Housemarque Sets The Standard For Free DLC With Returnal: Ascension
Returnal was already one of my favorite ever video games before its developers, Housemarque, released Update 3.0, otherwise known as Returnal: Ascension. Unlike most developers who entice customers to spend their hard-earned cash on microtransactions or to fork out the price of another title for some DLC, Housemarque gave away Ascension for free. All that is required to get your hands on this fantastic DLC is to allow your PlayStation 5 to update the game.
Marked with CC BY 2.0
Housemarque proved they listened to their customers’ feedback when they added a feature that allows players to save their game. Previously, players could either wait until the game’s main character, Selene, died to step away from a run or turn off their console, losing any progress in the process. Returnal’s players wanted more content to continue Selene’s story, and boy did they get it on March 21 when the Ascension update hit the internet superhighway.
Had the Ascension update been part of Returnal at or closer to launch, there is no doubt Returnal would have been the favorite for the coveted Game of the Year award with the online Florida betting sites and further afield. As it turned out, Returnal received favorable views but still remains unplayed by a large section of PlayStation 5 owners.
What Does The Ascension Update Bring?
Marked with CC BY 2.0
In addition to some quality of life improvements, Ascension brings a whole new dimension to Returnal, plus a brand new game mode.
First, a Chronosis portal greets players at the start of each of the six biomes. Triggering this portal lets you summon another Selene from another timeline, allowing you to combine forces with friends or strangers in a co-op scenario. You have the choice to host a public or private session or join someone else’s game.
Watching two Selenes darting about the screen in 4K at 60fps is a sight to behold, especially with all the explosions are particle effects Returnal is well-known for. However, I have played 20-30 hours in this mode and have noticed a severe frame rate drop in certain rules and under specific circumstances. Thankfully, these times are few and far between, so do not spoil the exciting experience.
The world of Atropos is rebalanced to account for two human players, with the AI becoming more aggressive. The scaling up is not overly noticeable if you are with a skilled partner, that is until you reach the end-of-biome bosses, which hit much harder and soak up vastly more damage than in single-player mode.
As someone who struggled to defeat Biome 3’s Nemesis boss, I can attest to co-op mode being brilliant for getting past hard-to-beat sections.
Tower of Sisyphus
Tower of Sisyphus brings a new game mode that takes Housemarque back to its arcade roots. Players strive to ascend the never-ending tower, chasing high scores and keeping their score multiplier high. A game in the tower only ends when Selene meets an untimely demise, which will happen; we guarantee it.
Each floor has 20 rooms to visit, with the 20th room housing a new boss called Algos. The new boss comes in three guises, each tougher than the last, adding another tough challenge for players to enjoy.
The tower is formidable, especially for this 41-year old whose reflexes perhaps are not as quick as they once were, but it serves as a great alternative and a change of pace from the main game. Furthermore, it is no coincidence my progression through the main game has become easier since battling it out in the fast-paced Tower of Sisyphus.
This game mode brings new weapons and new enemies and even continues Selene’s story as she progresses through the tower. There are gamers out there who would have happily paid for the Tower of Sisyphus DLC as a standalone product, but Housemarque gave it to its players for free. If Housemarque can release an excellent product out of the goodness of their hearts, why can’t other developers?