Topic: Returnal

I've been having the odd run on the tower over the weekend and while I haven't managed to pull any amazing scores out of the bag I have slowly been unlocking that part of the story. I rolled the credits on it last night and thought it was a really good addition to the main story that ran through the game.

I won't say any more but just wanted to say that even if you don't care about high scores the tower mode is worth dipping into just for that.

Hopefully more people will try the game as it seems Returnal is being included with the Essential tier of the new PSPlus.

“At launch, we plan to include titles such as . . . Returnal. “

@Just2Milky It will definitely give it some more exposure and it's coming at a good time with the DLC out as well.

@render Cozie McDazzle needs an intervention!

@Fill3rup_ Last time I looked that top score was up to well over 200 million. I think I've done 6 runs so far and the best that I've managed is 3 million. They are are menace 😂

I've given up with this game. Returnal may look impressive but to me its difficulty is based on luck rather than skill. So often when I find myself in a lockdown situation fighting a mini boss the map's rooms generated either work so they allow for good strategy and evasion or they're simply too cramped allowing little to no room to evade at all. I've just had enough of making it to the end of a Biome, in my case Biome 3 and repeatedly dying, losing everything in the process except maybe some ether I farmed.

Returnal IMHO is all graphics and pretty lighting but the Reality is its mechanics are all over the place. I can't see myself going back to it tbh. I mean what's the point when a game is just causing me to get so stressed out and angry? none absolutely none.

@RubyCarbuncle There’s certainly an element of luck with how kindly the RNG gods are treating you on a run but I wouldn’t say it’s all luck.

Everyone hits a roadblock in the game and biome 3 is a pretty common one! I got lucky and had a mega run that saw me finally get through B2 and then complete B3 first time. It certainly took me more than one go when I went back there to complete Act 3!

I think it’s possible to just sprint through a couple of nasty sections in B3 though. With the update it might be worth trying some co-op to make it through? B4 onwards has the advantage of giving you level 15 weapons from the start which makes things much easier and more interesting.

Plus the B4 boss is the coolest in the game too

@RubyCarbuncle I'd agree with @Thrillho on the element of luck, sometimes everything just comes together for you on one run and that can mean you make some amazing progress. I have never been good at this game but slowly I managed to find ways that meant I could make progress.

I found that being aggressive and always moving worked best but it was the exact opposite for my wife. She also completed the game but her playstyle involved taking things out from a distance and keeping out of trouble by using doors and objects to hide behind. It shows that there's not one way to crack this game but you have to persevere to find out the best thing for you.

I hit that road block that @Thrillho talked about in B3 and it took me what seemed like an age to get through it but the run I had when I did it was amazing. It's probably one of my standout moments in gaming to have got past the point that I really didn't think I had it in me to do. That was really the turning point for me as I realised that if I could do that then I could certainly complete the game. I went on to beat the remaining biomes with considerably less deaths and felt unbeatable going back and playing through again. And yes the B4 boss is the coolest

Now I'm playing the Tower of Sisyphus I'm having to learn all over again as it's a different kind of challenge, but still really enjoyable. You can be a bit more carefree about it as even though there are story elements they aren't linked so much to your progress. I've got some pretty mediocre scores but have seen the end of that part of the story.

Anyway just wanted you to know that others have been through your struggle and that there's hope for you yet 🤞

@render Thanks for sharing your experience. Reading it gives me some hope that I may get there eventually 👍

@Thrillho Thanks man that's good to know 👍

@RubyCarbuncle Hey buddy, just wanted to drop a note of encouragement also. B3 is a really common stumbling block. First one for me was Phrike and then B2 felt pretty easy by comparison, including the boss, and then B3 was just brutal from beginning to end. It actually is so hard because the drones and creepy robot guys wear you down through the level and then you make it to the end usually with very little health, and then you have to climb the tower! In my opinion that last climb to the boss was tougher than the boss itself. So if you make it that far, and get to the boss, you usually just barely have any health left. I think I died to the B3 boss like 4-5 times and it was very discouraging. It’s the longest run in the entire game. You might know this but if you beat the B3 boss (Ophion? Is that his name?) then there is a soft reset and you will permanently respawn at the beginning of B4 afterward. So you get a really great reward if you can get past this part.

On my run that helped me get past B3, I took at least 3 hours. I spent at least enough time to beef up in B1 and grow the health bar as much as possible. To me maxing the health bar is key. If you also can get an astronaut then you’ve got a really good chance going. In B2, I just did the open area, which to me is the easiest area in the whole game. There is so much room to dash away from attacks that you can really mop up a lot of obolites and there tends to be good weapon drops aplenty. After clearing the open area, I then transported to B3 at the portal at the entrance to the temple. For me, it wasn’t worth the chance of dying to the tough enemies inside.

That should be the approach to get to the start of B3. Now just slowly make your way through. The Rotgland Lobber is probably your friend here. Anything that can be doing damage while you dodge and hide. Spam the heck out of it. And use obstacles to hide behind where possible and fight from a distance. Save at least one, if not two keys for the tower. There is always a couple locked doors on the way up the tower that will house some decent things and often some invaluable health packs when you need it the most during your climb. So avoid the temptation of burning through your keys before then. That’s part of what saved me. And also, when fighting the onslaught of enemies in the tower, I was usually able to grapple up to one of the ledges hanging over the enemies and you minimize which enemies can hit you that way and can pick them off easier. You just have to zip back and forth between the ledges once one of turrets or enemies has a bead on you up there. In fact, try to spam the grapple in general, especially in this level, because you have relative invincibility while you’re grappling (just like your dash), so it’s a life saver to keep your eyes open for the grapple points to zip away from trouble.

So when I really spent my time, like I say i think it was like a 3+ hour run, (which I took a rest or two in the middle of, back when we had to put our games in rest mode 😄) then you’ll be pretty well prepared for the boss. Then before fighting the boss you might want to check a YouTube video of someone beating it. That helped me. Of course you may want to try once on your own first if you haven’t already, but after enjoying the initial reveal, there’s no shame in watching a good strategy guide. I’ve seen Ophion beaten with just about every weapon, but I think I used the carbine; I can’t remember actually.

Sorry if a lot of this is redundant and things that you’re already doing. But I feel your frustration and just know if you can get to B4 you have a little reprieve for your troubles, as well as some awesome story points. If you’ve decided to give up on the game, then there’s also no shame in that either, if you’re not having fun. I’m not peer pressuring you, rather just letting you know that I definitely remember how you feel. (If you look back far enough in this thread then you could find my frustrated B3 posts 😅)

@Th3solution Thanks but I've deleted it now. I tried again several times earlier and as usual I died again. Returnal is the worst game not to mention the most stressful game I have ever played in living memory. I am never subjecting myself to this torture ever again. What annoys me is the way Returnal was marketed as a 3rd person horror based shooter, I never saw anything mentioning Roguelike/lite whatever in adverts and now I'm stuck with a game where I won't even be able to see most of it. Never again.

@RubyCarbuncle No worries. I’m sorry that it didn’t click with you. I’ve had high profile, universally praised games I didn’t like or couldn’t complete for one reason or the other. Witcher 3 comes to mind. I just didn’t enjoy it like everyone else seemed to. Or more similarly to you situation, I couldn’t get past a certain level in Tetris Effect to complete the game. My brain just isn’t wired to think that fast and react. I beat my head against it for many hours until I had to give up. Also Sonic Mania. I just couldn’t get the hang of it.

Anyways, point is — not all games are for all people. Have fun hopefully finding your next gaming adventure, and may it be one that lights your gaming fire!

@Th3solution Thank you for your kind words.

@RubyCarbuncle I agree with the above,i am a known quitter of games when difficulty curve gets set to Unenjoyable ( All of the Souls games so far) But getting through that 3rd Biome was a euphoria i didnt think id get from this game. Im on a Break from it (Elden Ring) but ive 5 trophies left to platinum it. (5 cyphers ,beat Biome 6 and see the Ending)
Ill go back when im done with Elden Ring to get the Plat and play The Tower.. Its tied with Witcher 3 as my favourite game ever..(Elden Ring is looking like it will be up there 2 )

Hey all just thought I'd post here again to say I managed to beat Biome 3 but Chrst on a bike was it hard. My heart rate was racing and my palms were sweating but man did it feel satisfying.

@RubyCarbuncle Haha oh wow... your last comment reminds me so much of my own experience!

I got back into gaming early last year 2021, and Returnal was one of the first games I got upon getting my PS5... and at first I hated it. But eventually, and through continued improved runs, it was all I could think about - it really got under my skin!! The guys on this site really supported me through it, and eventually I got the platinum.

Please hear me on this mate - if you can beat Biome 3, then you have all the necessary tools & skills to BEAT this game!

It was my GOTY last year without any doubt, I have never experienced such a "heart in your mouth" game... and the sense of progression and achievement is unrivaled!

My tip would be this - find a gun/weapon you click with, and try to unlock as many traits as possible.

For me the top-tier weapons were the Electro Pylon Driver (#2, the weapon with the red electric poles) and then the Hollowseeker (#1, machine gun type weapon - awesome traits!)

What made you go back to the game btw? Previous comments suggest you dropped it? Great you've 'returned' (lol) to Returnal - so awesome

@RubyCarbuncle Wow that’s amazing, well done. I’m really pleased for you and can imagine how elated you feel having been in your position.

What was your weapon of choice and how long was your run? I think I used a carbine the first time I beat that boss and it was probably one of my longer runs of the game.

As @CJD87 mentioned you’ve definitely broken the back of it now. You’ve got some great traits already unlocked but now you are in B4 you can start to unlock some even better versions of those and you’ll likely start to enjoy some weapons that you didn’t like all that much before. You are also in the best biome out of all of them and I’m envious that you get to experience B4 for the first time.

This is a total turnaround for you though going from deleting the game to some major progress 😀

@RubyCarbuncle Ha, awesome stuff!

Biome 4 was a stumbling block for me but going back to it later on it’s not that bad. B5 is tricky and B6 can swing both ways (that was another biome I completed on my first go).

So good luck to you and be thankful you never have to see B3 again (unless you want to complete act 3 and/or get the platinum trophy of course )

@RubyCarbuncle I can definitely see you joining 'Club Platinum'...! Feel free to add me on PSOnline, wouldn't mind trying out new co-op mode some time!