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Housemarque

Housemarque business and news from across the web.

Latest coverage

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N4GVery positive

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.

N4GVery positive

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.

Metro UKVery positive

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.

Push SquareNeutral

'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.

Push SquareVery positive

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.

Tech RadarPositive

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.

Rock Paper ShotgunNegative

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.

N4GVery positive

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.

Tech RadarNeutral

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.

N4GNeutral

Saros Looks Like Returnal, But Feels Unlike Anything Else Housemarque Has Made - Gamespot

The upcoming game Saros from Housemarque is described as a bullet hell title, distinct from their previous work like Returnal. While not on the author's most anticipated list which includes Grand Theft Auto 6 and Fable, the author notes interest in potential remakes and other titles like Pragmata and Nioh 3.

Retro GamerPositive

In pursuit of the ideal roguelike, Saros runs are shorter than Returnal's as Housemarque wanted to "keep the feeling of danger" and "reduce the feeling of helplessness"

Housemarque's upcoming sci-fi roguelike shooter, Saros, will feature shorter runs than Returnal to maintain a sense of danger while reducing player helplessness. Lead game designer Abebe Tinari explains that mechanics like teleportation between areas aim to balance risk and reward, allowing players to practice specific biomes or bosses without committing to a full, lengthy run.

PlaystationVery positive

Saros hands-on report: intense sci-fi action in a beautiful, deadly alien world

Housemarque's upcoming PlayStation 5 title, Saros, offers intense sci-fi action with a cosmic horror twist. Players will embody Enforcer Arjun, who resurrects upon death to continue exploring the alien planet Carcosa. The game features deep combat mechanics involving weapon switching, a unique shield system that absorbs enemy projectiles, and an 'eclipse' mechanic that increases risk for greater rewards.

Retro GamerVery positive

3 hours in, Saros is a triumph for PS5 – this twitchy sci-fi roguelike shooter perfectly evolves on Returnal, and…

Saros, the spiritual successor to Returnal, is shaping up to be a triumph for the PlayStation 5, evolving the 'bullet ballet' roguelike shooter formula with intense combat and satisfying progression. Developed by Housemarque, the game features a new shield mechanic that encourages players to absorb enemy fire, offering a fresh challenge beyond Returnal's established gameplay loop. With shorter, more focused runs and a deep upgrade system, Saros promises a compelling and evolved experience for fans of the genre.

CGmag OnlineVery positive

SAROS Hands-On Preview: A Beautiful World for a Bullet Ballet

A preview of SAROS, a new roguelike from Housemarque, highlights its "bullet ballet" combat and striking visuals, drawing comparisons to Returnal. The game features a permanent progression system, evolving combat mechanics, and a unique "Eclipse" mechanic that escalates challenges and rewards. Voice actor Rahul Kohli lends his talents to the lead character, Arjun Devraj, and Creative Director Gregory Louden provided insights into the game's design.

IGNVery positive

Saros: The Big Preview

Housemarque's upcoming game, Saros, aims to build upon the success of Returnal with a new cosmic horror bullet-fest. Early impressions suggest the game will surpass its predecessor in gameplay and atmosphere.

IGNNeutral

Housemarque Has Made PS5 Exclusive Saros Kinder in Response to Returnal Feedback — but It's Still Fundamentally Difficult

Housemarque has adjusted its PlayStation 5 exclusive game, Saros, to be more accessible based on player feedback from Returnal. Despite these changes, the game is still designed to be fundamentally challenging for players.

GamespotVery positive

Saros Looks Like Returnal, But Feels Unlike Anything Else Housemarque Has Made

Housemarque's upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive, Saros, shares similarities with its previous title, Returnal, but aims to redefine the experience with a new protagonist, Arjun Devraj, and a distinct 'bullet ballet' combat system. The game explores themes of regret, power, and corruption on the alien planet Carcosa, featuring a challenging roguelite structure with permanent upgrades and a transformative 'eclipse' mechanic that drastically alters gameplay and atmosphere.

Gaming BoltVery positive

Saros Developer Wanted to Turn Projectiles Into “Opportunities,” New Ancient Ruins Gameplay Revealed

New gameplay footage for Housemarque's Saros showcases the Ancient Ruins biome and its boss, Bastion. Creative director Gregory Louden described the game's loop as a "playground" where projectiles are opportunities to power up the player's weapon. Saros is set to launch on April 30th for PlayStation 5.

Gaming BoltVery positive

Saros Gameplay Showcases Full Run on Shattered Rise, the First Biome, in Glorious 4K/60 FPS

Housemarque and Sony have released new gameplay footage of Saros, a bullet-hell roguelite shooter and spiritual successor to Returnal. The footage showcases the first biome, Shattered Rise, running in 4K/60 FPS on a PlayStation 5, highlighting combat mechanics, weapon upgrades, and the protagonist's unique barrier ability. Saros is set to release on April 30th for PlayStation 5.

Push SquareVery positive

Have Another 30 Seconds of Pure Saros PS5 Gameplay Before Previews Drop

Housemarque has released another short gameplay clip of Saros, showcasing a new biome with a purple sky. The successor to Returnal, this PlayStation 5 exclusive is set to launch on April 30th and promises refined third-person shooting gameplay with new ideas. Media previews are expected soon, offering more insight into the upcoming title.