PS5 Latest Bullet-Hell Shooter Saros Could Be 2026's Biggest Hit
While Saros was initially a daunting game, it never took long for me to realise that this is all part of the journey, and unexpectedly, it’s a game that I’m struggling to put down.
When I say “unexpectedly”, I don’t say that because I didn't expect Saros to be a fantastic game; I most certainly did. Bullet-hell shooters aren't usually my cup of tea, but every once in a while, I like to try something different, and I'm glad that I took a chance on Saros, the latest first-party AAA on PlayStation 5.
Saros is the next game from Housemarque, the studio that has brought us the likes of the Super Stardust Delta, Resogun, and, more recently, Returnal. I particularly loved Resogun, especially with its old-school R-Type vibes. However, while I appreciate that Returnal is a fantastic game, I struggled to click with it.
Progress Never Ends in Saros
The main reason being, is that, as a roguelite, runs could easily last an hour at a time, if you’re lucky. When you died in Returnal, while the story developed, you practically lost all other progress. Which felt quite disheartening after a long, intense run. However, that is not so much an issue in Saros, because no matter the run length, it always feels like you’re making progress.
From the get-go, it lets the players know that you can always come back stronger, allowing you to keep all resource XP to spend on new upgrades and abilities. Granted, weapons and their upgrades will be lost following death. When you’re revived, not only have you learned how to tackle some areas and enemies, but you’re gradually allowed to level up a little each time.
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Well, when I say learn how to tackle some areas, as with most roguelites, the area will change ever-so slightly, so no run will be quite the same, which certainly helps to keep you on your toes. I must also admit that it had taken me a good couple of hours to defeat the first boss, and at first, that was frustrating. However, I soon realised that’s how it's intended to be.
Death Is Not the End in Saros!
Each time I’d attempt to defeat the boss, I’d do a little bit better. A familiar trait with FromSoftware titles, such as Dark Souls. Yet, despite my frustration, I couldn't put down the controller with a strong desire for “one more go”. When I finally defeated that boss, I yelled a lot of curse words that could have been easily mistaken for a rage-induced outburst, but it was far from it. Defeating that boss, after a lot of failed attempts, was exhilarating.
On top of the challenge of defeating a boss to progress to the next area, the third-person shooter gameplay mechanics are an absolute blast. As you might imagine with a bullet-hell shooter, the action is high-octane. Weapon variants such as assault rifles, shotguns, hand cannons and so forth all had their place for the situation at hand. For example, in an area with tons of enemies, a fast-paced assault rifle might be the best choice of weapon. Whereas in areas with less density and tank-like enemies, you might be best with a shotgun or handcannon.
A gameplay mechanic that I particularly appreciated is how you use different attacks for each weapon on the fly. Pressing R2 to shoot will utilise standard fire. By holding L2 halfway while pressing R2 all the way, unlocks the secondary attack, and by holding L2 all the way, you will unleash your limited special attack. Having this formula means that you won't be swapping attacks via the D-Pad or a weapon wheel; it’s all done instantly with the DualSense triggers. You can also wield one weapon at a time, which keeps the high-octane action flowing.
Saros Is a Visual Delight
Visually, Saros is gorgeous. Its first area kinda reminds me of Leyndell Royal Capital from Elden Ring with its colour scheme, while other areas gave me major Alien vibes. Speaking of the Alien movies, the company that our protagonist (Arjun Devraj) and his crew work for, Soltari, reminds me a lot of Mother from the 1979 Ridley Scott movie, and its evil mega corporation, Weyland-Yutani Corporation.
You’ll often catch yourself stopping to marvel at the game's beauty, which will likely be quickly halted as an enemy zaps you in the face. So, try not to marvel for too long. Its character animations are also top-notch, not only with its lead character played brilliantly by Rahul Kohli (Arjun Devraj), but also every member of the support cast, not to mention its sublime soundtrack providing all the vibes and emotion that Saros intends.
Saros Is a Thrill Ride You’ll Never Want to End
The story of Saros is deliberately vague, which all adds to the game's intended mystery. You’re on a planet called Carcosa, tasked with investigating an alien colony. However, clearly, this planet is not what it seems, and it appears that the sun and a solar eclipse can change its reality in an instant. Those who have been heavily invested in investigating this map seem to be on a slow descent into madness. However, while Arjun wants to understand what’s happening and to save his crew, all Solatri cares about is claiming the planet's resources. Something that an AI inspired by Mother in Alien will often remind you of.
We’ve been spoiled with what could be the best year for gaming since 2023, and now Saros is the latest banger of 2026. It plays like a dream, has a fun gameplay loop, looks stunning, has a superb voice cast and a mysterious story that will keep you hooked from start to finish. Saros is a game that I can’t stop thinking about, and it’s so good that it’s made me want to give Returnal another chance. We’ve said this a lot already this year, but Saros is yet another strong game of the year contender.
Pros: High octane action, Fun gameplay loop, Intriguing story and world
Cons: It’s not coming to PC
For fans of: Returnal, Enter the Gungeon, Dark Souls
9/10: Exceptional
Saros will be released on 30 April 2026 on PlayStation 5. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.
Topics: Reviews, PlayStation, PlayStation 5