Beebom Score
Housemarque Studios made a bold move by walking away from its arcade roots and then made a strong comeback with Returnal, a AAA game blending the bullet-hell and roguelite genres. The result? Critics and the audience alike lauded Returnal, but the game wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. When I got my PS5, I gave Returnal a shot, but it wasn’t a game I was ready to commit to at that time in my life.
Fast forward to now, Housemarque returned with Saros, building on everything they learned from Returnal. The trailers, previews, and everything made it clear that Housemarque is welcoming everyone with open arms by making Saros more accessible than Returnal ever was. This was indeed my calling!
Unlike with Returnal, I was eager to try out Housemarque’s latest AAA game. As I booted it up on my PS5 Pro, I stepped into the shoes of Arjun Devraj, the Soltari Enforcer, and spent over 25 hours walking the fine line between life and death by battling otherworldly monsters in the mind-consuming lands of Carcosa. So here is my complete Saros review and a verdict on whether it’s worth picking up or not.
A Haunting Sci-Fi Narrative on a World That Refuses to Stay Still
In the same vein as Returnal, Saros opens with an officer named Arjun Devraj landing on Carcosa, a mysterious planet home to a precious resource and extraterrestrial enemies. But this time, Arjun has the help of his colonist team to investigate the previous colonists who have gone MIA. So, he is tasked with exploring this perilous realm, affected by a corrupting eclipse, where dangers lurk in every corner.
Unlike others, he is bestowed upon with a blessing (or a curse) which lets him be reborn in a safe space every time he dies. So every time Arjun gets back up, we march towards the goal of uncovering the secrets of this alien planet. In addition, Arjun also has his own goals and seeks answers to his personal questions, no matter what.
As you persevere to make your way through, you collect holographic texts and audio logs that further deepen the underlying mystery while providing you with some insight at the same time. It’s totally up to the player to piece the story together by interacting with NPCs and reading every piece of info found during a run, as devs consider it optional. But the cinematic cutscenes let you stay updated on the major revelations and discoveries you come across.
While Saros presents a solid premise with some clever twists and an intriguing mystery to unravel, I found that the storytelling could have been handled better at times. The plot’s complexity demanded much clearer storytelling, which I found lacking here.
I just wish the story hadn’t gone haywire towards the end, as what could have been a spectacular conclusion comes off as a bit rushed overall. Thus, the open-ended nature of the story may not appeal to all, but it is adequate to keep players deeply invested, naturally encouraging them to push forward and crack the enigma.
Rahul Kohli Grounds the Story With Quiet Intensity
Rahul Kohli delivers a compelling performance as Arjun Devraj, a determined Soltari officer who will never yield to the mind-altering eclipse and is deadset on achieving his goals. He is indeed the heart of the game. I’ve always admired Rahul Kohli’s brilliant performances in Mike Flanagan’s products. About damn time he plays a lead in a video game like Saros, and that too with effortless perfection.
While Arjun’s story is the core of the game, Housemarque tried their best to introduce NPCs who all play with their own goals in mind. However, not all the supporting characters are memorable as the leads, since they don’t feel properly fleshed out. Only Nitya, Stack, and Kayla, along with Arjun, stayed in my mind as I hit the credits for the first time.
The authentic portrayals of the characters in the cinematic cutscenes are brought to life through advanced facial scanning and motion capture technology. Last year, Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach thoroughly impressed me and set the bar high. This year, it is Saros that has fantastic visual fidelity in cutscenes.
Carcosa Feels Alive Through Its Haunting, Shifting Realms
The magnificent visuals of Saros deserve every praise. Housemarque devs have crafted multiple biomes fundamentally different from one another for the ever-shifting world of Carcosa. Every biome equally evokes a sense of mystery and fear as you delve deeper into these off-world colonies.
As you start your investigative journey in the mountainous Shattered Rise, the following biomes, such as the subterranean mining grounds, swamplands, and fortresses, are guaranteed to enthrall you.
And let’s not forget how all the environments suddenly transform into something much more terrifying under the eclipse. Housemarque’s stellar art direction shines on every front of Saros. Experiencing these projectile fireworks and remarkable Dune-esque visuals on my PS5 Pro and 4K OLED Monitor combo (with HDR enabled) was a sight to behold.
Saros Gameplay Hits Hard With Bullet Hell Chaos and Roguelite Stakes
If you have already played Returnal, you might find Saros’ gameplay very familiar on the surface. The gameplay has evolved greatly, which makes Saros much more fun to play with the introduction of several new features.
Roguelite/like Gameplay At Its Peak
When you have signed up for a roguelite (or roguelike) game, you know the path you have to embark on will be shuffled (modular procedural generation) every time you start a new run. But devs have introduced a new teleportation feature in Saros to make every run shorter and more intense, unlike ever before. Thankfully, this doesn’t break the game, as every run still feels fresh and lasts around 30 minutes.
You are still required to memorize and get familiar with each level, as you consistently make a run. And even if you get lost and are wondering where to head next, the minimap and the scanning feature point you towards your destination. However, if you still prefer the old-school route of starting from scratch for every run, you can absolutely do that here, and each of them will feel different.
While I thought I preferred the traditional level design of roguelites, Saros’ new approach to make every run shorter works like a charm. The tension, challenge, and every element of a run remained intact, thanks to Housemarque’s unique approach to level design here. Once the Eclipse begins, the runs get even harder, with enemies getting more aggressive, but you can get a large amount of Lucenite under the eclipse.
Gunplay Mechanics
Returnal is one of the games that not just popularised the idea of bullet hell in 3D spaces but also did it right. Now, Saros elevates it to a whole new level with a simple yet extraordinary change. The enemy projectiles can be absorbed with your brand-new Soltari shield to charge your power weapon and unleash it against your foes.
Although be careful while absorbing, as you might break your shield. Parrying the projectiles is now a reality, and performing one awards extra perks like staggering the enemy, bonus damage, etc. So, performing the bullet ballet isn’t about simply dodging and dashing the projectiles anymore.
With new main weapons, including a variety of rifles, shotguns, crossbows, etc., and unique Carcosa-based power weapons such as Prominence (rocket launcher), and Illumine (shoots melting beams), you will have a blast taking down an enemy, in addition to escaping projectiles.
You are free to pick whatever suits your playstyle through numerous artefacts scattered across every path you must walk on. Basically, you get to decide the rhythm of the dance you want to perform. Therefore, you don’t have to be afraid of surviving the bullet hell anymore. Now you can make use of the projectiles and unleash them against the foes by charging up your power weapon.
It may have been overwhelming to see a flurry of orbs, lasers, etc., raining down on me at first. But as I kept getting better in combat, I soon found myself entering a flow state where I kept performing perfect dodges, dashes, parries, absorbs, and firing projectiles with the shield while shooting hostile enemies, all at once. And that is why I call Saros a bullet ballet experience at its finest.
Skill Tree
While gamers continue to debate whether Returnal is roguelite or roguelike to this day, Saros leans towards the latter as it offers meta progression. The artefacts you encounter during a run only offer temporary perks and buffs for Arjun. But there is a dedicated skill tree that you can use to begin leveling up your character. As you start collecting Lucenite and Halcyon (resources), you can spend them to unlock permanent upgrades offered by this fantastic skill tree.
The perfectly curated skill tree lets you master necessary skills that not only improve your chances of survival in the run but also ensure that you get strong enough to tackle the challenges in the upcoming levels. For example, you can improve your overall proficiency or unlock the ‘Second Chance’ skill to revive once upon death during a run.
If you ever feel like you are getting way overpowered by unlocking numerous skills and upgrades, don’t worry, we have a separate difficulty modifier, which we have discussed next.
Difficulty and Boss Fights
There are a variety of common enemies in Saros, which include monstrous lifeforms, alien mechanical entities, alphas, etc. These foes, equipped with smart AI behavior, will never let you off the hook during battles. And then come the godly bosses of Saros, who are bound to turn your experience into a living hell. The boss fights in Saros are some of the best boss encounters I’ve enjoyed in a game.
In addition, the Eclipse makes the enemies more hostile against you, and then there is the Nightmare Strand bonus mode, which is simply unforgiving. Entering a Nightmare Strand gate takes you to a place infested by an army of hostiles, and also adds bonus difficulty. However, if you are skilled enough to complete one, you can enjoy lucrative rewards from extra resources, perks, etc., in addition to replenishing your Second Chance revival.
So, if you are someone who enjoys the challenge, you are in for a treat in Saros. However, if you want a toned-down challenge, you can adjust the difficulty as you desire. Saros doesn’t feature traditional difficulty modes at the start of the game. Instead, devs have created a new feature known as Carcosan Modifiers, which you can access in-game to fine-tune the game’s challenge.
It will be unlocked in the early chapters, and all you have to do is pick the permanent buffs and nerfs. If that sounds confusing, let me explain. Once you have unlocked the Carcosan Modifier, you are allowed to pick buffs such as increased damage dealt, reduce all incoming damage, etc., and select nerfs you can live off with, such as aggressive hostiles, deactivating revival, etc.
By equipping the right buffs and nerfs, you can balance the challenge and overload the difficulty as you wish. This is a welcoming feature that lets players dictate the difficulty in the game. If you still feel the game is too hard, you can further enable the Unlimited Protection Modifier in the gameplay settings to make the game easier.
Dual Sense Features
Lastly, Housemarque has also utilized the DualSense controller’s features to the fullest. While you can fire your primary weapon with the R2 button, you can access a special Alt-Fire mode by holding the L2 button halfway down. However, if you push the button all the way down, you can then access the Power Weapon. This change can be distinguished and felt by your fingers with the Adaptive Triggers.
Luckily, Sony sent me a DualSense controller in an all-new HyperPop Remix Green color to try out. With a new controller in my hands, I felt the Adaptive Triggers in action precisely while switching between the Alt-Fire and Power Weapon usage. This is not only fun but also adds a layer of challenge to the overall combat in the game.
A Pulse-Pounding Soundtrack That Drives the Action
Apart from the stunning visuals, the other main thing that kicks the intense gameplay up a notch is Sam Slater’s electrifying soundtrack for Saros. The dark electronic musical score reminded me of Doom’s adrenaline-pumping BG score, which is vital for putting oneself in a flow state during every encounter with the enemy horde and boss battles. I knew I was in for a treat while hearing an energetic track for the first boss fight, Prophet.
Furthermore, the sound design team at Housemarque has done an excellent job with the 3D audio soundscapes, which really immerse you in the atmospheric world of Carcosa. Since you will always be on the move during a battle, you can hear every step, projectile, etc. surrounding you. So, make sure to equip your best headset while you boot up your PS5 to play Saros!
Performance: Saros Glides on the PS5 Pro Like It’s Showing Off
As I mentioned earlier, Saros truly brings the next-gen visuals to the screen. But if you are worried about the performance, you simply shouldn’t be. Saros is a technical marvel that Housemarque has achieved by unleashing its tech wizardry. Whether you are taking a stroll on the different biomes of Carcosa or fighting for your life against the deadly alien foes, Saros runs flawlessly.
It’s astonishing to see how so many things happen at once on your screen (with projectiles, bullets, explosions everywhere during a battle), yet the game never has a hiccup in performance. Keep in mind that Saros was built on Unreal Engine 5. Surprisingly, I didn’t find the usual graphical modes that come with PlayStation’s first-party games in the settings.
Thanks to the new PSSR 2.0, the game ran silky-smooth at a crisp 4K resolution enhanced for the PS5 Pro. It’s been only a few months since I upgraded to the PS5 Pro. First, it was Ghost of Yotei, and now it’s Saros that made me feel “I’m glad that I pulled the trigger to upgrade”. So, as someone who enjoyed Saros’ visuals in all their glory on a PS5 Pro, I regard it as a visual feast everyone needs to experience.
During my time with the game, I noticed that the lighting and textures in a few places were occasionally grainy. But it’s nothing to be worried about. We hope Housemarque will further polish the game and resolve this issue in the final launch version.
Verdict: Housemarque’s Most Complete and Forward-Thinking Game Yet
When you turn back the clock to when Returnal launched, a part of the community enjoyed the challenge the game brought to the table. However, it was not the case for the majority of gamers who weren’t able to overcome Returnal’s difficulty. Fast forward to now, Housemarque has extensively researched the difficulties that casual gamers faced in Returnal and has successfully addressed them all in Saros.
In many ways, Saros is the perfect spiritual successor to Returnal. Housemarque’s commitment and ingenious approach have made their latest action title accessible to everyone. And they have done it all without impairing the qualities that define the genre. In this way, now both casual players and loyal fans of the genre can experience Saros without compromising on anything.
Aside from the accessibility features, the devs have also elevated the gameplay to the next level with the addition of shields, parry, and other exciting mechanics. While Saros’ story has a few rough edges here and there, the game simply excels in every other department.
In a nutshell, Saros is a brilliant action game that effectively combines rogue-lite and bullet-hell elements, offering exhilarating and high-intensity bullet ballet gameplay that should not be missed at any cost.
After experiencing Saros, it is my current pick for the Best Action Game of the Year. So, do yourself a favor by grabbing a copy of Saros to experience one of the best action games of our time.
Rishabh Sabarwal
