Returnal has started receiving its first reviews nearly a day before the review embargo is set to official end and they are just as expected.
Earlier today, publication Fextralife was spotted (via Reddit) to have rolled out its review, giving Returnal not only a stellar 9 out of 10 score but also calling the roguelike experience a strong contender for being the game of the year for 2021.
While the complete review itself remains unaccessible at the time of writing, users who were able to skim through the article the moment it went live have shared that Returnal will prove to be “a sleeper hit” and make “a compelling case to get a PlayStation 5.”
The review further goes on to compare a captivating adventure with the likes of The Expanse and Mass Effect, assuring that science-fiction fans are in for a real treat. The high praise for its narrative is interesting because until now, early impressions were focusing everything on visuals and gameplay. On that note, the weapons of Returnal have been said to play a major role in keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging.
Note that Returnal has already been mentioned to have a difficulty ceiling. The game is challenging and players will quickly come to terms with death over and over again. Based on the early review, about 50 hours on average might be needed for players to complete the entire game.
Returnal was originally supposed to release in February 2021 before being delayed by a couple of months due to production challenges birthed by the pandemic. The game releases in a couple of days exclusively for PlayStation 5. Those who have already pre-ordered can start pre-loading their purchase. The game requires about 60 GB of free storage which does not include any mandatory day one updates.
