Last night, Sony hit hard with a State of Play rich in announcements. If they weren't all convincing, we will especially remember the "one more thing" at the end, namely the game Saros by Housemarque. Housemarque is the studio behind Returnal, one of the best games on PS5 to date. Although it operated independently until its release, Sony quickly bought the studio to fully exploit the expertise of its development teams.
This expertise will be put to use for Saros, which already promises to be grandiose. But what do we really know about it? For our part, we still have a few questions following this trailer of intent which only piques our curiosity.
Is Saros the sequel to Returnal?
We remember the space game released in 2021 on PS5. At the time, it was one of the rare exclusives on the brand new generation. Returnal has disgusted but also impressed more than one. Housemarque's game is as demanding as it is beautiful and well-designed. Following the cinematic sequence that we were able to discover, a developer informed us that Saros will have points in common with Returnal, but not concerning its universe.
Indeed, the studio declares that the new shooter will rely on the "third-person action" of the game Returnal and not on its world or its story. Saros will therefore indeed be a new intellectual property. The title should also be a roguelite with demanding gameplay if we are to believe the inscription "come back stronger". And the similarities end there for now.
Clear cultural influences
There are a couple of questions that can already be answered. Saros is an astronomical term that refers to a period of 223 synodic months or lunations. This system is used to predict natural phenomena, such as lunar or solar eclipses, for example. Judging from the trailer, it seems that the game will use these influences to dig into some gameplay mechanics related to the environment.
The cultural inspiration of Saros is also very clear. The name of the protagonist (Arjun Deveraj) as well as the antagonist taking on the attributes of the deity Shiva, are both inspired by Indian and Hindu culture. It is worth noting that astronomy and astrology are two extremely important areas in Hindu religion and thought. We are therefore likely to enjoy a more culturally in-depth game, with multiple references to a universe that is too little explored in the world of Asian video games.
Gameplay will be shown later in the year
The appointment is given by Housemarque. We will have to wait until 2026 to discover Saros on PS5 and perhaps PC as was the case for Returnal. Until then, the studio has time to make us wait and work on its internal communication. While we only got a cinematic trailer at the State of Play, the game's gameplay will be shown later this year, as the developer confirms.
Maybe Saros will show up at the annual PlayStation Showcase this summer, or at The Game Awards, just to avoid any communication from Rockstar Games about GTA 6 at all costs.
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