Review – SAROS (PlayStation 5)

I was privy to a 3 hour session of SAROS earlier in April. I felt confident heading into the event. “The rest of these media goons probably didn’t finish Returnal” I said to myself. Of course, I set an example as Lead Gooner. And I thought that would be enough. I was prepared and I surely wouldn’t need the whole 3 hours. Right? I was wrong. I barely managed to explore the second biome. While I was told “I made it the furthest” in consolation, I needed the full game now. And that’s not because it was harder than its predecessor.

It’s because I found it more fun.

Developed by Housemarque, SAROS is a roguelike, bullet ballet that takes place on the planet Carcosa. You are Arjun Devraj, played by the charming Rahul Kohli, who is an Enforcer for the Echelon IV colony. Emphasis on the IV. With three other colonies beating you to the planet, your job is to establish what happened to them. And in Arjun’s case, what happened to your lost love Nitya, who was part of Echelon I. Waking up with her voice inside your head, SAROS runs you through the basics of the game to ensure you dash with the best of them, jump higher than the rest of them and eat up all the bullets you’ll run into with your shield to throw it back in their faces. And once it thinks you’re ready, it throws you at the Consort and wishes you luck.

Reborn for the first time, you discover that things aren’t quite making sense. Time is out of sync, your company needs you to find the other colonies, and everyone appears to be going a little crazy. This area is the Passage, a brief reprieve from the ever-changing landscape of Carcosa. From here, you can talk to teammates to try to piece together what’s happening. Interact with Primary who reminds you that capitalism will be even worse in the future. And exit into the Shattered Descent, the first biome of many that will make up your adventure in SAROS.

As you exit the Passage, the game will educate you quickly. While the elite may complete biomes with ease, the game will outright say “dying is good”. In death, you are reborn and you will come back stronger. The world will change. It will lead you to artefacts and weapons to aid your journey. And as you confidently stride with all these changes in tow, you meet the Eclipse.

Remember how I said “ever-changing landscape of Carcosa” earlier?

That’s not only through rebirth. But it’s also through the Eclipse. Your suit’s AI will inform you that it can interface with the technology. A pedestal of sun-scorched hands will grasp at you, while a small sun hovers above them. And in letting yourself go to it, you bring on the Eclipse. The Eclipse completely changes the level. Bloodier landscapes covered in tendrils ooze under your feet. Enemies are empowered with corruption, which affect the integrity of your suit and the ability to survive. And alpha hostiles who may have proved somewhat difficult before, are out to make your life a living hell. And even better, is the fact you can’t leave the biome unless you leave with the Eclipse.

As I battled on as Devraj, increasing proficiencies across a suite of weapons, I reveled in the wonderful gunplay and speed of battle. SAROS does have an auto-aim system, so that you can suitably move as quickly as you want, it does provide ways to disarm and give you even more of a challenge to this. And as I dashed and jumped through the bullet hell. Sorry. Ballet. There was one main thought that came to mind:

“Is this what modern-day CONTRA would be like?”

I don’t know how many of you would know the title. Produced by Konami in the late 80’s, it released in arcades but found popularity in our region as a Nintendo title. And it was that kind of bullet hell title, with some exploration thrown in that could benefit from a Housemarque spin. Because with both Returnal and SAROS, they show they know what types of games they want to make. And this argument could even be made from their 2013 title Resogun, a popular SHMUP for the PlayStation 3.

Taking what they learnt from Returnal. A game which released on both the PlayStation 5 and PC. They create a provocative sci-fi tale that rewards trying. The point of the game isn’t how long you can stay alive. It’s “what did you learn so you do better next time”. You feel this weird air around you as the game goes on. It reacts to you. It gives you more of the story to tell you to keep pushing. And unlike Returnal, a cycle isn’t a “sit and finish it” affair. SAROS wants you to play as briefly or as long as you want. With save points created at important points. Cycles that can last anywhere from 5 minutes to 3 hours depending on what you’re trying to achieve. And the ability to go back to any point and explore more, the choice is yours.

I adore what SAROS is. A game that uses the elements of a roguelike, bullet ballet to tell a story of obsession. Through these, it gives you this this feeling to push on. To find one more thing before you stop. Maybe you’ll find a different weapon that lets you go further. Or an artefact that keeps you alive when you should be dead. The tide delivers, and it will take from you just as swiftly.

“Come back stronger.”

This is the tagline for SAROS. Because it’s not about what happens the first time. But it’s about what happens the time after that.

And after that.

And after th…

Comments

comments