Housemarque's last two titles didn't exactly reinvent the wheel of gaming, when you boil them down to their absolute basics. But, like FromSoftware's take on the fantasy RPG, Housemarque has left its own mark on its unique mix of bullet hell and roguelike, creating what it hopes will be a niche that draws more and more eyes until it is seen to have its own subgenre, like we have Soulslikes today.
Speaking with The Game Business, studio head and co-founder at Housemarque Ilari Kuittinen said that what he calls "bullet ballet" could very well build up a dedicated and passionate hardcore fanbase.
"FromSoftware have been doing a similar genre for a very long time and built up their fan base. We have two unique games out. Returnal, Saros. It's kind of a new thing that you need to educate the market about, so that people say, 'Hey, these flow states are really cool,'" Kuittinen said.
"FromSoftware's journey from King's Field to what they are today... We're not presuming that we would be anywhere close to that. But [like them] we will keep our core, keep educating the market that these are the coolest game you can play. That's our goal."
Housemarque is aware that it can take time for its games to get traction. It was the case with Returnal, and hopefully will be the same with Saros after a bit of a stumbling launch. As for what's next, Housemarque already has some plans, but it's follow-up game may not be on the same scale as Saros.