Saros is an action game developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Players control Arjun Devraj, a Soltari Enforcer investigating a lost off-world colony on Carcosa. The game features fast-paced third-person combat, boss encounters, and progression across repeated attempts.
It wasn't at the time, but now it's abundantly clear that Arcades are, in fact, not dead at all. And yet Saros makes another case for it - showing how contemporary "blockbuster" AAA-design is often at odds with classic arcade philosophies. It would be a shame to see Housemarque stuck in this mold, potentially losing their unique and very important voice...
In the end, I'm glad I gave Returnal a chance five years ago and Saros is a fresh take on a format Housemarque has mastered – a satisfyingly frantic shooter that weaves between strategy and impulse to create a well-balanced and gratifying sci-fi action game.
A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.
From top to bottom, Saros exudes triple-A excellence with stunning visuals, expert sound design, and some of the most tightly-crafted third-person action gameplay in recent memory.
I will never dislike a game that looks this good and plays this well. But the lessons that Housemarque learned from Returnal resulted in a game that is less than the sum of its parts.
Saros stands tall as a bold evolution for Housemarque, proving the studio wasn’t content with simply recreating the magic of Returnal.
