Today’s PlayStation State of Play was true to its word, kicking off with Saros, the new game from Housemarque Studios. Rather than the last trailer, which was purely a cinematic teaser, this was a proper gameplay reveal, showing us protagonist Arjun Devraj in action. You can see the trailer for yourself below.
The game takes place on Carcosa, a sandy, alien planet full of mind-bending visuals and creatures. It looks an awful lot like Housemarque’s last game, Returnal (which is not a bad thing – we gave it a 9.5 in our review), complete with third-person sci-fi shooting action and a bullet hell-style barrage of lasers and multicolored explosions.
In addition to his main weapons, Arjun comes equipped with a circular force field called the Soltari Shield. By pressing L2, players can equip the shield and absorb projectiles, which then fuel Arjun’s Power Weapon, which looks to be a burst of lasers fired from his right arm. Later on in the trailer, he’s struck by an enemy’s blast and dies, but not before coming back to life with Second Chance, an ability that revives him upon death.
A description under the trailer reads as follows:
Arjun Devraj (Rahul Kohli), a Soltari enforcer, fights to survive on the lost colony of Carcosa under an ominous eclipse. Shape shifting biomes and hostile ruins set the stage for a fast-paced, cinematic action experience where every encounter demands precision and adaptability. Combat unfolds as a fluid dance of dodges, shields, and parries, paired with a high-tech arsenal built of human and alien weaponry. Master enemy patterns, evolve your strategy, and face off against spectacular bosses that push every skill to the edge. Death is not the end, with permanent upgrades, evolving equipment and the “Second Chance” system that allows you to always come back stronger.
The game also got a release date: March 20, 2026, just under six months from now. If it’s anything like Returnal – and it looks like it is – we’re excited to get our hands on it soon.
Exciting news about Saros! It’s great to see a follow-up to Returnal and I can’t wait to see how the gameplay evolves. Looking forward to the release!
mechanics evolve in this new title! It’ll be interesting to see if they incorporate more narrative elements, given how Returnal had such a unique storytelling approach. The gameplay changes could really enhance the experience!
Absolutely, the evolution of gameplay mechanics is always exciting! I’m also curious to see how they might blend the narrative with the action, especially considering how compelling the story was in Returnal. It could add some great depth to the overall experience in Saros!
totally expand on the narrative elements this time around. Returnal had such a rich story, and I’m hoping Saros builds on that depth even further. It could really enhance the overall experience!