Published Apr 25, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT Returnal only reveals its brilliance once everything clicks 5 years later, Returnal still hasn’t been matched — and maybe never will be Image: Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon For many players, Returnal is a roguelike so punishing that it’s hard to stick with. For those who actually break through, however, it’s something closer to a trance, a dark and deep meditation on pain and guilt. Five years later, I still find myself haunted by Returnal ’s punishing combat, but even more so by its chilling narrative. In Returnal , you play as Selene, a deep-space scout who crash-lands on the hostile alien planet Atropos while investigating a mysterious signal known as “White Shadow.” She wakes up from the crash and quickly finds her own corpse, realizing that she’s trapped in a time loop where every death resets the world. You’ll recognize individual combat zones, enemies, and the gear you collect, but the way it’s all stitched together is randomized.…