As Housemarque celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, it's definitely on the up. It doesn't feel that long ago (but it was – 2017!) that the studio announced it wouldn't be making small, arcade-like games any more, which was an incredibly sad day given its prior output. But having made Returnal, a standout title in PS5's line-up, the decision (and Sony's purchasing of the developer) was vindicated – now backed by big budgets, spiritual successor Saros is looking to evolve on this new concept of glossy, twitchy play. Made to push the power of the PS5, it's set for release in just a few months' time. Is arcade truly dead, or has Housemarque simply reshaped it into something new?
Saros is very similar to Returnal, in that it's another third-person shooter with an interesting take on death. Unlike that game, which saw you restarting over and over with most perks and progress lost, Saros will straight up give you a second chance when you fall. It's an interesting system given Dark Souls punishes you for dying by halving your health bar when you respawn. Here, dying lets you come back stronger for your second bite of the apple. Another key difference over Returnal is the fact you will keep upgrades when you die, resulting in a more standard sense of progression. The team has stated they want to make the game more universally accessible than Returnal, so that fits.
