Housemarque, the PS Studios team behind the excellent Returnal and many other arcade action games, has hired an ex-PlatinumGames developer as lead designer.
Abebe Tinari has clocked just over 11 years at the Japanese studio, which is known for Bayonetta, Vanquish, and many more high-octane action titles.
On his LinkedIn profile, Tinari lists designer credits on several games, including Granblue Fantasy: Relink, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, and the unreleased Scalebound.
He also states that he has a speciality in «enemy and boss design».
It seems like a good match; Housemarque's expertise is similar to that of PlatinumGames, with an emphasis on fast-paced, fluid action gameplay and arcade tendencies.
It's currently unknown what the Finnish team's next PS5 title will be, though other job listings ask for a «strong understanding of action gameplay design», so it seems it's staying in its wheelhouse at the very least.
Returnal was released for PS5 in 2021, so hopefully it won't be too much longer before we learn more about what's next from Housemarque.
Are you excited to see what the studio is up to? Tell us in the comments section below.
Stephen has been part of the Push Square team for over six years, bringing boundless enthusiasm and a deep knowledge of video games to his role as Assistant Editor. Having grown up playing every PlayStation console to date, he's developed an eclectic taste, with particular passion for indie games, arcade racers, and puzzlers. He's also our go-to guy for Sonic-related matters, much to his delight/chagrin.
Removed — inappropriate
As much as I liked Returnal I was rubbish at it, so although I've bought every Housemarque title this was the one I enjoyed the least. Hoping for something with a slightly easier difficulty curve for my old-man reflexes.
Officially excited at this news.
Genius designer joins genius developer, it's a match made in heaven! Returnal is still up there as one of PS5's strongest exclusives; stellar
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