Save $20 on PS5 bullet-hell Returnal and get lost in an alien planet

Returnal
(Image credit: Housemarque)

PS5 roguelike Returnal is less than two months old but already $20 off at Amazon for Prime Day – handily its lowest price yet. As one of the few true PS5 exclusives, Returnal quickly became one of the strongest showcases for what the new console is capable of, and a return to form for bullet-hell specialist Housemarque. For nearly 30% off, it's a no-brainer for PS5 owners with even a passing interest in third-person shooters. 

At its core, Returnal is a bullet-hell roguelike about surviving and (hopefully) escaping an alien planet. You play as Selene, who finds herself trapped on the mysterious, shapeshifting planet after a crash landing. And I do mean thoroughly trapped – not even death can free Selene, since she winds up at the start of her journey every time she dies. But by mastering the procedurally generated challenges, accumulating small but meaningful permanent upgrades, and piecing together the bizarre messages embedded in the planet, you can make it a little further in each run.  

Returnal PS5 deal 

Returnal PS5 | $69.99 $49.99 at Amazon

Returnal PS5 | $69.99 $49.99 at Amazon
With incredible visuals, audio, and DualSense haptic controls, Returnal is not only a brilliant game but also a stunning example of what the PS5 is capable of.

Returnal is a hard, weird, beautiful game overflowing with more alien oddities and neon projectiles than you could count in a thousand lives. There's nothing else quite like it, even in Housemarque's extensive library of bullet-hell arcade games, and it's easily one of the most striking PS5 games available today. As our own Ben Tyrer wrote in our Returnal review:

"Returnal is a breakaway from the type of exclusive Sony has focused on in recent years, using a genre that has only recently come back into fashion as a starting point for a story that makes you work to understand it, offering plenty to chew on without wrapping it up neatly. It’s an unexpectedly daring step forward for a developer who has refined what makes its style so compelling while adding in new elements." 

Check out our freshly updated Prime Day PS5 deals roundup for more limited-time discounts on everything from consoles, headsets, games, storage, and more.  

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Austin Wood

Austin freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree, and he's been with 12DOVE since 2019. They've yet to realize that his position as a senior writer is just a cover up for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a focus on news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.