As we continue sharing more from the world of Saros, today we’re stepping behind the scenes to highlight one of the pillars of this new universe: its characters. This latest trailer marks the first time we’ve shown a deeper look at our ensemble cast: the faces, voices, and performances anchoring the story of Saros.
What you’ll see in the trailer is more than motion capture and dialogue. It’s months of collaboration, interpretation, and trust between our directors, our actors, and the entire studio. Below, our team shares what it meant to bring these characters from script to screen.
Crafting an ensemble with heart and tension
For Game Director Gregory Louden, this trailer was an opportunity to reveal more than action:
“We wanted to explore a lot more of our storytelling and show off our ensemble cast of NPCs. We have a phenomenal cast. They’ve brought such authenticity and reality to the characters.”
That authenticity becomes the emotional thread of Saros. Each character brings their own mix of hope, dread, and resilience. Narrative Designer William Shaughnessy explains:
“The more the characters learn, the more the sense of dread grows. The friction within the crew increases, and each handles that in different ways.”
This tension, human vulnerability set against an alien world is at the heart of the story.
Performance, trust, and bringing characters to life
Art Director Simone Silvestri shared his admiration for the performances that shaped the cast. Speaking about the actor behind Arjun, he says:
“Oh man, he’s cool. The way he’s acting for Arjun is just fantastic.”
Arjun is one of the characters who undergoes the most significant transformation over the course of the story.
Greg adds:
“He goes on quite an arc in the game. It’s exciting seeing him dedicate himself and really lose himself in the role to make sure players get the best story, and the best character to examine.”
The cast’s deep dedication allowed us to push the emotional resonance of Saros further than ever before.
The return of Jane Perry
Fans of our previous work will immediately recognize a familiar presence. Greg shares the surprise:
“I’m really excited for everyone to see that Jane Perry is back. She plays Sheridan Bouchard, commander of Echelon Four, and as you can see, she does not muck around.”
Jane has become part of the Housemarque family, and Simone emphasizes the importance of that ongoing relationship:
“It’s very important to build trust with actors who can bring performance to the screen. They give their own spin to the characters we make. Having Jane back is awesome.”
For many on the team, seeing Jane across from Rahul Kohli in key scenes was a career highlight.
A new era of cinematics at Housemarque
Cinematic Artist Khalil Osaimi reflects on one of the first scenes the team shot:
“Seeing Greg and Brandon working with them on set was a revelation moment for me: what we can achieve nowadays in storytelling.”
He explains the delicate balance between cinematic storytelling and gameplay flow:
“There’s a fine line we have to walk. But with the talent we have here and the capabilities… we’re going to the next level now.”
For Housemarque, Saros represents a leap not just in action gameplay, but in narrative ambition.
Close-up characters, real subtlety
Technical Director Martin Contel speaks candidly about the challenges of bringing human emotion into a world known for high-intensity combat:
“We’re doing, for the first time, cinematics with characters in your face. We’re not afraid to bring the camera close. But animating a human face is incredibly difficult: one wrong muscle and a happy expression can become a smirk or something unintended.”
Achieving the nuance these characters demand has pushed our animation, performance capture, and rendering systems further than ever.
From paper to performance
William concludes with a reflection on seeing the scenes come to life:
“There are three phases to the game; in your mind, on paper, and in software. These scenes were once just words on a page, a hope that they’d look great. And they look amazing.”
For him, and for the entire team, seeing the cast’s interpretation and the studio’s execution has been deeply rewarding.
What comes next
The latest trailer revealed at The Game Awards marks just one step in unveiling the story of Saros. As we continue development, we’re excited to share more about the characters, the world they inhabit, and the mysteries that bind them.
Thank you for following us on this journey. More is coming soon, and we can’t wait to show you what’s next.
