Returnalis one of the PlayStation 5’s biggest game releases of 2021 and is often brought up by PlayStation fans as a potential Game of the Year contender. The action-shooter offers up a unique rogue-like experience where players restart after each death, with few examples of persistent progression.Returnal’s difficulty, however, is part of why it’s so often recommended; the reward is worth the difficulty. It begs the question, however, as to how manyReturnalplayers actually complete the game.
To start, the definition of what amounts to a “completion” ofReturnalis actually a bit unclear. Some say that it’s the completion of Act 2 while others believe that it’s a completion ofReturnalAct 3, which is essentially like going through the game again to unlock a secret ending. Going by the numbers provided by PSN Profiles, the results are actually quite surprising. 23% ofReturnalplayers have completed the game’s second Act. The number drops significantly for Act 3, with just 10% ofReturnalplayers unlocking the secret ending.
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For comparison’s sake, a narrative-based game with a beginning and end likeGod of Warhas a completion rate of nearly 45%.The Last of Us 2, which is more linear thanGod of War, has a 59% completion rate. With that in mind,Returnalis inarguably living up to its notoriety as a challenging game. Even its “easier” ending of Act 2 is only being finished at half the rate of other games.
A nearly 10% completion rate for Act 3 is very impressive.Returnalis undoubtedly challenging, so that’s relatively few PS5 owners who did the work and earned a worthy accomplishment. The latest numbers also line up with trophy completion rates measured earlier this year, too. In July, around a month and a half after launch, Act 2 completion was at 21% and Act 3 completion was at 9%.Returnalplayers don’t appear to be sticking with the game and finishing it later.
Based on its completion rates,Returnalis definitely one of themost difficult games of the year. Other challenging games have similar completion rates, likeCyber Shadowat 20%,Biomutantat 18%, andCris Talesat 15%. A 10% completion rate is something unique, however, even among challenging games.
It’s not necessarily clear if developerHousemarquewantedReturnalto be as challenging as it turned out to be. Obviously, no developer sets a goal of only having 23% of its playerbase completing the game, or one in ten unlocking a secret ending. After all, developers want players to play their game. At the same time, making a challenging game comes with a clear understanding that the harder it is, the fewer will complete it. Housemarque decided this was the right choice forReturnal, and at least 10% of players embraced it.
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