Sony is not shining with its exclusive policy lately. Anyone who has a PlayStation 5 knows this well. This does not prevent them from occasionally releasing an interesting game that catches attention. Especially when it comes to single-player games. And while it may not make as much noise or attract as much attention as Marvel’s Wolverine, this year’s game from Sony with more cachet for the general public deserves recognition: Saros.
Pure Housemarque
Saros is an action game from the Finnish studio Housemarque. Specializing in developing arcade-style video games, they were acquired by Sony in June 2021, becoming part of PlayStation Studios. Since then, they have leveraged their experience in creating games with a great kinetic feel and tremendous visual and sound spectacle in favor of something different. Action games with roguelike elements that, while you can see their arcade lineage, are closer to what a more general audience might be interested in.
Their first game under the Sony umbrella was Returnal. A third-person shooter with roguelike and bullet hell elements in which we played as an astronaut stranded in a lost world without knowing what had happened. With elements of psychological horror, intense difficulty, and excellent sound and mechanical design, it was praised by critics and a specific segment of the audience, but it was not a huge commercial success. Selling less than a million copies on PlayStation 5 before its arrival on PC in February 2023, its problem was that it was too difficult and unforgiving, with very long sessions, for the average player.
Saros is a spiritual successor that continues Returnal where it left off in many ways. Its setting is also space-themed, it has elements of psychological horror, it is a third-person action game with roguelike and bullet hell elements, but this time there are some changes. The game is designed to be more accessible.
A kinder version of the classic
To begin with, in Saros the runs are shorter. With each game lasting between 20 and 30 minutes, dying doesn’t feel as punishing. You live and die quickly, making it so that after each boss we return to our base to do something important: improve our character. This offers another advantage over Returnal. If we feel that we cannot progress, the game provides enough mechanics for us to gradually reduce the difficulty. Something that was not present in Returnal.
This may make veterans of Returnal feel that Saros is more of the same, but a bit toned down. Except for the inclusion of the shield. Now, in addition to bullet storms filling the screen, we have a shield that allows us to absorb them. But with the particularity that it has a limited use and we will have to absorb bullets to recharge energy and use a powerful secondary shot, forcing us to plan well when to dodge and absorb those shots.
Additionally, if it becomes too easy or too difficult for us, from a certain point in the game there are modifiers that allow us to adjust certain elements of the game. Something that will change the amount of resources and rewards we obtain in the process, but will also help us achieve an experience closer to what we want.
Returnal had the problem of being too niche a game to be a blockbuster, even lowering what they were already doing at Housemarque. Saros makes compromises while doing new things with its formula to reach a new audience. And although Sony may not have marketed it well, it is an accessible game for all kinds of players. Especially those who enjoy third-person shooters and action games. Because while Saros may seem intimidating, and Returnal certainly was, it is a very interesting game that you should give a chance.
