Housemarque is being put through its paces, as its PlayStation 5 exclusive Returnal has been causing trouble with various bugs. A number of players have been hit with some pretty nasty problems, like doors not opening, the inability to pick up items, and game crashes. While those crashes might be a problem on Sony's side, it seems the developer has been working hard to sort everything out. A previous patch was messing with people's save data, but with today's latest update, it seems Housemarque is getting things back under control.
Patch 1.3.6 is now available for download, and all being well, it should sort out a bunch of issues. The studio states this update fixes the issues people are having when outfitting Selene in the pre-order suits, which means that unlocked doors should now open properly, and you should be able to pick up items. Crashes are addressed with this update too, and any problems when using custom button layouts should be fixed as well.
Here are the patch notes:
- Multiple stability fixes addressing rare crashes/hangs.
- Fixed issue with pre-order suits occasionally blocking item collection and door opening.
- Fixed incorrect healing behavior when resting in Helios.
- Fixed issues with certain custom controller mappings.
- Numerous minor fixes and improvements.
By the way, that point about resting in Helios means that players will no longer be able to heal in the ship as often as they like. That keyboard exploit that let you access debug cheats has been patched out as well.
Housemarque has also noted on Twitter that this patch fixes the save data corruption issue. If you've lost your save already, this won't bring it back, but it does mean it won't happen again. Phew.
Anyway, the update is ready to roll right now, weighing in at about 1GB. Here's hoping the game will finally be more stable starting today.
[source housemarque.com, via twitter.com]
Comments 42
Still had virtually zero issues with the game other than the corrupted save thing but mine lived fortunately.
Only minor glitches I encountered were one invisible barnacle and one audio glitch where some effects became suddenly very loud (it fixed itself when I moved to the next room).
Hopefully this also improves the probability of encountering other players' corpses, like 1.3.3 did. It's a cool mechanic.
After 20+ hours I've not had a single issue whatsoever. Fortunately I didn't get round to playing after the update whiched screwed up the saves! Just downloaded the new patch but a bit cautious about playing now! I am absolutely loving this game but boy is it hard. Finally managed to get to the 3rd biome boss today but got destroyed during his second phase. Try, try, try again...
Nooo I absolutely abused the Helios resting point to build up an insane amount of health before moving to biome 3!š I gotta git gud.
Btw I just had one single crash since launch and I have been playing Returnal every day...
I've only had one issue (the door glitch) but it was early in a run and not a big deal. I finally got to the second boss but he whooped me š
I'm not as good at this game as some others are, but I'm still having fun and progressing a bit at a time. I'd still like a "Save and Quit" feature, however.
Installing the patch now.
The only issue I've had is the pre-order suit blocking doors and items, but it's only happened a few times and always near the start for some reason.
Other than that it's been an incredible experience so far. I don't usually go for roguelite games, but this one won't let me go. Absolutely incredible design.
Only issue I've had is dying over and over.
Finally died on biome 4 so I can finally turn off my ps5 and update the game lol. I only have one crash in returnal when using the portal, I hope the game didn't crash on me again though.
This is the first game I've played in quite a while where a few crucial design decisions I really hate nearly ruin an otherwise very enjoyable experience. I reached biome 5, but at this point, I really don't have the desire to keep going anymore. Especially now that the Helios healing thing is gone.
zero issues after 20hrs in.. just dying
I'm in a toxic relationship with this game.
Can anyone help, I was one of the ones that the save got deleted and I was close to finishing the game, I started again and have completed the game and there's that collectable you need to for alternate ending but it Doesnt seem to spawn I've search everywhere on first biome probably 15 times not only that but other collectables are not spawning either..... Also I noticed on ps cards it said 0% on biome 6 even tho I defo collected stuff in that biome, it's like the game hasn't recognised I've completed the game. Any ideas?
Had played with patch 1.3.4 for the first time last night, had one hard crash and one system lock (leading me to force power off), which was all very concerning of course. Deleted immediately. Hopefully this new patch will get things back in working order, but Iām definitely nervous to reinstall and boot it back up...
So, they broke Helios and made the game worse, nice.
Any word on whether or not they fixed trophies unlocking? I haven't had any issues with the game other than being worried my survey trophies aren't unlocking. I'm trying to get the plat, and even if they did fix it I don't know if there is any way I can get them to unlock again.
@RubyCarbuncle šššš same here.
No issues software wise. But that said I can't seem to clear the first area boss. On my 27th try now and have just about lost interest. I have never had issues with hard games. Got plats on all the souls games but this game is kicking my butt something good.
@OMG_Waffles Try melee, especially with the artifact that boosts attack. It canāt dodge well at all, and itās attacks tend to miss up close. That made all the difference for me. Just watch out for itās own melee strike when youāre in itās face . And bring a full health refill. You got this!
So many issues over the past few days. My third install seems alright though, so fingers crossed for this update. Be nice if they sorted out the online element.
The only thing crashing and burning is me, can't find blade, can't even get to 1st boss.
@OMG_Waffles In regard to this game in general, Play like a chicken, shoot from a distance but try to collect the cash. Build your combo, this leads to more cash, donāt pick up health unless you are full health so it adds to your max life. Spend your cash on the health extension and health packs and then use the left overs for artifacts. Grab one two cursed items along the way and clear them. If you grab more than two it starts deleting your artifacts and perks. You donāt have to jump much, just dash through projectiles, make dash L1, R1 for use items. ADS shows weak points, melee does a ton of damage in general.
Doing this should get you through the 1st 3 biomes easier.
They patched it today where you CANāT use Helios to heal more than once, so, that sucks. Makes the game worse.
@Axelay71 Read the tips I posted below your post.
@OmegaStriver thanks for the tips mate will keep trying:)
I finished the game definitely worth every penny I paid for it really great game man.
I've been struggling with world 5 and was having an excellent run last night - good weapon, resurrection item, two full health potions, great artifacts, and full health at 220% integrity. On my way to the part I'm stuck at and the game crashed. Normally no big deal but the game has no saves. I must have cussed at my TV for a solid 5 minutes.
The second I seen this article, I said to myself, Welp, there goes my current run. I should have turned off auto-updates... I had my Hollowseeker up to 11* and my proficiency up 13, too! Lesson learned. This game is too fun to put down. It's not the worst thing in the world to have start back at Helios and build up my player again.
So just had an amazing run, made it to the second boss very well equipped. In phase 2, the sound started distorting and cut out and game locked up, forcing me to quit app, which then further locked my whole system, forcing me to power off (unsafe!). HARD CRASH #4. This is now AFTER the 1.3.6 update. I might be an extreme case here, but the game has become unplayable for me. Just emailed Housemarque asking for a refund. Very sad, bc this is a fantastic game. But I'm not risking my PS5 to play it, sorry!
@KippDynamite Was it a hard crash, or just the software?
I never abused the Helios thing or the keyboard exploit, so no loss there.
I got a few crashes and could not use the cool pre-order suits though. I experienced a crash near the end of what I think is act 2 that killed my enjoyment for the game (I had almost killed a malignant enemy, I had FULL equipment, 50 percent extra weapon damage, 40 percent extra protection, and 28 weapon proficiency), and I haven't played Returnal at all in three days. I'll probably give up on it until the weekend is over, and play it again if the crashing is sorted.
I have only died 12 times this whole game, and my runs are fricking spoiled by crashes, and a couple times by surges or the interaction pre-order suits bug. That being said, if I'm hit in the first area of biome 4 or if I get crappy items to start I just restart the cycle.
Holy crap. The difficulty SPIKES once you get passed act 1, and a crash there is truly...TRULY...heartbreaking.
@Ear_wiG just software.
It sent an error report with a video, which included me yelling into the controller mic for about 2 seconds. "Wait, NO! BULLSH-"
@OMG_Waffles
In the Souls games you attack when there is an opening. For Returnal bosses (including the first one) you have to constantly move from side to side, and you switch directions when there is an opening. You've got to aim at them the whole time, of course.
The third phase of the first boss is trickier mostly because the boss also tries to melee you, so you've got to get a few decent dodges in as well if you want to survive.
@OMG_Waffles Also to add on to @KippDynamite 's really good advice, when bosses are trying to melee you they make themselves vulnerable to being melee'd themselves. You also get I-frames during a melee attack if it homes in on an enemy,
Try not to get hit at all before you make it to the boss to conserve your health and to maximize the amount of integrity increasing resin you pick up. Most of the enemies in biome 1 are EXTREMELY weak to melee hits as well. I recommend using this fact to practice the melee range and utilizing that in combat. It will help you work out the patterns of enemies, and train you to keep medium range distance so you can efficiently pick up obilites too. Not getting hit also increases your adrenaline which gives you necessary beneficial effects. Best of which is increasing your obolites!
Also, experiment with different guns. I think the Hollowseeker with Serated is probably best for beginners... well it's also just really REALKY good. It'll teach you to sustain fair while giving you a lot of damage over time.
Another piece of advice is to just skip opening Malignant chests unless you have a consumable that removes the malfunctions or have Fractal Nail which increases your damage while you have a suit malfunction. The things inside are almost never worth it.
And parasites can be a trap too, especially any that hurt you when you pick up items, or hurt you when you fall great distances.
Hope all this helps!
@KippDynamite Glad it's been only software for you, although it still sucks HARD! If I'm being honest, for me this has been worse than Cyberpunk. At least that game was only software crashes, and it had an autosave. The hard crashes and lock-ups in Returnal are just... awful
Just discovered you can only hold a total of 30 ether? That's pretty pants when there's so many malignant items to collect.
Hi there fellow gamers.
IĀ“ve been playing Returnal almost every single day and had two craches.
One on a really good run on the second Biome and another in a Boss fight. Fortunately it was a Boss I had already beaten, so not much of a fuss.
Also had a door not open due to the pre-order outfit on a daily challenge run. Other than that, no more issues, thankfully.
Finally beat the fifth Biome and now exploring the sixth.
Not what I expected. And the story is getting pretty interesting.
The plot thickens and the mistery is slowly unfolding.
Also follow @KippDynamite, @OmegaStriver and @Constable_What advices.
Play it carefuly, time your dodges and learn to dodge forward trough the bullets and be always on the move. Use melee often, itĀ“s a one hit kill on all small enemies. And try to always get the Astronaut figurine with you. Hope it helps.
Man do I love this game a lot more than I thought I would.
Cheers, stay safe and happy gaming to us all
I've been loving this game. At this point, I think Sony needs to incorporate Housemarque into its stable of studios. Every single game has been great, and Returnal is next level ISH.
@OmegaStriver
@Ear_wiG
Did it finally! Thank you all so much for the tips and advice! Using the sword was 100% a game changer!
@OMG_Waffles
Awesome! Congrats!
So don't update...got it.
I gave up the other day, I had my best run yet, nearly double health bars, large quick use health pack, the astronaut relic for a free revive, some nice artifacts, nice parasites, nice weapon perks too.
Got all the way to the boss door and...
While dodging an enemy, I got stuck in one of the tree trunk bases of one the eyes of Sauron spotlights. WTF?!? Are you kidding me?!? š”
Couldn't break away, and there were no more enemies alive to kill me so I could revive nearby with the astronaut relic.
20 deaths, I was about to put my boot to the first boss Phrikes and finally reach a new biome.
After a BS loss like that, I couldn't bring myself to fully try again. I made it about 3 minutes into a new cycle and just said F@#! it, I'm now wasting my time.
This is why I'm glad I waited on buying the game...hopefully by November 2021 it'll be fully patched and ~$40-$50 USD during Black Friday sales.
Phase 3 of the Nemesis boss fight can still break after this patch so you cannot cause any damage. I've had this issue since day one.
I now had audio glitches on the final boss fight with some awful loud crackle replacing all of the audio. And I've had various random interaction problems even though I use the default suit. Not as serious as before as moving to other interactions can usually fix the initial problem.
30 hours in, didn't have an issue until the patch that wiped saves... then it crashed and I lost my save...
I got back to final boss within a couple of days... once you know boss patterns... it's a darned site easier than Sekiro / Bloodborne / etc.
Next stop Nemesis (and presumably NG+)
I've been playing the game every day since launch and I've had 3 crashes, 2 were yesterday after downloading patch 1.3.6. I kinda scared to jump back in now, both crashes were over an hour into a run.
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