Psychological horror title Returnal was one of the premier titles showcased during Sony's latest Play. Developer Housemarque announced Returnal's April 30th release date and offered an in-depth look at gameplay, which featured an unexpected hat tip to Hideo Kojima's canceled project P.T., which was a free "playable teaser" on the PlayStation Network that was eventually supposed to be made into a full-length entry of the Silent Hill series. So, will Returnal pick up where Kojima left off, or was the easter egg just paying homage to the Metal Gear creator?

Returnal will give players control of protagonist Selene, an astro-scout stranded on an alien plant after she crash-lands on its surface. This mysterious world entraps her in a time loop and forces her to relive distant memories, and one of these apparitions manifests as a house that is strikingly similar to the home P.T. takes places in. Housemarque placed this easter egg at the very end of Returnal's gameplay trailer as a clear cliffhanger to confuse and excite viewers.

Related: Everything We Know About Returnal

When Selene steps into the home, Returnal's perspective switches from third-person to a first-person point-of-view for the first time. The house's foyer looks like a mirror image of the spine-chilling hallway that P.T. takes place in. So will Returnal feature a P.T.-themed level or Housemarque simply paying homage to Kojima's nixed release?

Will Returnal Feature A P.T. Level?

Returnal's P.T. Horror Easter Egg Explained Comparison

There are clear differences between the game levels (seen above), but the lighting and the claustrophobic narrow hallways are clearly inspired by P.T.'s design. Still, seeing how P.T. was supposed to be a collaboration between movie director Guillermo del Toro, publisher Konami, and Kojima, there's no shot that Retunral will be tied to the Silent Hill story in any way. That being said, Housemarque's Narrative Director Gregory Louden told MobileSyrup that these indoor settings would play a pivotal role throughout the game's story.

There are more houses than what you just saw. Generally, you can find them as you progress through the story, and as you progress, they provide more insight and more mystery, and other layers for you to explore.

These first-person levels could serve as a break in Returnal's otherwise heart-pumping, third-person combat that Housemarque has shown off. Selene has access to an arsenal of high-tech weapons, but she's only ever been seen using them in the third-person. This POV swap could be how Returnal gives gamers a break from its combat and lets them get inside Selene's head to trying and decipher her mysterious past. There's no better way to tackle these introspective moments in a psychological horror game than by pulling inspiration from P.T., which is considered by many to be one of the most horrifying game experiences ever to be released.

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Source: MobileSyrup