Sony gifted gamers with a State of Play event on March 9, and there were plenty of exciting upcoming games revealed. Konami revealed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection which will bring thirteen classic console and arcade Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games to the PS4 and PS5. Square Enix also had a lot to show, including the strategy RPG The Diofield Chronicle and action RPG Valkyrie Elysium, which is the next entry in the Valkyrie Profile series. Sony's first-party studios were not left out, however, and Housemarque announced that Returnal will be receiving a significant update that is sure to have gamers continuing Selene's adventures.
Update 3.0, also known as the "Ascension" expansion, is large, but fortunately, it is also free. It will bring two new modes to the game. The first is Tower of Sisyphus which is an endless survival mode, and the second is an online co-op mode. While Returnal is fun to play alone, a co-op mode could drastically change the game for the better, and make it a little more accessible to some gamers who find themselves hitting walls they cannot overcome.
Returnal's Ascension Expansion
Returnal is a game that makes use of procedural generation to craft its environments. When players return after dying, the world does not look the way it did before. This makes exploration an endlessly novel experience, but it also leaves room for a bit of luck to influence the outcome of each run.
Players who enjoy the procedural generation aspect of Returnal will appreciate the Tower of Sisyphus.The name of the story alludes to the Greek myth of Sisyphus who is cursed to endlessly roll a boulder up a steep hill. Similarly, the Tower of Sisyphus has Selene climbing up an endless tower and taking on any foes she crosses paths with. The higher she goes, the harder things get, and the only possible end is death.
The Tower of Sisyphus is a test of endurance, and there are rewards for players with the most perseverance. Players can track their progress on a leaderboard and compete against friends for the highest score. Although The Tower of Sisyphus is meant to simulate an arcade experience, it does have a narrative attached to it which expands on Selene's past.
The Ascension expansion will also introduce a co-op mode that will allow players to explore Atropos with a friend. Players can access Returnal's co-op mode by accessing the Chronosis portal near the crash landing site. If players wish to play with a stranger, they can either host or join a public cycle, and if players want to play with a friend they can host a private cycle.
Once a connection is established, players can go on Selene's journey together. The co-op mode nudges players to work together in many ways. For example, players have to remain close to each other, and if they get too far apart, they will be tethered back together. Furthermore, if one player goes down, they can be revived by the other player. This can be a risky move because reviving takes some time, and remaining still for long is never wise when Returnal's bullet hell enemies are around.
The Benefits of Returnal's Co-Op Mode
Since its release, Returnal has become a showcase of the PS5's power. It features aliens whose attacks produce a psychedelic light show, and visuals that capture the austerity of the cosmos. Returnal also makes good use of the PS5's DualSense controller, with strong haptic feedback as well as the clever implementation of adaptive triggers. The game's sound design is so striking that it's possible to know what is happening behind Selene without having to swing the camera around. Despite all these positive points about the game, there are plenty of players who have kept a safe distance from Returnal because it has a reputation for being frustratingly difficult.
With co-op, players who have been on the fence about Returnal finally have a chance to jump in. If the game ever gets too tough, they can simply link up with a friend and cut the workload in half. Players acting as the host get to retain all progression, so if a host player progresses past a biome or boss in co-op mode, that progress is saved. There are benefits for guest players too, and they get to keep some progress including logs collected and xenoglyphs. Helping others also helps players raise their Scout Rank.
For players who have completed Returnal already, co-op is a fun way to experience the game differently, and exploring Atropos and taking down enemies with a friend will make Selene's space adventure feel less lonely. Having a second pair of eyes around may also allow players to spot things they may have missed on their own. Returnal veterans can also have fun helping out other players who are having trouble with some of the game's harder bosses.
Part of the reason why such a tight-knit community has formed around FromSoftware games, such as the Dark Souls series, is that they contain co-op elements that allow players to help each other during some tougher parts. With the inclusion of co-op in the upcoming update, Returnal could find itself enjoying a rich community of gamers sharing tips on how to save Selene.
Housemarque took a humongous gamble with Returnal. It is a new IP, which is already a risky move. However, the studio also decided to up the ante by giving it tough as nails gameplay. Fortunately, the gamble played out in the studio's favor and the game has been a commercial and critical success, and it has also led to the studio being acquired by Sony. Already, some gamers have been clamoring for a Returnal sequel and while it seems there will be quite a wait before it arrives if it ever does, the upcoming update, which is scheduled to arrive on March 22, is sure to satisfy fans for now.
Returnal is available now on PS5.
