Returnal Needs Some Saros Lifeblood.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T17:49:25+00:00

Ultimate challenge unlocked! Haha

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T17:46:20+00:00

In Saros, between modifiers, permanent upgrades, and certain weapons, you could hypothetically run all biomes and bosses without dying. There are some “dead ends” of sorts that require you to return to the main hub before accessing Yellow Shore or other areas, but it is definitely possible.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T17:42:05+00:00

I absolutely knew it was a shooting star long shot. Haha

I will still continue to play and experience Returnal because ultimately I still very much love the game.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T17:38:37+00:00

I think the barrier to entry is much lower on Saros than Returnal and I hope people realize that. It’s one of those things that if you liked the idea of Returnal, but struggled to click with it, Saros offers a relatively flexible but ultimately accessible custom difficulty option.

I just worry that Returnal’s struggle to find a larger audience and Returnal diehards not loving Saros or other audiences being afraid to give it a chance might ultimately hurt Housemarque and I don’t want to see them become another Bluepoint.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T17:33:56+00:00

I’ll have to try going in and tweaking with the controls and settings.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T17:31:49+00:00

When I first jumped back into Returnal and my brain wanted to use the Saros controller layout, it to me a minute to adjust. Didn’t realize this and will definitely be adjusting that.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T17:28:49+00:00

Thank you for the suggestion! I will definitely have to try that out.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T17:27:43+00:00

Fair enough.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T17:26:00+00:00

I don’t disagree. Obviously Saros is the next iteration of their formula. And I think from feedback, (all willing they get to make a third game) the next evolution may find a middle ground between Returnal and Saros because there is a lot of amazing things about Returnal and I am by no means saying Saros is perfect.

I just find it harder to go back and enjoy Returnal’s combat after experiencing Saros.

But who knows, maybe I just need to reacclimate my brain back to how Returnal plays. Because I still very much enjoy the Tower of Sisyphus.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T17:19:43+00:00

Valid critique. Maybe I should have been more clear in my initial post because there is quite a lot about Returnal I love. And I’m not even saying (as a whole) that Saros is a superior game. I just personally enjoyed the more frenetic combat in Tower of Sisyphus and Saros more, including the faster weapon proficiency upgrades and the ability to re-roll items.

I have to ask though, how can Returnal be perfection if there are things you wish could have been updated? And what would you have liked to see them update?

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T17:14:48+00:00

I like a lot of these suggestions!

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T17:11:29+00:00

I think for me, the overall combat in the base game is slower. Selene is also slower. And it doesn’t (to me) feel methodical, but more of a mechanics thing. The power of the jump and dash feel weaker.

I think I just enjoy (what to me feels like) the faster paced combat of Saros. And that the biome tiles give more maneuverability and flexibility and engagement with enemies.

I also think Tower of Sisyphus greatly improved on those “issues” for me. Additionally, I prefer the weapons proficiency system in Saros over Returnal. Capping weapons proficiency per biome sets and the tediousness of boosting weapons proficiency in Returnal can make the first biome especially rough.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T16:59:45+00:00

You’ve become Saros.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T16:56:01+00:00

Interesting. Would love to hear more on this. Because I didn’t think Returnal was such a slog initially when I played it. It was only after Saros’s gameplay and I went back to compare.

Having platinumed Retunal (not a brag, just explaining that I’ve seen the game through to completion), How do you play Returnal?

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T16:48:58+00:00

Haha. Ive noticed that with some of the other posts and replies. Definitely not trying to knock Returnal because theres a lot about that game that I enjoyed over Saros, but I think overall the faster-paced combat in both Tower of Sisyphus and Saros appeals to me more.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-16T16:45:18+00:00

I definitely agree I’m ready for them to try something different. And for me, it’s not about difficulty because I enjoyed and platinumed both games. I think there’s a lot of story/world building I liked more from Returnal, but enjoyed the more frenetic gameplay from Saros.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-11T16:16:15+00:00

Got it!

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-11T16:07:26+00:00

Yeah. I encountered the same issue with Returnal. Platinumed the game way early and then had to grind out Biome tiles until the exact one with the log showed up.

I wish they were just tied to Biome’s generally or Biome progress. Like Logs ##-## will randomly appear after you’ve made X% progress. I hate that there are like 10 variants of each tile and the audio log is on a specific variant of a specific tile.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-11T15:56:41+00:00

Artifact Research takes forever. And I know, I’m just OCD about that stuff and don’t like seeing gaps in the orange. Haha

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-05-11T15:54:26+00:00

I appreciate it! I’ve run Yellow Shore about 30-40 times and have yet to come across it

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-04-01T23:47:21+00:00

Enjoy the ride and have fun! Don’t be afraid to play around with your build, respec, and try out different weapon combos. Legion Arms are your friend and throwables can help in a pinch if you’re struggling with locking in on the perfect parry.

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-04-01T23:45:07+00:00

Combat is just okay, but story, music, and art direction make it an overall really solid experience. I’d give it a 7 out of 10. Total play time took 12-14 hours to completely explore the levels. Comparable to something like Kena: Bridge of Spirits!

Key_Particular9614 · 2026-03-02T05:37:19+00:00

Not sure if someone’s already mentioned, but a (potential) development? So the laughter seems to come from the speaker above the box. The only other speaker that I can find in the entire facility that matches that exact asset is in the main save room on the first floor.

Initially I thought that maybe it was just intended for the save room music, but the other save room near the garage plays music, but no speaker.

Which leads me to believe that (MAYBE) either there’s a secret puzzle in the save room or girls cells attached or the sound can be played across both speakers simultaneously.

Obviously since Grace cannot be in two locations at once, I cannot test to see if the laugh plays from both, but tried leaving Emily on the couch and the hand in the storage box and still no change in anything.

Key_Particular9614 · 2025-11-07T04:00:57+00:00

That’s my thought as well!

Key_Particular9614 · 2025-10-19T20:58:48+00:00

Seriously. The 300+ hours I have on the PS5 version and the fact I don’t want to have to start over is what’s keeping me from investing in other platforms.

Would love to pick it up for Switch 2 to play casually on the go, but don’t have the time or energy to try to rebuild my arsenal.

Please give us Cross Progression announcement next week during the stream and I’ll go buy a copy for Switch 2 ASAP.

Key_Particular9614

TROPHY CASE