‘Runs’ in video games have come to be the staple of the roguelite genre, which sees a player repeat levels that may constantly change to see how far they can go with increased enemy awareness. The idea is to learn patterns, understand battlefield layouts, make meta-progression with minor upgrades and for combat to click to the point of muscle memory. These games are intentionally hard, as they are not long adventures for those that can stomp through from beginning to end. And they are often indie games that use the limited resources in those shorter run settings. Returnal, released in 2021 by Housemarque, epitomised the genre in an AAA format through top class graphics, haptics and scale. Many consider Returnal to be the most underrated game on the PS5, simply because the roguelite nature may not align to general PlayStation players through its extreme difficulty and continual reset. Saros is the next instalment in Housemarque’s roguelite approach, using everything that made Returnal successful and tweaking accessibility to bring those other PS players along for the ride. The difficulty is still there, but an evolving skill tree and a wider range of settings ensures that the barrier is not quite as thick. While not without frustration and clearly refined for a wider player base, Saros retains the quality the studio is known for while delivering a self-proclaimed bullet ballet.
Before setting off into gameplay and story, I want to hold a candle to the art direction and design here. I cannot remember a game that has such awe-inspiring backdrops and locations that are utilised largely for atmosphere. Every section is like a moving painting that stretches out to align with lore. The amount of photos taken when reaching a new biome or some great height was unprecedented for me, and I did die multiple times while appreciating the art. This is my favourite part of Saros.
Roguelites live and die quite literally by the weapons on offer. Saros drip-feeds different ballistic options – and choices between two weapons at a time – to ensure progression is slow and steady. Enemies are sponges and need to receive a hefty amount of gunfire to explode into currency. Each weapon has two fire modes, making use of the capabilities of the trigger buttons on the Dual Sense (press too hard and you’ll activate your special move). Hand cannons and rifles will see you through the first few hours, but the options continually expand and allow for build opportunities when combined with the skill tree. I preferred weapons that were slower to fire but dealt more damage, as reloading seemed more frequent with the rifles and leaves openings for enemies. Reloading means ducking, dashing and shielding while the screen is plotted with dozens of coloured bullets (this only gets more wild as the game rolls on – just wait until the final boss!). Beyond shooting, your movement is the other facet of play. Dash and shield are the primary methods of staying alive, with upgrades constantly refining approach.
The story and the main character didn’t click with me in the way Returnal did – I’m a sucker for that Alien-inspired space setting – yet the depth and effort of the storytelling here far surpass Saros’ predecessor. There is a much bigger cast here, with plenty of cut-scenes and twists along the way. Creative narrative is needed in roguelites to make reason for constant restarts, and Saros does this extremely well – just not as well as Returnal. The main character and his plight did not engage me, though the gameplay held up its end of the bargain. You’ll find audio logs across the biomes to fill in character points, and some finds/restarts will trigger story beats. Playing as Arjun Devraj on the planet of Carcosa while working for the Soltari Corporation, the story moves into a process of finding family while battling the mental impacts of the world. Rahul Kohli (Arjun) lacks emotional depth in this role for the middle to latter stages of the game, though Saros is to be commended for its attempts at a more refined approach in this style of game.
Biomes are an important aspect of any game, but here they are often lead characters. Each biome is better than the last, which means the late game is most impressive. I mentioned the artistic strengths earlier, and the biomes are so diverse that there is great excitement in reaching a new one. I think Desecrated Fortress is my favourite for the sheer scale and lighting, but the finale is a spectacle to behold. Levels are created with strategy in mind, erecting large pillars to hide behind or cliffs to scale. You’ll be leaping across giant chasms at great heights in between gun battles, while there are many items to grab in enhancing your power levels. All of these aspects are expected, yet their use is always with purpose rather than gimmick. Housemarque have mastered the roguelike, and I can’t wait for them to dabble in other genres knowing that their level design is top notch.
Saros is the first big AAA PlayStation ‘story’ title in 2026 and delivers all that is promised to those that loved Returnal. While not quite as mysterious and atmospheric as its predecessor, Saros perfects the style, gunplay and artistic excellence needed for enjoyable runs to a satisfying conclusion. It can be frustrating starting again and moving easily through a level for 20 minutes just to reach the same near-impenetrable boss again, but knowledge along the way is an intention rather than a flaw. Die, come back stronger. Never does it stray from its mantra.
Pros
- Best in class gunplay
- Every area is a painting – amazing art direction
- Biomes are unique and diverse
- Boss battles, of course
Cons
- Story and character acting could be enhanced for greater punch
- Running the same areas for 20 minutes to reach a boss can be frustrating once those areas are mastered
