The launch of Returnal has been delayed

A couple of weeks ago we could learn a bit more about the combat in Returnal thanks to a new video published by Housemarque. This video showed some gameplay footage of the upcoming PlayStation 5-exclusive third-person shooter in which we could see its protagonist fighting against hostile creatures and trying to survive on an alien planet. The release of Returnal was originally scheduled for March 19, 2021, but it seems that we will have to wait a bit longer to play it. Sony has just revealed via Twitter that the game will be available at a later date and the release date has been moved to April 30. The reasons for the delay seem to be the usual ones: Returnal needs more polishing. 

"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."

It's not unusual for delays to happen when it comes to the release of video games. We could even say that we have got accustomed to it during last year due to the impact of the virus, but it seems that publishers are a bit more concerned about launching an unfinished game lately. It may have something to do with all the controversy generated by the release of Cyberpunk 2077. As a result of it, they may be trying to avoid a similar situation, especially with Returnal since it would only have a negative effect on PlayStation 5 users. Whatever the case, it's quite good for the players that they are taking as much time as it's needed to release a game that is properly finished and meets certain quality standards. Sony already has a very good experience with other PlayStation-exclusive games, and if Returnal has the potential to become as successful as Horizon Zero Dawn, a few weeks more working on it could mean a big deal for the quality of the final product and an opportunity that shouldn't be wasted.

We will find out if the additional development time has been enough to make Returnal a great game very soon.