Returnal Celebrating Its Third Anniversary With Special Announcement

Housemarque’s critically acclaimed sci-fi game Returnal celebrates its third anniversary with an all-new graphic novel. While fans eagerly awaited news of potential DLC or a sequel for Returnal after yesterday’s tease, it turns out the Finnish developer had something else in mind to commemorate the occasion.

Launched on April 30, 2021 as a PS5 exclusive, Returnal was Housemarque’s first foray into AAA development. The game retained the bullet-hell shooter DNA of the studio’s previous games, but added roguelike mechanics to create a special blend that struck a chord with fans. Returnal accrued significant critical acclaim at launch, and Housemarque kept the tempo up with the launch of the Ascension DLC in 2022, which added online co-op and a new Tower of Sisyphus survival mode for the hefty price of free. Then in 2023, Returnal made its way to PC to expand its audience, and currently sits at a “Very Positive” overall user rating on Steam. It’s considered one of the best PS5 games to date, and for its third anniversary, Housemarque has teed up something special.

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On April 29, Housemarque tweeted out a cryptic image of Returnal protagonist Selene’s eyes, with the word “Tomorrow” next to them. Many assumed this was hinting at an imminent announcement for a sequel or a DLC, but Housemarque instead unveiled Returnal: Fallen Asteria, a graphic novel made in collaboration with publisher Dark Horse Comics, which will seemingly delve deeper into the Returnal universe. The 88-page adaptation is scheduled for release on October 22, 2024 in paperback format, and will be available in comic book stores from October 23, 2024. For those eager to sample Fallen Asteria before its release, Housemarque has released an animated adaptation of the graphic novel’s first issue on YouTube.

Fans of Returnal’s Lore Have Much to Look Forward To

Alongside the graphic novel, Housemarque also announced a Returnal artbook which will showcase concept art from various stages of the game’s development. It’ll be interesting to see if Housemarque had any ideas that didn’t make it into the final game, as is often revealed with artbooks. While the Fallen Asteria announcement may not be what fans had in mind for Returnal‘s third anniversary, it’s clear that Housemarque isn’t done exploring the game’s intriguing universe. Branching out to graphic novels is an interesting way to further the lore without relying on a Returnal 2, which could take 4–5 years to develop.

Housemarque was acquired by PlayStation shortly after Returnal‘s release, and since then, speculation has been rife concerning the studio’s next project. Returnal‘s senior narrative designer, Eevi Korhonen, did confirm in a 2022 interview that Housemarque’s next game will be a new IP, and it may even borrow some unused ideas from Returnal‘s development, but beyond that, details remain scarce. However, it’s safe to say that the studio’s creative energy for Returnal is as high as ever, and players who found themselves hooked by the game’s lore have a lot to be excited about come October.

Returnal

Returnal is a PlayStation-exclusive title that blends together action, sci-fi, and roguelike elements. The end result is a fast-paced shooter and melee affair that has players living in an endless loop as they attempt to escape a hostile alien planet. The world is procedurally generated and provides almost endless replay value. Enter Returnal’s barren world in search of an ancient civilization.

Released

April 30, 2021

Genre(s)

Third-Person Shooter