Returnal: Ascension Trailer Shows 18 Minutes Of Gameplay From The Endless Tower Of Sisyphus

A new trailer for Returnal: Ascension has been released, giving us a solid 18 minutes of gameplay from the new endless Tower of Sysiphus mode.

Announced during the State of Play from March 10, the Tower of Sysiphus is a challenging endless mode being added to Returnal with the free Ascension update. This new gameplay trailer shows off a number of runs through the tower, while also detailing how scoring works.

Much like the rest of the game, each level of the Tower is procedurally generated and filled with a variety of enemies, with the enemies becoming harder and more numerous the higher you climb. As you defeat enemies, your multiplier will grow, netting you more points going forward. This multiplier will slowly deplete over time, so staying quick on your feet is the best way to secure a big score.

Once you’ve cleared a room, you’ll have the option of either staying there to collect any items that have potentially been dropped or making your way to the translocator to take you to the next level. Immediately using the translocator will grant you a boost to Obelites as well as your multiplier. A new enemy type has been added into the tower that will create a portal when killed. This portal transports Selene to either a room filled with loot or a room with challenging foes, so the risk is yours to take.

New, powerful weapons called Discorders can be found within the Tower. These extremely powerful weapons can change the tide of a tough battle, but they’re used as an item and have limited ammo, so they’re best kept for when you’re in a sticky situation. Once you’ve cleared ten rooms, you’ll be confronted by Algos, a huge, tentacled boss that looks like he’s going to absolutely ruin my day. When you enviably die, Selene will wake at the base of the Tower, minimising the time spent getting back in there and beating your score…or dying on level two.

Lastly, the Tower of Sysiphus will be introducing some new story elements in the form of another first-person location. Similar to the house within the main game, Selene will be transported to a hospital, where we will get a glimpse at another part of her fractured psyche.

Take a look at the gameplay trailer here:

Returnal’s Ascension update will be free to download on PS5 on March 22.

Are you a Returnal fan? Will you be playing through the Tower of Sysiphus? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.