[SaysWho?]

Just now, best3444 said:

Glad you guys are enjoying the challenge. Seems like it's frustrating yet very fun. 

Nothing frustrating for me. Bloodborne was a difficult game but I don’t think I ever found it frustrating.

[johnny]

i haven’t been frustrated yet. also, if you are getting overwhelmed, you can run through to the next area as long as you aren’t in a lockdown. one area had like 15 of those bat things and a big thing that shoots fireballs or something. i should have just kept running through instead of trying to fight them all at once. 

[best3444]

That's good it hasn't been frustrating. Just a challenging game that requires skill and strategy it seems. 👍 

[JPDunks4]

After dying twice very early into my next attempts, I just cleared it again.

 

Seemed to play identical to the last time I cleared, it, so other than finding more collectibles, I'm not sure what else there is.