PS5 Exclusive Returnal Pre-Order Suits Revealed On Amazon

[Nergal]

 

A special pre-order bonus for the PlayStation 5 exclusive Returnal was recently revealed via Amazon. The upcoming third-person shooter is being developed by Housemarque and is set to be released on March 19, 2021.

Returnal is marketed as a science fiction psychological horror game and is a departure from Housemarque's usual formula. The Finnish game developer is best known for creating arcade-style games with an emphasis on gameplay above all else. With Returnal, however, Housemarque seems to be putting more of an emphasis on story and character based off of the reveal trailer from last year. Now that the game is only a few months from launch, it is only natural that pre-orders have begun to go live and with them special pre-order bonuses.

Players will be treated to two additional suits when they pre-order Returnal through Amazon Deutsch. The translations for the two suits read as "Astra Model 9 Prototype Suit for Selene" and "Astra Model 14 Takiter Suit for Selene." As of now, this bonus only seems to be available through Amazon Deutsch and it is unclear if the suits are simply cosmetic or have in-game benefits. The price for this pre-order currently sits at €79.99, which is about $97.


The lack of details surrounding this pre-order bonus is a little unusual. When Demon's Souls, another PS5 exclusive, revealed that it had pre-order content, detailed descriptions came along with the announcement to inform players of what exactly they would be getting. In comparison, gamers are left to wonder if the Model 9 and Model 14 suits in Returnal are simply cosmetics or something more. On top of that, there is no indication of whether or not this bonus will become available in other markets.

While Returnal does look intriguing from both a narrative and gameplay perspective, this strange pre-order situation could hurt the game long before it comes to players. There seems to be a breakdown in communication between Housemarque and the gaming community, but it might not necessarily be the developer's fault. Sometimes retailers prematurely reveal information that was not meant to be released to the public for some time. The fact that this offer for the Model 9 and Model 14 only seems to be available via Amazon Deutsch suggests that this is what's happened here too. Whether or not it is an error, it is still a rocky start for a game that otherwise looks promising. Hopefully the confusion surrounding Returnal's suit pre-order will not dissuade those who are interested from trying it out.

Returnal launches for PlayStation 5 on March 21, 2021.