Returnal Easy Mode and how to decrease difficulty

The PS5 exclusive Returnal is an unforgiving, rogue-lite bullet-hell horror title, where death is inevitable. The planet of Atropos is ever-changing and utterly hostile, which means you will see protagonist Selene die over and over again. If the challenge to "break the cycle" is a bit much for you, the question of "does Returnal have an Easy Mode" or a story mode might pop into your head. In this article, we answer that burning question and discuss how you can at least decrease Returnal's difficulty a little bit.

Does Returnal have an Easy Mode?

We are just going to rip off the bandaid right away. Returnal does not have an easy mode. However, some sections of each Biome are easier to get through than others.

In an interview with PushSquare, the game's director, Harry Kreuger, said: "That relationship people have with the difficulty will not be as rigid or intimidating as it might seem initially."

(Picture: Housemarque)

Despite losing a lot when you die, some upgrades do carry over. Therefore, the more you play, trying to "break the cycle" over and over again, the more powerful you will become. 

While Returnal does not have an Easy Mode, there is a way to decrease the game's difficulty a bit.

How to decrease Returnal difficulty

As with other rogue-like titles, the more you play the stronger you get. Death is inevitable, but you can become a bit stronger by gaining new abilities and grinding until you are strong enough to take on your next challenge.

While there are no difficulty settings in Returnal, you can decrease the difficulty just a bit by heading to the game's settings menu, then gameplay and turning up the aim-assist to "High".

(Picture: Housemarque)

While this won't make enemies less daunting, some players might not have perfect aim. Turning up the aim-assist to its maximum will allow you to focus on dodging attacks while decreasing Returnal's difficulty by a small margin as you won't need pin-point aim anymore.

• Read more: How to unlock Returnal Daily Challenges in Simulation Mode

Returnal rewards the player for constant exploration and even death, with more and more upgrades being unlocked.

While Returnal doesn't have an easy mode, just like in the Soulsborne titles, practising and maybe turning up the aim-assist will help you with the game's steep difficulty curve.