Saros Reviews
While Saros tries to offer its protagonist, who seeks to rewrite the past, “a new tomorrow,” it unfortunately traps the player in the same cycle. Although the player-friendly features added following feedback from Returnal create a much smoother experience, the balance of difficulty can occasionally spiral out of control. As a result, Saros ends up being a game that addresses the shortcomings of the genres Housemarque knows best, while also dulling some of the studio’s greatest strengths.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
SAROS feels like a confident evolution of Housemarque’s gameplay-first philosophy. Between the stylish combat, rewarding progression systems, and haunting sci-fi atmosphere, the game delivers an intense and memorable experience that keeps pulling players back into the darkness of Carcosa.
Instead of being just like every other safe and overbudgeted action adventure by the company, this is a gameplay-first experience, just like how Returnal had done five years prior. It shows, once again, that Housemarque might actually be Sony’s most important internal development team, masterfully mixing arcade-like controls and an endlessly replayable gameplay loop with higher quality visuals and cinematic storytelling.
I have a truly strange relationship with Saros. On the one hand, it’s a game I honestly hate and that has caused me endless frustration. On the other hand, it’s a game that rewards you even for your failures, and once you finally master the chaos on the screen, the sense of satisfaction from your progress is simply immense. It’s a game that, despite its rather bland supporting characters and a lack of deeper emotion in the plot itself, manages to draw you in with an incredibly engaging story full of intriguing mysteries. The world design is a true masterpiece created by talented artists, further enhanced by stunning visuals and brilliant sound design. To top it all off, the core gameplay itself, though incredibly exhausting most of the time, ultimately proves exceptionally satisfying. Saros is a fascinating paradox that’s hard to ignore.
Review in Polish | Read full review
This is a great showcase for the PS5 and well worth a look for those seeking a sci-fi epic packed full of challenge.
SAROS is recommended because it’s a step up from Housemarque’s previous title. The experience is much more polished, especially in terms of its progression system and accessibility, yet it doesn’t lose any of its intensity. It’s not a perfect game, but it knows exactly what it wants to offer and how to keep you hooked for hours.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Saros is one of PlayStation’s finest action games and a strong candidate for 2026 Game of the Year conversations come December.
Housemarque has taken a game genre they master better than anyone else, and made it more accessible for regular human beings like me, without losing what makes them unique. Play Saros if you liked Returnal, play Saros if you enjoy action games; play Saros even if you think it might be too difficult. Eventually, it will all fall into place.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
Saros is certainly an enjoyable experience, but it remains completely overshadowed by Returnal. I would have preferred the team to have explored more innovative ideas within the game, but that didn't happen. However, if you haven't played Returnal, Saros will undoubtedly be a fantastic experience with plenty of challenging and fun moments.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Despite the hiccups I experienced, SAROS is still Housemarque’s most ambitious game to date. The scale of the experience is impressive. From the fast, polished gameplay the studio is known for, to its stronger narrative focus, elevated production values, and standout sound design, there is a lot here to love.
Saros impressively combines chaos and control. This unfolds in a game that has you restarting hundreds of times—yet always with a sense of progression. What begins as an overwhelming storm of bullets evolves into a tightly orchestrated experience where everything revolves around flow, insight, and timing.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Saros represents the natural evolution of a development team that has successfully reworked its formula without betraying its essence. Housemarque has crafted a solid and satisfying action-shooter, taking the frenetic gameplay of its illustrious predecessor and grafting it onto a progression system that rewards perseverance and mitigates frustration. The world of Carcosa, enhanced by inspired art direction and the brilliant Corruption mechanic, constantly challenges the player to balance risk and reward.
Review in Italian | Read full review
SAROS delivers a confident evolution of Housemarque’s roguelite formula, pairing exhilarating bullet-hell combat and exceptional boss design with meaningful progression systems that give each run a satisfying sense of growth. While its moment-to-moment gameplay consistently impresses through tight mechanics and smart use of haptics, the narrative struggles to keep pace, relying too heavily on logs and lacking cohesion in its delivery. Even so, the game’s distinct identity, strong encounter design, and engaging loop make it a compelling, if uneven, PlayStation experience that soars more often than it stumbles.
Saros is a satisfying iteration on Returnal, but its narrative can’t live up to its predecessor’s brilliance.
Saros is the latest banger of 2026. It plays like a dream, has a fun gameplay loop, looks stunning, has a superb voice cast and a mysterious story that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
SAROS is a safer and more accessible evolution of Housemarque’s formula—less complex, less punishing, yet still incredibly fun. It may not reach the same level of depth and impact as Returnal, but it delivers a solid, stylish, and addictive experience that clearly highlights the studio’s growth, even if there are still some rough edges to be polished.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Saros is a strong step forward for Housemarque, improving on Returnal with fast, addictive gameplay, balanced difficulty, and better storytelling. It excels technically with great visuals, sound, and smart DualSense use. Minor flaws aside, it stands as a serious Game of the Year contender.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
At the end of the day, this is the kind of game that had me saying “just one more run” at 1 a.m. on a work night - and then again at 2, until my wife finally took the controller away. Honestly, that’s the only score that really matters.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
Saros turns Returnal's foundation into a sharper, smarter, and more flexible action roguelite — and proves Housemarque is still one of PlayStation's most important studios.
Saros isn't just about making it through a strange planet; it's also about mastering chaos, understanding how systems function under intense stress, and gradually turning vast amounts of uncertainty into controlled precision.