Housemarque’sReturnalwas a major success for the small studio in 2021, captivating PS5 players with its protagonist Selene Vassos seemingly unending quest to discover why she’s been trapped on the alien planet of Atropos. In addition to themystery surroundingReturnal’s story, the roguelike elements mixed with satisfying and fast-paced third person gameplay was another reason why the game managed to find the audience it did.
Even after launch,Housemarque continued to keepReturnalupdated, both to correct issues and bugs, but also add new elements the community had been asking for. One of the big additions came a few months later in the form of a suspend cycle feature. This addition was an attempt to satisfy many players who lamented the fact that there was no way to step away from a run outside of leaving the PS5 running and hoping it wouldn’t start an auto-update.
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However, nearly every player wondered what was next forReturnal, with many hoping for some sort of expansion content to continue Selene’s twisting story. Fans got their answer during Sony’s MarchState of Play event which revealed the free Ascension update, new co-op features, and the Tower of Sisyphus, which is an increasingly difficult gauntlet. While fans got a brief taste earlier this month, Sony has released a lengthy gameplay trailer showing off the Tower of Sisyphus.
Returnalgame director Harry Krueger and narrative director Gregory Louden narrate the lengthy gameplay centered around theendless mode called the Tower of Sisyphus. While also providing players with a new challenge to overcome, the Tower offers new secrets and story beats to uncover as well. As the gameplay shows, the Tower is constantly shifting and evolving the higher players manage to climb.
At the base is the Atrium which changes based on how much progress is made not only at the Tower but in the game as well. It’s also here that players will find new story bits and other items unlock. In terms of gameplay,Returnalplayers are graded through a score and are encouraged to keep the action fast with a multiplier that raises based on progress made. Some floors will offer a bit of a break from combat or a potential bonus room with more secrets, but for the most part, players will be fighting phases of increasingly difficult enemies the higher they go with boss fights mixed in at every 10 levels or so.
Unlike the main game, which sends players back to their ship upon death, dying in the Tower of Sisyphus will respawn players back at the base of the Tower. While players will need to begin their climb again, they don’t have to waste any time getting back to the Tower and can jump right back in again.
