Saros is a challenging sci-fi odyssey worth taking, and it's a testament to Housemarque's evolution as a developer. This game is a spiritual successor to Returnal, and it showcases Housemarque's mastery of the bullet hell genre. The game's narrative unfolds in fits and starts, with our hero, Arjun, uncovering audio tapes and encountering survivors on the inhospitable alien world of Carcosa. The story is piecemeal, but it's evocative and often distressing, with a sense of Greek tragedy that makes the struggles feel grounded and real. The gameplay loop is tradition honed to perfection, with Arjun progressing bit by bit towards an ultimate destination, and each level revealing a new biome with new upgrades and enemy types. The game teaches the mechanics quickly through trial and error, and it's not long before you can recognize the patterns in the color-coded attacks. The sheer scale of things proves overwhelming at times, with breathtaking experiences and some bloat. The game is a technical marvel that is unapologetically frenetic, yet never incoherent. The audiovisual experience is stunning, with a triumph of art design that made me stop dead in my tracks more than once just to appreciate every bit of detail in the backgrounds. The 3D audio is incredible, and the audio accessibility settings are a welcome addition. The game allows everyone to experience it on their own terms, making it a joy to play. It is one of the purest expressions of gaming ever made; a hypnotic ballet of carnage where the gameplay sparks joy with every fibre of its being. The Finnish phrase 'Torille!' sums it up perfectly: Saros is a masterpiece that welcomes and challenges everyone in equal measure.
