Hands ON: The new cooperative and endless modes of Returnal invigorate a great PS5

It's not a secret that we are great returnal fans here at Push Carré . Its Rogue-like elements are certainly not the taste of everyone, but we really enjoyed each minute of selene temporal loop on Attropos. It is an extremely captivating adventure, not to mention satisfaction when you overcome serious challenges along the way. We also felt, almost immediately, that it was a ripe game for expansion - the potential for new modes, levels, weapons and beyond was across the roof. Nearly a year later, housemarks delivered on this forehead with the Update Ascension - a free extension with some new major additions.

The first of them is an online cooperation with two players, an unexpected alternative way but very welcome to discover the main game. In addition to these home sequences in the first person, the basic campaign can be addressed with another player. Although you can initially think that it would make this game difficult a health walk, an intelligent rebalancing means that you will be challenged even in duet. Fighting bosses in cooperation can be as difficult as solo, but the gain when you defeat it is just as rewarding.

Having a backup helps make the game easier to manage. If a selene dies, the other can revive them. It takes a few seconds, which endangers if there are still enemies around, but the mechanism works well and means that a race can be saved from the edge. In addition, the presence of a second player means that the enemies will not always focus on you, which will allow you to flank or get closer to a mingle shot while your cohort distracted. Playing in cooperation adds new interesting wrinkles to the game, but the most important thing is just very fun to blow up extraterrestrials with a friend.

It's not perfect, though. We think more could have been done to make communication a little easier. Since most players refuse to use the vocal chat - unless playing with a friend - there is no way to talk to each other, for example, health items or new weapons. What aggravates the situation is that the objects deposited are shared, which means that you can not picking up the same thing, so without communicating, it can easily become a rush to suck all the best things before the other player. A ping system, or even some emotions, would have a lot of contributed to mitigating that.

The other new major mode of the Ascension update is Tower of Sisyphus. This is a very different challenge, solo only, to master. It's basically an endless mode of attack where each floor presents you waves of enemies increasingly difficult to defeat until your death. If you like the return of Returnal but you have enough to run the country again and again, it's a new very fun and super addictive challenge.

The focus is on speed and regularity. Your score multiplier increases as you beat enemies, and your adrenaline level - a mechanism that improves the capacities of Selene to kill bad guys without being damaged even more. Essentially, playing with skill and efficiency is the key to victory, and it does a very effective job to force you to play quickly. In the combat rooms, your multiplier will decrease if you do not inflict damage, keeping you in action if you aim for a high score.

Fortunately, a certain respite comes in enemy-free pieces, where your multiplier is locked in place. Naturally, as you progress in the tower, you get better weapons, consumables and obolites, just like the main game, and you will often find shops where you can equip buffs, artifacts and parasites to become stronger. You will need all the help possible, because not only the enemy waves harden, but you will also face Algos, a brand new boss, which marks the end of a "phase" in the tower.

Unlike other returnal bosses, Algos has only one health indicator every time you fight them, but you will encounter this strange creature several times up in the tower. A new addition, disgorgers, help against the most powerful enemies. These are super consumable weapons that inflict large damage, but stay only for a limited time. There are many to find, and they are perfect for fighting algos or, if you really have trouble, a nasty wave of regular bad guys. Overall, Tower of Sisyphus is a new mode very engaging for inactive players. You have to beat the second boss of the main game to reach it, but it's worth it.

We must also mention that it adds new narrative rhythms, with new recognition newspapers and other things to find. The extra story is mainly told through hospital sequences, which are similar to the house. Passing again to the first person, they carry Selene in a new strange place, exploring and developing some of the rhythms later in the main game history. No spoilers, but anyone interested in tradition should check the tower.

Ascent is a brilliant update that infuses a new life to an already wonderful game. Cooperation is well implemented and is an explosion with the right partner, and Tower of Sisyphus is an addictive arcade experience that represents some sort of end-of-party challenge you can play forever. Both modes are excellent additions that cement even more reducing as the first Banger PS5.

Have you appreciated the new modes of Returnal? Go down in the comments section below, and if you appreciate the game, check out our return guide for many more info.