Housemarque is continuing its push to launch day with more news on the upcoming Returnal. Speaking on the PlayStation Blog, Harry Krueger
Kreuger mentions that the upcoming PlayStation 5 title will blend game styles. If you’ve ever played a game from the studio, you have an idea of their signature style of game paired with responsive controls and that all too painful bullet-hell gameplay. In Returnal, you’re getting all that from a third-person perspective. “There will be fast and frenetic combat and intense gunplay, and also some rich exploration and traversal as you explore the procedurally generated environments of Atropos,” says Kreuger. “We’ve created Returnal to be a challenging and rewarding experience, with enough variety and depth to keep you always coming back for “one more go”.”
Selene, the protagonist, will be able to use 10 base weapons, with more than 90 Weapon Traits (each with three levels)and 10 alt-fires. You’ll be able to use the Spitmaw Blaster, a shotgun, then upgrade it how you wish with add-ons like exploding shells or acid pools. Each weapon has an al-fire mode, too and weapon drops are frequent, so Selene can hold one weapon at a time. The choice of which weapon to bring will be an important one.
And because this is a game where Selene is unable to die, you’ll repeat a time loop, moments before crashing on the planet and while you’ll lose most abilities and items, you won’t lose all of them. Some persist across sessions, so you’ll still make progress every cycle.
Returnal will be available starting March 19, 2021.
