[Dreamlord]

Third stage of Nemesis is fucking ridiculous.

 

[Dreamlord]

I killed the Nemesis cunt. That third phase reminded me of the Elden Beast fight, where the cunt kept moving away.

 

[Dreamlord]

Sorry for spamming ...

This game is really excellent. Despite my frustrations, I bloody love it. I wonder though how people managed to play it on console with a controller. Unless there is some aim assist, I would find it incredibly difficult without M&K.

The music during the Nemesis fight was awesome. So atmospheric, so intense. Audio in general is superb, if a tiny bit muted. Maybe I should play with headphones on.

I am now wandering around in the fourth area (I see what you meant @and 3 others when I asked about skipping stages). Got one item, close to the second to open the thing.

Spoiler: so mysterious

 

[and 3 others]

Sorry for spamming ...

This game is really excellent. Despite my frustrations, I bloody love it. I wonder though how people managed to play it on console with a controller. Unless there is some aim assist, I would find it incredibly difficult without M&K.

The music during the Nemesis fight was awesome. So atmospheric, so intense. Audio in general is superb, if a tiny bit muted. Maybe I should play with headphones on.

I am now wandering around in the fourth area (I see what you meant @and 3 others when I asked about skipping stages). Got one item, close to the second to open the thing.

Spoiler: so mysterious

Anyone else find the house sections really creepy?

 

[regawdless]

Sorry for spamming ...

This game is really excellent. Despite my frustrations, I bloody love it. I wonder though how people managed to play it on console with a controller. Unless there is some aim assist, I would find it incredibly difficult without M&K.

The music during the Nemesis fight was awesome. So atmospheric, so intense. Audio in general is superb, if a tiny bit muted. Maybe I should play with headphones on.

I am now wandering around in the fourth area (I see what you meant @and 3 others when I asked about skipping stages). Got one item, close to the second to open the thing.

Spoiler: so mysterious

There's aim assist on consoles. It's also on per default on PC I think.

Anyone else find the house sections really creepy?

It's creepy as hell.

 

[regawdless]

I beat Nemesis and got the first key thing out of the two now. I had an absurdly great build, sad it's all gone again. Excellent game so far.

 

[regawdless]

Another boss down.

I like how they don't force you to repeat the first three levels after beating them, would be too much. They found a good balance.

Managed the boss just fine, despite all kinds of attacks, but I found them to be easy to dodge. It was a busy fight though.

 

[Dreamlord]

I like how they don't force you to repeat the first three levels after beating them, would be too much.

So, since this is out in the open, is there a way to play the first three levels after you reach the fourth, or do you need to start a brand new game?
I haven't played for a few days, work has been insane.

 

[regawdless]

So, since this is out in the open, is there a way to play the first three levels after you reach the fourth, or do you need to start a brand new game?
I haven't played for a few days, work has been insane.

I think you'd need to start a new game. Why would you want to go back though?

 

[Gold Loot]

So, since this is out in the open, is there a way to play the first three levels after you reach the fourth, or do you need to start a brand new game?
I haven't played for a few days, work has been insane.

You will have the opportunity to play the early stages after you hit a certain point in the story.

 

[Dreamlord]

Killed the fourth boss on my second try.

 

[Grinchy]

I did like the way they split things, but I thought it was a missed opportunity to not have some kind of reward or type of run that let you go all the way through in one go. It's a fun thing to do, but made pointless because it's really just 2 separate runs.

 

[and 3 others]

What's every first timers rating of this game out of 100?

 

[Dreamlord]

80/100 for me. Great game, but the repetition and the rogue-lite nature of it prevent me from give it it a higher score.

Still, I am thoroughly enjoying it. Have to say that after the fourth boss and now into the snowy area, things are a bit too bullet-helly and difficult. I am 17 hours in and it's starting to take its toll. I might take a break, though I am on hols from next friday for two weeks and away from main PC, so there is that.

 

[DonDonDonPata]

My rating so far is out of

 

[regawdless]

What's every first timers rating of this game out of 100?

Somewhere in the 80s region. It's a ton of fun and plays great, but I would've liked the runs to be more different. I have slightly different strengths, but the influence on my play style isn't big enough.

 

[DonDonDonPata]

it feels like a game made for me, as a big fan of Risk of Rain 2, Ratchet & Clank, Dead Space, Vanquish, Metroid Prime, FROM software games, Death Stranding, previous Housemarque games... it seems to hit the best notes from all those games perfectly. I think the only thing missing (speaking as a die-hard fan of the devs) is a local co-op mode.

bois we've come a looooong way since the days of Bloodborne chalice dungeons, Minecraft, Spelunky, and Nethack. This game is incredible, truly a crown jewel roguelike. I can't believe it's almost 2 years old. Returnal is the most next-gen game I've tried on my PS5 so far and at this point I've also tried Horizon 2 and God of War Ragnarok. Returnal has immediate action, but with a setting and story that's obviously being clamped-down to a snail's pace on purpose. Somehow manages to combine bites of AAA cinematic storytelling with the pick-up-and-play immediacy of an arcade / roguelike game. I wouldn't be surprised if more AAA devs go this route as AAA assets continue going up in cost, it's a shrewd way of stretching your content out.

 

[HeresJohnny]

it feels like a game made for me, as a big fan of Risk of Rain 2, Ratchet & Clank, Dead Space, Vanquish, Metroid Prime, FROM software games, Death Stranding, previous Housemarque games... it seems to hit the best notes from all those games perfectly. I think the only thing missing (speaking as a die-hard fan of the devs) is a local co-op mode.

bois we've come a looooong way since the days of Bloodborne chalice dungeons, Minecraft, Spelunky, and Nethack. This game is incredible, truly a crown jewel roguelike. I can't believe it's almost 2 years old. Returnal is the most next-gen game I've tried on my PS5 so far and at this point I've also tried Horizon 2 and God of War Ragnarok. Returnal has immediate action, but with a setting and story that's obviously being clamped-down to a snail's pace on purpose. Somehow manages to combine bites of AAA cinematic storytelling with the pick-up-and-play immediacy of an arcade / roguelike game. I wouldn't be surprised if more AAA devs go this route as AAA assets continue going up in cost, it's a shrewd way of stretching your content out.

Your thoughts pretty much mirror mine. It was the first game I played on the PS5, and it set the bar extremely high. For me, it's a killer app -- I could play it over and over again.

 

[Grinchy]

it feels like a game made for me, as a big fan of Risk of Rain 2, Ratchet & Clank, Dead Space, Vanquish, Metroid Prime, FROM software games, Death Stranding, previous Housemarque games... it seems to hit the best notes from all those games perfectly. I think the only thing missing (speaking as a die-hard fan of the devs) is a local co-op mode.

bois we've come a looooong way since the days of Bloodborne chalice dungeons, Minecraft, Spelunky, and Nethack. This game is incredible, truly a crown jewel roguelike. I can't believe it's almost 2 years old. Returnal is the most next-gen game I've tried on my PS5 so far and at this point I've also tried Horizon 2 and God of War Ragnarok. Returnal has immediate action, but with a setting and story that's obviously being clamped-down to a snail's pace on purpose. Somehow manages to combine bites of AAA cinematic storytelling with the pick-up-and-play immediacy of an arcade / roguelike game. I wouldn't be surprised if more AAA devs go this route as AAA assets continue going up in cost, it's a shrewd way of stretching your content out.

I love the game and haven't been shy about saying so lol. Feel basically the same way you do. I think maybe my one complaint is that there could have been a wider variety of builds to be made if the pickups combined in crazier ways or had more unique attributes.

Someone who is good at Binding of Isaac can basically break the entire game by knowing the full roster of upgrades and how they interact with each other (not that I was ever that guy). And also, when you've played a bunch, it doesn't take long to see every pre-made level segment enough times that the random generation doesn't feel quite as random. I can't fucking wait to see what Housemarque makes next.

 

[DonDonDonPata]

I love the game and haven't been shy about saying so lol. Feel basically the same way you do. I think maybe my one complaint is that there could have been a wider variety of builds to be made if the pickups combined in crazier ways or had more unique attributes.

Someone who is good at Binding of Isaac can basically break the entire game by knowing the full roster of upgrades and how they interact with each other (not that I was ever that guy). And also, when you've played a bunch, it doesn't take long to see every pre-made level segment enough times that the random generation doesn't feel quite as random. I can't fucking wait to see what Housemarque makes next.

the seams/stitches in the levels are hidden pretty well but they're there, I can already see how they re-use certain assets and tunnel-features. However, it's still miles beyond the other games I mentioned, especially something like Risk of Rain 2 which doesn't even have randomized terrain, just randomized enemy/item placement. I think the game's randomization/repeated assets matter where it counts: it does a good job of making sure everything is proper height for platforming i.e. you're not constantly grabbing ledges and pulling yourself up in the middle of combat, you either make the gap or you don't. Each section of the Returnal map is a proper "arena" with multiple angles of attack and retreat. It feels on the same level of (gameplay)quality as the handcrafted DOOM arenas the campaign throws at you every few hallways.

 

[Grinchy]

the seams/stitches in the levels are hidden pretty well but they're there, I can already see how they re-use certain assets and tunnel-features. However, it's still miles beyond the other games I mentioned, especially something like Risk of Rain 2 which doesn't even have randomized terrain, just randomized enemy/item placement. I think the game's randomization/repeated assets matter where it counts: it does a good job of making sure everything is proper height for platforming i.e. you're not constantly grabbing ledges and pulling yourself up in the middle of combat, you either make the gap or you don't. Each section of the Returnal map is a proper "arena" with multiple angles of attack and retreat. It feels on the same level of (gameplay)quality as the handcrafted DOOM arenas the campaign throws at you every few hallways.

Did you get into the previous games made by Housemarque? If not, I think you'd love them.

I feel like Returnal just isn't a game for everyone, but for those it is for, they end up so excited about it and I've found that to be true of the previous games too.

 

[DonDonDonPata]

Did you get into the previous games made by Housemarque? If not, I think you'd love them.

I feel like Returnal just isn't a game for everyone, but for those it is for, they end up so excited about it and I've found that to be true of the previous games too.

yup, I've been a fan since Super Stardust and Dead Nation on PS3. I think Nex Machina is my favorite so far, with Super Stardust in close second.

 

[Grinchy]

yup, I've been a fan since Super Stardust and Dead Nation on PS3. I think Nex Machina is my favorite so far, with Super Stardust in close second.

I could have sworn I had seen you talking about them before, but wasn't totally sure. I'm always gonna have that soft spot for Super Stardust on PS3. I didn't really get too into arcadey twin stick shooters before that game.

 

[Dreamlord]

So, I "finished" the game. The last two bosses were nowhere near as difficult as the first three. But the penultimate area was hard as fuck.

Now ...

Spoiler: spoilery question

I understand there is a proper ending. What exactly do I have to do?
I still have not died after killing the final boss and seeing the final cutscene. Managed to reach to the depth scar area (I jumped into the water instead of going to the fourth biome).
Should I just keep going?
How will I be able to play all biomes (I want to collect all the ciphers)?
And what do I need to do to unlock the proper ending?

 

[and 3 others]

So, I "finished" the game. The last two bosses were nowhere near as difficult as the first three. But the penultimate area was hard as fuck.

Now ...

Spoiler: spoilery question

I understand there is a proper ending. What exactly do I have to do?
I still have not died after killing the final boss and seeing the final cutscene. Managed to reach to the depth scar area (I jumped into the water instead of going to the fourth biome).
Should I just keep going?
How will I be able to play all biomes (I want to collect all the ciphers)?
And what do I need to do to unlock the proper ending?

Find all the Sun seals. I believe 1 in each area.

 

[regawdless]

In the fifth biome, there's a sword wielding dude that keeps deploying traps and lasers, teleporting to you doing melee attacks that nearly one hit me. He's tough.

Edit: ah, you have to aim and shoot at the head, then he goes down fast. If you shoot at him the normal way, it takes forever.

 

[regawdless]

So, I "finished" the game. The last two bosses were nowhere near as difficult as the first three. But the penultimate area was hard as fuck.

Now ...

Spoiler: spoilery question

I understand there is a proper ending. What exactly do I have to do?
I still have not died after killing the final boss and seeing the final cutscene. Managed to reach to the depth scar area (I jumped into the water instead of going to the fourth biome).
Should I just keep going?
How will I be able to play all biomes (I want to collect all the ciphers)?
And what do I need to do to unlock the proper ending?

Finished the Second Act as well, now trying to unlock the "real" ending.

What's your favorite weapon? I ended up only using the Hollowseeker, which is a great weapon. Found some with strong attributes, a ton of damage, fast fire rate, accuracy, drone that shoots, and other homing shit. Huge magazine as well.

 

[HeresJohnny]

Finished the Second Act as well, now trying to unlock the "real" ending.

What's your favorite weapon? I ended up only using the Hollowseeker, which is a great weapon. Found some with strong attributes, a ton of damage, fast fire rate, accuracy, drone that shoots, and other homing shit. Huge magazine as well.

HollowSeeker kicks ass. The Blaster and the Electropylon Driver can be absolutely devastating too. Give them some time and you'll be amazed.

 

[Dreamlord]

Finished the Second Act as well, now trying to unlock the "real" ending.

What's your favorite weapon? I ended up only using the Hollowseeker, which is a great weapon. Found some with strong attributes, a ton of damage, fast fire rate, accuracy, drone that shoots, and other homing shit. Huge magazine as well.

The electropylon driver. With web extension/feature. Awesome weapon, allows me to worry less about precision aiming and just build huge meshes of destruction! Particularly helpful with bosses!

 

[regawdless]

Find all the Sun seals. I believe 1 in each area.

I wanted to do that. There was a house that I could enter and saw the car sequence. Continued and explored everything, no sun seals. Guess I have to restart again for it to trigger?

 

[Dreamlord]

I wanted to do that. There was a house that I could enter and saw the car sequence. Continued and explored everything, no sun seals. Guess I have to restart again for it to trigger?

Yeah, it seems you need to start new cycles from find them. There is one in each level, but not guaranteed for each run.

 

[and 3 others]

I wanted to do that. There was a house that I could enter and saw the car sequence. Continued and explored everything, no sun seals. Guess I have to restart again for it to trigger?

You need to go to the "time machine" in the shuttle and go through the previous areas like you would as playing for the first time, find 3, then use the time machine thing again.

 

[and 3 others]

What's your favorite weapon?

Just had a 2 hour run with Tachyomatic Carbine. It had blue portals which automatically lazered enemies, and every other hit causing point to point red lasers, and with my alt fire the big slow orb which shocks everything before it explodes. It was absolute chaos on screen.

 

[Dreamlord]

You need to go to the "time machine" in the shuttle and go through the previous areas like you would as playing for the first time, find 3, then use the time machine thing again.

Wait, the what time machine? Where is that?!

 

[regawdless]

You need to go to the "time machine" in the shuttle and go through the previous areas like you would as playing for the first time, find 3, then use the time machine thing again.

Something is weird, I can't find any sun seal. Went through the time machine to the first area and explored everything, two times, but there's just nothing. Game plays so well, still fun to run around and unlock all kinds of items, but I think I'm done with it. Gotta finish up Plague Tale Requiem before RE4 Remake hits.

 

[regawdless]

Funny thing:

Bosses don't count as hostiles / enemies.

I had a malfunction, had to kill 30 hostiles to remove it. Count was at 29, I entered a boss fight, killed the boss. Nope, didn't qualify, malfunction was still active.

 

[and 3 others]

Wait, the what time machine? Where is that?!

It's the locked door to the cargo area in Helios.

 

[regawdless]

Curious what will be next for Housemarque. After only doing pure arcade games, they dipped their toes into story telling, character development and world building. Pretty successfully in my opinion. The rogue lite design of Returnal is not 100% my jam, so hopefully they will chose something else for their next game.

 

[Dreamlord]

It's a pity Nex Machina is not steam deck compatible.

 

[regawdless]

It's a pity Nex Machina is not steam deck compatible.

What does that mean, it can't be started on SD? Because hardware wise, shouldn't be an issue to run the game.