In the wake of Sony cancelling live service projects and dealing with troubled titles like Fairgame$ and Marathon, Returnal developer Housemarque has reaffirmed its commitment to “single player and premium” games.
Studio head Ilari Kuittinen told Eurogamer during the studio’s 30th-anniversary event, “Our philosophy is that [our games] are an experience for a certain time of your life, and you experience that within a few days or weeks, or whatever.” They’re comparable to “movies or TV series,” available during a certain “phase.” “And I believe that’s really cool. You don’t need to spend the rest of your free time on our games.
“It’s a unique experience. You have it, you get something out of it. Maybe you come back to it. But you don’t need to play it for the rest of your life.”
Housemarque is “fully focused on single-player and premium” titles, which includes the upcoming Saros. Kuittinen also wants to ensure the studio continues making “amazing games” for another 30 years. “You just need to keep creating special games.”
Brand director Mikael Haveri added, “We are only as strong as our latest game.” “It’s almost like a responsibility. We’re very lucky to be in the position we are in, and we should keep pushing the medium, keep showing what we can do, keep pushing our gameplay, our story and our technology, and just keep growing. That’s the future for the next 30 years – it’s just creating better.”
Saros is currently in development for PS5 and stars Rahul Kohli as Arjun Devraj, who ventures to the Carcosa and ends up trapped in a loop reminiscent of Returnal. After each death, he awakens on the planet and must deal with its transformed environment. And that’s all before talking about the towering multi-armed figure and the solar eclipse.
Arjun is searching for someone, and by gathering resources, he can unlock permanent upgrades between runs to become stronger. Weapons and suits will also evolve throughout the experience, potentially opening up more options.
Saros launches in 2026 and will receive an extended gameplay reveal later this year. Stay tuned for more details until then.
