Housemarque has provided a first look at Saros, it’s next game and PS5 follow-up to Returnal.
It’s set for release on 20th March on PS5, and will be enhanced for PS5 Pro.
While the initial reveal was purely cinematic, now we’ve got a look at the game’s gameplay. Check it out for yourself in the trailer below.
At first glance, this is more of the same intense bullet hell action we know and love from Returnal, but there are some subtle tweaks too.
Creative director Gregory Louden introduced the video, stating the game will explore the emotional and haunting story of protagonist Arjun Devraj (Rahul Kohli) on a shapeshifting planet. Later he mentioned an ensemble of NPCs, suggesting this could be more story focused than Returnal was.
As for gameplay, Devraj wields a shield used to absorb projectiles and then hit back with a powerful weapon – almost like a delayed parry. Louden also hinted at the progression system with a permanent ability: Second Chance, which revives Devraj on death. The trailer ended with a wild-looking boss, of course.
Further details have been provided on the PlayStation Blog. Saros takes place on the hostile alien planet of Carcosa, with the first biome shown being that of a lost civilisation. Devraj will begin each run by choosing a loadout, mixing Soltari human weaponry and Carcosan alien weaponry, plus he’ll have access to a wide variety of tools.
Saros was first announced earlier this year at Sony’s February State of Play and will be the first game from Housemarque as a first party studio, after being bought by Sony in 2021 after Returnal’s release.
Sony announced Saros will release on X 2026, exclusive on PS5. It’s unknown if a PC release will follow, as with Returnal.
Returnal has received plenty of praise from players, critics, and award-givers alike, and is considered one of the key games to truly make use of the PS5 hardware. As such, expectations are high for Saros to follow suit.
