Selaco adds custom difficulty settings, ditching Returnal's punishing roguelike structure

Housemarque confirmed via official channels that Carcosa Cycle will feature the Carcosan Modifiers system, letting players customize difficulty—a sharp pivot from Returnal's unforgiving design.

Returnal locked out a massive chunk of players with its permadeath structure and sparse checkpoints. Housemarque clearly took notes. The Modifiers system in Carcosa Cycle functions as a difficulty mixer: stack positive buffs for easier runs (more health, stronger weapons), or pile on debuffs for masochistic challenges (tougher enemies, scarcer resources). Want a casual clear? Done. Chasing hell-mode achievements? Also done.

The system's smart because it preserves the hardcore core loop while handing control to players. Compared to Returnal's take-it-or-leave-it stance, Carcosa Cycle aims broader—sensible when roguelikes already occupy a niche, and gatekeeping via difficulty shrinks it further.

Business-wise, it tracks with Sony's recent push for accessible first-party titles. God of War Ragnarök's assist features signaled that shift. As a Sony studio, Housemarque likely faced pressure to retain diehards while lowering the entry barrier. Whether it works depends on post-launch reception, but the direction's sound.