PS5 Game Returnal Gets Delayed

Housemarque's Returnal game that's planned for the PlayStation 5 has been delayed, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced this week. Previously scheduled to release on March 19th, the game will now launch for the new PlayStation platform on April 30th. The announcement of the delay shared on Thursday said that the extra time would be spent polishing the game to ensure it's ready for launch.

Returnal's updated release date was announced on social media through posts like the one below from the official PlayStation Twitter account. It's just over a month of a delay, so it's at least not as big a gap as other games face when they get delayed.

Update: Returnal has a new release date of April 30, 2021. SIE and Housemarque have made the decision to move the release date in order to give the team extra time to continue to polish the game to the level of quality players expect from Housemarque.

See you in April! pic.twitter.com/xb6IBWJ5TQ

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) January 28, 2021

Prior to the delay, developer Housemarque has been sharing the occasional preview of Returnal to show off what the game will look like when it's available. Some of the gameplay shared most recently highlighted the game's combat players will experience as they take on threats in the mysterious world they've arrived at. Returnal is a roguelike experience, so players will become quite familiar with that combat and the enemies around them while advancing through the game.

After crash-landing on this shape-shifting world, Selene must search through the barren landscape of an ancient civilization for her escape," a preview of the game from its page on the PlayStation site said. "Isolated and alone, she finds herself fighting tooth and nail for survival. Again and again, she's defeated – forced to restart her journey every time she dies. Through relentless roguelike gameplay, you'll discover that just as the planet changes with every cycle, so do the items at your disposal. Every loop offers new combinations, forcing you to push your boundaries and approach combat with a different strategy each time."

Like other games on the PlayStation 5, Returnal will also take advantage of the capabilities of the DualSense controller. Through use of the adaptive triggers, players will be able to engage alternate fire modes to make the most of different types of weapons. A more traditional gameplay experience will also be available, however, for those who'd rather play the game without those changes.

Returnal is now scheduled to release for the PlayStation 5 on April 30th.