One of the biggest PlayStation 5 exclusive games for the first half of 2021 is Returnal, a third-person shooter from Housemarque. Over the years, Housemarque has built a solid reputation for itself thanks to its well-received arcade shooters, but Returnal is a much more ambitious project. It remains to be seen if it will live up to the high bar set by Housemarque's previous work, but the new trailer shown at the PlayStation State of Play definitely shows promise.
The Returnal gameplay trailer shown during the first PlayStation State of Play for 2021 showed off the game's third-person shooter gameplay that fans have seen before, but also touched on some other gameplay features that haven't been discussed much. This includes Returnal's upgrade system, which will give players new abilities that will in turn give them a better of chance of surviving and getting through the game.
The main focus of the Returnal trailer was on the story, but it touched on narrative elements as well. It once again showed the creepy house from the recent Atropos trailer, though this time it showed players what was inside. In the new footage, main character Selena steps inside the house, and the perspective shifts to a first-person view. The combination of the first-person viewpoint and the way the interior of the house looks gives off serious horror game vibes, specifically PT. Whether or not this was intentional is unclear, however.
While Returnal is primarily a third-person shooter, it's clear by this trailer and previous coverage of the game that it is also not shying away from embracing its horror side either. Returnal seems to blend sci-fi and horror with intense action and roguelike elements, which sounds like it could all come together to be a truly unique experience. Whether or not it all comes together like it should is up in the air, but Housemarque's track record speaks for itself.
Out of all the games shown during the PlayStation State of Play for February 2021, Returnal is one of the earliest that's coming out, so fans won't have to wait too much longer to see how it plays for themselves. From the gameplay shown to how Returnal utilizes the PS5's unique features all sounds very promising, so Sony could very well have a major new IP on its hands.
The game was originally supposed to launch in March, but Sony pushed back the Returnal release date by one month, but even so, the wait is nearly over.
Returnal will launch on April 30, exclusively for the PlayStation 5.