In a world of 200 million dollar games, studios don’t get to make a Returnal very often.
Returnal is an extremely difficult, narratively obtuse roguelike, which the majority of players will only ever see the first level of. That is not a recipe for a game published by PlayStation. That is not a game on the side of a London bus. Returnal doesn’t sponsor the Champion’s League final.
Where the last decade of PlayStation’s dominance has been characterized by absolute blockbuster hits like The Last of Us, God of War, and Horizon, Returnal is a modern cult classic and remains the most exciting thing published by PlayStation Studios in years.