PS5 Exclusive Returnal Reveals New Gameplay Footage, DualSense Features

Housemarque Games shared more insights into its PlayStation 5 exclusive Returnal this week in a new "HouseCast" episode that also showed off some gameplay footage from the new game. Marketing director Mikael Haveri and game director Harry Krueger spoke about the game and the learnings Housemarque is bringing to Returnal while saying it'll be "sticking to those strengths" when developing the game. The creators of Returnal also shared some new details on how the game will take advantage of the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller.

You can check out some of the fast-paced, third-person gameplay from Returnal in the video below that features gameplay scenes scattered throughout the discussions between the Housemarque team. Krueger spoke of things like verticality, grappling hooks, and evolutions of the bullet hell genre that players will see in Returnal.

Episode 3 is out!
Talking with @harrytkrueger about how we are bringing our bullet hell expertise to a whole new perspective!https://t.co/qqh1yzTYgk

— Housemarque (@Housemarque) January 8, 2021

One of the more interesting topics of discussion related to the DualSense controller and how Returnal would utilize its features. The controller sports things like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers which have been used in different days depending on how developers choose to incorporate them, and in Returnal, those triggers will have some of the most innovative functions yet.

Krueger said that "very early on," the Housemarque team identified a way that they could use the adaptive triggers in Returnal by giving one of the triggers dual functionality when it comes to what it's able to do. By pressing down the left trigger halfway, players enter the normal aiming mode where you zoom in on your target from a third-person perspective. But once you press the trigger down completely, it allows players to enter an alternate firing mode instead of the normal aiming mechanic.

Krueger added that the mechanics with the adaptive triggers are meant to be "very intuitive and seamless" but also acknowledged that these sorts of features might not be for everyone. For those players who prefer the more traditional experience, Returnal will have fully support for customizable controls and layouts so that players can configure their options as they see fit and will presumably be able to activate this alternate firing mode a different way.

Returnal is scheduled to release exclusively for the PlayStation 5 on March 19, 2021.