REVIEW: Saros transforms death into strategy and delivers an intense and addictive sci-fi experience.

Astronauts exploring an alien planet is one of the most classic narrative devices in science fiction. So much so that building the entire story of a video game around this structure runs a very high risk of falling into cliché. Fortunately, this is not the case with... saros, the new title from developer Housemarque, exclusive to PlayStation 5The mechanics roguelike e bullet hell They combine perfectly to create, along with the story, a unique, electrifying, and highly addictive experience.

The same way that return (previous studio title) made in 2021, saros It invites the player to plan and risk different combat strategies to survive and advance on a hostile planet that, with each death of the protagonist, changes its configuration and rewards those who dare to take risks.

History

After the mega-company Solitaire to make the discovery of a very valuable mineral called Lucenita on the remote planet of CarcosaSeveral expeditions were sent to establish bases on the planet and mine its resources. However, something went wrong and now... Echelon IV The player arrives in Carcosa to find the lost astronauts and discover what mysteries this strange world hides. Arjun Devraj (performed by the actor) Rahul kohli), an astronaut of the "executor" class, a combat specialist, who must brave the hostile world of Carcosa in search of answers.

For those who have already played returnThe narrative structure is quite similar – in fact, in the first few hours of gameplay, it feels like you're just playing the same game with a new color palette. While the world of atropos that Selene explore in return It has a more somber and gloomy tone with cool colors, while Carcosa is the complete opposite, with its warm colors and strong lighting.

This design choice has its advantages because it is able to showcase the magnitude and scale of the ruins of the alien civilization of Carcosa, with monuments that extend for kilometers in height and immense constructions stretching as far as the eye can see – all in the best cosmic horror style, coined by the writers. HP Lovecraft.

Despite the many similarities in the story and how it unfolds (with small discoveries and various lost diaries and audio recordings from previous expeditions), the differences of saros all with return These traits become more evident in its protagonist. While Selene was a more reserved character focused on her mission to escape Atropos, Arjun is curious about the world around him and about ensuring the safety of his team (having to pay whatever costs are necessary to do so). Arjun is always questioning how he can stop the cycle of death and repetition in which he is immersed every time his body is reconstructed by Carcosa's technology as soon as he is killed in combat.

Without revealing any spoilers, suffice it to say that the story of saros promises interesting twists for players who persevere and reach the final biomes of Carcosa. Furthermore, pay close attention to the flashes of certain scenes that appear when Arjun dies and revives: they hide plot details that, even if seemingly disconnected, will make a lot of sense as the game progresses. Those familiar with more complex horror stories like... "The King in Yellow"In Robert W. Chambers' work, you will certainly notice some similarities to the narrative of saros with elements from the work.

Gameplay

Similar to return, saros It solidifies a fast, fluid, intense combat mechanic focused on bullet hell. The big difference is that now each round (run) is shorter. (about 30 minutes)...and the player can teleport directly to specific biomes. One of the biggest complaints from the gaming community... return The long duration of each round and the possibility of using teleporters only within a specific biome were key factors. This allowed the player to face the challenges and enemies they desired in a much more dynamic and simple way.

while in return Selene could only give a quick dash and jump to dodge enemy projectiles; in Saros, Arjun also has a... energy shield at your disposal. By activating it, the player becomes immune to gunfire for a short time and can absorb the energy from attacks. This energy is transferred directly to special Carcosian weapon Arjun, who can fire a powerful beam that instantly pulverizes some enemies.

Lucenite is much more than a narrative element; it's an essential resource that enemies drop when they are defeated. At the end of each run, the player can access an upgrade panel and use the collected lucenite to... permanently improve Arjun's attributes and unlock unique abilities such as “Second Chance” – which allows the player to die once and immediately resurrect to continue the fight. However, caution is needed, as each lost run has a penalty percentage that causes the player to lose a certain amount of collected lucenite.

Furthermore, natural progression through the campaign also grants access to special equipment, such as the grappling hook that allows access to more distant areas and the parry, capable of deflecting red shots back at opponents. And speaking of shots, Saros works with... 3 types of enemy projectiles with different effects: the blue They can be absorbed by the shield and cause little damage. red They can only be trimmed and are fatal, and lastly, we have the golden which are loaded with "corruption" – damage that accumulates in the integrity armor, but can be removed by firing the special weapon.

This "corruption" only occurs when Arjun activates the eclipse in CarcosaThis bizarre phenomenon transforms the biome into a cosmic horror nightmare, altering both the appearance of the location and the nature of its inhabitants to make them more hostile. When this happens, the player needs to be more careful with their movements to quickly dispatch hordes of enemies without accumulating a significant amount of corruption. Fortunately, just like in... return, saros It makes excellent use of the PS5's DualSense haptic feedback to give a different feel to each weapon and shot type, making it easier for the player to interact with the game's frenetic combat.

The eclipse mechanics are interesting both from a story perspective and for making each visit to the biome more dynamic and unique. Otherwise, each run Even the biome boss would be very repetitive and with enemy patterns that, even in a scenario... roguelikeThe player could easily memorize this. Furthermore, you can find special items and weapons during the eclipse that alter the effects of corruption on Arjun. This is where strategic thinking comes in, requiring a good balance between damage output and corruption reduction.

Certainly, the "cherry on top" of Saros' gameplay is due to... Carcosian modifiersThese special modifiers become available after facing the first boss in the game and significantly alter the gameplay. They emerge as a response to the progression issues that many players reported in Returnal, complaining that the game could become too difficult or unbalanced even in the first few runs.

Modifiers are divided into two categories: protections and trialsWhile protections, as the name suggests, grant the player advantages ranging from dealing more damage to enemies to improving the shield's energy absorption level, trials increase the game's difficulty level, potentially decreasing lucenite gain and even the benefits that artifacts provide each run.

The big idea in saros The thing is, you can't activate only protections or only trials. Each one costs points that accumulate in a meter and alter Carcosa. The player always needs to balance the modifiers to keep the meter at a "balanced" level; otherwise, the game would become excessively easy or stupidly difficult. It's a brilliant mechanic that makes the gameplay... saros Much more dynamic and less punishing for player death, creating a consistency between runs that simply didn't exist in [previous game]. return.

Graphics and bugs

saros It is run from a modified version of Unreal Engine 5This ensures detailed visuals and immersive environments in the alien world of Carcosa. All of this, combined with the excellent sound design of the biomechanical creatures Arjun encounters, and the ambient music for exploration and combat, creates a unique atmosphere where the player is completely immersed in this bizarre and dangerous world with each run.

Despite the gameplay focus of saros While the game focuses more on action, it's worth exploring the visual details. This ranges from the design of Arjun's weapons and the equipment of the mega-corporation Soltaire, to the elements that make up the scenery of each biome. One moment you'll be standing before the massive ruins of an alien civilization, and the next you'll be traversing a swamp full of abandoned machines. The most incredible thing of all? Even with unique characteristics, each biome of Carcosa connects perfectly to the others, creating a cohesive world.

In addition, the game has stable performance with 4K resolution and 60 FPS Throughout the gameplay, however, it's noticeable that the frame rate drops slightly during cutscenes (which are executed using the game's own engine). This flaw is somewhat annoying because the scenes are usually just the characters exchanging dialogue, without requiring high computational performance to render the scene. But perhaps this problem can be fixed with an update patch after the game's official release.

A consistent frame rate of 60 FPS is essential in an action game – even more so in this genre. bullet hellAny drop in rate of fire or even a significant delay in the player's response can mean the difference between life and death. Saros' gameplay demands consistent performance, even more so in battles with multiple enemies on screen where it's necessary to see and dodge multiple projectiles flying in all directions. Saros achieves this goal perfectly, never letting performance down at any point in the combat.

Price and availability

Saros will be available to users of PlayStation 5 from day April 30 (and from the day April 27, for those who secured the game through pre-order), by R$ 399,00 in the standard edition and R$455,90 in the digital deluxe edition. In addition, the game will also be available as a physical copy at major retailers across the country starting from [date]. R$371,07, the Amazon.

Conclusion

In the end, saros not only reaffirms the identity of Housemarque As one of the leading names in modern arcade action, the game also demonstrates a clear maturity in listening to its community and refining its own ideas. By making its structure more accessible without sacrificing the intensity and challenge characteristic of the studio, the game strikes a rare balance between depth and fluidity.

Even with some obvious similarities to return Despite minor technical issues, Saros stands as an engaging, strategic, and rewarding experience—one that transforms each death into a learning experience and each new attempt into an irresistible invitation to continue exploring the mysteries of Carcosa.

And you, what did you think of our review? saros? Tell us in the comments!

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reviewed by Tiago Rodrigues