Returnal still hasn’t been matched, 5 years later

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. In this roguelike structure, progress isn’t even incremental. It’s literally just how far you can get before you inevitably, repeatedly, brutally die. Experience isn’t mechanical. It’s literal. You learn how it all fits together, remember how enemies move, and learn how various mechanics interact. A select few impactful permanent upgrades mark the only real means of progression.