Review: Saros (PS5) – Housemarque at the Peak of Its Powers with Its Best Game Yet

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Housemarque stands out because its games truly feel like games, which is rare among big-budget titles that often prioritize safety and end up feeling too similar to each other.

Returnal was Housemarque’s biggest project yet, and Sony really put some weight behind it. They even tried to build a stronger story into the game. But honestly? What really kept me hooked wasn’t the narrative, it was just how good it felt to play. It was pure, satisfying gameplay that drove me forward.

Saros feels familiar, but also experiments with new ideas. If you enjoy the fast-paced, action-focused gameplay that Housemarque is known for, you’ll definitely love this.

This third-person shooter feels familiar to the developers’ last game, building on its strengths while also making some clever improvements. It offers a more focused experience without sacrificing the thrill of the original.

This game is a fast-paced shooter where you venture across the alien world of Carcosa. This planet is constantly changing, with its landscapes and creatures shifting due to a recurring event called the Eclipse.

Like all games from Housemarque, the core of this one is its thrilling action, and it truly delivers. Moving your character feels great, and the combat is fast-paced and exciting. Even with a lot happening on screen, it’s surprisingly easy to follow and understand what’s going on.

You’ll encounter enemies that attack in groups, shooting different colored projectiles. Once you get the hang of their attacks, you’ll find yourself moving fluidly – jumping, dodging, blocking with your shield, and fighting back all at the same time.

The shield is a fantastic addition to the game. It might take a little practice, but it works really well with your other skills. It lets you absorb blue projectiles and turn them into energy, which you can then use to power up some powerful weapons that are great for defeating enemies.

This Eclipse isn’t just about how it looks – it significantly changes how the game plays. When the Eclipse is happening, enemies get stronger, the surroundings become more dangerous, and some attacks can cause a harmful effect called Corruption.

Corruption slowly reduces your maximum health, making your life bar smaller. Luckily, you can remove Corruption by using your special weapon, so it’s manageable.

When everything comes together and you’re skillfully defeating enemies amidst chaos, it’s an incredibly satisfying feeling.

As you’d expect, the boss fights are a real standout feature. We don’t want to give anything away, but the battles – particularly towards the end of the game – are fantastic and will push you to master Saros’ entire combat system.

Whether to bosses or otherwise, you will die many times, and that’s baked into the game’s design.

When your character dies, you’ll go back to the Passage, a central area where you can talk to others and, most importantly, earn lasting improvements to help you on your journey.

As you defeat aliens, you’ll gather Lucenite, which you can use to buy upgrades that make your character more powerful. These improvements ensure you’ll return to battle a little bit stronger each time.

The gameplay creates a rewarding cycle where you steadily grow stronger. It’s incredibly satisfying to go back to areas that once challenged you and now easily overcome them without taking damage.

We think the game’s standard difficulty is well-balanced, but our new Carcosan Modifiers feature lets you customize it to be more challenging or more forgiving.

This system is smartly designed. You can adjust it to make some parts easier, but those changes are balanced by drawbacks to keep the game challenging. These adjustments can significantly change how things play out.

If you really want a challenge, you can install as many mods as you like to make the game incredibly difficult. Alternatively, you can use mods to make it easier. It’s completely up to your preference and how you want to play.

Saros is generally considered a rogue-lite, but it doesn’t fully embrace all the typical features of that genre; some aspects feel less pronounced.

Each time you play, the world is generated differently, with randomized weapons and items. When you die, you return to your base. But this isn’t a game about finding incredibly powerful combinations or becoming unbeatable – it’s more focused on the experience itself.

How each playthrough unfolds depends mostly on the weapon you choose and the Artefacts you find. Artefacts give you helpful bonuses, such as increased Lucenite drops or stronger healing, and they’re designed to complement any weapon you’re using.

This isn’t meant as a negative point – we appreciate how direct Saros is. It mainly focuses on moving the story forward, which suits the main character’s personality well.

You take on the role of Arjun Devraj, a resolute and ambitious security officer dispatched to Carcosa. This planet is the target of a colonization and resource-extraction effort by your employer, the Soltari corporation.

All contact has been lost with previous teams sent to the alien planet, so Arjun joins an emergency team to investigate what happened.

Your character isn’t alone – your teammates will often talk to you during gameplay. It’s a good idea to listen to what they say, as they can offer valuable insights into the larger story Saros is unfolding.

Rahul Kohli delivers a standout performance as Arjun, and the voice acting throughout the cast is solid. The intriguing mystery of Carcosa, along with other complex elements, creates a captivating story.

This game’s graphics are noticeably better than Returnal, thanks to its impressive art style and detailed environments. While character models aren’t always perfect outside of the story scenes, it’s a visually stunning game overall.

Saros generally runs at a smooth 60 frames per second on the standard PS5, with only occasional, very brief slowdowns during over 50 hours of gameplay. The PS5 Pro takes it a step further, ensuring a consistently flawless experience with no noticeable hiccups.

If you’re curious about how well the DualSense controller’s features are used, you’ll be pleased – Housemarque has done a fantastic job with them, rivaling even the best first-party PlayStation studios.

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2026-04-24 10:08