Hello again everyone ! It was wonderful to see players continue to enjoy Returnal long after it was released. We’ve provided a few fixes and updates so far, but this time we wanted to give our players something really special: our Ascension expansion. This free update includes two new modes for you to enjoy, and it will arrive later this month.
Cooperative
While Returnal was designed as a focused solitary experience, the hostile forces of Atropos can often feel overwhelming and leave us yearning for companionship. With our new online two-player co-op mode, players can now combine forces and take on the challenges of Atropos together.
By accessing the Chronosis portal near the crash landing (and other select parts of the game), you will have the option to host or join a public cycle. Or, if you want to share the experience with a friend, you can also choose to host a private cycle instead. Once your connection is established, a Selene from another timeline will join your session and your shared journey will begin.
In co-op, the game works the same as Returnal in solo. However, if players stray too far, they will re-attach. This is to ensure that the focus remains on cooperative gameplay and that both players feel connected to each other’s destiny. If one of the players is downed, there is still hope: the other has the possibility of reviving him. But be warned, this will require some investment of time, and in the heat of the moment you’ll need to be aware of the myriad surrounding threats lest you join your forgotten comrade.
In addition to connecting player stories and creating a sense of camaraderie, the fleeting comfort you get from engaging with other players can also help you move forward in the game if you get stuck. Progress is tied to the host, so if you’re having trouble defeating a certain boss or biome, calling on another player to help you can pave your way to triumph. Client players who join to help will also be able to retain certain progress they make – such as collecting logs and xenoglyphs – and the more games they participate in, the higher their scout rank will increase.
Tower of Sisyphus
With Returnal, we sought to strike a balance between intense action, exploration, and haunting storytelling. Procedurally generated Atropos biomes offer a deep and complex challenge – with our Ascension update we wanted to offer new content, as well as a new way to engage in the game where your survival skills and your perseverance will be tested.
True to our arcade roots, Sisyphus’ Tower is effectively our Endless Mode. Players will strive to climb the tower as high as possible – however, much like the tragic tale of Sisyphus, there is no end to the ascent and players are tragically destined to meet their demise as they go. as the mode becomes more and more difficult. The only question is: how far can one go before succumbing?
A big motivator to get ahead is a sense of accomplishment. Each phase in the tower will end with an encounter with Algos, which will also become increasingly difficult as you progress through the mode. Unlike the campaign, in the tower players will also have a score to chase. You can track your progress and highest score on a leaderboard, and compete against friends and foes for the highest rank. Just like our previous arcade-inspired titles, you’ll also have a score multiplier – maintaining and increasing it will be key to racking up the highest possible scores. Your multiplier will deplete if you get hit or don’t do damage for a while, so you’ll have to constantly dance on the edge of the knife to make sure you maintain a strong forward momentum. While there are secrets and optional routes to take, the tower is meant to be distilled into an arcade action experience, where the focus is on survival, skill, and purposeful progression.
Along with new levels, our new Boss, and a few new items to discover, there’s also brand new story content to explore in the Tower. I won’t spoil anything here, but players will get another little insight into Selene’s haunting past and get a deeper insight into 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 incredibly excited to see how players react to it. It was our effort to extend the enduring power of Returnal, and we hope to see players engaging with our new modes for years to come.
