Since the mid-90s, Housemarque has established a reputation for itself as a strong believer in the arcade genre. From their long-running Stardust and Super Stardust series that has received several HD remakes and revisions throughout the years, to more recent titles likeAlienation,Nex MachinaandMatterfall, Housemarque has spent well over two decades experimenting with and reshaping the retro genre and bringing the experience to consoles, primarily on PlayStation. Towards the end of 2017, however, the Finnish developershared a bold blog postthat stated that “Arcade Is Dead”, citing financial struggles with continuing to pursue new projects within the genre despite the previous critical acclaim and rewards the studio has received. Despite this impending shift in genre, Housemarque stated at the time that they remain committed to their biggest core value: “gameplay first with first class execution.”
The following year, the developerannouncedwhat was originally intended as their first non-arcade project, Stormdivers, as they sought to capitalize on the growing popularity of the battle royale genre. But Stormdivers never saw the light of day, as production was shut down for the game in January 2020 and the development team shifted to a secondary but more ambitious title that had been in development for the prior three years. It wouldn’t be much longer before fans got their first glimpse at that game, as the PS5 Future of Gaming show in June saw thefirst trailerfor Returnal, a third-person sci-fi shooter with elements of psychological horror and roguelikes. As the space pilot Selene trapped in a time loop, players must escape the ever-shifting planet of Atropos and attempt to piece together the missing memories that led Selene to her current predicament.
Although it boasts weapons that shoot brightly-colored beams and frantic action that hearkens back to Hoursemarque’s history with the arcade genre, Returnal’s focus on narrative is arguably one of its more intriguing aspects, both for players looking to uncover the mystery and for the studio looking to upgrade its reputation in the industry. With plotlines serving as a necessary backbone and not much else in their previous games, Selene’s journey serves as a new opportunity for the studio to create a name for themselves among Sony’s established library of top-tier storytellers. Returnal’s release also comes at a prime moment for PS5 owners looking to grow their library of exclusive titles, as Bluepoint’sDemon’s Soulsremake and Destruction All-Stars currently mark some of the only PS5-exclusive games several months after the platform’s debut.
Perhaps Returnal’s biggest opportunity lies in how the game takes advantage of roguelike elements, particularly after the recent success of Supergiant’sHades. Although the genre of roguelikes has established a renewed interest from audiences over the past fifteen years, the mainstream success of Hades has seemingly helped push the genre into a whole new tier of popularity, thanks to the clever narrative integration and addictive combat. As one of the first big-budget roguelikes to release in the months after Hades’ accomplishments, Returnal could be poised to scratch a similar itch as long as Housemarque’s most ambitious narrative yet can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the studio’s long-running reputation for fast-paced and mesmerizing gameplay. Eager fans won’t have to wait much longer to make their first trip to Atropos when Returnal launches on April 30 for PS5.
