I Returned to Returnal to Chase Its Secret Ending — Why PS5’s Brutal Roguelike Still Hooks Me
Returnal is a bullet-hell roguelike from Housemarque on PlayStation 5 that puts players in a repeating time loop as astronaut Selene. The game combines fast-paced, third-person shooting with a survival loop, a creeping sci-fi story set on the alien world of Atropos, and an atmospheric score. It also includes an optional secret ending that requires replaying the game’s second half and final boss.
- Overview of Returnal’s core loop and tone
- How replay and difficulty shape the experience
- Endless mode and the secret ending
- Author’s reported playtime and impressions of runs
What Returnal is
Developed by Housemarque, Returnal is a third-person, bullet-hell roguelike released for the PlayStation 5. Players control Selene, an Astra astronaut whose ship, Helios, crashes on the hostile planet Atropos. Early in the experience, Selene discovers a corpse of herself, which establishes the game’s central mechanic: she is trapped in a repeating time loop.
Gameplay and difficulty
The game emphasizes fast combat and high challenge. Encounters are designed around resilient enemies and dense projectile patterns, so movement and weapon choice matter. Runs can be long: for example, one player reported that reaching the first major boss took around an hour on a fresh run, and that an initial playthrough spanned about 20 hours with 19 deaths before reaching the credits. Consequently, players should expect frequent repetition and high-stress moments, especially during late-game encounters.
Progression and secrets
Returnal’s structure mixes roguelike run-based progression with persistent story elements. While individual runs reset many resources, the narrative unfolds across attempts. Additionally, the game includes a secret ending that requires completing the second half and final boss a second time, which adds a layer of long-term challenge for completion-minded players.
Endless mode and replayability
Besides the main loop, Returnal offers the Tower of Sisyphus, an endless mode that functions as a score-based challenge for players who want repeatable trials. Therefore, beyond the campaign and its secret ending, there is a formal mode focused on endurance and mastery.
Takeaway
In short, Returnal blends intense, bullet-hell combat with roguelike repetition and a science-fiction time-loop narrative. The game is noted for its difficulty and long runs, and for players seeking repeated, high-skill trials there is both a secret ending and an endless mode to keep coming back.
