Returnal

Combat is fast and demanding. Enemies fill rooms with glowing projectiles, so staying still is usually dangerous. Selene can dodge with Dash, move between cover and open ground, and switch to a weapon that suits the threats ahead. The Overgrown Ruins, Crimson Wastes and later areas do not all feel alike; each brings different routes and enemies. Some discoveries and abilities carry forward, but a new cycle changes many of the weapons and items you use during the run. A failed attempt still teaches you where a door leads or how an enemy attacks.

The original PlayStation 5 release is mainly a solo experience. The later free Ascension update added online two-player co-op for much of the journey and the combat-focused Tower of Sisyphus. In co-op, the host keeps the permanent ability unlocks earned in that session, while the joining player does not take that host progress back to their own story save. These are later features, not part of the April 2021 launch. A PC version followed on February 15, 2023.

Housemarque developed Returnal and Sony Interactive Entertainment published it on PS5 on April 30, 2021. The game combines shooting, exploration and a mystery told in fragments, so readers looking for a conventional fixed-level campaign should know that the world reshuffles after each death. Its official cover shows Selene in her suit above the Returnal logo.