New PS5 games not to be missed – Returnal to Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

The PlayStation 5 has lined up a number of big-name ­exclusives for release in 2021.

Next up will be Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, with Horizon Forbidden West and God Of War: Ragnarok supposedly launching later this year.

In terms of blockbuster releases, there is plenty to enjoy.

But there’s another exclusive that launched on April 30 that you should probably not overlook.

Returnal is the latest outing from Housemarque, the Finnish studio best known for some of the best arcade shoot-em-up video games.

Super Stardust, Nex Machina and the acclaimed PS4 launch title Resogun have all shown that the studio knows how to deliver on addictive action-packed gameplay loops that’ll have you coming back for more. This new outing, though, is something a little bit different.

There’s still the same arcade bullet-hell excellence that the studio is known for, with plenty of weapons and abilities to master as you progress.

But this shooter is then elevated by a compelling character drama that you slowly discover and roguelike elements that test you every step of the journey.

For those who don’t know, a roguelike means every death resets the player all the way back to the very start of the game, but with added foresight and abilities.

The basic premise is that you play as Selene, a Greek-American deep space scout who crash-lands on a shape-shifting alien planet.

From here, Selene must fight tooth and nail for survival against overwhelming odds. With every death you’ll learn more about the story and how to progress. She’s defeated again and again, forced to restart her journey every time she dies.

The game is tough and you’ll be really challenged in your attempt to reach the climactic conclusion, but this is one dark horse that you certainly don’t want to skip over this year.