All Features Confirmed for Saros So Far

Housemarque, the developer behind the hit game Returnal, is getting ready to launch Saros in just a few weeks. This new roguelite looks incredibly promising, and the team intends to build upon the successful gameplay of Returnal, taking it even further with this next project.

Returnal delivered a challenging yet fair bullet-hell experience, and remains a standout exclusive for current generation consoles. Saros appears to be following a similar path, but with features that might make it easier to pick up and play. The game is set on the enigmatic planet Carcosa, which is trapped in a constant state of flux. A looming solar eclipse threatens the planet’s stability, and the player, as protagonist Arjun, must investigate the disappearance of his crew while uncovering the secrets of this strange world. Housemarque, the developers, are known for their distinctive gameplay style, and Saros has the potential to be their most creative game yet.

Saros Embraces the Cycle of Death and Rebirth

In Saros, death is a constant part of the experience, but each time Arjun dies, he’s reborn and the world changes with him – a mechanic players of Returnal will recognize. While the core idea of dying and restarting isn’t new, Saros promises a fresh experience with its unsettling world of Carcosa. An impending Eclipse dramatically alters the landscape, creating new pathways and opportunities for exploration. Carcosa isn’t just a shifting maze; it’s a bizarre planet that’s key to unfolding Saros’ unique story.

Saros’ Mantra is “Come Back Stronger”

This mechanic is central to how Saros is played, and it’s a major change from Returnal. While Returnal lets you keep a few upgrades between runs, the main character usually starts each attempt with nothing. This can make the beginning of the game quite challenging, but Saros seems to have struck a better balance with one of its key features.

As a huge fan of roguelites, I really appreciate how Saros handles progression. Unlike some games where you start completely from scratch each time, Arjun keeps most of the cool upgrades he finds! Before each run, you can even tweak his gear, letting you experiment with tons of different weapons. It’s awesome because he genuinely gets stronger with every death – it makes Saros a bit easier to get into than something like Returnal, honestly. But don’t think that means it’s easy – it’s still a really challenging game!

A key part of Saros is the “Second Chance” feature. When you play, if Arjun dies once, he’s instantly revived, letting you continue your run.

More of “Bullet Ballet” Than a Bullet Hell

Playing Saros reminds me a lot of Returnal. Both games demand you really get good at timing and knowing where everything is happening on screen. Things can get crazy fast with tons of projectiles flying everywhere, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. In Saros, you’re constantly juggling shooting, parrying, using Arjun’s shield, and dodging – you have to master it all to win fights. Returnal asks the same things of you, but once you learn the enemy patterns, combat flows so well – it feels like a dance instead of just getting shot at. That’s why people call Returnal a ‘bullet ballet,’ and honestly, that’s how you need to approach the combat. Saros isn’t a sequel, but it shares that same goal of turning chaotic fights into something beautiful and strategic, and that’s what really connects the two games for me.

Saros is Promising to Be Another Strong Showcase of the PS5’s DualSense Controller

A standout feature of Returnal was how well it utilized the DualSense controller, and Saros looks to deliver a similar level of immersive control. How effectively Saros takes advantage of the PS5’s capabilities will be key to how enjoyable the game ultimately is.

PS5 Features That Saros Takes Full Advantage Of

DualSense haptic feedback
3D headphone audio to help players sense enemies before they’re seen
Adaptive triggers to make weapons feel more immersive
Near-instant loading

It’s hard to say exactly how Saros will stack up against Returnal until we can play it, but it has the potential to be even more immersive and really show off what the PS5 can do. Many recent games have been made for both older and current consoles, which hasn’t allowed features like the DualSense controller to be fully utilized. Saros seems determined to take full advantage of everything the PS5 offers, and that’s promising. Features like haptic feedback, detailed sound, and adaptive triggers aren’t just added extras – they can make a game world feel incredibly real, and it will be fascinating to see how Saros uses them to bring its world, Carcosa, to life.

Gamers May Want to Make Room for Saros’ Leaked File Size

While neither Housemarque nor Sony has officially confirmed this, a recent report suggests the upcoming game Saros will be quite large. The PlayStation Games Size Twitter account estimates the file size to be around 83.440 GB. This is significantly bigger than the original Returnal, which was about 56GB, hinting that Saros could offer a lot more content. We don’t yet know how long it will take to beat Saros – Returnal‘s main story took roughly 20 hours, with completionists spending over 65 hours – but it will be interesting to see if Saros offers an even longer experience.

The Wait for Saros is Almost Over

Saros will officially launch on April 30th, five years after the release of Returnal. While it might not be as massive as other popular PlayStation games like Ghost of Tsushima and God of War, Saros is shaping up to be a standout title thanks to its creative use of the PS5 and engaging gameplay.

2026-04-16 00:08