As it stands right now, Housemarque is yet to definitively confirm any of its future plans. Beyond a heavily rumored PC port of the first Returnal, it’s been rumored that the studio could be exploring the idea of a new IP. Plans in the gaming industry can change quickly, though. If it does decide to eventually revisit the series with a Returnal 2, it’s easy to imagine the studio getting creative with its roguelike structure.

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Returnal’s Roguelike Structure

During its opening hours, Returnal introduces players to its roguelike rules alongside the game’s protagonist Selene. Trapped on the planet of Atropos, both parties gradually discover that the only way to escape is to beat the entities that stalk it. From a mechanical perspective, the game’s rules take on a traditional ‘Groundhog Day’ inspired setup. After every death, enemies respawn and Selene must start her journey again.

Selene’s progress is occasionally aided by checkpoints after she meets certain narrative criteria, which means players don’t have to beat the entire game in one sitting. These moments are rare, though, and do little to reduce the brutal difficulty that Returnal’s roguelike structure has been created around. Certain upgrades and weapon unlocks do carry over between cycles, but in general, death represents a fresh start.

Returnal 2’s Potential Structure

Despite the acclaim Returnal gained because of its roguelike structure, it’s easy to imagine Housemarque shaking things up in a sequel. Beyond being fueled by science-fiction themes, and therefore ripe for change, Selene’s time on Atropos ended on an open note. Comments from the studio since its acquisition by Sony have hinted at the potential of a shakeup too. Now that Housemarque is a first party studio, it’s been suggested that it has free reign to go even wilder.

One way that Housemarque could get creative structure-wise revolves around Returnal 2 becoming more open. For all of its charms, the first game in the series was a linear affair. Even though its biomes shifted from a layout perspective, their content was always the same. Instead of encountering the same areas and enemies sequentially, the word could be a randomly generated sandbox with more diversity. From a narrative point of view, that chaos would also match Atropos’ atmosphere.

Housemarque has hinted that Returnal’s structure was a design choice it compromised on so that the game’s narrative could play out neatly. Thanks to the experience it’s gained, there’s a chance that the studio could now address this in a Returnal 2. The first game’s Ascension DLC took a big step forward on this front, and could even be the blueprint for a sequel. Progressing through the expansion’s procedurally generated tower was separate from the rest of the world and came with its own rewards.

Returnal 2’ Saves

Although the first Returnal gained acclaim from critics and players, certain aspects of its roguelike structure were less revered than others. The inability to save progress, for example, was a particular bone of contention for many. While it’s hard to imagine Housemarque dialing this back entirely, there’s scope for a sequel to give players what they want in a creative manner.

Adding branching narrative decisions throughout the story, akin to Returnal’s ending, could be a route for the studio to explore. Effectively creating more checkpoints would ease concerns around saving, and could even come hand-in-hand with unique weapons, class builds, and enemies. This kind of roguelike structure would also give the studio the freedom to ratchet up Returnal 2’s difficulty even more.

Returnal is available now for PlayStation 5.

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