I absolutely loved Returnal. The foreboding mystery weighing on me as I explored an alien planet in solitude is one of the most memorable experiences I had playing a game five years ago.
Returnal developer Housemarque is now back with Saros, which looks to be Returnal 2 in all but name. Importantly though, the two games do not share any narrative links and are completely independent from each other, despite sharing the same DNA when it comes to gameplay.
The signature frenetic shooting and bullet-dodging as you dash and launch through alien biomes is what fuels Saros. It essentially offers more of what made Returnal great with some improvements, and honestly, I'm more than happy with that.
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If you never played Returnal and haven't checked out Saros yet because you're not sure you'll like a bullet hell roguelite, I completely understand as those descriptors can be off-putting to those not familiar with the genres. For me, a lot of the intrigue came from the sci-fi setting and the allure of exploring a strange planet with mysterious undertones.
The gameplay similarities are more than apparent, but there are some key differences that separates Saros from Returnal.
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One aspect of the story that has changed is that you are no longer exploring the planet in isolation. In Saros, you take control of Arjun Devraj who is portrayed by Midnight Mass' Rahul Kohli, and you're part of a team sent to the planet Carcosa to investigate a failed mining colony where previously-sent teams stopped responding.
Here, you have a home base where you can interact with teammates and speak with them face to face, which immediately feels different to Returnal which saw the main protagonist Selene alone. Saros' approach is a change but not necessarily a bad one. The interactions between team members are interesting and become increasingly unsettling as the story unfolds. Overall, it's handled really well and you still get that feeling of isolation while out exploring the planet.
Saros also has a personal element to the story, with Arjun searching for his wife who was part of one of the previous teams that went missing. These stakes make up a large portion of the narrative and the game juggles it well while retaining that underlining core element of finding out what is going on with the eerie and ominous world you're exploring.
Story structure isn't the only change with Saros, with gameplay getting quality-of-life updates and some noticeable improvements. Here, there is more of a focus on teleporting to levels rather than having to play through the entire game again on death. Saros has roguelike elements and dying and improving is a fundamental aspect of the game.
It does feel more approachable in Saros than it did in Returnal. Teleporting to any biome rather than playing through the whole game again will appeal to many. If you want to play through a bunch of levels consecutively to get stronger, you can still do that, but you're not punished for beginning a run at your latest progress point.
The game makes use of permanent upgrades which persist through every run, too. The game's skill tree provides tonnes of passive improvements to your character that make you stronger, including a second chance ability that comes pretty early on so you can revive once on death.
Saros' tagline is "come back stronger" and that ethos is etched pretty deeply into the game's systems. The game also makes use of a Hades-style Heat system called Carcosa Modifiers that allows you to modify runs to be easier or harder depending on the experience you're looking for.
It works pretty well in that it's based on a scale system, where you have to balance good and bad traits in a way that you can't go fully one way or the other. However, accessibility options allow you to turn off the scale completely, so that you can select as many options as you like, essentially giving you the tools to create your own easy or hard modes.
Ultimately, Saros is an action game and the combat is super fluid and extremely fun. Weapon characteristics are varied and dodging a screen full of floating damage-dealing orbs to land successful shots on the enemy is better than ever, and I really liked some of the orb patterns the game throws at you during battles this time.
As a PS5 exclusive, the game makes use of adaptive triggers like no other game, with each degree of a trigger button press resulting in a different firing method. If you press L2 gently you'll get an alt-fire action, while fully holding down L2 will unleash your power weapon. It's very intuitive and easy to adapt to in combat.
Another element of combat is a bubble shield you can instantly deploy around yourself that can also be used to absorb blue enemy bullets as a way to charge up your power meter. It can be really fun to dive into oncoming attacks to soak up damage and then respond with a massive damage-dealing follow-up.
The world of Carcosa itself is a highlight and the biomes always have you looking forward to what's next. As you progress, you unlock new abilities that open up more of the environment and everything feels like it's sized right. The standout bosses at the end of each level are some of the best moments in the game and are the perfect test for your ever-improving combat skills.
Returnal's dark and rigid atmosphere has been replaced by a scorching eclipse-strewn planet in Saros. I preferred the somber loneliness of Returnal over Saros' climate, but the level design felt stronger and more engaging here.
Like Returnal, Saros also has a fantastic soundtrack, evoking industrial metal and dark electronics that ebbs and flows with what is happening on screen. It's worth mentioning as it's a big part of the experience and does a perfect job of immersing you in the desolate setting of Carcosa.
It's hard not to compare the two games when they are so closely linked gameplay-wise. Which game you prefer will probably come down to whether you prioritise ambience and story over more streamlined mechanics, but it feels like both have succeeded at what they set out to do.
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There's an argument that making Saros more approachable than Returnal has resulted in an easier game, and in turn has lost some of the friction that made the first game special. Tailoring the game to a more mainstream audience by including teleporters and a more streamlined progress system sounds good on paper, but players looking for a challenge with a more in-depth learning curve may miss Returnal's deeper Parasite and Artifact systems that required some tactics and luck if you wanted to revive.
Saros puts the onus on the player to decide if they want the game to be easier or harder with the inclusion of the scale system modifiers that can influence damage dealt among many other things.
I can understand why some players would prefer Returnal's more arduous systems, but I don't think too much has been lost here. The game still poses a challenge and still retains its identity despite the differences. I'll always be for more options for players and both games are worth playing to experience their respective styles and tone.
Housemarque's cryptic and non-linear storytelling might not mesh with all players, and I can see how the gameplay and story could be seen as at odds with each other, in a way where it might feel like the story is a round block being hammered into a square hole to fit the roguelite action-game concept.
Could the narrative structure of Saros be better told in another entertainment format outside of gaming? Even if it could, it's honestly just nice to see games like this that take chances on narrative and gameplay in equal measure. It results in a unique experience that makes me excited for anything Housemarque does in the future.
My favourite part of Saros is the overarching sense of mystery and Housemarque's ability to create worlds that are interesting to uncover. I feel like they've successfully juxtaposed beauty with dread – in a way that much like Carcosa's eclipse, you can't look away from.
In the end, I'm glad I gave Returnal a chance five years ago and Saros is a fresh take on a format Housemarque has mastered – a satisfyingly frantic shooter that weaves between strategy and impulse to create a well-balanced and gratifying sci-fi action game.
Saros is out now on PlayStation 5.
