Hello everyone! Over the past few months, we’ve had a great time watching you play Returnal and learning about your experiences, and hearing all the great stories about how players overcome the countless challenges of Atropos. The reception has been fantastic and we are really delighted and grateful to see people having so much fun with the game. At Housemarque we have also listened to all of your comments, so it is with great satisfaction that I am here to announce our update 2.0, launched today.
Suspend the cycle
One of the main features of this update is the Pause Cycle feature, which will allow you to pause your cycle to continue it later, allowing you to quit the game and shut down your console without losing your progress in that session. . The structure of the game remains unchanged, so this feature is not a traditional mid-game “Save Game” option: by pausing the cycle, Returnal will simply create a one-time suspension point, and once you have resumed play, the ellipsis is removed and cannot be reused. Your game will continue straight from the moment you left it, and if you wish to pause the cycle again, your progress will be captured from that new point. There are some limitations in place – for example, players won’t be able to create an ellipsis during boss battles, cutscenes, first-person sequences, or during intense combat scenarios – because we figured there was had certain moments in Returnal that are best experienced unfragmented to preserve the expected challenge and flow.
With this approach, we can maintain the roguelike spirit and ‘high stakes’ commitment to your race, while still providing some quality of life convenience for players who like to experience Returnal in shorter bursts. So, the next time you’re immersed in a long session on Atropos and life knocks on your door, you can just pause the cycle and come back at a more convenient time.
Photo mode
In addition to the Suspend feature, we have also been working on another feature that is highly requested by the community and which will also be included in this update: the photo mode. Selene’s journey through Atropos is filled with many memorable moments worth cherishing; Whether it’s dancing on the edge of a knife in the midst of intense infernal combat or taking a moment of fleeting serenity to appreciate the eerie atmosphere and dark beauty of Atropos, our Photo Mode will allow you to immortalize these moments in all their glory.
At any time during the game (except in certain limited circumstances like our first person footage), you can simply pause the game and enter photo mode, which will allow you to control the camera. You can then use the analog sticks and adaptive triggers to move the camera around and pick the perfect angle for your shot.
Once you’ve perfected your composition, you can then explore some optional parameters like focal length, aperture, saturation, or contrast. You can also set different light sources to highlight the scene and choose from a variety of filters, effects, frames, coloring options and more to bring that unique style to your captures. result, simply press the Create button on your DualSense wireless controller to take the photo. Using the social features built right into the PS5 console, you can also share and celebrate your cherished Returnal moments with social media. We hope you have fun with Photo Mode, and we can’t wait to see your creations!
