The Value Verdict
Wait for Sale
A genuine PS5 showcase with "just one more go" gameplay, but the $124.95 digital price is a tough pill to swallow compared to local retailer deals.
The Gist (Spoiler-Free)
You play as Arjun Devraj, a "Soltari Enforcer" dispatched to the derelict colony of Carcosa. The planet is trapped in a perpetual, unnatural eclipse that has driven the previous scouting teams to the brink of madness. Your mission is to piece together what happened to the earlier expeditions, but the planet itself is a shifting labyrinth that rearranges its geography every time you fall in combat.
The narrative is handled with more "humanity" than you might expect from a frantic shooter. Between the firefights, you'll discover audio logs and holographic fragments that paint a grim picture of psychological decay and corporate survival. It leans heavily into a sci-fi horror atmosphere which they nailed. Although I found the story to be not very engaging and side characters largely forgettable.
The Gameplay Loop
If you've played a Housemarque game before, you know they love a screen full of glowing death. Saros takes that "bullet-hell" philosophy and stretches it across a massive, haunting world. It's a third-person action game where movement is everything, you're constantly dashing and parrying through walls of neon projectiles.
The difficulty is cleverly handled via the Eclipse mechanic. The game monitors your performance: if you're playing like a god, the world gets more aggressive. If you're hitting a brick wall, the RNG becomes slightly more forgiving with gear drops. You can also choose between Initiate, Standard, and Veteran settings, but Standard feels like the "fair but tough" sweet spot the developers intended. It's a welcome addition for people like myself that don't have time to re-try a boss 27 times to memorise the enemies full moveset.
Hardware & Performance (PS5)
Saros is a true technical showcase for the console as like many other Sony first party titles. It's fast, dazzling, and utilizes the hardware effectively:
- ›Haptics: You can actually feel the "click" of your weapon's alt-fire recharging through the triggers, which makes the combat feel even better.
- ›Load Times: Transitions are near-instant, which is vital for a game where you'll be dying and restarting frequently.
Is it worth the money?
- ›The "Aussie Tax" Check: While the digital price is a gut-punch for Aussies at $124.95, we are already seeing physical copies listed for $99 at JB Hi-Fi. I'd recommend going physical or waiting for a PS Store sale.
- ›Hours vs. Dollars: If you're just looking to see the credits roll, you're looking at an 18-hour investment. However, platinum hunters can easily sink 45+ hours into Carcosa.
- ›The Verdict: At the sub-$100 price point, the depth of content and "just one more go" quality justifies the cost if you're a fan of "roguelite" third-person shooters that reward twitch-reflexes and persistence.