Returnal Doesn't Let You Save During Its (Very Long) Runs

Returnal's lack of a quicksave function means that its two to three hour runs will gobble up a large amount of your time. Housemarque has no plans to implement the feature in the Day One Patch.

[blackblades]

Is this why they gave it a 8, its always something small with critics.

[majiebeast]

Its not like they need the save option theirs runs probably die on the first biome bunch of hacks.

[SullysCigar]

This isn't even news, given it's been talked about plenty in the reviews, but it looks like this article has gotten the 'IGN pass'..

[Tedakin]

2-3 hours is a very long time without saving. It's definitely not something small. That's going to make people quit playing the game.

[monkey602]

I'm at a point in my life right now where I am lucky to find an hour here and there to play a game so this play structure just would not suit me. Which is fine, It's just not for me. Wouldnt expect the developers to change anything

[ChronoJoe]

While I agree with you, you can just pause the game and return from rest mode.

Plus, a successful run of the whole game might take 2 hours, but most runs aren’t going to be like that.

[gammaray13]

yep you are spot on, im one of those people, its way too unforgiving the lack of save and the bullshit that you cant keep your weapon is enough for me to take it back,Sekiro is is like taking candy from a baby compared to this

[MrNinosan]

How can it be 2-3 hours thou when he died almost 30 times in 44 hours?

[RosweeSon]

Yeah you can complete some entire games in 2-3 hours so to play and then die/lose all progress and start back again is a big ask. 30 mins to an hour tops ideally. I remember trying S rank Resi 2 got to tyrant and he ripped my head off. Safe to say i didn’t bother with that again 🤣✌🏻
While rest mode is great (chronoJoe) the amount of times I’ve come out of auto save and then just die by something random so you could just be prolonging the agony.

[pecorre]

The 2-3 hours run is what will make me skip the game. It looks increadible, but I struggle to find more than 1 hour to play. Since I share my console with another family member, I can't leave the game running.

I really hope they will implement a way to save your game mid-run.

[StoneyYoshi]

Just Played last night and at least the first world after your first death is roughly an hour to fully complete. I didn't finish it because I didn't trust myself to beat the boss at 1:30am tired AF lol. Other reviewers are even saying each "checkpoint" which is after the boss battle is roughly an hour. I think this game would lose part of its charm if they added that. If anything just add it as an accessibility option for people to turn on if they don't want the initial challenge that the devs planned this game to have.

Something I didn't really notice many reviwer's bring up is that theres actually restoration points that you can even use if you collect enough ether. Ive only used it once but I think when you use the device to scan yourself, It saves your current loadout rather than saving anything you obtained after the scan. Also if you cant find anymore health around the map, you can return to your ship and lay in your bed for a nap and you'll be fully healed.

[SyntheticForm]

Yeah, I really wanted to play this game but learning what I've learned here makes me very hesitant to purchase.

It's not about the $70 - I think it looks great - but these aspects are very off-putting.

Damn.

[tombfan]

Pause and put your ps5 in rest mode… rogue lite games aren’t games with saves on the go, they just save on each cycle.

[TheEnigma313]

@monkey602

Very mature and objective response instead of bashing.

[nickanasty206]

Completely agree. I don't have 90 straight minutes all the time i can dedicate to a game. Not to mention, not being able to go back at a certain point and play from where I ended up. I have both PS5 and Xbox, and this is certainly a situation where a "quick resume" feature would completely solve the problem. Its an easy solution, lets hope Sony wisen up and add a great feature like quick resume to their toolset. Its already been stated that "rest mode" is not fool proof, so a feature like quick resume or a simple patch from the devs could fix this issue.

[RedDevils]

Go read the Kotaku article to clear thing up about saving. This is just exaggerating to turn it into a bigger issue than it actually is.

[senorfartcushion]

It’s IGN, they aren’t allowed to give a AAA game below an 8 😂

[LordoftheCritics]

Not being able to save for 90 minutes is a huge problem.

I value time so I'll pass on this. Some people will tolerate anything thrown at them.

[InUrFoxHole]

Small? Some people have lives other than video games.

[Knushwood Butt]

I've died twice so far, but learned a bunch of stuff during my second life.

Will put that knowledge to good use during my next run.

[wantedboys]

When you die you repeat the entire level or revive the place where you die?

[darren_poolies]

It's a roguelike so you start from the beginning of the game again.

[StoneyYoshi]

the map layout changes after each death but I've only died twice and my second death restored me from a restoration point on the map i paid Ether to activate a one time respawn. My goal is to at least beat the first boss without starting over.

There are items and abilities that are permanent even after death so its not like you are starting completely over like permadeath on the last of us. Theres also shortcuts and teleporters that you can find that I believe stay available after you die since the device you have that works with the teleporters is a permanent piece of equipment and so is the melee blade after its found of course.

[metalhead]

So Sony isn’t pulling a Nintendo and easying up their games.....good for them.

[GameBoyColor]

2 hour+ runs without a save point isn't hard, it's exhausting.

[dp277407]

the game does tell you before anything to put in rest mode and it'll l keep the game suspended if needing a break or whatever, I'm fine with it.

[S2Killinit]

Or we could give the developer the freedom to choose to make the game they want and trust that there is a good reason for the choices they make. I mean not every game needs to be the same. Imagine if Demon Souls held your hand, would that be a better game then? The answer is a resounding “no”.

[nitus10]

The PS4 and I assume the PS5 allows you to suspend pretty much any game by placing the machine on standby (you need to configure this), however, it may be annoying for some to play for an hour or more and die which requires you the player to restart from your last save.

For some games (NioH for example) putting the game into standby will work (loading is very fast) but if the game has online features you may need to be next to a save point (ie. in NioH's case a shrine) to reactivate the network.

In the Souls/Borne games, you can exit at any point (I don't suggest during a battle) and start from when you exited. Of course, if you die in these games it's back to the last bonfire/lantern you saved at, however, you can get your experience back (ie. souls or blood echoes) unless you die again.

The bottom line is if you want to purchase a game that has one, two or more hours between saves then you either have to suck it up or just don't play the game.

[S2Killinit]

Now it turns out that the whole no save thing was some sort of misinformation rumour spreading around. Apparently the loops are no more than big over half hour. Figures.

[cell989]

It’s tedious

[hangdang]

lol @s2killinit. So devs have never been wrong? Never made a bad decision? Just blindly trust them bEcAusE thEyRe DeVs?

What about when my PS5 installed an update from rest mode the other day and I lost progress in a game I had suspended? Nobody is asking to make the game easier, just more convenient.

Souls games don't make you go 2-3 hours without a bonfire unless you are truly awful at the game.

[BlackDoomAx]

Try to play whith your feet if it's too easy.

[Jin_Sakai]

They should add mid level save points. I’m all for challenging games but playing for hours and hours just to die and start from the beginning is a bit ridiculous.

[jznrpg]

That’s called a rogue like . I’ve never played any that you can save in the middle of a run but you can use rest mode

[darren_poolies]

You can save in the middle of a run in Hades and you'll be back in the same room you left off at.

[RNTody]

False. Both Dead Cells and Hades save your progress by allowing you to return to the last "room" or "level" upon quitting and restarting the game.

We all know that rogue-like games restart when you die. Being able to pause, save and go do something else in between is vital.

Rest mode is not a solution because your console could glitch or a power failure could lose your progress...or more importantly you just can't quit and play anything else.

I love rogue like games and can't wait to play Returnal, but the criticism is valid.

[ChasterMies]

For a single person, I’m sure rest mode is not much of a problem. But in a family, that’s just not workable. As a practical matter, Returnal needs save points.

[jznrpg]

It does not need save points . It’s not designed that way . It’s great to the way it is .

[4Sh0w]

This is one of those times in life where the lack of player chioce just seems like a big forced error. I mean to the point that it seems the devs purposely but *unneccessarily are limiting the audience of their game. I mean wouldn't it be the same game for "rogue like" fans if they implemented an *optional* playthrough with save checkpoints? Basically you choose which mode from the start....I mean me choosing the traditional save gametype would not affect the rogue like players at all or require the devs to change the gameplay in anyway. That said I dont have a ps5 so for those who do & love this type of challenge, this game looks so cool. Good luck.

[S2Killinit]

Game tells you to use rest mode if you want to stop. But no saving because they dont want you to be able to keep starting in the same spot. It would defeat the game’s design.

[Jin_Sakai]

So use rest mode and don’t use your console for anything else until you beat the game?

[S2Killinit]

Until you either died or finished that level.

[Rebel_Scum]

No it wouldn't defeat the games design. The only user based caveat is that it ruins your run or flow whilst in a run. But an optional mid run save should be mandatory for these games.

The problem for developers is the headache to make it work, due to having to save the level design and the position of the player, nearby enemies etc.

[S2Killinit]

Rebel
It would ruin the intent of the developer if you get to restart from your save anytime you lose.
Obviously, that is not what the developer wanted.

Nothing is “mandatory” otherwise you end up with the same games over and over. I say let the developer create its own vision. These guys clearly intended to keep with their roots. Let them.

[waderae]

you clearly didn't play terminator on the sega megadrive.... :)

[Futureshark]

Its to prevent save-scumming I guess, which spoils the whole point of rogue-like games really.

Bottom line, if you can't handle rogue-like games then perhaps don't buy Returnal.

But if you fancy seeing what new gen can do at the moment and want to feel a blast of exhilaration when playing then give it a go.

[CorndogBurglar]

They could easily prevent save scumming by implementing something like X-Com, where it auto saves, and you can load from it, but only once. Then the save is gone.

[Ataraxias]

That's...not really how it works in X-Com? Believe me, I've saved scummed like 10+ times in a single round trying to land enough crits to instantly drop a Sectopod without it getting to act.

[Psychotica]

Who cares how someone plays it?

[JEECE]

I don't understand why they can't have saves. And for all the "git gud" people, I'm not talking about a save that I can come back to repeatedly. I'm talking about an autosave system which would automatically overwrite every minute or so and after every death. So no save spamming, but also you wouldn't have to commit multiple hours at a time.

[Nofamboyism]

Ps5 needs a quick resume function to mitigate this issue. Il stick pick returnal up but not at £70.

[Einhander1971]

I sucked at Demons souls, but love shooters so going to give it a damn good try.

[stupidusername]

I was going to buy Returnal, but now I’m not sure. I love hard games, and Returnal looks amazing. But I work long hours and I only get 1-2 hours of play time on weekdays. The Ps5 is also used by others when I’m not using it, so putting it in rest mode doesn’t really help. This is a major bummer to me personally. Even Hades let you save in the middle of a run.

[darren_poolies]

I would assume it's something they're gonna patch in even though they've said they won't, it would be stupid to expect you to beat the game in a single sitting especially if it takes 3+ hours or whatever.

[StoneyYoshi]

You are making it sound like this is a perma-death style situation like TLOU2. Theres multiple "worlds" that you traverse through which all end with a boss that opens a checkpoint portal so you don't have to beat that boss again. It's similar to Souls games but lacks campfires (mid level checkpoints) but instead has teleporters that persist even after death to help you traverse the map faster in the next life. Theres even respawn points you can spend Ether on to have another chance on the same run and doesn't have a limit on how many times you can use it as long as you have enough ether. I do think they should add a auto save as a accessibility option for the people who don't want the extra challenge.

[stupidusername]

@StoneyYoshi
Yeah, I get that, but several hours with gameplay without the option to save is still going to ruin the game for me. It means that I'm only able to beat the game on weekends if I plan for it. I don't like it if I have to plan my life in order to beat a game.
I bought it today though, and it's really fun so far. But I don't know if I'll be able to beat it without a save function.

[cell989]

I guess it’s meant for the hardcore players with lots of spare time to spend. I read somewhere that there are these portals you can use to traverse easier through the maps if you die. But if you die and not play through the maps again, then you won’t gain anything needed to actually advance the game. So you lose it all and you can speed through it but won’t gain any abilities? So they kinda force you to play the game over and over on the same areas. Was this done to extend the play time?

[StoneyYoshi]

"Yeah, I get that, but several hours with gameplay without the option to save is still going to ruin the game for me."

I completely understand that concern. I actually heard that biome 4 has a legit checkpoint due to how difficult it can be. Im assuming biome 4 is the last one if thats the case. So maybe once you get to that point it wont be too bad lol.

I have a feeling they will add save points to some extent with what everyone is complaining about eventually.

[NerdBurglars]

if you are like me, the runs are never very long because you die so fast

[Elda]

I'm picking up my copy today in support of HouseMarque & Sony exclusives. I'm playing several different games at this time & Returnal not being able to save until you get to the 4th mission/biome is somewhat disappointing to know. Putting in hours of work just to start over & over until you finally get to your checkpoint/save can be frustrating. Hopefully if HouseMarque & Sony hear enough complaints about this they'll implement some saves or checkpoints. Other than that the game looks really fun & I can't wait to play tonight while sipping on a few cold drinks.

[gammaray13]

without a save point is just plain stupid, i do not want to play this game and only this game for 2 weeks coz of lack of save, this is a complete dumb decision as far as in concerned, yhis mob is forcing you to play their game and nothing else until you finish it, well resi evil is out next week yet this mob expect me to ditch all my other games for them, hahah what a joke, well back to EB games it goes

[Ron_Danger]

What are you talking about? It’s just talking about not saving on a run. It’s a roguelite so you unlock permanent upgrades, it’s just the items and weapons reset after each run. You also unlock new starting points as you progress further.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Star Renegades, another very good Rogue lite, saves to the cloud periodically, so even if the power goes out later during standby you can start back where you were.

[lucian229]

All they need to do is allow only one save per run and that's it.

That'd make a massive difference to people who work or have kids

[Exvalos]

I cant do 3 hour runs no saving, I'm out but people are loving the game so for all those willing to slog through that I hope you have fun

[Petebloodyonion]

It's probably something they will address in the future or they have lots of data on a medium run length.
How many times do you have a 2 hours+ run?
If the average run is less than an hour then It can easily explain the lack of autosave midgame and the auto-resume function can help you for the short time break. If not, you're only losing a run so it's not a major problem.

[Battlestar23]

The whole point of Returnal is that you are stuck in some kind of twisted timeloop that resets when you die and you need to escape from it. Adding saves where you die defeats the whole point of the game so just man up and play the damn thing.

[galmi]

the point is enjoyment not torture, imagine moving slow and grinding out about 3 hrs of gameplay only to die then you restart and the same thing happens again

I believe the concept of rogue lite is in about 2 hrs of gameplay you should be close to the end cuz each run isn't meant to be very long and tedious to the end

[Battlestar23]

You obviously haven't play the game Galmi. Check this link for info on the game and next time you comment on it you will look less like a fool. https://www.powerpyx.com/re...

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

Good.

X-play had a review system:

5/5- a gem any gamer can manage to enjoy (GTA, Zelda, Halo)

4/5- a gem designed for a specific audience; great game that doesn’t cater to everyone (Rainbow Six, Metro, Alien Isolation)

3/5- game constrained by average highs and lows. (Battlefield V, Battlefront 2, Gears 4)

Some of my favorite games were my favorites BECAUSE of the things they were criticized for. A 4/5 is a GOOD thing for me in this case.

I’m glad they stuck to THEIR vision.

[Positivelypositive]

I don't have 2 - 3 hour segments in my life for gaming. To bad, I might rent it sometime. mather jugging roguelikes. Quickly becoming leave favorite genre. Luckily they are the most commonly made type of game at the moment... oh wait.

[TheEnigma313]

You gotta keep gaming fresh.

[DFresh]

Well that just sucks.
👎🏻

[RoseSapphire]

Welcome to Roguelites.

I get that the levels are longer than your standard roguelite game, but we're looking at a AAA, story driven roguelite and not an indie project. This is uncharted territory for a roguelite to be this large and I welcome it.

[lio_convoy]

That's good. It's supposed to be a challenge. That's the whole point of it. At about the halfway mark you can just progress from that point forward though so it's not totally heartless. After playing the game for a few hours, it's awesome and I'm loving it!

[tombfan]

Omg… journalism really just find something to complain to make clickbait, right? You can put your pst in rest mode… saving in a rogue lite is not in the core of the genre, maybe putting a save solution like dark souls, but idk… I’m ok with the no saving, I can always put in rest my ps5

[frostypants]

Kinda silly...roguelike or not, 2-3 hours is extreme. Even the Souls games let you "save and quit"...as long as the save is upon quitting and is deleted upon loading, the player can't abuse it. Rest mode isn't a real solution.

[cell989]

I’m no expert in game design but I really want to know what drives devs to implement this type of gameplay. Why have the player stuck for 2 hrs + not knowing if the player can safely quit the game cause of life or he needs to remain stuck there so that at some point the game saves and he can move on. Someone with knowledge, please explain me this choice of design.

[NewYork214]

It's really not that big of a deal. I died once getting to first boss and then again on the boss. Really wasn't that big of a deal. Whole fun of the game is starting fresh and seeing what your luck brings in terms of parasites and weapons. I'm loving the game.

[Echone1]

Yeah, this is kind of annoying. This caught me off guard. I enjoy the game already, but sometimes I only have an hour, and sometimes not even that, so rest mode doesn't seem like a very practical solution.

[BLAKHOODe]

I'm not as big of a gamer as I use to be and my attention span, at most, only lasts about an hour, so I'm gonna take a pass on Returnal. I bought Demon's Souls when I got my PS5 and I still haven't got past the first level.

[Riveted]

Dude, just give me an automatic quick-save feature at least! I don't have time to sit on long runs. Will try it firsthand, but if this is the case, not interested in investing time in this one.

[TheEnigma313]

Me being born in 85, I love rougelike games. Reminds me of the old school days. Of course these games aren’t for everybody.

[jznrpg]

The game is amazing . Cry all you want if you don’t like it but it’s great .

[chicken_in_the_corn]

Not familiar with this genre. What's a run?

[galmi]

basically the time it takes to reach a checkpoint or make considerable progress before you die or something. Dying in roguelike games usually means starting from the very beginning of the game.

[Aussiesummer]

Why is this news? Isn't this the nature of these types of games.

[WeAreLegion]

Yes, that's kind of the point.

[S2Killinit]

This proved to be a fake alarm

[FanboysKiller]

The power of the ssd !

[Battlestar23]

I bet your one of those gamers you signed the petition to have a easy mode adding to dark souls right?