Second boss down. Took 3 tries (and some other runs for preparation that ended in death before getting there). That last phase was intense.
Got pretty far in the third biome until I got greedy. Looking forward to further exploring biome 1 now that I have the second boss unlock.
Rocket launcher seems to suck, but I still need to learn the enemies there.
It’s one of those guns that needs some unlocks, and isn’t really good until higher proficiency versions with multiple traits.
I think Biome 3 is the hardest in the game, based on the balance the level of weapons and enemies you face along with higher environmental hazards.
I almost completed the 3rd biome on my first try. I got too close to the boss on the final stage and got punished for it. The health regen when low perk is a godsend. Ive been dying to return to (ahem) Returnal but Ratchet came in the mail on a gamefly $1 come back discount so I’m trying to get through that quickly.
I’m starting to wonder if I’m not good enough for this game. I rarely throw in the towel on a game I’m enjoying because its too hard but I’m probably close to 15 hours and have only reached the second boss once. I’m making progress but it’s slow and often very painful. But I can’t seem to stop.
You’re not fighting the first boss each time are you? You can skip to level 2 pretty quick and if you got to the 2nd boss once that unlocks the portal which lets you skip the tower climb which is the hardest part of Biome2.
I just died to Boss 2 on my last run and didn’t realize I can skip the tower climb on future attempts. I had such a hard time getting through that tower only to have a hard time with the boss and I was feeling a little beat down. So that is good to know that I don’t have to do all of that again.
I do know that can skip Biome 1 boss, but it seems worthwhile to still play through most of the level. Though, maybe it makes sense to go straight to new Biomes and skip the equipment grinding for a bit until I learn how to deal with the enemies.
I found that once I had a nice, upgraded weapon, skipping ahead to the boss worked well for me.
I killed the second Boss and now am cruising through Biome 3 pretty good on this same run. It certainly helps to play this when I’m well rested and alert.
Biome 3 is turning out to be pretty hard. It’s not really as random, and it’s pretty easy until I get to a point where it isn’t. Died 3 times in exactly the same section (but doing better every time).
Just as I was starting to feel good about Returnal again, I experienced my first game crash about an hour into a run that was starting to come together. Felt so bad that I might have to shelve this game for a bit.
It’s been said a hundred times, but but losing a run because they couldn’t manage to get any type of save function implemented is inexcusable for a 2021 game that cost me $70.
Roll credits - normal ending. There was a point in (biome 3) where I thought I was going to give up and say it wasn’t worth the effort. I switched to, and platinumed, Ratchet & Clank (thanks to a $1 gamefly comeback promotion) and was wondering if I would even be able to get back into the groove.
Now I’ve not only beaten all the levels and bosses but have become a bit obsessed with the game. Easily goty for me so far. After taking out the last boss I went right back and beat bosses 1 - 3 again just for fun. Still need to get the true ending but I’m having a blast.
There is an inflection point where the challenge nearly melts away as you gain suit upgrades and weapon proficiencies. All those areas you couldn’t reach before are now available and give you additional support items.
I feel like I can waltz through the levels and take on any challenge without much fear. The combat and movement mechanics are excellent. Every weapon has some unique properties and attributes that can be very satisfying.
The story is very alluring albeit unsatisfying so far. The end reveal seemed to me to have come out of nowhere. I so want to look up discussions as to what’s going on with everything but I feel like I should at least get the final ending first. Shout out to the 4th biome and boss fight. That was epic.
For those starting out and want some tips:
First and foremost, inspite of how it may seem that death resets everything, you ARE making permanent progress on your weapon proficiencies. That makes a HUGE difference in the long run. Favor weapons that have a locked ability and work towards unlocking them. Before you start a boss however go for the best weapon you’ve got. (That may not be the highest level one)
You don’t have to repeat bosses but you should clear out the levels in order. It gives you an easier ramp up to more health and artifacts.
I stayed away from most pickups or chests that cause malignancy. Not worth the hassle. Spending either to clean a malignant health item when desperately needed it. I did however pick up a lot of parasites. By the end I was crawling with the buggers all over me. Focus on those that give you extra life, less kills for max adrenaline, more protection, more damage, more repair efficiency. 1-2s less obolite duration is a great trade. That being said…
Run to pick up all those obolites with each kill. With max adrenaline they are very valuable. With all that currency…
Pick up the large heal item everytime it’s available. That heals A LOT of health. After that go for the astronaut and then the upgrade 25% max integrity.
When you get more suit mobility make sure to use it constantly. Always be moving. You are invulnerable during this and enemies can’t track very well so if you can zip to the other side of the map you will have a great chance at being in the clear and punish your opponents.
First of all, congrats!
And yeah, this is a great tip. I think the first time I encountered the Rocket Launcher, I was all, “what kind of bullshit weapons is this?” But when upgraded, that thing is amazing. Event the upgraded pistol is no slouch.
New patch allows mid run save/suspend and photo mode.
Ooh, nice. I actually just picked this up and have been playing it heavily over the last week or so. So far I’ve been fine using rest mode, and the lack of suspend hadn’t bitten me yet, but I’m glad to have the option.
Having a lot of fun with the game overall! Currently in the fourth biome.
Fantastic they were able to add the mid-run suspend. I’m sure it must have been a pain in the neck having not planned for it.
Ha, I spoke too soon! I had disabled system updates while a game is running, but didn’t realize that blocking game updates was a separate option, so the suspend patch wiped my in progress run.
And now I’m up to two runs lost to the suspend patch compared to zero from the original! I tried suspending, restored without incident, and went ahead into the next room. See a shielded turret, and like I’ve done dozens of times before, dash up to melee it. Except when I press R1 to melee it, nothing happens, I waste a consumable, and then stand there confused while eating a full turret blast to the face.
Turns out that the suspend/reload process saved my game state perfectly, but reset the custom controls back to default.
Rolled credits on this. Definitely a highlight of the year for me.
Liked:
Didn’t like:
My brother sent this to me. I spent 2 days downloading the update files from the veerrrrryyyyy slow Playstation store and finally sat down to play yesterday… and here’s where I finally just accept that I don’t really like roguelikes, mostly because I just don’t like procedural generation used this way. It’s not the procedural generation I mind, nor the repetition and grinding. It’s both together, where the world is a randomly mixed configuration of bits that changes on every respawn. I guess I get invested in game geographies and these games don’t have them, which keeps me from getting any traction. I have Hades, I know they’re brilliant because so many people love them, but I just can’t make myself feel the same.
Mmm, this might be the rogue like with a better sense of geography I’ve played. The first biome does have a lot of variation, but biome 2 and 3 have very clear progression/landmarks you keep hitting and thus a very strong sense of place.