Housemarque’s been quietly bubbling as a beloved PlayStation developer for more than a decade. While the studio may not have the same public renown as some of Sony’s big first party studios, their second-party relationship with the console manufacturer has produced some of the most memorable twin-stick shooters from the PS3 to now. But while the DNA of Super Stardust HD and Resogun are obvious in Returnal, Housemarque’s upcoming PS5 exclusive is a far-flung evolution from the days of rotating around a planet. In fact, perhaps even more so than Sony’s own first party titles so far, Returnal is the first game to truly exhibit the possibilities of the next-gen console.
Returnal bears a shocking amount of influences from not just other games, but many forms of media. And ironically, as advanced and next-gen as it looks and feels, its influences all feel rooted in age-old classics. It evokes the ’80s sci-fi space horror of films like Aliens. It brings to bear the Rogue-like feelings of, well, Rogue. Its exploration and various abilities call back to Metroid. Yet just under the surface of it all, it’s distinctly a Housemarque game, even if it’s unlike anything they’ve ever made before. After crashing her ship on the planet of Atropos, Selene finds herself not just caught in a loop, but one that’s constantly shifting the world and her understanding of her own identity and perception of time. She’ll discover her own corp...