Saros
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Saros
Saros' narrative often feels at odds with the kind of experience it wants to be, but there's no denying this is another top-tier action game from Housemarque.
Saros tries at an interesting and ambitious story it isn't always able to effectively tell, but Housemarque has once again proved that its bullet-hell sensibilities mesh incredibly well with fluid and challenging action.
It feels like one big adventure, and you’re only privy to one piece at a time. Delving into the depths of a foreign planet would usually be off-putting to me as a cozy gamer, but the world of Carcosa drew me in.
Some of the later boss fights are magnificent in their cinematic splendor.
Saros’ biggest shortcoming is that I was not as emotionally invested in its narrative and characters as I hoped to be. The plight of team Echelon IV did not move me, but I was fascinated by the abrasive world, the heartless Soltari corporation, and I was intentionally and successfully left wanting more from its engaging mysteries. I don’t share this sentiment for the gameplay, however. Moving, shooting, improving (both in stats and skill), winning, and even losing is an unequivocal joy, and I only wish I could write this final sentence faster so I can hurry up and get back to planet Carcosa and attempt another run.
Saros is a phenomenal game that flips Housemarque's roguelite formula on its head and improves upon its spiritual predecessor in every conceivable way.
I will never dislike a game that looks this good and plays this well. But the lessons that Housemarque learned from Returnal resulted in a game that is less than the sum of its parts.
Saros is a relentless, exciting and demanding rogue-lite shooter that combines cinematic spectacle with tight bullet-hell combat. It's a marvellous follow-up to Returnal, that retains the best bits of its predecessor while sanding down its (minor) rough edges. It pulls very few punches, but will have you saying "one more run" on a loop.
