Some ideas left on the cutting room floor for Returnal could end up in Housemarque's next game.
Speaking to VGC, senior narrative designer Eevi Korhonen discussed the future of the studio and whether the story of Selene was finished.
"Returnal was so ambitious," Korhonen said. "We dreamt super big, but we still had to leave so much on the cutting room floor. All of these ideas and narrative systems. I'm super excited to pick up those pieces and see how those fit our new IP story."
When asked if the story of Selene was finished, she said: "I can't comment on that too much. But I think the boys did slip sometime earlier this year that we are working on an original IP. Of course, if we return to Selene's story after that, remains to be seen."
Returnal was Housemarque's most ambitious project, adding narrative elements to shoot-em-up gameplay as an extension of the studio's previous arcade-style games.
"We didn't quite have the handle on how big [Returnal] was going to be, building for a new platform on a new engine with a new team, all of those things require some learning. Now we have that team that has gone through the fire and learned how to build a game like Returnal. So now we get to start off stronger," said Korhonen.
"I think we've learned the importance of pacing and how difficult that is in a rogue-like game," she said, discussing what the team learned. "It's very hard to control and say 'okay, now we hit them with this perfect story beat', that's kind of the beauty of linear games, you get to control that absolutely perfectly.
"Letting go of that and somehow building the sandbox or the playground for players in a way that means certain story blocks become available is challenging."
The BAFTA award winning game is set to soon arrive on Sony's PS Plus subscription, where Housemarque managing director Ilari Kuittinen is hopeful it will reach a new audience.
There are also rumours the game could be headed to PC.
For more on Returnal, check out our interview with Selene voice actress Jane Perry on embodying psychological trauma.
We want to make Eurogamer better, and that means better for our readers - not for algorithms. You can help! Become a supporter of Eurogamer and you can view the site completely ad-free, as well as gaining exclusive access to articles, podcasts and conversations that will bring you closer to the team, the stories, and the games we all love. Subscriptions start at £3.99 / $4.99 per month.
Ed is Reporter at Eurogamer, with an interest in streaming, people and communities, and giving a voice to marginalised people.
Please enable JavaScript to see comments.
The Quarry reportedly started life as "signature" Stadia title before Google downsized its gaming operation
As did sci-fi comedy High On Life.
Call of Duty's anti-cheat system is now taking cheaters' weapons away
Why are indie games obsessed with frogs and witches?
PSA: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is £70 full price on Steam but currently on offer
Promotion lasts until 7th July.
Digital Foundry | AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D review: cache money
A special send-off for the legendary AM4 platform.
Digital Foundry | Forza Motorsport: Is 4K 60fps with ray tracing really possible on Series X?
And what else can we learn from the reveal footage?
The Quarry reportedly started life as "signature" Stadia title before Google downsized its gaming operation
As did sci-fi comedy High On Life.
Call of Duty's anti-cheat system is now taking cheaters' weapons away
Podcast | Weekly episode five is live, recapping Eurogamer for you
More Summer Game Fest! Turtles! Cats! And much more.
Premium only | Off Topic: Coffee is the threshold drink
Does this include a gratuity?
Podcast | Weekly: A look back at the Summer Games Fest
Recapping the week on Eurogamer - sort of.
Podcast | Everything you need to know about guides with editor Lottie Lynn
See what I did there?
Buy things with globes on them
And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store!
Bad puns and video games since 1999.
Copyright © 2022 Gamer Network Limited, a ReedPop company.
All rights reserved. No part of this site or its content may be reproduced without the permission of the copyright holder.