It really feels like the conversation surrounding Returnal has changed drastically ever since media outlets, including our lovely selves, shared hands on impressions based on the game's first two biomes. What once was a lot of chatter about its price has now become a discussion about how good it looks as we near launch. In fact, fans are analysing existing footage so much that they're finding elements and mechanics worthy of merit where you wouldn't usually look. The fast travel animation is getting exposure as a result, which a lot of future players are impressed by. Check it out in the video.

Once you've selected a location to fast travel to, protagonist Selene turns into a big blob of something and then finds herself in the desired spot moments later. It operates a lot like Demon's Souls on PlayStation 5 does, cutting to a black screen for fractions of a second before utilising the internal SSD to transport you across the map. There really isn't a load time here at all — it looks like you lose control of Selene for maybe five seconds in total. That's a similar length of time to warping between Archstones.

Again, it's a very small detail, but as Returnal gains more exposure across the internet, these more minor are being picked up on. Are you impressed by the fast travel animation? Try it yourself in the comments below.

[source resetera.com]