Returnal's Community Deserves A Good DLC More Than Anyone

thegamer.com:

Returnal is a damn hard game. Often, when games are damn hard, they foster a community that's... let's be charitable and say 'not very nice'. Games that only few among us can beat create a lot of elitism and pride, and this can often cause players to lash out. I beat Scrimblebimblehook without help, so why should I help you, scrub? What, you used the sword the game deliberately provides to you right before the boss battle? That's cheating mate. Thankfully, Returnal's community is not like that, and they deserve the Ascension update.

My fondness for Returnal's community has grown even greater in the wake of Elden Ring. Though the game isn't for me, I can't deny that it has been nice to see everyone else come together and agree that this game rocks. Unfortunately, that only lasted for about five minutes, despite the game taking 100 hours to complete - unless you decide to speedrun it in two, of course. If you use magic in Elden Ring, you're cheating - even though the game lets you use magic. If you use summons in Elden Ring, you're cheating - even though the game lets you use summons. If you level up too high, you're cheating - even though the game encourages you to go wherever you like. You get the idea. Also the UX sucks and/or is perfect, and anyone joking about is corrupt, jealous, and bitter.

Related: In Defence Of The Pause Button

Returnal could easily have gone that way. Gauging how 'hard' a game is can be a difficult task. Elden Ring lets you explore relatively freely and allows you to buddy up with friends, and if a boss is too hard, you can just keep upgrading until you get stronger. Returnal is more random and linear, and defeating a boss just the once isn't good enough - you have to beat them on every run.