Returnal, a 2021 third-person shooter developed by Finnish studio Housemarque, is celebrated for its challenging gameplay and rich, enigmatic story. The game follows Selene Vassos, an astronaut who crash-lands on the mysterious planet Atropos. Players guide Selene through dense jungles and ancient ruins, battling alien creatures and humanoids in an effort to find the "White Shadow" distress beacon, which she hopes will lead her to escape the planet. The game’s core mechanic is a roguelike system, where players can theoretically complete the game in a single life—but the game quickly makes it clear that Atropos is a dangerous place. If Selene dies, the game flashes through a series of visions before resetting her back to the crash site, with the message "Helios Abandoned" appearing each time she begins a new run. Players will often encounter the corpses of their past selves, sometimes with voice recordings that reveal the planet’s dark history. Gameplay is centered around precise shooting and movement, with a variety of weapons and modifiers that allow for different playstyles. Combat rooms are randomly generated on each run, keeping the experience fresh and unpredictable. A grappling hook, unlocked around the middle of the game, becomes a key tool and is widely praised for its utility. While Returnal is notoriously difficult—only about a third of players beat the first boss—it is also highly rewarding, with an endless mode called Tower of Sisyphus offering continued challenge even after completing the main story. The game’s narrative is layered and cryptic, weaving themes of guilt, loss, and destiny into its gameplay loop. Selene is haunted by a ghostly astronaut and encounters surreal elements like her Earth home appearing in the overgrowth of Atropos. The story unfolds gradually, with twists that challenge players’ expectations. One major revelation reveals that Selene’s escape from Atropos is not a true escape, but rather a cycle that continues indefinitely. The game’s title and many of its names—such as Selene and Theia—draw from Greek mythology, adding to its sense of mystery. While some players see Returnal as an abstract exploration of themes like motherhood and trauma, others appreciate its emotional depth and the performance of actor Jane Perry, who brings Selene’s tragic journey to life. Housemarque’s latest game, Saros, released earlier this year, continues the studio’s signature style of intense gameplay and cryptic storytelling, though it is expected to be less complex than Returnal.