Housemarque, the studio behind the excellent sci-fi roguelike Returnal from 2021, has returned with Saros, a project that’s already looking impressive. Boasting Midnight Mass star Rahul Kohli in the lead role, the game was announced with a jaw-dropping trailer, and some teases about what we can expect from the full release.
Kohli’s character in Saros is an enforcer named Arjun Devraj whose mission leads him to a shapeshifting planet – yes, planet – where he faces some large, horrifying creatures. Above him, as you can see in the action game‘s reveal teaser, there’s an eclipse happening. When this occurs, a multi-limbed monstrosity starts to emerge from the barren landscape. Arjun attacks it with his gun, then the footage ends.
We don’t see any gameplay, but dialog from Arjun suggests this will follow a roguelike structure. He directly mentions that every time he dies, he comes back stronger, though how that manifests in this instance is another question. In Returnal, it’s all part of a time loop. Saros is likely doing something different, since the protagonist seems not only aware but a willing participant in whatever’s happening in the space game.
The eclipse forms another part of the equation. Arjun awakens as daylight is starting to fade. That could be where you do the bulk of your runs, gathering resources and experience, before inevitably succumbing to whatever emerges when darkness descends. The goal could be to get good enough to handle the monsters that come out during the eclipse, but I’m just spit-balling here. More gameplay is due to be revealed later this year.
Saros is called the “ultimate evolution of the Housemarque gameplay-first experience,” and it’s mentioned as an evolution of Returnal’s design principles. Those are strong words, since Returnal was one of the best games of 2021. But that’s the same reason why I have the utmost faith that whatever this is will be more than worthwhile.
This is Kohli’s biggest videogame role to date. An avid fan of the medium, he has voiced characters in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in 2023, and a number of other releases. As much as everything else, it’s always a pleasure to see him pop up.
Saros is due to release sometime in 2026. Check out our lists of the best survival games and the best horror games so you’re ready to handle any otherworldly threat that shows up.
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