I've ploughed 15 hours and 31 deaths into Returnal and I'm tapping out. I can't do the first boss.
I'm no stranger to difficulty; I've platinumed DS1 and Elden Ring and I've had a run of bashing-your-head-against-walls bosses this year with Prince of Persia: Lost Crown and Blasphemous 1 & 2. The boss in Returnal (Phrike) isn't that hard, probably 2 or 3 more attempts and I'd get it but it's the hour-ish runback that has done me in. I just don't have time for a level that is pseudo-randomly generated, not knowing if you will get any decent upgrades or items (the astronaut and some health boosts are a must). If it was checkpointed right by the boss I'd probably be OK with that, but the thought of giving up another hour to potentially die again is not my idea of a fun time. I think it's especially grating when you can see health boosts etc on a distant ledge that you can't yet reach because you haven't got the next upgrade. "No, you're not good enough to have these yet, once you've proved yourself you can have more health."
It's such a shame, because I like the protagonist, the art design, I like where the story is going but I'm done.
So off to the new CastleVania instead.