As I was writing out this review I realized you cannot talk about Saros without talking about Returnal. Saros is Housemarque’s latest PlayStation 5 exclusive and it wears Returnal’s DNA on its sleeve, from the rhythmic dash-and-blast movement to the way enemy patterns saturate the screen in a lethal, psychedelic bullet hell. But after spending dozens of hours on the planet Carcosa, it’s clear that if Returnal was a lonely descent into madness, Saros is a calculated, aggressive military operation into a cosmic nightmare.
From Selene’s Silence to Echelon IV
The most immediate shift is the scale of the narrative. In Returnal, the silence was the storyteller; Selene was alone with her grief and the echoes of her own audio logs. Saros replaces that crushing isolation with the desperate and crumbling camaraderie of the Echelon IV group and the constant, bureaucratic oversight of the Soltari Corporation. Sent to investigate why previous colonial waves went dark, you are part of a team and a corporate asset. This introduces a fascinating dynamic with Primary, the AI interface that acts as your link to the corp.
These interactions and the other people present shift the vibe from a ghost story to a military mystery, making Carcosa feel less like a personal purgatory and more like a high-stakes corporate crime scene you’re being paid to clean up. While the story is objectively deeper and more front and center, I’ll admit I missed the haunting, singular focus of Returnal. The isolation of Atropos left a mark on my psyche that Saros’ more traditional storytelling doesn’t quite hit.
Leading the charge in Saros is Rahul Kohli who steps into the lead role as Arjun Devraj. Kohli is always a powerhouse, and he brings a weight to Arjun that makes him feel like a seasoned veteran. However, the performance occasionally veers a bit too far into that gruff, world weary soldier trope we’ve seen a thousand times in the genre. He’s memorable, certainly, but sometimes I wanted him to lower the tough guy shield just a fraction.
Refined Combat and the “Lite” Loop
Where Saros undeniably eclipses its predecessor is in the pure mechanical feel. Arjun Devraj moves like a true soldier, he’s heavier, more deliberate, yet the gameplay is faster and more fluid than ever. The upgrade systems have been completely overhauled with a massive, elaborate tree. You’re hunting for Lucenite and Halycon, and this is where the roguelite definition gets a bit “lite.”
Unlike the punishing resets of Returnal, much of your Lucenite carries over after death, and Halycon, the currency for the high-tier perks, is permanent. This makes progression feel less like a one mistake and you’re done ordeal. You’re always making progress, which takes some of the teeth out of the risk, but it makes for a much more addictive and friendly loop.
The Arsenal of Carcosa
A major part of that addiction is the weapon variety. Each biome reveals entirely new gun types, and Housemarque has doubled down on the RNG permutations. Every time you unlock a container, you aren’t just getting a gun; you’re rolling a specific variant that can completely change your playstyle, think ricocheting pistol rounds versus burst-fire variants.
The container system is color-coded for strategic planning, acting as the tangible tech support provided by your employers. While your dialogue choices with Primary or other crew members won’t magically change your drop rates, they provide the narrative context for why you’re scavenging this high-end gear:
- Red Containers: House attribute-based perks that buff your core stats.
- Blue Containers: Contain your primary firearms or high-impact Power Weapons.
- Gold Containers: Hold the rare, run-defining special perks.
This corporate oversight adds a layer of cynicism to the game; I occasionally missed the haunting focus of Returnal, but the expendable grunt edge fits the faster combat loop of Saros perfectly.
Tuning the Cycle
If the default loop feels too forgiving (or still too punishing), the Carcosan Modifiers system is where you’ll spend your time. Accessed through Primary, this system lets you toggle Protections to buff Arjun or Trials to handicap him.
It operates on a balancing scale: to stack powerful Protections like increased damage or boss-room health refills, you usually have to pay for them by enabling Trials like faster weapon decay or reduced currency gain. It’s a brilliant accessibility tool that lets you bypass the rogue-wall if you’re just here for the story, while also allowing hardcore players to crank the difficulty back up to a Housemarque-classic level of masochism.
The Pitch Black Twist: Staring into the Eclipse
Visually, the game is a masterclass in dark, brooding atmosphere. The biomes are significantly more elaborate and vertical than anything Housemarque has done before. But the real game-changer is the Eclipse.
In a mechanic that feels like a direct nod to the first Riddick film, Pitch Black, you can trigger an eclipse that darkens the sky and fundamentally alters the biome. It’s the only way to see everything Carcosa has to offer, but it comes with a high price.
Outside of the Eclipse, containers provide strictly positive perks. Once the sun goes out, however, those same containers might carry corrupted attributes forcing you to weigh a massive power boost against a crippling negative penalty. This risk/reward gamble is further complicated by your active Carcosan Modifiers; a run that felt manageable in the light can quickly become a death sentence once the Eclipse triggers and your active Trials begin to bite.
The Verdict
Saros is Housemarque at the top of their technical game. It’s faster, prettier, and much more approachable than Returnal. While the story loses a bit of that haunting edge by populating the world, the refinement of the combat and the brilliance of the Eclipse mechanic make it one of the best games of 2026.