Literally everyone. PS2 gameplay = running avatar shoots at things. Zero next gen game mechanics, extensive, inovative traversing, next gen AI, rope-soft-hard-fluid physics, non-static terrain, etc. etc. etc. etc. "PS2 gameplay". The PS2 can play this game playfully.
Returnal is a simple action TPS AA rogue like game, gameplay-wise class PS2. Deal with it. Housemarque knows what they did.
So according to you Returnal is also exactly the same than Fortnite, Halo and Contra on the NES, because they are games with running avatars shooting at things. What a dumb reasoning.
No need to change what never was the case. From Software does not belong to Sony.
BluePoint does not belong to Sony.
But again, believe what you want.
Both Bloodborne and Demon's Souls are published by Sony, what makes them 1st party. They are (at least mostly) developed by a 3rd party (this is, a studio not owned by the first party) studio, which makes these games 2nd party in addition to first party.
Sony owns both Bloodborne and Demon's Souls brands, so they are 1st party IPs. If Sony wants, tomorrow they can ask Naughty Dog or the Destruction All Stars guys to make a Bloodborne Kart game without even asking From Software. From Software can't make a Bloodborne game without Sony.
1st/2nd/3rd party definition rests on the developers relationship with the platform holder. Housemarque is independent and returnal a piece of comissioned work.
That makes it a playstation exclusive but also a 3rd party game as long as housemarque is in the picture at all.
2nd party, depending on if you acknowledge that category, yes. But never a first party game due to the 3rd party developer. Ownership of IP does not count towards this categorization this rests entriely on who the developer is.
In professional development this only changes once the original developer is completely out of the picture and all responsibility for the game is transferred to the "first" party or the developer is bought outright.
First party are the games published by the console platform holder, who like in this Returnal case, also owns the IP.
These first party games sometimes they are developed by an external studios not owned by the platform holder (so they are 3rd party studio). A game published by the 1st party and developed by a 3rd party studio is known as 2nd party.
There has been cases where the first party allowed that studio to port the game to PC or mobile, even with another publisher (Death Stranding, Journey) but games still are first party. Even in some case sold the IP to the dev (Rime).
A 3rd party game is when the 1st party isn't the publisher of the game. It's published and developed by someone else other than the 1st party, whose publisher or dev also owns that IP. That is, Street Fighter V, Monster Hunter Rise and so on.