You're Going to Want to Play Returnal – GameSpew

Returnal, the PlayStation 5-exclusive from Housemarque, is out next week. Here's GameSpew's hands-on preview.

[Kaii]

When reviewers get the game free, yet the consumers have to pay £69.99.
*Nothing has justified these price Increases.

Bloodborne, 24 March 2015 - £45-50
6yrs and we've got a £25+ increase lol

[lio_convoy]

Buy it when it goes on sale then. 🙄

[Kaii]

Obviously.

[ArchangelMike]

Whatever the price, it doesn't mean it's a bad game. The same is true the otherway around. Just because a game is free doesn't make it a good game.

Returnal is shaping up to be a really good game. If you buy it now or later, it doesn't take away from that fact.

[jznrpg]

70$ for 50-100 hours of fun is worth it . Maybe there’s more time that could be there with this . I go to dinner and it costs more than that for me and my wife for one night .

[JEECE]

I like that we all just pretend inflation doesn't exist and that game budgets haven't increased every generation. We were actually spoiled that games stayed at $60 so long. In fact, after years of increases, they stayed at $60 so long that kids who got into games during the PS3/360 era and continued into last gen never knew anything different. Ironically they'd be getting less flak if they would have increased prices more often, because it wouldn't be such an earth shattering concept to younger people.

$60 in 2005 dollars (start of 360 and $60 game era) is over $80 today.

[Aggesan]

Don't know about the US, but here in Sweden we payed 70$ for some SNES games in the early nineties. Thing is, we will pay for the games one way or another. I prefer to pay up front instead of microtransactions, subscriptions, cut dlc or other malicious economic models.

[Popsicle]

@Aggesan I payed $74.99 for the SNES port of Street Fighter 2 at Toys R Us upon release in the US. I remember vividly because I was a kid and it took every penny I had earned through chores and work around the neighborhood etc.

[Deathdeliverer]

Actually, some games have expiration dates when they download them I’ve heard. If that makes you feel any better.

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

Starting with the ps3/x360 gen, games were supposed to cost $70-90. The only reason we avoided that was via DLC. They just couldn’t cut production costs anymore this gen without compromising a AAA vision. So, they are finally committing to an overdue price increase.

If you don’t think $10 more is fair, then maybe try programming a game for a day and see if you still feel the same way.

You can count the pours and hairs on our character models now, ffs. This is a dream, and it only costs you $10 more than Jak and Daxter (and the same as Mario 64)

[Chriswheeler22]

Oh get over it, gaming isn't even that expensive of a hobby. If price is an issue, buy an XSX and rent your games for a monthly fee.

[Kaii]

Oh please don't bother commenting when it added nothing, comments on inflation are on point.
If I expanded upon my original comment, how much actually goes to the developers?
Marketing is the big $$$ cost, It's not solely based on game development.

17 September 2013 GTA has made $6 billion in worldwide revenue.

When Fifa games sell for say $70 & still have lootboxes is that ok? Lets look at the net revenue from 2015: $587 million - 2016: $660 million - 2017: $775 million -2018: $1.18 billion - 2019: $1.37 billion - 2020: $1.49 billion
Is that revenue going to the "developers"?

If the games In question are netting 9/10 fine, without anything extra i.e. dlc/live service plans.

*God of War cost $44m & generated over $500m (I'd have no issues spending more for games like these that deliver on the awesome sauce.

Comments on "Wait for sale" aren't necessary, "oh please get over it, can't afford it don't buy it" the nuts and bolts of my argument on these prices are based on the practices In gaming past 2012+ with live services / lootboxes / additional content locked behind paywalls.
*In the future I'll QQ costs when the relevant game In question is being shady, simples.

#Bows out

[Einhander1971]

Bought it already roll on next week:)

[Bluemaster77]

Wow youre one of the suckers that still pre orders games ?

[Einhander1971]

Obviously I'm a sucker who can afford it. Hey if you don't like the prices don't buy a ps5. Stop moaning move on.

[Flewid638]

Forspoken is more my speed.

[JEECE]

Lol see you in 2023.

[Flewid638]

I plan on still being a gamer by then. Should be fine. lol.

[JEECE]

Fair enough. My point is just that usually when someone says "I'm picking up game X instead of game Y," they are talking about two games launching in a somewhat similar timeframe. Like I'm sure you will buy and play a number of other games between the launch of Returnal and the launch of Forspoken. So that's why it seemed weird to suggest you are going for Forspoken instead of Returnal, when in fact it really seems like you are just skipping Returnal and then getting a different game at a much later time.

[Flewid638]

None of the above.

Returnal is a 3rd person PlayStation action adventure game with a female protagonist.
Forspoken is a 3rd person PlayStation action adventure game with a female protagonist.

Based on the footage, Forspoken is the one I prefer.