To celebrate Returnal’s three-year anniversary, developer Housemarque has unveiled multiple books set in the in-game universe as well as an animated short you can watch right now at the bottom of this story. The animated short contains the first issue of the upcoming Returnal: Fallen Asteria graphic novel, so you can give it a watch and then decide whether you want to preorder the $20 paperback ahead of its October 22 release. Launching alongside the graphic novel is The Art of Returnal, a hardcover art book detailing the development of Housemarque’s beloved PS5 (and later PC) hit.
$20
Returnal: Fallen Asteria tells the tale of Selene from a new perspective. The graphic novel was created by many of the same people responsible for the original game, and it once again follows the space scout after she crashes onto a mysterious alien world and attempts to find her way home. Returnal offered an incredible narrative when it arrived in 2021–and based on the quality of the animated short–it looks like it will translate well to graphic novel format.
The book clocks in at 88 pages and arrives on October 22. If you preorder now, you won’t pay until your order ships. You’ll also get the lowest price offered between the time you order and release.
$50
Designed in a collaboration between Dark Horse Books and Housemarque, The Art of Returnal is filled with 224 pages of artwork, developer commentary, and other behind-the-scenes content. The hardcover volume seems to cover all major aspects of the game and its development, and it should make a great addition to any bookcase.
As for the animated short, it runs just shy of five minutes and includes the beginning of the Fallen Asteria graphic novel. You can check it out below. And if you still haven’t played the popular shooter, you can snag a preowned copy at GameStop for just $28. Our Returnal review gave the shooter a 9/10, praising it for its mysterious narrative, chilling ambiance, and engaging gunplay.
Housemarque recently teased these anniversary reveals, and many fans probably thought the teaser was in reference to a new Returnal game. The studio is currently working on a new IP, so it remains to be seen if the world of Returnal will return beyond these books and short.
Returnal: Fallen Asteria – Official Animated Comic Trailer
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