In just over a couple of months, Returnal will finally see the debut of Finnish game studio Housemarque in the triple-A space. The developer became known to gamers for titles such as Resogun, Alienation, Nex Machina, Matterfall, before going on to proclaim that the arcade genre was dead and Housemarque had to move to entirely different projects.
In April 2018, fans were surprised to see the announcement of Stormdivers, a multiplayer game inspired by the Battle Royale genre. This didn’t exactly set Housemarque fans on fire with excitement and Stormdivers was officially put on hold about a year ago when the studio confirmed it would dedicate itself to a triple-A project.
This turned out to be Returnal, a third-person shooter game featuring roguelike elements in a Sci-Fi/Horror setting. Speaking in an interview to the latest PlayStation Official Magazine (February 2021, issue 184), Housemarque Game Director Harry Krueger said:
It’s a very exciting time for us. In many ways, Returnal has been a dream project for many
of us. Having this almost once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break into this new creative chapter of our company but also be on a new platform.It’s a bold ambition for us, with plenty of crazy ideas that we never thought we’d put into a game.
Returnal will launch as a PlayStation 5 exclusive on March 19th, 2021. The Digital Deluxe Edition, priced $10 more than the default one, includes the following in-game items: Electropylon Driver weapon, Hollowseeker weapon, 1 Reflex Stimulant consumable, 1 Pulsating Mass artefact, 1 Adrenaline Booster, Digital soundtrack, 2 in-game suits for Selene.
Intense combat
- Fight to survive in this third-person roguelike shooter.
- Take on ruthless enemies in explosive, bullet hell-fueled combat.
Thrilling exploration
- Manage equipment and resources carefully – every time you die, you restart from the beginning.
- Scavenge alien tech for upgrades to enhance your abilities in future cycles.
Haunting narrative
- Piece together fragments of Selene’s memories as she seeks out answers.
- Forge a personal connection with the planet as you explore its constantly evolving and decaying terrain.
