Saros Gameplay Reveal: Housemarque’s Bold New Survival Game Launches March 20

This is where things get absolutely bonkers. Most games tell you to avoid enemy projectiles, right? Wrong! In Saros, you can activate the Soltari Shield with R1 and literally run into hostile projectiles to absorb their energy. It’s like they took the concept of “the best defense is a good offense” and flipped it into “the best defense is absorbing your enemy’s offense.”

Power Weapons That Corrupt Your Soul (Worth It!)

Here’s something that made me audibly gasp: the Carcosan Power Weapons don’t just give you more firepower – they actively corrupt Arjun in the process. You charge these bad boys up using energy harvested from those same hostile projectiles (using that sweet DualSense adaptive trigger tech), then unleash devastating eclipse-fueled destruction.

The visual of Arjun’s right arm transforming into an alien weapon? Chef’s kiss That’s the kind of body horror sci-fi that gets my pulse racing!

Weaponry and Loadout Customization

Before each run, you get to choose your loadout from a mix of:

• Soltari human weaponry (tried and tested Earth tech)
• Carcosan alien weaponry (mysterious and probably wanting to eat your soul)

The gameplay footage showcases the Soltari Phosphorous Shotgun, and watching it melt those hostile ancient machines is pure satisfaction. But knowing Housemarque, this is probably just scratching the surface of their weapons arsenal.

Storytelling That Actually Matters

One area where Saros is clearly stepping up its game is narrative depth. The Saros gameplay reveals multiple storytelling layers:

• Grounded voice-over work with stellar performances
• Stunning cinematics that actually advance the plot
• Haunting audio logs scattered throughout Carcosa
• Soltari Holograms that reveal the planet’s dark history
• Ensemble cast interactions with characters like Nitya Chandran

But here’s what has me most intrigued: they’re promising “more surreal and mysterious storytelling sequences” that they’re keeping under wraps. If you know Housemarque, you know they don’t make promises lightly.

Progression Systems That Keep You Coming Back

Death in Saros isn’t just a reset button – it’s a learning opportunity. The “Second Chance” ability lets you use eclipse corruption energy to resurrect on your first death per run. But that’s just one piece of the permanent progression puzzle.

You can upgrade your Soltari combat suit and abilities between runs, ensuring you’re always growing stronger. No more feeling like you’re banging your head against the same wall over and over (looking at you, early Returnal trauma).

The Dream Team Behind the Madness

This isn’t just Housemarque going solo. They’ve assembled what they’re calling a “dream team” of collaborators:

• Nixxes working closely on art and gameplay elements
• PlayStation Studios Creative Arts continuing their award-winning collaboration from Returnal
• Sam Slater composing the dark-electronic meets drone-metal score (yes, the two-time Grammy winner behind Chernobyl and Joker soundtracks)

The audio design alone in the gameplay footage is giving me chills. When Sam Slater describes it as “bold and innovative score unique in any medium today,” you know we’re in for something special.

Technical Specs That’ll Make Your PS5 Purr

The Saros gameplay footage was captured on PS5 at 60fps using Unreal Engine 5, and it’s still work in progress! If this is what “not final” looks like, I can’t even imagine what the finished product will deliver. Plus, PS5 Pro owners are getting enhanced versions – because why shouldn’t your alien planet look extra crispy while trying to murder you?

The Eclipse Approaches

After diving deep into this gameplay reveal, I’m convinced Saros is going to be something truly special. Housemarque has taken everything that worked about Returnal – the tight combat, the mysterious atmosphere, the “just one more run” addiction – and amplAn error occurred during generation. Please try again or contact support if it continues.