Today, we are stoked to share more about our “come back stronger” and Eclipse escalation gameplay with you all in Saros, which launches April 30 on PlayStation 5 and enhanced for PlayStation 5 Pro.
This footage, captured on PS5 at 60fps, is still a work in progress, so expect tweaks, fixes, and upgrades for our launch.
The Passage has you
The Passage is a Carcosan temple with a vast history for you to discover and serves as the game’s central hub. In the Passage you can speak with other Echelon IV crew, explore more world building, and find a mysterious banyan tree. It’s also where, using our come back stronger mechanics, you can upgrade yourself using collected Lucenite and Halycon from your eclipse cycles on Carcosa.
Armor Matrix upgrades your playstyle
Upgrading is done via Echelon IV’s Primary unit, a Soltari AI that allows you to adjust your Enforcer Armor via the Armor Matrix. By using your collected resources you can upgrade your armor to suit your playstyle. Do you want to upgrade maximum armor integrity so you can take more damage? Do you want to make Lucenite gain faster so you collect more per cycle? Or upgrade your armor’s power capacity to have longer shield usage? Key additions like our Second Chance system are also unlocked as you progress through the Armour Matrix.
World Dial Teleportation allows fast travel
Primary also allows you to teleport directly to any previously unlocked biome, making our cycles more digestible. Marathon runs are possible, but you can also now teleport directly to your last biome start. On death your collected main and power weapons will be kept, so if you found a great Soltari shotgun, or Carcosan weaponry on death, you will start with it once again.
Carcosan Modifiers change your experience
With Carcosan modifiers you can adjust your experience to make Saros more challenging or more forgiving. Carcosan Modifiers come in two types: Protection Modifiers reduce challenge by doing things like decreasing incoming damage, making it easier to reload your weapon, or extending the time you can use your Shield. By contrast, Trial Modifiers make the game more challenging by making Hostiles more aggressive, your weapon’s power degrade over time, or even removing your Second Chance ability entirely.
The combination of Modifiers you choose is entirely up to you, but crucially Protections and Trials must be kept in balance to ensure a consistent challenge level.
Eclipse escalation
In Saros the eclipse corrupts the weapons, artifacts, world and people’s minds. Arjun must push through the eclipse to find answers, but with every attempt it adds corruption to Carcosa. The eclipse also changes certain biomes properties. In the Blighted Marsh, which you’ll see in the above trailer, how the marsh water comes alive and burns players when the eclipse is activated. Hostiles will also shoot yellow corrupted projectiles which reduce your max armor integrity unless cleansed using your power weapon.
The sound of the world also becomes corrupted during eclipse, with the music by Sam Slater distorting with layers of drone guitars that resonate across our world. Our team on Saros have created a spectacular eclipse experience which I cannot wait for you to play.
Digital Deluxe & Pre-Order editions – 48-hour headstart with Digital Deluxe
Those who want the deluxe Saros experience: you will be able to play Saros 48 hours before the launch on April 30 2026 with our Digital Deluxe Edition and PlayStation Studios celebration suits, featuring Returnal, God of War and Ghost of Yōtei. For players who pre-order before launch Saros or the Saros Digital Deluxe, you can unlock the “Hands of Shore Armour” too. The Digital Deluxe version upgrade can also be purchased separately for players who buy the physical edition of Saros.
Come back stronger April 30 2026
We cannot wait to share more Saros information with you all.
Expect more news as we get closer to our launch, with a focus on extended gameplay, PS5 Pro features, our music score and technology for you all to enjoy.
Saros is the next gameplay-first, single-player action game from Housemarque and our amazing collaborators. Pre-order Saros now on PlayStation Store.
A dream project made by a dream team.
Thanks for reading!
