Returnal 2 Not Housemarque’s Next Game
Those hoping for Returnal 2 might be a tad disappointed to note that it looks like Housemarque’s next game will be a brand-new IP. Although Returnal was a success for the studio and Sony Interactive Entertainment has previously said that it’s happy with the game’s performance, managing director Ilari Kuittinen has told VentureBeat that the team is in the early phases of developing a new IP.
Will there ever be a Returnal 2?
Despite Returnal being a success story for Housemarque and winning numerous awards, there’s been no indication that the studio is interested in a sequel. Now that Housemarque has joined PlayStation Studios, a pitch understandably has to go through Sony as well. However, from what Kuittinen has told VentureBeat, it looks like the team simply wants to try its hand at something different.
We’re one of the very last dinosaurs making arcade games. Nex Machina, a few years ago, was very much a shoot-’em-up game in the style of the coin-ops from the ‘80s. That’s sort of a clue. But it’s interesting. We’ve been thinking about that. We had our stint working on multiplayer games, because a few years back it seemed like you needed to have some kind of multiplayer experience. We tried that, and we really didn’t do it as well. But it’s early days with us starting a new game, a new IP, concepting it out. We’ll see what comes with that.
Opinion: It’s okay to want sequels to games we love and it’s also okay to not have them
Zarmena writes… I find that people often equate the announcement of a sequel to a game’s success. There have been numerous instances of successful games not getting the sequel treatment and there have been just as many instances of mediocre games getting another shot. Returnal might not have been everyone’s cup of tea but it did well enough for Housemarque and Sony. But that doesn’t necessarily warrant a sequel. That said, if Rockstar Games could respond to one of my billion messages about L.A. Noire 2, I’ll be grateful…
In other news, Horizon Forbidden West patch 1.06 is out. Elsewhere, PS5 versions of Resident Evil 2, 3, and 7 have been announced.
[Source: VentureBeat]
