Returnal - Easy Allies Review

Returnal is a great new step for Housemarque on the PS5, thanks to its excellent gameplay, intriguing narrative, and replayability. Review Copy Provided by PlayStation
Written by Bradley Ellis
Video Edited by Ian Hinck
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
Available for PlayStation 5
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#EasyAllies #Returnal

[@Warrenoh]

God, I love this mans voice.

[@donaldglover8212]

Brandon Jones baby

[@jaypappo]

Since Game Trailers!

[@maruiman3182]

Yeah, ever since Gametrailers.

[@havoc2431]

Brandons voice is like my childhood lol

[@jdbruiser]

The only critical voice I want to hear and trust immeasurably.

[@emeraldo]

Yoko Taro actually tweeted about this game. Highest praise in my eyes.

[@TDWIG123]

Is there a translated tweet somewhere?

[@saniakshay12]

Wait that was the official Yoko Taro account?! That’s awesome!! I thought it was a fan account lol!

[@FF18Cloud]

He would do that Last time Nier came out, he went on about how call of duty was a thing and assassin's creed, to check out those games instead of his talk about nier

[@Gambenoful]

Doesnt suprise me. Yoko loves to add other game elements into his games, and one of these is bullet hell shooter type gameplay which this game does as well.

[@zachjennings5320]

Makes sense Yoko taro does love him some bullet hell

[@Ruko]

Really happy to have this type of game on the spotlight, Housemarque deserves a big hit after sort of retiring of doing arcadie games.

[@MichaelROLeary]

A+ audio cue on the score reveal Ian.

[@danoschwab9937]

Ian is such a good editor :)

[@IFinishedAVideoGame]

I know everyone got excited about Demons Souls and Spiderman but this is the real first PS5 exclusive that I have excitement for. Seeing a sci fi HD AAA Binding of Isaac is something I never thought I'd see and I am damn excited to play it

[@arijan-itanmuratovic7495]

Just because its a rouglike doesn't mean it has many similarities to binding of isaac

[@IFinishedAVideoGame]

@@arijan-itanmuratovic7495 well sure, I don't mean it's literally like Binding of Isaac but just that it's more similar to that kind of rougelike than say Hades. It's become a big genre!

[@joshuawiljanen3403]

For years I've wanted an actual 3D Binding of Isaac.

[@IWantToStayAtYourHouse]

@@joshuawiljanen3403 play risk of rain 2 then.

[@joshuawiljanen3403]

@@IWantToStayAtYourHouse I have an I love it but it's not nearly as good as The Binding of Isaac. I want hundreds of weapons that interact and stack with each other.

[@MilesWilliams88]

It's a shame that there's not many permanent upgrades. One of the best things about Hades is feeling stronger each run.

[@blazejay202]

I agree..I feel like nothing when I come back from dying.

[@mrlanerama2801]

Brad's reviews just keep getting better and better! Really enjoyed this one. Nice work Allies!

[@GameNGain]

I hope this game gets the mainstream attention it deserves!

[@jdbruiser]

I think it's had enough of that thankfully-I mean it's a big PS exclusive-the biggest since Demon Souls came out.

[@GameNGain]

@@jdbruiser yeah I guess you are right. I hope that it’s sells well is what I wanted to get across

[@rynegreen7902]

Well, Sony just acquire Housemarque so I would say the studio and their games will be getting more attention now

[@GameNGain]

@@rynegreen7902 great to hear!

[@liquidignigma]

These guys could review E.T. for the Atari and I still would watch the review, hands down best reviewing format and voice.

[@Scitch-et4vk]

Et on Atari is not even that bad

[@jesse1086]

AN 8.5 FROM THE ALLIES THEMSELVES THE HYPE IS REAL LETS GO BOYS

[@arsnakehert]

I opened three tabs for Returnal reviews here on KZbin, but Easy Allies must be the first one I'll watch

[@jdbruiser]

It sucks their thumbnail isn't at the top-it's as if they expect us to click on IGN, Gamespot or ACG first.

[@SourRobo8364]

This is the gameplay I wanted for Matterfall when they dropped that reveal trailer.

[@joeymdistasio]

when i get my ps5 in 2 years when they start being available i can’t wait to play this

[@NoctLightCloud]

maybe game prices will then drop from 70€ to 50€ 😂

[@dustygearhead]

I got a copy for $45. Not a bad price. $70 is a bit too high

[@Gamingistherapyforme]

Ive been on the hype train from the announcement. Im so glad its doing so well.

[@BOTCHED]

So glad that this game is good, Housemarque deserves much more recognition.

[@TheDeconstructivist]

For anyone coming to this review late, the Day 1 patch did resolve the most noticeable performance issues (e.g. the hitching on mini-map load). The game plays like butter.

[@brandongabel]

Some of the gameplay and art design reminds me of a mix between Doom Eternal and Nier Automata. That makes me excited to play it

[@Mangoverboard1]

Great review and edit, covered so much. Really hyped to get my hands on this.

[@Chris-qe2dq]

Can't believe how many people are complaining about the $70 price tag. Man it feels good to be an adult and have adult money

[@TempleofShaolin]

Fr all these teenagers mad

[@tuliobednarczukpecinemisko5606]

This is the game that had me hyped for the PS5.Glad to see it delivers!

[@SeaToSkyImages]

This game looks flippin' nuts. I'm so in.

[@dereka415]

I am so excited for this. Clicked on this video so fast. It could be my itch for a true next gen game.

[@faceofbear8024]

But RE8.... I know, I know that might not be truly next gen.

[@dereka415]

@@faceofbear8024 Yeah I'm excited for that game too but I'm not sure how much of the PS5 features will be implemented in RE8. I do have Demon's Souls which handles Next Gen good.

[@TheDaquain]

Say whatever you want about playstation but when it comes to the games it's becoming a rare occasion to see them make a bad game

[@stephensporman8206]

That's been Sony's whole M.O. since 95. They let their games do the talking. Love how everyone was bitching about them just last month for focusing on the big AAA blockbuster games but then they come out with this. Playstation has never let the community down with their games. I don't expect that to change this generation

[@kraenk12]

When have they EVER made a bad game?

[@haravikk]

Would EZA consider doing extra videos with breakdowns on how some of these scores are calculated? I was expecting a 9 at least from the tone of the review, so the 8.5, while still excellent, was a little surprising, as minor performance issues surely aren't good grounds to mark down a prerelease game, especially when it's described as "jarring" rather than "got me killed repeatedly"?

[@FifthOfNovember_Original]

Yep, I’m buying it!

[@ProjectPhoenix21]

When i got my ps5 i bought Miles Morales and Demons Souls. Amazing games. Then i bought Rift Apart. Also amazing. I just bought Returnal a few days ago after making up my mind about going into this game and i gotta say, this is the reason why you own a PS5 right now. Incredible game.

[@tonygicz8]

That's a lot of money on single player games. I just got a ps5 3 days ago I do love it but I wish prices weren't 70 bucks for a damn single player game.

[@Clarkey7163]

Am super pumped for this game, just want it to kick my ass but make me feel so good after dropping a boss!

[@barrandskies4725]

It was sold out at all my local stores, so I downloaded it today on the PlayStation store. This game is insane!

[@fathercashew]

It’s nothing close to the genre but it gives me Metroid vibes in a way. Might help satiate me until Prime 4 in 2025. :P I was really curious about this one and hoped it would turn out well. Glad to hear it’s fun! Great review, Brad and excellent edit, Ian.

[@VelimirSaban]

THE VOICE of game reviews. Love you man.

[@jeremehiestand7716]

1) It's great to see Brad grow as a reviewer, his scripts have gotten markedly better over the years. 2) I'm in full support of the auditory score callout at the end. It took a review or two to settle in, but now it feels necessary. 3) I love y'all.

[@gbzmr]

Great review Brad! With Ps5 games being $90 up here in Canada, I will have to wait for this to go on sale down the road, but im definitely adding it to my list. This review sold me for sure.

[@ThatGamingGuyfromthe70s]

I don't have a ps5 yet but I will support Housemarque who have always delivered new ip's and dared to be different.

[@jonascelentano9251]

this is the reason i bought this game, not my style, but gotta try, and its worth it alone too suport housemarqe

[@illegal_Leonard]

Appreciate you actually saying the score at the end of the review. More often than not, I’m doing something while enjoying your videos so I’m not looking at the screen.

[@4468]

yeah that $70 price tag is what is stopping me getting in on this, I fear it'll have a negative impact on sales for what is looking like an awesome game but you can't blame people at this time coming out of a pandemic and being careful with their money. The price of games on PS5 is still crazy to me.

[@sn4k3ak58]

100%. I like Housemarque games. I am super reluctant to pay £70 though. I sucked it up and paid those prices at launch but not so much now. I think many others are in the same mindset.

[@oppa1319]

It's a true psychological barrier. I swear this game would probably sell a lot more if PS5 games were even $64.99. We know logically 5 more dollars is not a big deal but the visual look of $70 is just repulsive.

[@danoschwab9937]

@@oppa1319 I don't know about that but I admit I'm just generally reluctant to pay full price nowadays given that most of the time within days you can either get a game second hand or on amazon around 20% off

[@kraenk12]

I don't get you cheap ass gamers. A price rise was LONG overdue. Gaming has never been as cheap as today.

[@Melbester9]

@@kraenk12 Uhh no you don't get that. Developers take advantage of microtransactions in games and people spend tons of money on it that it makes them greedy. Especially with overpriced DLCs that you're paying extra after the $60 base game. If we're getting $70 games from now on, DLCs should come with the base game to make up for extra money everyone's paying for with games. The industry makes too much money anyways for a $10 increase. It's just devs being greedy when there's solutions to that. Everyone wants to support $70 games and yet you're still going to have to pay extra money for DLC. Remember when DLC didn't exist and games were $50? Ahh that's right. The sixth generation of consoles. Then seventh generation started DLC which wasn't bad at first paying extra, at least games having more content after base game but the way DLC is setup, disc locked content. Meaning the extra content is locked on the disc for the base game and to unlock it, you have to pay extra to get the extra content. Now 8th gen, DLC and microtranscations have taken over corporate greed for developers. Solution is have $70 games with DLC being free as compensation for paying extra $10 from the $60 of a base game. A $10 increase won't matter as much anyway because people buy their games on a sale months later, that's why they raised the price of games.

[@milosmevzelj5205]

Glad to see great new game from Housemarque after bad Nex machina sales. This one will sell better, I hope. Certainly interested.

[@thatdude778]

I'm not really into many rouguelike/rouguelite games, but I'm very happy with this purchase. The main reason I bought it was because it's the first game to really show off the duel sense outside of Astros playroom. Now I'm obsessed with the gameplay! I also like that it supports the pulse headsets 3D audio. Game is definitely a showcase for PS5's tech!

[@mandrews6282]

Biomes 1 and 4 are mirrored as you mentioned, but different enough for me. But also, biomes 2 and 5 are also mirrored, the lore talks about this and you’ll recognize rooms from 2 in 5. Despite them visually looking different enough that it’s not obvious if you’re not paying attention. 2 and 5 are almost like hell literally froze over. So you’re basically going through biome 1 and 2 and a midgame crescendo in 3. Than 1 and 2 again, except the mirrored versions with 4 and 5, with 6 being the unique biome in the triplet for the finale.

[@KevinJennissen]

Looks really interesting! Usually roguelites have more of an indie vibe, so this is pretty unique.

[@bamban_garcia5562]

_Returnal_ is an explorative platformer roguelike psychological horror bullet hell shmup third person action thriller AAA

[@UssyMustyYS]

Speed run of this game will be LEGENDARY

[@iHeartGameDev]

Top-tier Housemarque!

[@kif1983]

When you figure a game just isn't for your taste 3 minutes into the review, but you don't want to be a bad stat in EZAs engagement metrics so you watch till the end anyway.

[@LaPoboy]

Is this the guy from GT?!? Every time I watch a game review I think about how great the classic GT reviews were. This is great news that the best game reviewer lives on!

[@EasyAllies]

Yep, we're all from GT. We started Easy Allies shortly after GameTrailers went under. -Bloodworth

[@humanity_restored8761]

Mass Effect Andromeda meets Nier Automata.

[@roof1975]

Not exactly. Good luck tho! lol Maybe in some looks. But not core gameplay dude.

[@ComicsLamar]

Can already tell this game will be my jam! But I wish wish WISH it had co-op campaign!

[@afropovic]

Co-op would have been stunning

[@fredguy2]

I have a feeling the story will end up explaining all the deaths and revivals in the same way as the indie game The Swapper did. In that game, you play as a lone astronaut trapped on another planet who can use a replicator to create copies of yourself in order to solve puzzles. There is a twist ending that explains who you are and what happened to all those copies you made of yourself.

[@michaelmarbach6250]

This looks right up my alley, which makes it all the more frustrating how scarce PS5s are.

[@Glass444]

Her name is Selene (Jane Perry)

[@swordfish_00830]

Been looking forward to this game since the reveal trailer. Even after watching the review. I feel like I'll still be able to be surprised going into the game.

[@Not_Liquid]

Excellent review, Brad. I cannot wait for this game.

[@prepswag5]

Reviews are always on point!

I really don't understand some reviewers, both mixed reviews graded not the game but the rouge-like genre as a whole. These stupid people do not understand that they need to review the game within its genre of rogue-like and not criticise it for choosing that genre!

[@Syktris]

I mean it most likely has to do with it being $70

[@DaddyGamerFred]

I would love to play this. When ever I find a PS5

[@sebastianvonp1467]

was not anticipating that the game would be that good! will buy it as soon as i get a ps5. on that note, I recently played Sundered (on ps4) which has similar vibes and gameplay (in 2D). The artstyle is very distinct and I loved the sounddesign, OST and those massiv bosses! Highly recommended

[@thepuppetmaster9284]

Looks like Sony / Housemarque have a home run with this one. Ok then, i’ll put this game on my buying list. Great review btw 👍

[@aqurk]

Great game that deserves more recognition. Well written review Brad.

[@bengejuknowit3048]

This looks the part & plays well but it's frustrating if you pre ordered like me thinking it's a sci fi shooter with different difficultly options! This game was never shown as being a "dark souls difficultly" type game in trailers etc. I literally found that out launch day. I knew your supposed to die & respawn but the fact it takes ages to go through a level & you can't save progress & if you turn off console it resets progress is unbelievable! I've never known of a game doing that b4! Put in save points for progress & the game is redeemed but I can't see a lot of people completing this game in its current state!

[@MVP_MAGAZINE]

Makes me proud to actually own a PlayStation five So many good games out and around the corner

[@richardsavings6690]

A mix between Risk Of Rain 2 and Furi, the story being a character study of a lone space explorer? I officially have a reason to get a PS5 now.

[@3rd_iimpact]

I’m still waiting for the PS5 back in stock review.

[@Yorosero]

You snooze, you lose.

[@faceofbear8024]

Yeah dude that review is for the privileged. You gotta be on your game to catch that review.

[@3rd_iimpact]

@@Yorosero You were able to get one?

[@MFx88]

Yeah opening and closing the map during an intense battle is a really good test of performance. Should be our industry go to test from now on. And a magic tip: dont say there are 6 biomes and voila, spoiler free.

[@thosediamonddreams]

Wish you guys would record review footage on current gen systems in 4k. Everything squashed to 1080p looks so bad with youtube's awful compression

[@orlandomoyah4064]

Ummm...that is the resolution of the game. It doesn't have a 4K mode...that being said, doesn't take away from the gameplay or the story and I don't regret buying it on day one

[@OniScythe]

Ive been interested in this game since i first saw the trailer. If only i could find a ps5. :/

[@robertstimmel1100]

I don't have a PS5 yet, and will probably spend money on PC upgrades before buying one, but this is on my short-list for whenever I do get my hands on a new console (right behind Demon's Souls)

[@Carrot_Handler]

Would love to play this game... But haven't managed to get a PS5 since it was available.

[@AidenIlkhani]

Bought, preloaded, ready.

[@adingdingdiiing6740]

Ahh, reminds me of Vanquish. Not in the gameplay mechanics but the fact that I thought it'll be another generic shooter but not really. It has something distinct to it.

[@TheMatrix10]

Hmm might wait on this game 🤔

[@faceofbear8024]

Every game is bound to be 50% off eventually.

[@Urlastnerve]

@@faceofbear8024 keyword “eventually”

[@faceofbear8024]

@Joshua Tabet Okay, every non Nintendo game is 50% off eventually

[@GT-se2eo]

Hi all. Need your help. I have full health plus 2 silphium resins. When my health goes down, which ps5 button will allow me to use those resins to bring my health back up. Couldn't figure it out. Been dieing with 2 resins unused.

[@Deathmetal247]

I just got a ps5 the other week. Loving this game

[@sabakunovedo]

The game is just amazing. Gameplay is smooth as silk and I'm enjoying every second of it. Can't wait to explore more and savor this precious gem.

[@joeyxl3456]

nice

[@NoctLightCloud]

his voice though!! 10/10

[@robotsex111]

Man, this game looks beautiful. If I had a PS5, I'd get it.

[@originz7760]

Just got to the final boss of the game. He is not for the feint hearted that's for sure, he is possibly even more difficult than Nemesis, the boss in the 3rd biome. Nevertheless I cant stop going back to it. It has it's faults but it has me hooked. Over all this game is freaking awesome. Has to be a GOTY contender, up to now at least. A must own for anyone with a ps5, imo

[@Coreyahno]

My backlog is just too massive and filled with older $10-$20 games to justify spending $75 on a video game. Except Resident Evil 8 because I’ve been obsessed with that series since the 90s 😁

[@stonerdemon]

Can't wait for the inevitable John Lannister DLC.

[@CheckmateStallioN]

Can someone confirm tomorrow if the day 1 patch fixed the low fps issues in some areas? Waiting for DF's video on performance. Will be buying it tomorrow if the day 1 patch fixed the stutter.

[@SSJ2Phenom]

I see everyone in the comments saying "I can't believe this game is getting such great reviews and yadda yadda yadda!" To that I ask; what since 2014 has made you think a Sony exclusive will not be good to great? 🤷🏽‍♂️ At this point, all game studios should have to do to let you know that their game is going to be, at best generational and at worst good, is say that their game is a Sony exclusive. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@princesquirtle7460]

I'll buy this game when I can find a ps5, which will probably happen in like 2 years.

[@meteorjuice4088]

Yeesh the gameplay mechanics checks all the best boxes. Might have to get a PS5 soon

[@bryanmoberg8408]

Looks great but $70 is a tough sell with RE8 just around the corner. Maybe I'll grab it in the gap between re8 and rift apart/ff7r

[@dannybski9620]

this game looks super intimidating, but it's welcoming to hear that after 20 hours you already saw the ending (albeit there is more mystery). In Hades, I clocked 90 hours and about as many runs, and I still have mysteries to solve. Sorry Hades, that's just too many runs.

[@nusoul]

Hell yeah my copy just shipped from Gamefly this morning. Excited as hell to play this, just didn't wanna go in on the 70 dollar price tag. Glad it's getting great reviews though because it looks refreshing for a AAA game and I've devoured Hades and Risk of Rain 2.

[@scottd7222]

I assume you loved this game. I had a blast playing this

[@joshuacharette993]

The game looks great; but I can't imagine buying anything day one this generation. 70 bucks for a game is nuts.

[@kraenk12]

Cheap ass people these days. It is a quality AAA game and games used to be more expensive in the past.

[@igortrindade9644]

I cant see the bodies of other players. Is it a bug or is the feature missing at launch?

[@paulseidler1644]

Looks good. At least by the time I get a ps5 this should be discounted lol. Should make for an easy immediate purchase.

[@thevito1091]

Interesting . I’ll wait for the pc version !

[@unholytako]

Mannnn I am definitely going to play this game. Right at release though? Will be tough with Nier and the MonHun update

[@64ccd]

I’m hoping I’ll like this game even though I didn’t click with Hades at all. Making it to the last boss on my third attempt just to die and know I’ll have to go through all of those levels again felt debilitating, so I never went back. I hope the fact that I can skip bosses will make it feel less like that... I’m starved for a ps5 exclusive dammit!

[@RedSoakedSponge]

ive completed this game multiple times now and still havent seen a body of another player.... is it bugged atm?

[@YuGiOhDuelChannel]

Game looks great, but it is obviously not really a AAA title, sounds relatively short, which is what I would expect from an indie roguelike. I think people should refuse to spend 70 dollars on this, Sony clearly internally debated what they should price this as and thought they could squeeze it out of us.

[@jroaduri]

Gotta wait till a next gen console is available to buy before I can even think about this game

[@maurocontreras9628]

Hopefully they add a multiplayer aspect for this as well

[@Clesstan]

Awesome 👌 picking it up day 1 it is then. Great work on the review guys. I'll come back later to "watch it" cuz I just listened (sorry Ian, I know you did a great job just by listening to the audio lol)

[@brandonzzz1]

7 for me

[@anthonydevetis7221]

So I’m new to roguelites. Narratively, does this game have an end? Will I know when I’ve essentially finished and can put it down knowing that I at least beat the core of the story?

[@Syktris]

Yes, there will be an ending and you'll know when you've finished the story

[@Nifava]

There are actually several endings.

[@n64central]

Can you make something clear to me? You said that even if you beat a biome you have to find a portal to get the shortcut. So does this mean no matter what even on the 5th one, I will return to the first world?

[@dragons_red]

Yes it is roguelike/roguelite, which means death restarts you at the very beginning.

[@n64central]

@@dragons_red i get that, but not all rougelike does it like this game does. I can’t get a straight answer lol

[@edward3583]

How did you complete this in 20 hours, I myself am about the mid 20 point and only just defeated the second boss. Brilliant game though

[@originz7760]

I've finally just got to the 6th and final biome and I'm at 40+ hours. I got stuck on biome 3 for a long time. Which is possibly the hardest biome of all imo. Fantastic game though. GOTY contender for sure in my eyes

[@orlandomoyah4064]

@@originz7760 I would say that the 5th biome is the hardest

[@orlandomoyah4064]

@@originz7760 it could be that I haven't found the right weapon to get through it easier and I need to experiment with new weapons

[@aspizak]

Like it a lot, but this is not a £70 game for me. It also has a lot of issues from crashes, the autoreload is annoying and the fact you cannot save after clearing rooms is just bad design. All good roguelikes let you save when you want to stop a run. That’s why roguelikes are better with early access.

[@tracefetherman]

Great review as always guys... But... $70?!.... ill wait for a sale.

[@raydn23]

I paid $74 for n64 games in 97 bro. You’ll be aight

[@tracefetherman]

@@raydn23 haha i remember getting majoras mask back in the day for around that price... but eh, im just not really craving or jumping for joy for Returnal, I can wait. RE Village is getting my full price next week.

[@raydn23]

@@tracefetherman for sure. lol I got turok for like 79. Acclaim and midway games were rip offs back then

[@stephensporman8206]

That's life now dude. We should be happy they were 60 bucks for almost 20 straight years. not saying you can't wait. do you. It's your money. Personally I don't mind paying the extra 10 bucks here in the States for games I actually am hyped about.

[@tracefetherman]

@@stephensporman8206 yea, true. if im hyped about it, ill pay whatever more... but returnal im half and half on, i can wait... sadly i dont agree with the "we should be happy they were $60 for so long"... because i feel they nickel and dime us on everything in games now, we pay so much more for held back content from launch. Meanwhile the videogame industry is only growing and gaining more and more money every year. I think its up around 30% from last year (given i know the pandemic helped that) but still, theyre making their money multiple different ways from us, they dont need to raise the prices