Hello again everyone! It’s great to see players continue to enjoy Returnal long after its release. We’ve delivered several patches and updates so far, but this time we wanted to offer something really special to players: our Ascension expansion. This free update includes two new modes for you to enjoy, and it’s coming later this month.
Cooperate
While Returnal is designed as a focused solitary experience, the hostile forces of Atropos can often feel overwhelming and leave us craving companionship. With our new two-player online co-op, players can now combine their forces and bravely challenge the Atropos together.
By accessing the Chronosis portal near the landing spot (and in other select parts of the game), you’ll have the option to host or join a public cycle. Or, if you want to share the experience with friends, you can also choose to host a private cycle. Once your connection is established, Selene from the other timeline will join your session and your sharing journey will begin.
In co-op, the game works in a similar way to single-player Returnal. However, if the players are too far apart, they will be tied together. This is to ensure that the focus is on cooperative gameplay and that both players feel connected to each other’s destinies. If one of the players is defeated, there is still hope: the other player has the option to resurrect them. But beware that this will require an investment of time, and in battle you’ll need to be aware of the myriad threats around, lest you and your teammates sink into oblivion.
Besides connecting player stories and building camaraderie, the fleeting comfort you get from engaging with other players can also allow you to advance in the game if you get stuck. towel. Progress is tied to the host, so if you’re struggling to get past a certain boss or biome, asking other players for help can pave the way to your victory. Customer players who join to help will also get some of the progress they make – such as collecting logs and xenoglyphs – and the more games they support, the higher their Scout Rating will be. get a raise.
Sisyphus . Tower
With Returnal, we wanted to strike a balance between intense action, exploration, and a haunting story. Atropos’ process-generated biomes present a deep and complex challenge – with the Ascension update we wanted to provide new content and also a new way to get into the game, where your survival skills and perseverance will be tested.
True to our arcade roots, Tower of Sisyphus is truly our Endless mode. The player will attempt to climb the Tower as high as possible – however, like the tragic story of Sisyphus, there is no end to the climb and the player is tragically destined to meet their demise upon death. increasingly more difficult. The only question is: how far can you go before you become unstoppable?
A great motivator to push forward is a sense of accomplishment. Each Stage in the Tower will culminate with an encounter with Algos, which will also get harder and harder as you progress through the mode. Unlike the campaign, in Tower players will also have a number of points to chase. You can track your progress and top score on leaderboards, and compete with your friends and enemies for the top spot. Like our previous arcade-inspired titles, you’ll also get a Score Multiplier – maintaining and increasing this score will be key to getting the highest score possible. Your Multiplier will deplete if you get hit or if you don’t deal damage for a while, so you’ll need to constantly jump on the blade to ensure you maintain strong forward momentum. While there are secrets and optional routes to take, Tower is intended to be reimagined as an arcade action experience where survival, skill, and progression are focused.
In addition to new levels, our new Boss, and some new items to discover, there’s also brand new narrative content to be discovered in the Tower. I won’t spoil anything here, but players will get another small look at Selene’s haunting past and a deeper understanding of her state of mind.
We hope you enjoy the Ascension expansion when it releases later this month. We’ve put a lot of love into this new content, and we’re super excited to see how players respond to it. This is our effort to extend the lasting power of Returnal, and we hope to see players interacting with our new modes for years to come.
