Saros Review: Is Housemarque’s New PS5 Exclusive Worth Buying?

I was hoping Saros would be a refined continuation of Returnal, but it surprised me. Days later, I’m still analyzing its gameplay – that’s how you know a game has really changed your perspective on a genre. Housemarque didn’t just make Returnal better; they created a game that easily ranks among the best exclusive titles for the PS5 in recent years.

Saros will be released on April 30, 2026, and will only be available on PlayStation 5. The game is also designed to take full advantage of the enhanced capabilities of the PS5 Pro. This review covers everything you need to know about Saros – including how it plays, how you progress, the story, the PS5 Pro features, where to buy it, and whether it’s the right game for you – from the creators at Housemarque, known for their roguelite games.

Saros Review — Combat That Demands Everything and Gives Back More

From the moment the action started in this playthrough of Saros, it was clear that Housemarque had built something special beyond their previous game, Returnal. You play as Arjun Devraj, a law enforcer investigating a lost colony on the dangerous planet Carcosa, which is affected by a mysterious Eclipse. Your most important ability is the Soltari Shield. It absorbs blue attacks to power up your weapon, but you’ll need to dodge red attacks and cleanse yourself of yellow attacks with your weapon to avoid losing armor. Managing all these different threats at a fast pace, with projectiles flying everywhere, is both incredibly challenging and rewarding.

Housemarque has made excellent use of the DualSense controller’s features in Returnal. Gently pressing the L2 trigger switches to your weapon’s alternate fire mode – things like grenade launchers or special rounds. A full press unleashes your powerful, Eclipse-based weapon. This two-stage trigger system adds a unique physical element to every fight, making combat feel rhythmic and engaging even after many hours of gameplay.

Carcosa Is One of Gaming’s Most Atmospheric Settings

Carcosa is brilliantly designed. From the very beginning, the game creates a deeply unsettling mood that stays with you throughout. When you’re not on missions, you return to The Passage, a large temple on Carcosa that acts as the game’s central hub. Here, you interact with your crew, gather supplies, and uncover the story of the three lost colony ships that disappeared before you arrived. The narrative unfolds slowly through audio recordings, the environment itself, and conversations with your crew, maintaining a captivating mystery without revealing everything at once.

The 3D audio is truly impressive. As soon as the Eclipse enemies start to attack, the music by Sam Slater becomes distorted with layers of droning guitars. Even when you’re not actively fighting, the sound design is so effective with headphones that it creates a constant sense of unease.

Saros Review: Progression That Finally Respects the Player’s Time

Before this review, I was most worried about whether Housemarque had fixed Returnal’s biggest issue: the frustration of losing all your progress with a single failed run. Thankfully, they have, and the fix is clever and well-implemented. You now collect Lucenite and Halcyon on each run, which contribute to the Armor Matrix at The Passage. This is a permanent skill tree that lets you improve your abilities even after a run ends. Plus, once you’ve completed an area, you can return to it directly, skipping repetitive content. Even unsuccessful runs contribute to your overall progress, as long as you’ve gathered enough resources.

The Second Chance feature gives you an immediate revive after your first death, preventing a single error from ruining a long playthrough. I didn’t test the Carcosan Modifiers for this review, but the available options are straightforward: Protection Modifiers – like Damage Enhancement, Shield Power Enhancement, and Overlord Restoration – make the game easier, while Trial Modifiers, including Weapon Decay, Hostile Death Projectiles, and both Growth Incapacitors, are designed to create a more challenging experience than the standard game.

Housemarque has made Returnal more accessible with features like options for color blindness, which clearly differentiate between different types of projectiles (Normal, Corrupted, and Nova). They’ve also included a Dialogue Focus mode and complete controller customization. Importantly, the color blindness support isn’t just a nice addition – it’s essential for many players, as the game relies on quickly identifying projectile types to be playable.

PS5 Pro Performance Worth Knowing Before You Buy

Okay, so I’ve been playing Saros on my regular PS5 and it already looks amazing, running super smooth at a solid 60fps. But I got to try it on the PS5 Pro, and wow! The developers really took advantage of the new tech. They’ve updated the upscaling, and they’re rendering at a higher resolution before even doing that, which keeps everything running at 60fps even when tons is happening on screen. Honestly, the game just looks noticeably sharper on the Pro. They do drop the frame rate to 30fps during the really important story scenes, but that’s because they wanted those moments to look perfect, even if it meant sacrificing a bit of performance. If you’re thinking about getting Saros and you have a PS5 Pro, definitely keep these visual upgrades in mind – they’re worth it!

On April 23th, Housemarque released the official launch trailer, giving players a great look at what to expect in Saros. The trailer starts by introducing the character Stack, played by Keone Young, and immediately sets the eerie atmosphere of Carcosa, showcasing the visually impressive Cathedral environment. It also hints at story sections taking place outside of Carcosa, including a London alleyway and a hotel corridor explored by Arjun. Gameplay footage highlights key weapons like the Chakram and the Illumine Beam Power Weapon, as well as the variety of weapons and their changing forms that make each playthrough unique. The trailer also features intense boss battles against the Overlords of Carcosa, which appear to be some of Housemarque’s most challenging encounters yet.

Where the Story Falls Short

It’s important to acknowledge where Saros falls short. While the story is interesting, it doesn’t always connect with you on an emotional level. Some characters feel underdeveloped, and the audio logs – which are key to understanding the game’s world – can become difficult to follow as the story’s corruption spreads. Rahul Kohli gives a great performance as Arjun, bringing real depth to the character, but those around him aren’t quite as well-developed. The overall story makes you think more than feel, which is enough to keep you playing, but it doesn’t fully satisfy by the end.

The way characters look during conversations doesn’t quite match the quality of the voice acting. This difference is especially noticeable – and a bit jarring – during important, emotional moments.

Saros Review Buying Guide — Editions, Prices, and Bonuses

Okay, so if you’re like me and just trying to figure out which version of Saros to get, it’s pretty simple. There’s a clear winner.

Saros comes in two versions: the standard edition costs $69.99, and the Digital Deluxe Edition is $79.99. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes early access starting April 28th, plus three special suits – the Astra, Onryo, and Midgard Armors – inspired by the games Returnal, Ghost of Yōtei, and God of War. If you pre-order either version, you’ll also receive the Hands of Shore Armor. If you buy the physical edition, you can upgrade to the Digital Deluxe Edition separately. You can find complete details on the official PlayStation Store page.

Saros is a single-player action game, according to PlayStation’s official FAQ. It’s rated Teen by the ESRB due to blood, mild language, suggestive themes, and violence – something to keep in mind if you’re purchasing it for younger players. While reports from PlayStation Game Size indicate the PS5 version will require around 83.44GB of storage, with preloads starting April 21st for the Deluxe Edition and April 23rd for the Standard Edition, PlayStation hasn’t officially confirmed the file size as of yet.

Saros Review Verdict — A Must-Play for Returnal Fans, With One Important Caveat

Saros is receiving excellent reviews, currently scoring an 88 on Metacritic, with OpenCritic also showing very positive feedback (though this could change as more reviews come in). This high score is well-deserved, thanks to its strong combat, sound design, graphics, and how the game lets you progress. If you liked Returnal or enjoy challenging, but rewarding, third-person action games with an intriguing story, Saros is a must-play for PS5 owners.

Saros might not be your game if you prefer fast-paced action, clear storytelling, or aren’t a fan of challenging, dense bullet-hell gameplay. Its story unfolds subtly through the game’s world, and some characters can be a bit confusing. However, these issues are minor for the intended audience, and overall, Saros delivers a fantastic experience.

Returnal 2 is launching on PlayStation 5 and will be enhanced for the PS5 Pro. Developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the game is scheduled for release on April 30, 2026. It will cost $69.99 for the standard edition and $79.99 for the Digital Deluxe edition.

2026-04-24 18:59