It allows players the opportunity to learn the game and experiment with its mechanics without having to suffer demoralizing defeat after demoralizing defeat. In much the same manner as in Elden Ring or the other soulsborne games, co-op in Returnal is effectively an easy mode.

What if that timer could be removed though? What if, instead of teeth-grindingly frustrating, those deaths could be fun and funny? This is where co-op comes in and saves Returnal’s proverbial bacon. If the player cannot make reasonable progress before their patience reaches its end, then that’s it Returnal goes on the shelf and will likely remain there forever more. It forces both the game and the player in a kind of race against the player’s patience. Instead, they’re forced to go back to the beginning with each death, and that’s a problem. Returnal’s no different from any other game in that respect, but unlike other games, players don’t get to learn while constantly making progress in Returnal. Players need time enough to get used to what they can do, cannot do and what they need to be focusing on as they make their way through each of the biomes. See, like most games, Returnal has a learning curve. It’s a reputation that’s earned too Returnal is a tough-as-nails experience…at first. Ever since its release, it’s had a reputation for being a crushingly difficult roguelike-styled shooter. Returnal is perhaps one of the best examples of this. Indeed, for some games including co-op could be the key that unlocks their full and true experience.

Yes, for some games all co-op does is make them a little better, but it can be downright transformative for others. Yet, it may be a lot more important of a feature than most realize. As fun as it is, it’s almost always been treated as something that’s merely nice to have rather than something essential. Co-op is something of a curious feature, isn’t it? It’s always welcomed whenever a game supports it, yet it’s not something that’s requested nearly as much as certain other features.

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