In Saros, a hectic and fast-paced action game, players have to dodge and absorb fire to survive. (Sony Interactive Entertainment/TNS)
Housemarque built its reputation on bullet hell games, arcade shooters that demand precise control and quick-twitch reactions for success. The studio stood out with titles such as Super Stardust HD that rode the wave of success of Geometry Wars, but the Finnish developer showed that it had more to offer with the release of Returnal.
That game put the studio on the map by adapting its bullet-hell gameplay into a third-person action shooter. The only issue was that the game was controller-breakingly difficult as players had to weave in and out of fire, jump over waves of projectiles and shoot back. Dying was discouraging as it sent players backward without much sense of progress.
Entering another world
Housemarque’s follow-up title, Saros, brings that great gameplay back but with a better structure and design. Players take on the role of Arjun Devraj, an enforcer for the megacorporation called Soltari. It discovered a new substance called Lucenite on the planet Carcosa, and Soltari has sent several colony ships to extract the material.
Unfortunately, each time it sent a ship over, the company lost contact with the settlers. Arjun is part of Echelon IV, tasked with determining what happened to the colonists. His team discovers an ancient alien civilization once inhabited the planet, and over the course of the adventure, it discovers that extracting Lucenite has a price.
What makes Saros different from the previous project is its structure, which is similar to that of Hades. The two titles share similar concepts. They both have lone heroes who venture from room to room and fight bosses at the end of each world. Both have players who have to deal with waves of enemies by dodging attacks and counterattacking. In both dying is punishing but brings a lesson and some progression.
In Saros, that comes in the form of Halycon and Lucenite, which are used to upgrade Arjun’s armor. During each run, players build up stockpiles of the resources and use them to upgrade three stats: Command, which increases shield capacity and power weapon usage; Resilience, the maximum armor integrity; and Drive, the amount of Lucenite gathered. Players can also upgrade other perks, making each run easier.
Between runs, players talk with the surviving members of Echelon IV, which includes Kayla who has a pivotal role in the game. (Sony Interactive Entertainment/TNS)
A game of cycles
Choosing upgrades is what players do before heading out, and that’s one part of a cycle. The other half is the actual journey Arjun takes as he explores Carcosa and battles enemy inhabitants. Some foes drop stat boosts. While searching rooms, players also uncover breakable monoliths that hold artifacts, which are comparable to boons in Hades. They tweak some aspect of play. Lastly, players can also pick up more powerful weapons that grow stronger as their proficiencies increase.
On each run, players must be choosy about the artifacts and arms. They have to think ahead and use the best tools for each of the bosses and pick up guns and power weapons that complement their playstyle. Shotguns are powerful up close and can stun enemies for melee hits while ranged weapons are best for adversaries with devastating close-up attacks. It takes several runs to figure out what works best.
Players will also spend time adjusting to the combat, which isn’t explained well. Initially, players figure out that Saros is about dealing damage while dodging attacks. Housemarque adds more wrinkles to the gunplay with a shield that absorbs blue bullets, which fuel devastating power weapons. The campaign also introduces corrupted yellow enemy bullets that shrink the armor representing health. Players also have an unblockable and undodgable red attack that must be parried, a move learned late in the campaign.
Fairly deep combat
It also takes a while to adjust to the flow of Saros. The game gives players the option to jump ahead to levels, but that’s a bad move. To succeed in the campaign, Arjun has to slowly develop his power, increasing his proficiencies and stats. Players will run into mandatory eclipse markers that introduce tougher enemies but also give them more Lucenite. Under eclipses, artifacts will also be corrupted and have drawbacks that can be cleansed by beating the world’s Overlord.
These systems intertwine to create a challenging but fair campaign. Once players master it, the boosts snowball so that Arjun can breeze through bosses, tougher levels and instances such as nightmare stages, which restore his Second Life ability. To win, players have to treat Saros like a Hades run. Each success in the world builds momentum that feels rewarding.
If a cycle is still too hard, Housemarque created a Carcosan Modifiers tab that lets players choose additional perks to make it easier, such as an attack boost. If players find the game too easy, they can also add challenge modifiers. Suffice it to say, Saros is a game that players can finish with enough effort.
And that’s the most important thing about this follow-up. Housemarque made Returnal too difficult, but with the rogue-lite elements more pronounced and the addition of more aids, Saros is a game that beautifully shows off “the bullet ballet” the team strived for while also helping players who take the effort to master the game’s intricacies.
Platform: PlayStation 5
Online: housemarque.com/games/saros
