Housemarque’s Saros was unveiled in yesterday's PlayStation State of Play event, and it has definitely turned into one of my highly anticipated games for next year. Despite being a completely different adventure compared to Housemarque’s previous entries, many players still think that it is a Returnal sequel, considering that the game houses the same third-person combat and familiar bullet-hell action.
Personally, I see nothing wrong with Saros being just an improved version of Returnal,with as some fans were expecting something totally different. One of my major issues about Returnal is that I always wanted to see more of it after racking up over 300 hours of game time. The only thing I’m missing is its elusive Platinum trophy, to which I blame RNG for being so frustrating.
But I digress. Part of the reason why Returnal was so successful is how it maximized the PlayStation 5 hardware to its advantage, pushing lightning-fast combat encounters with some of PlayStation’s best controller support ever. The gameplay loop isn’t just addictive, the atmosphere and the sheer scope of Atropos are also something to marvel at.
Saros being just another Returnal isn’t something I dislike. Rather, it’s something I’m actually excited to try. Returnal was a great game, but I have already seen everything that it offers after spending more than a hundred hours on its roguelike action campaign. What Saros does differently is how it takes place on a completely fresh alien planet and features a new protagonist.
Carcosa is a much more harrowing world compared to Selene’s adventures in Atropos. To combat these hostile alien threats, Housemarque actually added a game-changing new mechanic called the Soltari Shield. This is by far one of the best additions that’ll make Saros a much better roguelike than Returnal. The Soltari Shield serves as your temporary bastion against the planet's bullet-hell enemies in case you get surrounded, and it also acts as an offensive tool to power up your next shots by absorbing enemy damage.
This kind of change is already a standout for me, as I’ve always felt too frustrated when multiple enemy mobs surround me in Returnal and I have no option but to hide behind pillars and caves. With the Soltari Shield present in Saros, the action is now turning into a much faster experience, and it also means that we’ll be getting tougher encounters in its later levels.
Another major addition that I can’t wait to try in Saros is the ‘Second Chance’ ability, a la Supergiant's Hades. The game’s protagonist, Arjun Devraj (played by Rahul Kohli), can bring himself back to life for another shot at the run. This is something I’ve always wanted in the original Returnal game, as dying felt too much of a punishment since you basically start over from scratch. This new ability from Saros acts as a reprieve for me to get back up in the fight and lock the hell in.
Saros being just another Returnal (but with an upgrade) is a good thing. It doesn’t have to reinvent what worked from its award-winning action-roguelike title, it only needs to improve upon it. It means that Housemarque has learned from player feedback that plagued Returnal’s launch 4 years ago, particularly with its heavy reliance on RNG and difficulty spikes. And who knows, we might even get the option to finally save our progress as part of the game’s base features rather than a future update.
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