„Saros“: The eclipse calls
In "Saros", the Finnish studio Housemarque sends players on a nightmarish PS5 trip into bullet hell.
(Image: Sony)
More bullets, please! With “Returnal“, Housemarque already mixed third-person adventure with bullet-hell shooter into a breathtaking action trip. “Saros“ offers a similar game principle, only bigger and more spectacular. Added to this is a story that offers more psychodrama than the usual doomsday scenario. An unusual adventure, exclusively for PS5.
No way home
Fight, die, return – for Arjun, this is everyday life since he landed on the planet Carcosa with some scientists. Why and how, no one can explain to him. He is already part of the fourth expedition to land here. Of their predecessors, there are only a few cryptic records. Again and again, Arjun sets out to solve the mystery of this world and escape from here.
What at first glance sounds like a typical survival adventure in space quickly turns into a psychodrama. Similar to “Returnal“, the big science fiction adventure is just a metaphor for the main character's suppressed fears and psychoses. When the sun sinks over the world and the monsters crawl out of their holes, Arjun experiences his personal nightmare. Again and again, he has to fight against it, again and again he fails.
„Saros“ im Test (5 Bilder)
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)Housemarque tells this in a world where solar and lunar eclipses alternate as in the eponymous “Saros cycle“. The dark visual worlds are reminiscent of the nightmare scenarios from the stories of H. P. Lovecraft or Hindu myths. Indefinable monsters lurk everywhere, looking at Arjun with huge eyes and wanting to kill him with their beams. Nothing is friendly here, traps lurk around every corner. Thus, the game shifts from ruined landscapes to dark cave systems to decaying palaces. Visually, there is no stylistic break, each section flows coherently into the next. The dark music and detailed sound effects round off the adventure.
Many paths to the goal
Compared to “Returnal“, the game world has become significantly larger. The individual areas are assembled almost randomly from a pool of individual area variants, so that each new attempt is different. Sometimes the differences are larger, sometimes smaller. This provides variety and some surprises.
In terms of gameplay, fans can expect a similar concept to “Returnal“. Arjun has to start over again and again, constantly fail and come back stronger. It's a wild mix of different genres. Third-person action, bullet-hell shooter like in classic arcade games in the style of “Musha Aleste“, and unforgiving roguelite elements, through which a large part of the game progress is lost with each death.
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Each attempt starts the same: a standard weapon, no bonuses. Treasure chests with new weapons are quickly found. Initially, it's a pistol; later, an assault rifle or a crossbow is added. Each of these weapons has different properties. Some accumulate damage with repeated hits; others automatically target enemies. There is also an alternative firing mode, triggered by lightly pressing the shoulder buttons on the DualSense controller.
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“Saros“ is not quite as unforgiving as its predecessor. However, it is still not easy. A pistol with little ammunition that only targets one enemy is much harder to master than a “smart rifle“ that automatically attacks multiple enemies. Each kill arena quickly fills with hundreds of enemy bullets and beams that players must quickly dodge. Especially at the beginning, players will be more concerned with keeping an overview in this bullet hell than with taking precise shots. Once failed, you lose almost all game progress and have to start over.
Tenacious boss fights
At the end of an area, a tenacious boss awaits. One looks like a giant root, another summons helpers or flies around the players in a large swarm. Each of them unleashes chaos with different phases and attack patterns. Failure here also leads to a complete restart of the entire area. Sounds unfair, but it's only logical because, with the standard equipment, players will hardly stand a chance against these powerful opponents.
Away from the fights, extras can be found in hidden places that expand shooting and life force. Not everything is accessible at first. Only in the course of the game are aids like a grappling hook unlocked, with which more distant areas can be reached. Some areas are only found by players through a few daring jump passages. Very rarely, they also have to shoot symbols to open doors. In each area, players can also switch to a “darkness“ mode, which unlocks new paths, but also tougher enemies.
Between excursions, you return to the base. Here players can unlock permanent upgrades. They can improve their armor, increase the power of their weapons, or block enemy shots. This makes the game significantly easier. It is advisable to play through some areas again until you make good use of the weapon properties. Overall, it's all a matter of personal style, which characterizes this extraordinary action adventure, rounded off by impressive audiovisual presentation.
Conclusion
Housemarque has come to stay. Anyone who thought that “Returnal“ was a one-hit wonder from the former arcade specialists will be taught otherwise by “Saros.“ The Finnish development studio relies on the same genre mix as its predecessor, presses the same buttons, and spoils players who are looking for a deep story alongside a challenge. This is exciting, an audiovisual powerhouse, and enormously motivating due to the roguelite principle.
However, “Saros“ is not Housemarque's “Elden Ring“ – a game that makes an idiosyncratic game concept suitable for the mass market. You have to love the idiosyncratic genre mix and constant failure to enjoy “Saros.“ Initially, everything is arduous. The roguelite game principle seems unfair at first and the enemies too difficult. But anyone who already loved “Returnal“ dearly or is looking for a shooter of a different kind will be wonderfully entertained by “Saros“.
“Saros“ will be released on April 30th exclusively for PS5. USK from 16. It costs about €70.
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