Saros review – Midnight Mass Effect

At first, Saros seems like it could be a Returnal sequel. Housemarque’s new game also puts you in the shoes of an astronaut stuck on a dangerous alien world, with plenty of weapons and a level of difficulty that might make you want to throw your controller. Still, there are some important differences. Saros builds on Returnal’s ideas, but it pushes you to play more aggressively instead of just trying to survive.

It’s a game about accumulating enough power and second chances to eventually emerge victorious in the bullet-hell you find yourself in, with Housemarque aiming to nail a balance between mass appeal and keeping players sweating through each encounter. The result? An invigorating and painful game, but to quote John Mellencamp, baby it hurts so good.

As Arjun Devraj–brought to life by Midnight Mass actor Rahul Kohli–it’s up to you to use your space-soldier skills to find out why every expedition sent to the distant planet of Carcosa has failed, along with the disappearance of the company’s human resources. In terms of its premise, Saros wears its inspiration on its sleeve, mixing the delightfully analogue technology of ’80s sci-fi with the creeping dread of more modern space thrillers like Event Horizon. On top of that, it mixes in some old-fashioned late-stage capitalism with untrustworthy corporate robots and paranoid crewmates to seal the deal.

Saros wastes no time throwing you into the meat grinder, as Devraj’s skill for pumping out lead and popping up an energy shield is quickly put to the test against scores of hostile organisms looking to derail his expedition. Fortunately, death is never permanent, and after a quick emergence from a local pool of alien goop, Devraj will be ready to rumble once again.

Like Returnal, Saros features a blend of third-person action, old-school arcade leanings, and roguelite DNA. Every encounter is a ballet of brutality, but where Returnal felt like a desperate attempt to survive nightmarish monsters, Saros revels in spiking your adrenaline and making you lean forward in your chair. Aggression pays off, as Saros wants you to run into enemy fire thanks to the gameplay mechanics it introduces.

There’s a system of interlocking ideas at play, as each fight encourages you to use your full arsenal to stay out of harm’s way: a dash to get you out of trouble, a shield to absorb the right color-coded projectiles, and a power attack that draws from your barrier energy. Combined, these give you a potent edge in each scenario. Each component is delicately balanced, but once you master the pattern and hone your reflexes, Saros is brilliantly brutal with the attacks you can unleash as you leap over beams and throw energy bombs right back into the gigantic maw of titanic adversaries.

Of course, reaching that level of badassery doesn’t come instantly. Saros revels in hitting you with a lethal surprise, forcing you back to square one, and seeing just how far your next run can take you. If you’ve got the reflexes of a tortoise and the finger dexterity of someone who shoves their fists into beehives for a living, you’re going to have a hard time staying alive. Saros can be absolutely savage at times, but that’s an aspect of the game that Housemarque has taken note of in an effort to give it some mainstream appeal.

Carocosan modifiers fortunately take a lot of sting out of the game, giving you the option to hit harder, tank more damage, and brush off the corruption that saps away at your armour when you go planetside during a dangerous eclipse. Unfortunately, gaining access to those modifiers will require you to endure some pain, as they only unlock after the second boss fight of Saros, and just getting to that point can be a painful experience as you play hopscotch between death-orbs from a legion of enemies.

Is it worth persevering through for that extra layer of protection? Absolutely, because these mods still require you to keep the game challenging, as you balance buffs with drawbacks, like collecting fewer resources or having to deal with frenzied enemies more often. Once you nail that weighting of elements and you find your groove, Saros taps into a primal part of the brain as you weave between enemy fire and unleash a storm of lead at everything around you.

There’s a visceral joy to having that one perfect run, as you find a perfect weapon, the right artifacts to juice your power, and you start carving through the opposition. Housemarque knows how to craft a good-looking game, but Saros also benefits from the studio’s expertise in making its action feel immersive. The DualSense controller beeps and shudders with every input, while the subtle use of the adaptive trigger and haptic feedback keeps you informed of your status even in the heat of battle.

Combined with a story that keeps things moving through frequent discoveries and Kohli’s nuanced performance as the highly flawed but driven Devraj, Saros is an adrenaline rush that’s not to be missed.

Saros released on 30 April as a PS5 exclusive.