Saros Reveals Customizable Gameplay Modifiers

Alongside the launch trailer for Saros, Housemarque gives fans new details on the upcoming action game, including a variety of customizable gameplay modifiers and other accessibility options. The news shouldn’t be too surprising as Housemarque and most PlayStation studios ensure their games have a sizable amount of customization options available to players and Saros will be no different in this regard.

Fans can expect Saros to be rich with features and options, similar to the studio’s previous work like Returnal. In fact, Housemarque recently revealed all the features and PS5 Pro enhancements for Saros, including support for the PSSR for an even sharper image. Prior to upscaling, Saros will be running at 60 FPS and the Pro console has allowed Housemarque to push the graphics even further, adding new details and smaller adjustments to things like reflections. PS5 players will be able to take advantage of Tempest 3D AudioTech as well as the adaptive triggers on the DualSense controller for even more immersion.

Saros’ File Size is Massive

The file size for Saros as well as pre-loading dates for both the Standard and Deluxe versions have arrived, letting fans prepare ahead of launch.

Saros Reveals Gameplay Modifiers

In a new blog post, Housemarque went into more detail regarding the just released launch trailer for Saros. This one is intentionally more story heavy, showcasing the character known as Stack who is played by Keone Young. Stack is revealed painting a massive mural, which creative director Gregory Louden reveals are images forced into his mind from the world of Carcosa. The shot is then met by striking images of the Cathedral, before jumping back into Saros’ unique take on what Housemarque calls “bullet ballet action.” There’s also a brief teaser at the end of a mysterious London alley and hotel corridor, adding a bit more intrigue to the game’s narrative.

The trailer also briefly showcases two new weapons Arjun will gain access to, the Chakram and the Illumine Beam Power weapon alongside the various abilities available in Saros. Housemarque goes on to confirm that Saros features multiple weapon archetypes and variants that are generated every cycle.

However, the blog also revealed the Carcosan Modifiers system, which allows players to further customize their experience to make it easier or add more challenge. This system stands alongside Saros‘ Armour Matrix, which offers permanent upgrades upon each death. While a full list of modifers wasn’t provided, Housemarque did detail a few, including Protection Modifiers like Damage enhancement to increase damage to enemies, Shield Power Enhancement to remove Soltari Shield power consumption, or Overlord Restoration to give players full armor when they face off against bosses.

For those who want to experience more difficulty and challenge, Saros has plenty of options available as Trial Modifiers. Housemarque revealed Growth Incapacitor, removing the second chance option that will automatically revive the player upon their first death in a run. Weapon Decay adds durability to weapons the more they’re used, while Growth Incapacitor II removes all Armor Matrix enhancements.

Fit the 9 games into the grid.

Alongside the Carcosan Modifiers, Saros follows the example of past PlayStation games with expanded accessibility options. For Saros, Housemarque has continued to build on top of what was available in Returnal, with a deeper look at all the available features coming in a future post. For now, the company has confirmed that Saros supports colour blindness features like being able to distinguish between Normal, Corrupted and Nova projectiles. Players can also expect controller remapping, dialogue focus, and much more.