Housemarque
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Saros’s Eclipse is “Always Looming,” Corrupted Bullets Serve as An “Escalation,” Says Housemarque
Housemarque developers discuss the 'Eclipse' mechanic in their upcoming game Saros, describing it as a constantly looming threat that escalates gameplay difficulty. Senior narrative designer Khalil Osaimi highlights its narrative significance, while lead game designer Abebe Tinari explains how corrupted bullets were implemented as a key escalation feature. The Eclipse shifts biomes visually and audibly, introduces new enemy behaviors, and offers greater rewards despite increased challenges.
Saros Includes Multiple Save Slots and the Option to Suspend a Run
Housemarque is implementing multiple save slots and the ability to suspend runs in their upcoming game Saros, aiming for a more accessible experience than Returnal. Creative director Gregory Louden stated the goal is to allow more players to enjoy the game by offering adjustable difficulty options without diluting the challenge. Associate design director Mitja Roskaric highlighted the 30-minute session length and the importance of players learning from each run, even with persistent upgrades and a 'Second Chance' revive mechanic.
Saros' world-altering eclipse "has both a gameplay and narrative purpose" its game designer tells me, and it's already pulling me back into this roguelike
Saros, a PlayStation 5 roguelike from Housemarque, features an "Eclipse" mechanic that alters gameplay and narrative by increasing player power at the cost of greater risk. Designers Khalil Osaimi and Abebe Tinari explain how this mechanic, along with permanent progression systems and corrupted bullets, encourages aggressive play and ties into the game's haunting story. The game aims to blend gameplay and narrative seamlessly, with elements like environmental design and stat names reinforcing the themes of corruption and character development.
Tim Sweeney Gets Savaged Online For 'Out Of Touch' Layoff Post
Tim Sweeney faced significant online criticism for a recent post regarding layoffs, which many perceived as out of touch. The article also touches upon Housemarque's development of Saros, a new game that evolves the challenging formula of Returnal, with developer Gregory Louden discussing the studio's approach to difficulty.
Saros: The Big Preview – Hands-on and developer access with PS5's roguelike game-changer
Housemarque's Saros, a spiritual successor to Returnal, is described as a 'gameplay first' roguelike experience for the PlayStation 5. The preview highlights its fast-paced combat, shield mechanics, and layered narrative, with a release date set for April 30.
Saros hands-on report: intense sci-fi action in a beautiful, deadly alien world - PS Blog
Housemarque is enhancing its arcade expertise for Saros, a cosmic horror action game set in a dangerous alien world. The game is scheduled for release on April 30 for the PlayStation 5.
Saros: The Big Preview - IGN
Housemarque's upcoming game, Saros, is a cosmic horror bullet-fest that builds upon the acclaimed third-person looper shooter mechanics of Returnal. Early gameplay suggests Saros aims to surpass its predecessor in scope and intensity.
Runs in Saros on PS5 Will Be Significantly Shorter Than Those in Returnal
Housemarque's upcoming roguelite shooter Saros will feature significantly shorter runs compared to Returnal, with individual biomes taking approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. The game will also include multiple save slots, autosave, and the ability to suspend runs, offering more flexibility and reducing player frustration.
Housemarque on how Saros evolves Returnal's punishing formula
Housemarque, the Finnish studio behind Returnal, is discussing how the difficulty of their latest PlayStation exclusive, Saros, evolves the punishing formula of Returnal. The studio wrestled with the question of whether Returnal was too hard when developing Saros.
Housemarque on how Saros evolves Returnal's punishing formula
Housemarque, the studio behind Returnal, is developing a new PlayStation 5 exclusive titled Saros. Developer Gregory Louden discussed how the team is evolving Returnal's challenging gameplay formula for the new title.
Saros has been made easier than Returnal due to player feedback, though creative director claims its still "a very challenging game"
Housemarque has made its upcoming sci-fi roguelike shooter Saros easier than Returnal, incorporating features like autosaves and multiple save slots based on player feedback. Creative director Gregory Louden stated that while the game remains challenging, these changes aim to allow more players to experience its content. The game will also feature permanent upgrades and shorter, approximately 30-minute run times, and is releasing exclusively on PlayStation 5.
After 3 hours, Saros is a PS5 must-play and GOTY contender - Gamesradar
Housemarque's sci-fi roguelike Returnal is a must-play title for PlayStation 5 owners and a strong contender for Game of the Year. The game's 'bullet ballet' gameplay puts players under pressure while providing them with the tools to overcome its challenging world.
Saros Preview - Speaking My Language - Game Informer
Game Informer had an excellent time playing Saros, Housemarque's latest roguelite, for three hours. The preview focused on learning the game's unique language mechanics.
Jesper Kyd interview - ‘I am in love with video game music’
Composer Jesper Kyd discusses his lifelong passion for video game music, tracing its evolution from the early demo scene to modern orchestral and electronic scores. He emphasizes the importance of melody and originality, drawing inspiration from his formative years with the Commodore 64 and Amiga. Kyd also touches on his work across various titles like Assassin's Creed and State of Decay 3, his approach to scoring open-world games, and his thoughts on the future of music composition in the industry, including the role of AI.
'We're Only Talking About the PS5': Saros Director on Cancelled PC Port Reports
Saros director Gregory Louden stated that discussions are currently focused solely on the PlayStation 5 launch, amidst reports that Sony is scaling back its PC porting strategy. Bloomberg suggests that conversions for games like Saros and Ghost of Yotei have been cancelled, with the company aiming for greater exclusivity.
Round Up: 'Already a GOTY Contender': 5 Things We Learned from Saros PS5 Previews
Previews for Housemarque's upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive, Saros, highlight its evolution from Returnal with more approachable yet still challenging gameplay. The game features enhanced gun variety, a new shield mechanic for absorbing bullets, and a high-risk, high-reward 'Eclipse' system. Saros also incorporates a more overt narrative structure with character interactions in its hub world, drawing comparisons to Hades.
Housemarque says it 'hancrafted levels, art, design, and combat encounters' and 'kind of connect them in a procedural matter' to create Saros' ever-changing levels
Housemarque's upcoming PlayStation 5 title, Saros, will feature handcrafted levels that are procedurally connected, leading to altered layouts and new paths upon respawning. Creative director Gregory Louden and art director Simone Silvestri highlighted the game's roguelike mechanics and the team's extensive playtesting to ensure a fluid player experience.
Saros director won't say whether it's coming to PC, following report Sony plan to stop porting over their big singleplayer guns
The director of the upcoming game Saros, Gregory Louden, declined to comment on potential PC portage, following reports that Sony plans to limit releases of its major single-player titles to PlayStation 5. While Saros is confirmed for PlayStation 5, its PC availability remains uncertain, unlike the previously PC-ported Returnal.
Saros Looks Like Returnal, But Feels Unlike Anything Else Housemarque Has Made - Gamespot
Housemarque's upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive, Saros, offers a gameplay experience distinct from their previous work, including Returnal. A three-hour hands-on preview suggests the studio is set to deliver another memorable title.
Saros developer doesn't think Returnal 'was that hard of a game', but admits that the team 'did pay a lot more attention to the onboarding experience' for its spiritual successor
Housemarque's associate design director Mitja Roskaric stated that Returnal was not an overly difficult game, but acknowledged that its onboarding experience required more attention. For their new title, Saros, the team focused on rewarding movement and implementing permanent progression systems to improve the learning curve compared to Returnal's roguelike mechanics. Saros is set to launch on PlayStation 5 on April 30.
