Saros Was Made More Approachable Than Returnal So More Players Could Enjoy It

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Housemarque’s new game, Saros, has been well-received, but many players have found it to be less challenging than their previous title, Returnal. In a recent interview with Polygon, creative director Gregory Louden and associate design director Matti Häkli explained why they made it easier.

Louden explained that Returnal proved too difficult for many players to complete. Because of this, the team decided to equip players with more options and resources in Saros, allowing them to tackle challenges in a way that suits their individual playstyles.

We always believed in Returnal and knew players enjoyed it, but we also heard from people who wanted to love the game but struggled to progress. So, we focused on letting players tackle the challenges in a way that suited them, rewarding their efforts and adding modifiers to adjust the difficulty. I’m especially proud of the design team’s work – these modifiers don’t just make the game easier; they can actually make it much harder, which is fantastic.

He explained that Returnal gets significantly harder when players enter the Crimson Wastes, its second area. Louden pointed out that while many players enjoy the game up to that point, they often struggle with the increased difficulty and can’t progress further.

Players really started to enjoy the game after completing the second area, with many calling it one of the best on PlayStation 5, according to Louden. Our goal is to share that great experience with as many people as possible. Ultimately, we hope that once players fall in love with Saros, they’ll explore our back catalog – games like Returnal, Nex Machina, Matterfall, Resogun, Alienation, and Dead Nation. We’ve been making games for a long time, and we want more people to experience what Housemarque has to offer.

Häkli explained that the goal with Saros was to make it more accessible than Returnal, hoping to reach a wider audience. However, he clarified that Saros isn’t necessarily easier, just more forgiving. Players have more freedom to try out different weapons and playstyles, making it easier to learn and enjoy.

Häkli wanted to make these games accessible to a wider audience. Knowing Returnal was very challenging, he started working on ways to make future games easier to learn without necessarily reducing the difficulty. His goal was to give players more breathing room and time to master the game’s mechanics, as he believes the key is getting into a ‘flow state’ – understanding the inputs, knowing what’s happening, and feeling confident in their ability to succeed.

Häkli explained that when the game truly connects with a player, it’s a unique experience. He wants to broaden its appeal so more people can enjoy it, instead of limiting it to a small group of dedicated, hardcore gamers.

Saros is available on PS5. For more details, check out our review.

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2026-05-01 14:11