Saros - Review

If I described to you a third-person game where you follow a character who gets trapped on an alien world, you will be shooting your way through the local creatures in frentic, fast-paced combat, and stuck in a constant loop of various biomes - you would likely think I'm talking about 2021's Returnal. I wouldn't blame you, as developer Housemarque blasted into the limelight with their early PS5 title. Fans of that game were wondering what they would create next, and that arrived in the form of Saros, an experience resembling its' predecessor - a spiritual successor in reality. That similarity is not inherently a bad thing, not when the game makes key improvements and is simply too much fun.

You play as Arjun Devraj, an enforcer from the Soltari corporation who is sent to the planet of Carcosa to find what happened to the colony deployed there after contact was lost. On this planet, a valuable material called Lucenite is found there, and like many dystopian corporations of the future, pursuit to control this resource is sought with no regard of the human cost. It soon becomes apparent that this isn't the type of planet you'd want to go vacationing to. Filled with terrifying and deadly creatures, Arjun must battle his way through different locales to get the answers ne needs. Members of the different crews are also being twisted/corrupted by some force or entity.

But he isn't just fighting the inhabitants here, but his inner demon's and past actions that brought him to this infernal planet, those relating to Nitya, his wife. His obsession and hero-complex become uncomfortable as the narrative progresses when more revelations are shown. Wrapped up in this core drive is a story also filled with eldritch influence interesting world-building. It's certainly a story that has been divisive with players, but Saros certainly hooked me from the get-go right through till the end.

Gameplay is pretty similar to that of its predecessor, Returnal, but clear improvements to make the loop more enjoyable and consistently rewarding have been made. While shooting your way across different biomes with a variety of weapons in fast-paced combat feels almost identical - there are some tweaks here. Arjun wields an energy shield that can block enemy attacks but also absorb certain projectiles. Different projectile types are differentiated by colour (fully customisable in the settings) which you will need to memorise quickly in order to know whether you need to dodge though, around or absorb. That gunplay and movement remains as smooth and addictive as you'd expect, making for moment-to-moment gameplay incredibly fun.

What developer Housemarque have massively improved this time around is progression - particularly key for a genre like this where runs can quickly feel repetitive if the reward isn't there. Arjun has stats that can be permanently increased from run to run, using the experience gained from defeating enemies. Other upgrades are also available, which can be upgraded from the same skill tree as the stats. It means that the player doesn't feel as though their time and effort is being wasted if they don't finish a run, giving them that something to feel accomplished in the face of defeat. This was a core issue with Returnal, but the developers have rightly fixed that here. You even later gain the ability to add modifiers to make certain aspects of the gameplay easier or harder. Where modifications have a value that must not make the overall experience to easy or hard. It's an excellent way to customise your runs.

Another thing that Saros continues from before is the excellent boss designs and fights - clearly evoking eldritch horrors to great effect. From one that has you fight a nautical creature on the deck of a boat, to another battling an alien dragon at insane heights. It's always an epic encounter whichever biome you are playing through and wondering what horror you'll have to power through next.

What's impressive is that despite the sheer number of enemy projectiles flying across the screen at any given moment, the performance remains rock-solid. It really helps keep that frantic and non-stop action as fluid and smooth as possible. There's certainly a lower graphical quality in terms of textures and in-game character models in order to maintain that steady framerate, however, the excellent art style works to still make Saros an often breathtaking treat for the eyes.

Housemarque have become known for their exquisite and silky smooth gameplay - and Saros continues that legacy. From the furiously fun combat that makes every moment a high-octane and adrenaline fuelled experience, to the emotional storyline that weaves eldritch horrors with ease. This is a must-play adventure for the PS5 - even for those that weren't fans of the difficulty of its predecessor, as a result of welcome changes here. I can safely say that this is a GOTY contender for me in 2026.

Score = 9/10