Good morning all! At Housemarque, we hope you all enjoy Returnal. We are so amazed and grateful for the responses we have received so far. I want to thank you on behalf of the whole team.
In Returnal, our goal was to use the DualSense Wireless Controller to provide a physical experience of feeling, fighting and exploring Atropos. We wanted to add texture and feedback both in terms of gameplay but also to bring a new level of immersion and atmosphere.
For the technical side and the implementation, Harvey Scott, one of our amazing sound designers from the Creative Services group at PlayStation Studios in London, contributed to this article. Harvey was a key sound designer for Returnal’s haptic feedback, and a lot of what you feel in the game is Harvey’s incredible work. More of him later in the article.
During production, our teams were among the first in the world to experience and learn more about the PlayStation 5 at Housemarque. I clearly remember that our XDEV producer, Pedro Sousa, showed us technical demos of Japanese teams, and he inspired us and pushed us to make the most of this technology. We’ve all been struck by the prototype DualSense controller and the potential presented by haptics and adaptive triggers.
With the adaptive triggers of the DualSense controller, our team of players at Housemarque did a lot of testing and research on how we might use this new feature in Returnal. We knew we had amazing weapons on Atropos and that using adaptive triggers for that firepower was a natural fit. Game designer Henri Markus did research and spent a lot of time with adaptive triggers, and eventually Henri and Harri Tikkanen, co-founders of Housemarque, came up with the alt-fire trigger feature – shoot halfway. to focus, aim, feel the satisfying click, then all the way down to enter alt-fire mode.
Within a week of receiving the PS5 development kit and our own prototype controller, the functionality was in the game. At first, the implementation didn’t click for us. However, when we tested, refined and polished it all came together.
We have also started to consider our use of haptic feedback with the DualSense controller to Immersion, Communication and Power. Harvey will now give you a more in-depth look at how we wanted you to feel the travel, texture, and actions as you battle through Atropos with Selene all the way to “White Shadow.”
Next, Harvey Scott, a sound designer who worked on Returnal, explains how Returnal’s soundscape ties into the DualSense controller to create a truly immersive experience:
The haptic feedback of the DualSense controller is powered by technology that makes it similar to that of a speaker or headphones. Which means that as a sound designer, I can take the same principles and techniques used to design sound and apply them to create interesting haptic feedback experiences.
When we started working on Returnal, we knew we had to realize the full potential of the DualSense controller, while staying true to the other game design pillars, and most importantly, creating the best possible experience for gamers exploring Atropos with Selene. . .
Immersion
The immediate new potential that the DualSense controller has brought to the table is the ability to fully convince and immerse gamers with haptic feedback details that just weren’t possible before. We can now deliver subtle details that cross the threshold of what the hands and brain believe to be real and truly bring player consciousness to the on-screen world.
As an example, the rain in Returnal is complemented by subtle haptic impulses of raindrops, which are procedurally synthesized at runtime, allowing us to refine and modify their feel at runtime. fly while playing in the game. The end result of this approach is that with the visuals and audio, the haptic sensations produced by the DualSense controller give your subconscious brain another indication that it really is in the world of play. ‘Atropos, standing in the rain.
Another thing we’ve been able to do now with more immersion than ever before is the cutscenes. They are an important backbone of the storytelling experience and often a memorable and dramatic part of any game. Often the cinematics can be a somewhat passive experience compared to the gameplay, but the ability to now provide haptic sensations to complement and enhancing the audio-visual experience in more detail than ever before, means we can really go out of our way to make sure. the player is fully engaged and literally feels every moment of the cinematic action onscreen via the DualSense controller.
Another key part of Returnal’s haptic experience is making sure the player can really feel his control over Selene’s movements during play. For example, Selene rushing in a particular direction will weigh the haptic feedback to the side. corresponding controller, where the more you land after jumping will dictate how hard you feel Selene’s feet hit the ground and her suit absorb the shock. Collecting Obolites produces individual granular taps as each is dropped into Selene’s costume, in part for the satisfaction of knowing you’re building up your Obolite scale piece by piece, but also to give the items a tangible physicality, with a level of detail that is only now possible with the DualSense controller.
Communication
Besides immersion, communication via haptics is another key game design tool unlocked by the DualSense controller, allowing us to telegraph critical signals during combat in new and captivating ways.
For example, Returnal’s weapons have an alternate fire ability that requires recharging between shots. During combat, knowing when this alternate fire ability is primed and ready for use can be the difference between life and death, so it is absolutely essential that the player is made aware of their readiness. Part of the equation of how to communicate this is done via on-screen signals and with audio feedback, but now that we can deliver a distinctive haptic pulse through the DualSense controller, we can really get the attention of the crowd. ‘a player in the heat of battle and alert. them to the one thing that could save Selene’s life, allowing them to continue their race. Using a unique haptic pulse for something like that, along with audio and visual cues, we hoped players would develop some sort of Pavlovian response to now hearing, seeing, and feeling the signal that their powerful weapon has just become available again.
An interesting concept in Returnal that we wanted to communicate to players is parasites, which can impart beneficial traits to a player, but also ones that will actively hurt you. We had to differentiate the damage caused by the parasites from other sources in the game, the haptic feel of the parasite’s tentacles gripping and tightening around your suit offered an interesting way to help make that differentiation, by communicating again. to the player and telegraphing critical information through the DualSense controller in new ways, rather than relying entirely on traditional means to do so.
Power
When we talk about what we wanted to transmit through the DualSense controller in Returnal, we tried to use the full dynamic range of the haptic feedback capabilities, and in doing so, we reserved power for when it was needed. While the DualSense controller is capable of producing delicate raindrops, it is often surprising that it is capable of producing tremors of power as well.
We’ve tried to preserve the most intense, heavy haptic moments for the game’s biggest threats alongside the most powerful weapons and tools available to Selene. Using this constraint, we can generate an intermediate baseline for where most haptics will be on the power spectrum, but when it comes to making a sense of weight and power, we can really increase l intensity and take the player by surprise. .
For example, Returnal’s alternate fire ability known as Killsight produces an immensely powerful one-hit projectile that devastates enemies as it passes through them at high speed. To convey this level of focused power, we maximize the intensity of this haptic pulse so that it stands out from all other haptic feedback, giving your hands a real bouncy feel and selling the power behind the damage potential of this. capacity.
So while it can be tempting to give every aspect of the game’s haptic feedback that takes the power of the DualSense controller to 11, reserving it only at the right time, we can help ensure that Returnal provides a wide range of feel. different tactile characteristics of the individual. drops of rain, to the sensation of releasing lightning bolts of electricity that shatter Selene’s enemies with immense power.
Hi, Harvey. So here are our origins with the DualSense controller, our philosophy and how we brought it to life in Returnal. It was a big team effort to get there. Also take advantage of Returnal if you haven’t already. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
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