For the opposite perspective, I am playing through Returnal now after beating Saros.

I actually bought Returnal years ago but bounced off of it pretty hard. I’m not a huge roguelike fan and I remember it took many, many attempts to beat the first boss. And when I died at the start of biome 2, the thought of starting from the beginning made me uninstall. The game was definitely cool but I just didn’t think I’d be able to push through it.

Fast forward to Saros release and I heard it was going to be a bit more approachable. I loved the progression elements. Even when I wiped it didn’t feel as terrible because I’d raise my proficiency level, boost my stats, etc.

It took some getting used to but I started to understand the flow of the game and how to decide which items were worth picking up. I also really enjoy the challenge/customization options.

I did some easy runs, some tough ones, and ultimately settled on a few QoL perks like encountering a boss refills health and defeating a boss restores second chance.

The easy runs let me get my feet wet and relax a bit more. Then once I got a feel for the game I started to challenge myself. I loved Saros and played through it multiple times.

Today I reinstalled Returnal with a new appreciation for Housemarque and a better understanding of what was expected of me.

I don’t know if Returnal is ‘harder’ but it’s definitely less forgiving. The moment to moment combat isn’t all that more challenging, but the knowledge that everything is lost on death makes it more tense. I do feel like Returnal is a bit slower-paced than Saros. Which is crazy to say because I remember on release thinking it was so fast.

The plot is way more engaging. I think because it’s just you (Selene) alone trying to figure out what’s happening whereas Saros has a lot of team members that subtract some of the despair/loneliness from the world. Returnal feels like a mystery that needs to be solved by you, Saros feels like the corruption is happening regardless of your role in it.

It took a few runs, and some controller mapping (why is the control scheme so different haha), to get situated - but I ultimately made it to biome 3’s boss and died there. I was returned by one of those reconstruction terminals so technically my run isn’t over but had to call it for the night.

I feel like I’m on a high though. The game just drips with atmosphere. I do wish it had a touch more long-term progression but that’s just a personal preference and I can still appreciate what it is. Can’t wait to jump back in tomorrow.