Housemarque’s last game, 2021’s Returnal, begins with protagonist Selene Vassos waking up alone on an alien planet. She takes her first steps into the unknown and finds her own corpse, a discovery accompanied by the startling realization that she’s stuck in a cycle–on planet Atropos, the finality of death has been replaced with the inevitability of a new beginning.
Housemarque’s newest game, 2026’s Saros, begins with protagonist Arjun Devraj waking up alone on an alien planet. He takes his first steps into the unknown and is killed. A few seconds later, he comes to the startling realization that he’s stuck in a cycle–on planet Carcosa, the finality of death has been replaced with the inevitability of a new beginning.
Saros is a game built atop of strong foundations set by Returnal. To that end, the similarities between the two games are numerous and immediately apparent. Saros’ premise and the way that it is realized on-screen are strikingly familiar and it often sounds, looks, and plays just like its predecessor. But those similarities are just what’s on the surface. Like Carcosa itself, once you dig a little deeper, Saros’ feels very different and demands to be taken on its own terms.
Leave a Reply