Saros: PS5's Cosmic Horror Evolves Returnal's Formula

Housemarque's latest offering for PlayStation 5, Saros, presents a third-person roguelike set on the alien world of Carcosa. This title evolves the studio's established formula, seen previously in Returnal, by deepening its narrative complexity. Players step into the role of Arjun Devraj, investigating how Carcosa has affected his crew and those who came before.

Saros introduces a more involved narrative structure than Returnal, featuring interactions with several characters in the Passage hub and extensive lore discovered through text, audio, and holo logs. Creative director Gregory Louden described this as a "natural evolution," inspired by the positive reception of Returnal's narrative and Selene's character. The inclusion of a supporting cast was a deliberate choice to enhance player understanding of Carcosa's pervasive influence.

Senior narrative designer Khalil Osaimi highlighted that Saros builds on Returnal's sense of isolation by incorporating "multiple lenses" through which to view Arjun's story. The development team focused on balancing organic narrative delivery with engaging gameplay pacing, treating significant story elements as rewards for overcoming challenging encounters. This approach encourages players to piece together the full picture from scattered logs found across numerous runs.

Louden further explained that Housemarque's characters are "discovered, not told," with Saros offering insights into Arjun's motivations and experiences through varied viewpoints and environmental storytelling. The game's marketing has intentionally remained cryptic regarding Arjun's purpose on Carcosa, allowing players to uncover his identity and the planet's effects as they progress. Even the celestial event, the eclipse, serves as a narrative device, with voice logs and post-death animated clips contributing to the unfolding story.

Rooted in cosmic horror and drawing inspiration from Robert Chambers' "The King in Yellow" collection, Saros embraces the roguelike ethos of repetition with the tagline "Come back stronger." This thematic choice aligns with Housemarque's exploration of dark sci-fi worlds and cosmic horror, a direction that was decided early in development, much like the incorporation of the eclipse and the central tagline. The studio aimed to create something entirely new by delving into the genre's deepest references, building upon the foundations laid by Returnal's Lovecraftian inspirations.