Due to Sony’s decision to announce its latest State of Play presentation alongside a note that declared games developed in Japan would be its primary focus, viewers probably weren’t expecting Housemarque to take to the virtual stage during the show. Even though plenty of intriguing PS4 and PS5 titles were put into the spotlight, the Finnish first party studio’s Returnal arguably stole the show. Fans of the game now know that the roguelike shooter will be getting a significant free update in only a few week’s time on March 22.
Since its release in April last year, Returnal has captured the imagination of PS5 owners. Factors like its atmospheric biomes, an intriguing Groundhog Day-inspired story, and addictive bullet hell gunplay, all make it easy for players to become addicted, provided they can overcome its steep difficulty curve. Despite the handful of awards and praise the game earned in 2021, there’s a sense that Housemarque’s shooter hasn’t been a hit on the same level of Sony’s other first-party titles, though. With the upcoming 3.0 Ascension update, there’s a great opportunity for this to change going forward.
Returnal’s Sales Potential
Due to several ongoing global problems, the PS5’s life cycle has so far been partly defined by the fact that the console is hard to find. Even in the face of this ongoing situation, Sony’s current generation first-party titles have continued to sell remarkably well. Games like Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls, and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, have all reportedly crossed the one million sales mark. Though Sony hasn't stated the same regarding Returnal, there’s a sense that Housemarque’s roguelike shooter hasn’t seen similar success, despite being comparable in terms of quality.
With the release of Returnal’s 3.0 Ascension update, there’s a decent chance that this could change soon. Even though it’s been 10 months since it first debuted, Housemarque’s shooter is still going to have a major presence in discussions relating to the PS5’s lineup thanks to the exposure created by the update. While it’s true that games like Horizon Forbidden West and Elden Ring are taking up a lot of space within the PlayStation ecosystem right now, Returnal is unique enough that there should still be buzz surrounding it with the new update.
Returnal’s Returning Players
Newcomers that will jump into Returnal with the Ascension update are only part of the equation. Thanks to the substantial nature of what Housemarque is adding to the game, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that veteran fans will come back as well. Thanks to everything on offer, the world of Atropos could conceivably ensnare them for some time. Beyond Returnal’s new co-op options, new items, and narrative sequences are being added into the mix. The Tower of Sisyphus, a brand new Endless Mode-inspired biome that contains a previously unseen boss, looks particularly enticing.
Based on the sheer quantity of what’s being added to the game with the 3.0 update, it would’ve probably been justified if Housemarque or Sony had attached a price tag to it. However, Returnal’s Ascension update will be free to all players. This should benefit the game in several ways, whilst extending its longevity on PS5 at the same time. It’s almost a no-brainer for returning veterans to dive back in, due to the fact that most barriers to entry have been removed.
Not only does this incentivize players to come back to Returnal, it also significantly improves its overall value as well. With Sony being seemingly determined to continue charging players $69.99 for first party software, any update that expands a game’s offerings for free is very much welcome. Even though comparisons to some of the publisher’s other games isn’t particularly fair, due to the different genres on display, Returnal was also something of an outlier amongst Sony’s lineup. Setting aside the longevity that’s gained from difficulty, Housemarque’s shooter was noticeably shorter than games like Gran Turismo 7 for example. Update 3.0 should address these perceived shortcomings, at the very least.
Returnal’s Co-Op Benefits
Since its release last year, Returnal’s brutal difficulty has been a topic of debate amongst players. While many have called its blend of arcade-inspired shooting, frantic movement mechanics, and roguelike features an addictive thrill, plenty have also found it hard to get to grips with that concoction. Discussions regarding the addition of an ability to pause a run when turning off the PS5, which would theoretically allow more players see Selene’s nightmare through to its conclusion, was the source of discourse surrounding the game.
While it won’t be a perfect solution, Returnal’s 3.0 Ascension update will offer these players a potentially useful alternative. After all, the ability to play through all the game’s content with a cooperative partner should make it possible for more people to actually beat Returnal. Having a second gun firing on an enemy, in addition to the ability for players to revive each other, will likely reduce run times and stress across the board. The fact that summoned players will be able to keep the collectibles they gather, whilst leveling up the incoming Scout Rank system, also makes it easy to envision a community of helpful players being created and sustained within the game.
Even though the content included within Returnal will still be mostly the same, adding a cooperative element like this to any title fundamentally alters the experience. So much so that, it also seems likely that more people will come back to play the game again, even if they don’t have plans to help others in the long term. Mechanics like the ability to directly invite and revive teammates, in addition to Returnal’s bullet-hell DNA, are all fairly unique within the game’s increasingly popular roguelike genre. As a result, the life of Housemarque’s shooter should be extended considerably at the end of the month.
Returnal is available now for PS5.
