Saros: A Familiar Loop of Bullets and Frustration

April 27, 2026 - 08:46

The hero of Saros, the latest game from Finnish studio Housemarque, is trapped in a cycle. He awakens on the planet Carcosa, disoriented and uncertain, compelled to venture into hostile terrain. His mission: shoot bizarre enemies while dodging a relentless storm of projectiles. When he falls—and he falls often—he resurrects at his base to repeat the ordeal.

This premise will feel strikingly familiar to anyone who played Returnal, Housemarque’s 2021 breakout hit. That game also featured a protagonist waking on a mysterious planet, confused and driven to fight through bullet-ridden chaos, only to die and restart. The parallels are so pronounced that Saros can feel less like a sequel and more like a mirror image.

Housemarque, celebrated for three decades of dazzling shoot-em-up titles, appears caught in its own creative loop. Saros is distractingly, at times disappointingly, similar to its predecessor. Yet, despite this déjà vu, the game remains undeniably thrilling. The combat is visceral, the tension palpable, and the satisfaction of surviving a barrage of enemy fire is as addictive as ever.

It took me numerous loops through Saros to fully appreciate its nuances. This PS5 exclusive marks the first Housemarque game in years that I struggled to embrace. What ultimately pulled me in were the bullets—the mesmerizing, enemy bullets. Their patterns are hypnotic, their trajectories a deadly dance. Watching them swarm across the screen is a spectacle in itself, a chaotic beauty that defines the experience.

Saros may not break new ground for the studio, but its core gameplay remains a blast. For fans of relentless action and punishing difficulty, this loop is worth repeating.