Returnal is Housemarque’s first major project in a long time. The game is a dynamic third-person shooter with roguelike elements, which takes place in a dark world where the main character Celine is stuck in a time loop.

After an emergency landing on an unknown planet, Celine will discover the buildings of an ancient civilization. There she will have to fight for survival with all her might. She will fail again and again and start all over again. The planet changes with each cycle, and the arrangement of objects along with it. Each attempt to escape will offer new equipment, combinations of which push the boundaries of gameplay and encourage the use of new strategies.

Housemarque director Harry Krueger discussed the transition from bullet hell shooters to full 3D. According to him, even something as simple as the ability to jump bullets changed the developer’s approach to certain aspects. Still, the studio is trying to maintain its signature gameplay style, even if Returnal places a greater emphasis on storytelling than previous projects.

He also talked about the importance of controls and gave a quick example of how adaptive triggers would work to switch firing modes. Sony Interactive Entertainment and Housemarque, however, talked about this earlier. So, for alternative fire, you will need to fully press on L2, and for normal fire, half. It’s just as important as manipulating the camera, according to Kruger, and there will be plenty of customizable control options in the game.