Its a diamond in the rough. Each run is unique with a wide variety of artifacts, parasites, and items that can synergize with one another. Each gun has multiple traits to unlock each with their own tiers to upgrade. I think it really incentivizes the player to look outside their comfort zone. In it's grasp of roguelike mechanics, it stands among the best.
We all know at the end of the day stories are good in games, but game-play is king; Returnal checks both of these boxes. The dark narrative is refreshing and unique, a far cry from the sea of cliche story lines that find their way to the mainstream. This one stayed with me, and when you hear the desperation and momentary bouts of insanity in Selene's rage against her fate, you can't help but sympathize and fight harder to free her from her hell, if you even can.
For those who rated this game poorly for having to start over after dying, I'd not only not recommend this game to you, but roguelikes entirely. That premise is the foundation of the genre. It's like buying a sandwich, and complaining when you ate it you noticed two pieces of bread with ingredients between them. That's just what a sandwich is. It isn't that you don't like this particular sandwich, but sandwiches entirely. I'd recommend sticking to the tried and true chicken tenders and french fries; but for my fellow sandwich connoisseur's out there, this one's one of the best.
