Returnal is a roguelite bullet hell third person shooter game. After crash-landing on a shape-shifting world, Selene must search through the barren landscape of an ancient civilization for her escape. Isolated and alone, she finds herself fighting tooth and nail for survival. Again and again, she’s defeated – forced to restart her journey every time she dies.

My tasks on the PS5 project included:
  • 20+ levels designed by me, including boss-areas. Built with consideration for procedural world generation. Collaborated with the art team to bring to final quality.
  • Iteration passes on dozens of other levels, retheming existing levels, and retrofitting gameplay elements.
  • Combat for various levels. Spawnpoint setup, combat templates, combat iterations.
  • Pickup placement and balancing.
  • Destructibles placement and landscaping work.

My tasks on the PC project included:
  • PC keyboard & mouse controls
  • Benchmark level design, cinematic design and managing the camera track, keyframing.
  • Progress/challenges screen design.
  • Camera views for ultrawide screens.
  • Managing text localization.
The game is out now for PS5.
And on Steam / Epic Games.
​​Role: ​Game designer, Level designer
Development cycle: Worked on PS5 project for 1.5+ years; until release + PC version for 1 year
​Platform: Playstation 5, PC (Steam / Epic)
At Climax Studios, I assisted Housemarque in developing the game as part of the co-development team.

Get In Touch

As a developer and an individual I like to be challenged and am always on the lookout for new ways to provide players with unforgettable and meaningful experiences. If you are interested in how I can help you out, please do not hesitate to contact me;
​© Martijn de Bie
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