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Final Fantasy 14 Reveals Next Expansion, Evercold, And Title Of Next Saga
Final Fantasy XIV’s annual North American Fan Festival showcase kicked off with the announcement of the MMO’s next expansion, Evercold. Following the reveal, Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida explained the upcoming adventure continues a new saga first started by the game’s previous expansion, Dawntrail. The ongoing story arc has officially been named the Godless Realms Saga.
Based on the teaser trailer, Evercold will see the Warrior of Light reunite with old allies to prevent an encroaching ice storm from consuming the Fourth, a new reflection ripe for exploration--so long as it’s not frozen over, that is. The upcoming expansion will include two new classes, one tank and one physical ranged, though neither class was revealed at the showcase. Though the team refrained from sharing too much about Evercold’s story, Yoshida explained next week’s patch 7.5 will set up the events to come.
Yoshida then dived into the various technical changes coming to the game, the most notable being a new battle system, a major UI overhaul, same-region player matching, and a pivot away from the current daily system in favor of a weekly system.
Continue Reading at GameSpotTurn Crimson Desert Into Diablo, Sort Of, With This Camera Change
So, maybe you got tired of regular-degular Crimson Desert and want to see the world of Pywel from a different perspective. Maybe you want to play Pearl Abyss' hot new action-adventure game more like an isometric RPG akin to something like Diablo IV. Well, you're in luck, as a player has discovered the perfect camera-setting options to turn Crimson Desert into Diablo IV. Sort of.
X user Ninjago9101 posted on April 24 a look at the new camera options Pearl Abyss added as part of Crimson Desert's latest update. It's a sneaky change, as you have to navigate to the "Accessibility" tab in the "Settings" tile, which is located under the "Others" tab. But once there, you'll see five Camera options--Camera Shake Intensity, Camera Visual Range, Camera Distance, Camera Vertical Offset, and Camera Horizontal Offset--four of which totally transform Crimson Desert's look.
They Added Diablo Style Gameplay For Crimson Desert.
Now this setting lets you play with an isometric camera in Crimson Desert. pic.twitter.com/sLF6AhPcs1
According to Ninjago9101 in a follow-up post, you'll want to set the Camera Visual Range to 0 (default 50), the Camera Distance to 100 (default 50), the Camera Vertical Offset to 0 (default 50), and the Camera Horizontal Offset to 0 (default 50)--and viola! You've effectively turned Crimson Desert into an isometric RPG.
Continue Reading at GameSpotFar Cry TV Series Won't Adapt Any Of The Games, Showrunner Says
Far Cry is one of several video game adaptations headed to TV in the future, but don't expect this series to be a straight-up recreation of the games, like HBO's The Last of Us. Showrunner Noah Hawley had previously mentioned how he envisions the show as an anthology series, and in a new interview, he mentioned that he won't be "specifically adapting" any of the games in the first-person shooter series.
Speaking to Deadline, Hawley explained that he wants to bring his idea of what a Far Cry story is to TV. "I'm not specifically adapting any of the games that they've put out," Hawley said. "I'm saying much as I did with the Coens or X-Men, or Alien, 'let me have a dialog with this franchise, because this is what I think a Far Cry story is.' We can have a larger conversation about the strengths and weaknesses of adapting video games, specifically because games are built in a way that doesn't make for the best drama."
As Hawley put it, the traditional gameplay structure of a video game--gameplay and skippable cutscenes--doesn't make for a compelling story. "That makes the human drama kind of irrelevant to the storyline. That is death for a show," he said. Far Cry games typically revolve around a protagonist being dropped into hostile territory and having to fight back against a charismatic antagonist--a formula that was cemented in 2012's Far Cry 3.
Continue Reading at GameSpotMeet The Dungeon Master Controlling Ghost Of Yotei’s Lawless Japan
Open worlds are difficult to craft. Make them huge and fill them with enough content to justify the space, and the result can become repetitive or tedious to explore. Lean too heavily on guiding the player toward carefully handcrafted moments, and the world stops feeling open in the first place. It’s a balancing act between freedom and structure that defines the genre, and one Sucker Punch has been iterating on from Ghost of Tsushima to Ghost of Yotei.
At GDC, developers from the studio described how Yotei pushes further into that tension with a more system-driven philosophy. Instead of relying solely on authored encounters sprinkled across the map, the team built what they describe as a dungeon master layer beneath the world--a system designed to react to player behavior and shape the experience moment to moment.
"Our dungeon master is called the event deck. It’s an invisible hand that guides your exploration," said Sucker Punch Productions lead gameplay engineer Samuel Holley. "Like a good dungeon master, it has a linear plan that it adapts to each player’s nonlinear journey, empowering player freedom while making sure you still have a good time."
Continue Reading at GameSpotWe May Never Get Another Titanfall, But This Game Could Be The Next Best Thing
A new Titanfall game may never come to fruition, but that doesn't mean the franchise's DNA can't live in another exoskeleton. It appears an indie team is doing what EA won't and reviving the series' human-mech combat in a vibrant FPS, but don't start clearing storage space just yet--it won't launch until sometime in 2027.
Developer Tetra Studios is working on "a multiplayer parkour FPS" called ShatterRush. Launching on Steam Early Access in "Q3 2027," with an open pre-alpha demo available to download right now, ShatterRush is giving The Finals meets Titanfall with a dash of Battlefield in all the right ways. We're talking poppy colors, destructible environments, and parkour galore--all while you summon a giant mech from the sky to battle other giant mechs.
This is pretty awesome to see. The Titanfall series, which originally started on Xbox in March 2014, has been on ice for over a decade now. Developer Respawn Entertainment has sworn that no new Titanfall was in development for forever, apparently going as far as shelving an unannounced FPS in March 2025 and cancelling an extraction shooter set within the universe in April 2025. Vince Zampella, the late founder of Respawn Entertainment who died in a December 2025 car crash, said in April 2023 that if Titanfall 3 were to ever be a thing, it would have to be the "right thing" to make sense.
Continue Reading at GameSpotFable Reboot Ditching Trademark Morality Feature Is A "Real Shame," Creator Says
The upcoming Fable reboot from Forza Horizon developer Playground features a morality scale, but the game does away with the morality-based "morphing" system from previous games. In older Fable players, the physical appearance of player characters would change depending on moral alignments, and players who were evil enough would even sprout horns.
Peter Molyneux, who created the Fable series and designed many of its trademark elements, told IGN that it's a "real shame" that the Fable reboot is ditching this system. "I don't know why they've done that," he said. It might come down to the work involved, Molyneux theorized.
"To do that and to allow different genders, that doubles and triples your work. But I wonder if there is going to be a little bit of evil alignment and good alignment in there. I hope so," he said. "It's hard to do that because to do it well in today's incredibly high-definition world just makes it more tricky."
Continue Reading at GameSpotAll Armor Sets In Windrose And How To Get Them
Despite being a pirate game focused on navigating the open seas with your ship and crew, Windrose features some surprisingly difficult combat. In the opening hours of your playthrough, you'll likely die to more than a few boars or dodo birds. Luckily, you can eventually stop dying to meager enemies once you equip some more advanced armor in Windrose.
Armor goes well beyond the basic rags you start out with, but it's not easily obtainable in the lands around Tortuga. To see all of the available armor sets you can acquire and equip in Windrose, keep reading the guide below.
Table of Contents [hide]All armor sets in WindroseIn total, there are seven armor sets available to acquire in Windrose. Here's what those armor sets are:
Continue Reading at GameSpotGTA 6 Fans Are Circling This Date For More News, But That's Probably Just Wishful Thinking
Grand Theft Auto 6 is 2026's most-anticipated game and possibly the most heavily hyped game ever, so it's only natural that people obsess over every little detail and search for clues about when more information will be released ahead of launch.
The latest chapter in that story unfolded this week. Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two, announced when it will hold its next quarterly earnings briefing, a date that fans are now circling on their calendars with much interest. The Take-Two report will be released on Thursday, May 21, and this will cover Take-Two's fourth quarter and fiscal year 2026 results, because Take-Two's fiscal year ends March 31.
In addition to releasing its earnings details, Take-Two management will answer questions during a conference call that is set to begin May 21 at 1:30 PM PT / 4:30 PM ET. But should you get excited for a big GTA 6 reveal to come? In short, probably not--but you never know.
Continue Reading at GameSpotBlizzard Apologizes For World Of Warcraft's Bad 12.0.5 Patch: "We Will Do Better"
World of Warcraft got a huge update on April 21 that introduced some new modes and gameplay features, but everything didn't go according to plan, with players leaving more frustrated than elated. Blizzard understands this "justified frustration" and has openly apologized, saying it's working on fixing the issues with patch 12.0.5 while committing to greater transparency.
In an X post on April 23 from the official World of Warcraft account, Blizzard addressed the concerns regarding the launch of the MMORPG's latest patch. The studio expressed remorse about how the botched release "disrupted your time," explaining that everyone is "working around the clock" to stabilize the game and fix the issues currently plaguing World of Warcraft.
"The team is taking lessons learned from this launch to help ensure this doesn't happen again," Blizzard wrote on X. "We will also work harder to communicate openly, early, and often when a launch doesn't go as expected: the known issues we're working on, fixes as they roll out, and any other information that would be useful to our community as problems are worked on and solved. We care deeply about this game, and we play it right alongside you. We will do better."
Continue Reading at GameSpotExpedition 33 Celebrates First Anniversary With Special Haircuts For The Main Characters
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was released one year ago today, and to mark the anniversary, developer Sandfall Interactive announced that the game has reached 8 million units sold and released a free game update that gives players the ability to get an "Anniversary haircut" for each playable character.
In addition to 8 million sales, Expedition 33 was praised by fans and won many awards, including taking home GameSpot's Game of the Year for 2025. In fact, Expedition 33 won more Game of the Year awards than any other game ever, surpassing Elden Ring's record.
As for the free update, players can access the new Anniversary haircut styles by purchasing them from Gestral merchants. Gustave's haircut is available from the merchant near Stone Wave Cliffs, while the haircuts for Verso, Maelle, Lune, Sciel, and Monoco can be found at the merchant near Grosse Tête. You can get a peek at the new haircut styles in the image below.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAC: Black Flag Remake's Trailer Didn't Have Much Blood, But The Final Game Will
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag's upcoming remake, Resynced, got its first trailer recently, and fans noticed it was lacking blood. For a game mainly focused on stabbing people with pointy objects, that omission stood out. But you needn't worry, as the game will indeed be bloody, just like the 2013 original.
Producer Justin Ng said on social media, "There WILL be blood in the final game." He also joked that you won't have to pay extra for the sanguine fluid. "It will not be a paid DLC," Ng wrote.
Like the original, Resynced is rated M for Mature by the ESRB, with its content description warning people about blood and violence.
Continue Reading at GameSpot"Game Pass Starter Edition" For Discord Nitro Members Leaks
Microsoft and Discord are teaming up for a new Game Pass offering, and now it's seemingly been leaked early. Discord Previews discovered that an upcoming perk for Discord Nitro members will be access to a new version of Game Pass called the Starter Edition.
This new version of Game Pass will include 50+ games from the game Pass library, along with an allotment of 10 hours per month for Xbox Cloud streaming. Members will also be able to accrue Xbox Rewards points for playing games, according to the leak.
The full list of games was not confirmed, but leaked art shows titles like Stardew Valley, Gears 5, Dishonored 2, Overcooked 2, Fallout 4, and Grounded, among others. It's unclear if Game Pass Starter Edition will be available for anyone, or only existing Discord Nitro members. Also unknown is if this would replace any current tier or if it would become a fourth tier of Game Pass.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAssassin's Creed: Black Flag Isn't Coming To Switch 2 (For Now)
After several months of leaks and rumors, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced was finally shown off officially this week, and it's sailing onto PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in July. One platform that's absent from the list? Nintendo's Switch 2 console, which has been home to several of Ubisoft's biggest ports recently.
The FAQ for Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced makes no mention of a Switch 2 release, mentioning only PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. That doesn't rule out a Switch 2 release entirely, as the Nintendo system should be capable of playing the game. Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced is built on the same Anvil Engine technology as last year's Assassin's Creed Shadows--one of Ubisoft's best-looking games--and it was later ported to Switch 2 consoles.
We also got a Switch 2 version of Star Wars Outlaws, another visually impressive title from the Ubisoft library. Both games are massive open-world experiences--especially Assassin's Creed Shadows with its replica of feudal Japan--and they ran surprisingly well on Switch 2 once they received post-launch patches. In their current form, both games offer a mostly stable level of performance, whether in TV or Docked mode.
Continue Reading at GameSpotNintendo Finally Puts Some Music On Spotify, But Don't Enjoy It For Too Long
Fans of Nintendo have long yearned for the company to put official game soundtracks on mainstream platforms like Spotify, and they're getting their wish partially fulfilled in a monkey's paw situation--Nintendo only released music from both Super Mario Galaxy games, and it's only for a limited time.
There's now an official Spotify playlist containing the soundtracks of both Galaxy titles, totalling to 130 tracks. A Spotify press release reveals that the sudden drop of Mario music is to observe the franchise's 40th anniversary, as well as to mark the release of the box office-smashing Super Mario Galaxy animated film. There's also a playlist compiling composer Brian Tyler's work on both Mario movies.
The catch here is that the Super Mario Galaxy playlist will only be "available for a limited time." Spotify's press release made no mention of this, nor did it clarify how long the promotion will last. The only official language is from an image of a billboard included in Spotify's release, which states that these billboards are popping up in New York City, Los Angeles, and Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing.
Continue Reading at GameSpotBeast of Reincarnation Preorders Are Live For The One-Person, One-Dog Adventure
Beast of Reincarnation Standard Edition (PS5, Xbox)
Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Target Preorder at GameStopBeast of Reincarnation Deluxe Edition (PS5)
Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Target Preorder at GameStopDeveloper Game Freak is famous for its work on the mainline Pokemon games, and later this year, the studio will release its brand-new Beast of Reincarnation action-RPG. Launching on August 4, preorders are now live for the standard and deluxe physical versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Beast of Reincarnation Preorder Bonuses
Preordering Beast of Reincarnation grants the bonus Brown Shiba Skin for your wolf pal, Koo, and 30,000 Amber, the in-game currency.
Beast of Reincarnation Standard Edition (PS5, Xbox) $60 | Releases August 4The Beast of Reincarnation Standard Edition includes the base game and preorder bonus if you buy it before launch. The cover features the game's protagonist Emma and her partner, the blighted wolf Koo.
Where to buy
Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Target Beast of Reincarnation Deluxe Edition (PS5) $70 | Releases August 4Beast of Reincarnation Deluxe Edition includes extra content such as Black and Brown Shiba skins for Koo, the Oni hat cosmetic, and Big Dipper sword for Emma. It also offers additional resources, vegetable seedlings to help with progression, and 100,000 Amber in-game currency.
- Beast of Reincarnation base game
- Black Shiba skin for Koo
- Brown Shiba skin for Koo
- Oni's Hat for Emma
- Big Dipper sword for Emma
- 100,000 Amber
- Vegetable seedlings
Where to buy
Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at TargetSet 2,000 years in the future, Beast of Reincarnation follows the prophesied savior of humanity, Emma, on her journey across a post-apocalyptic Japan. Centuries prior, corrupted plant-like creatures known only as the Blight laid waste to the world, and Emma sets off to explore the ruins of human civilization alongside her wolf companion in this one-person, one-dog action-RPG.
Continue Reading at GameSpotPragmata's Diana Is Now A VTuber, And Is Inviting Other VTubers To The Moon
Pragmata's tiny AI protagonist Diana has been turned into a VTuber, and is inviting other VTubers to the moon to engage in adorable conversations.
First to visit the newly-2D child protagonist was Usada Pekora, a Japanese VTuber affiliated with Hololive Productions--the largest VTubing agency in the world. She made her first appearance, known within the VTubing community as her debut, in July 2019 and has undergone minimal design refinements since. She resembles a human-like bunny rabbit, with blue and white twin tails with carrots braided into them.
Diana's VTuber model features her trademark oversized blue jacket and flowing blonde locks. Since Pekora is a Japanese VTuber, their meeting on the moon was recorded in Japanese but there's a (questionable) English dub of the encounter on YouTube.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAssassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced Preorders Go Live With Collector's Edition And Extras
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced - Standard Edition (PS5, Xbox Series X)
Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Target Preorder at GameStopAssassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Digital Deluxe Edition (PS5, Xbox Series X, PC)
Preorder at Ubisoft StoreAssassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Collector's Edition (PS5, Xbox Series X, PC)
Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Target Preorder at GameStop Preorder at PS DirectA return to the stranger tides of the Caribbean is on the cards as Ubisoft has officially unveiled Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced. This remake of the 2013 game launches on July 9 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, and preorders are open for the game's editions: a Standard Edition at $60, a Digital Deluxe Edition for $70, and a Collector's Edition loaded with booty for $200.
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced Preorder BonusesLike other Ubisoft games, several preorder bonuses are available for purchasing Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced early. All versions include Blackbeard's Crimson Pack DLC, a set of crimson-colored weapons and gear that look good and grant unique perks when equipped. Here's what you get in this collection:
- Crimson Costume
- Crimson Sword
- Crimson Pistol
The Standard Edition of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced includes Blackbeard's Crimson Pack DLC when you preorder.
Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Target Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Digital Deluxe Edition (PS5, Xbox Series X, PC) $70 | Releases July 9If you'd prefer to download the Black Flag remake, the Digital Deluxe Edition is worth checking out. It costs $10 more than the standard physical edition but includes a boatload of extra DLC plus the Blackbeard's Crimson Pack preorder bonus.
The Master Assassin Character Pack adds more costumes and weapons, while the Master Assassin Naval Pack adds new gear for your ship and a ship's pet cat. This version of the game will also be available day one through Ubisoft's subscription service, Ubisoft+.
- Base game
- Master Assassin Character Pack
- Edward costume
- Swords
- Pistols
- Trinket with unique perks
- Master Assassin Naval Pack
- Sail set
- Ship's pet
- Crew attire
- Wheel
- Figurehead
- Hull trim.
Fans who want the game and a collectible should check out the Collector's Edition. It includes the base game and all the digital content listed above, plus physical items like an exclusive steelbook cover, a metal replica of Edward Kenway's brooch, a cloth world map, a recreation of Kenway's logbook, and a sea shanty music sheet. The highlight is a 12-inch statue of Kenway, featuring the protagonist in his Assassin regalia, seated on a treasure chest.
Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at TargetNot just a complete graphical overhaul of the fourth mainline Assassin's Creed game from 2013, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced also features several major upgrades to the gameplay. The parkour gameplay has been updated to feel more in line with modern-day Assassin's Creed games, the tailing missions have been substantially reworked, and combat has been fine-tuned to be both faster and more fluid.
Continue Reading at GameSpotSaros Review – Return Stronger
Saros might be a roguelite, but its definition of a "run" is definitely broader than most. The latest game from developer Housemarque shares plenty of similarities with the studio's previous game, Returnal--both are sci-fi third-person shooters with a bullet-hell tinge--yet Saros takes some bold swings that clearly differentiate the two. By flipping Housemarque's roguelite formula on its head, Saros builds and improves upon its spiritual predecessor in spectacular fashion, seducing you every step of the way with an enthralling marriage of mechanics and story that's not to be missed.
You're given very little to go on as Saros begins. On the planet of Carcosa, communication with the colony ships Echelon I, II, and III has been lost. Echelon IV and its emergency crew are sent to investigate. In addition to a pilot, crew commander, and engineer, the team also includes four armed Enforcers for reconnaissance and security purposes. Protagonist Arjun Devraj is one of these Enforcers, though that number has dwindled to two by the time you take control. With thousands of colonists missing, members of the emergency crew losing their minds, and Arjun able to come back from the dead, you're just as lost as the characters are when it comes to figuring out just what the hell is going on.
What you do know is that the Echelon program was sent to Carcosa by the Soltari corporation due to the presence of Lucenite, a compound with vast energy potential. Soltari is essentially Alien's Weyland-Yutani in all but name, placing Lucenite extraction above all else in the chase for trillion-dollar profits. This creates friction between the crew and those loyal to the company, especially Arjun, who also has personal reasons for being there. He knows someone who was on board Echelon I, so there's an impassioned determination behind his words and actions, even as he struggles to piece together the mysterious circumstances he finds himself in.
Even so, I was initially skeptical of this approach. A protagonist searching for their partner is a tired and overdone trope, yet Saros surprised me with the direction it takes. It's darker and more complex than I imagined it would be, while Arjun's character development over the course of the game proves captivating.
The entire cast is excellent, too, breathing life into characters you only encounter through audio logs and those you interact with each time you return from a run. Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass, Gears 5), meanwhile, shines as Arjun, giving depth to his struggles and inner turmoil as he carries the weight of the game's narrative. The only misstep is that the character models during in-game conversations lack the fidelity to convey the same emotions as the voice performances. Usually, this isn't an issue, but there are a couple of hard-hitting moments where it veers into the uncanny valley.
Another thing I appreciated about Arjun's arc is the way it gradually folds into the planet's broader mysteries. You might be familiar with the name Carcosa. In Saros, it's a shape-shifting alien planet, but the name has appeared across media before in the likes of True Detective, Mass Effect, and the works of H.P. Lovecraft and George R.R. Martin. Each of these instances was inspired by the American writer Robert W. Chambers, who used Carcosa as a setting in several short stories featured in the 1895 book The King in Yellow. Saros is no different. In the book, Chambers describes Carcosa as a mysterious, ancient, and possibly cursed place, which is a fitting description for the hostile planet you find yourself stranded on.
There's more to it than just a name, although I won't delve any further into specifics. Just know that these allusions only add to the sense of unease. Saros might not be a horror game, but it quickly establishes an unnerving atmosphere that permeates throughout the entire experience.
You receive a drip-feed of information from run to run as you discover text and audio logs and converse with your fellow crew members each time you return to the game's hub. This lack of information creates a mystique around Arjun, the mission, and Carcosa, which Housemarque further blurs by showing you striking images and events for which you have no context. Even as the picture becomes clearer, the sense of dread doesn't dissipate as the game's mysteries slowly unravel, and the eventual context is all the more impactful.
Carcosa's aesthetic contributes to this feeling as well. Each biome evokes trepidation, whether it's the tumultuous nature of the planet itself or its ancient architecture--crafted at some unknown point in time by some unknowable entity. White marble walls are juxtaposed with statues and art installations that scream agony; there are large-scale depictions of arms clawing their way out of hell and poor souls forced to hold up structures like Atlas carrying the heavens on his shoulders. Underneath the earth is a sprawling network of pipes and metal, where fire spews out of whirring machinery, and H.R. Giger's influence is felt. There's a city, decimated by a long-forgotten war, where tight streets constrict your movement and ramp up the intensity of each firefight, while a murky swamp forces you to contend with toxic waters once the planet's eclipse fills the sky.
Saros builds and improves upon [Returnal] in spectacular fashion, seducing you every step of the way with an enthralling marriage of mechanics and story that's not to be missed.
Once you've left the relative safety of the hub and are exploring these biomes, that feeling of uncertainty in the pit of your stomach is also joined by a jolt of excitement. In Returnal, protagonist Selene dashed through incoming lines of explosive orbs, jumped over energy beams, and utilized a variety of weaponry to survive. In Saros, Arjun does the same, except he's not fighting just to survive; he's fighting to find his partner, and will kill whatever's in front of him to do so. While Selene was constantly on the back foot, Arjun plants his front foot firmly in the ground, and his arsenal reflects this.
You can jump and dash to avoid the barrage of enemy fire heading your way, but Arjun also comes equipped with a special shield that deflects damage and, most importantly, absorbs it, channeling this energy into Power that can be used to unleash your own devastating attacks.
Blue projectiles can be dashed through or absorbed, yellow ones can be dashed through but will rapidly destroy your shield, while red projectiles need to be avoided entirely--at least until you gain the ability to parry these attacks later on. This means readability is never an issue, though it's still easy to feel overwhelmed when the screen fills with a cacophony of bright energy beams and neon orbs. Not in a negative sense, but in a way that's challenging without feeling unfair.
It's a test of your reflexes and ability to position yourself so that you're not surprised by any unseen threats. It also makes sense that Housemarque rejects the bullet-hell moniker in favor of the more apt "bullet ballet." With active reloads and the way you weave into some projectiles while outright avoiding others, there's a rhythmic cadence to combat that feels somewhat like a chaotic dance.
Slipping into a flow state is incredibly easy, to the point where I often didn't realize how hard I was gripping the controller until the action had died down. It's thrilling stuff, mixing small-arms fire with melee strikes and a Power Weapon you can charge by absorbing projectiles, blasting away mobs, tough Alpha enemies, and the game's slew of fantastic bosses.
There are a few weapon types, such as assault rifles, shotguns, and crossbows, but, as with each procedurally generated biome, there are dozens of different permutations as well. One pistol might utilize burst fire, while another ricochets each bullet between multiple enemies. Every weapon has an alt-fire mode, too, letting you fire off shotgun shells with a more concentrated vertical spread, or add additional homing projectiles to a single crossbow bolt. I rarely found a firearm that wasn't satisfying to use, and they all feel viable, no matter the confluence of random modifiers and buffs.
You'll also find numerous Artifacts scattered across Carcosa. There's a limit to how many you can have equipped, but each one augments your abilities and grants different effects, such as automatic Power generation or a reduction in incoming damage. Unlike Returnal, you don't need a near-perfect mix of Artifacts and weapons to succeed. Saros is still a challenging game--and you can tinker with various modifiers to make it slightly easier or harder (within reason)--but it never feels like a successful run is predicated on which random pickups you receive.
This is also partly due to permanent upgrades that are more palpable and immediate. The Lucenite you collect by exploring and defeating enemies can be spent at the game's hub to purchase various upgrades from an exhaustive skill tree. Some of these are blanket improvements to attributes like armor integrity and maximum Power, and there's an instant sense of progression that stems from seeing your health bar expand or suddenly having more opportunities to use the Power Weapon. Other upgrades are more varied: You can add additional Artifact slots, start each run with keys to unlock doors and open locked containers, ensure that enemies drop more Lucenite, and boost your proficiency to gain access to higher-tier weapons earlier in a run.
That last upgrade is important, because Saros isn't structured like most roguelites. There's a throughline from one biome to the next that encompasses almost the entire game, but you can also travel to each biome individually from the game's hub. Obviously, you need to unlock an area first, but once you've reached a specific biome, you can fast-travel right back to it at the start of each run. This means you don't have to start from the beginning of the game each time and can pick up wherever you want, cutting out potential tedium while also giving you a ton of flexibility in how you approach the game.
GalleryWhen a boss was giving me a hard time, I decided to begin my run from the first biome rather than teleporting straight to the boss's domain. There are risks involved in this strategy, since I could've died before even making it back, but starting from an earlier point allowed me to build up enough temporary upgrades that I had an easier time defeating the boss. Other times, I didn't feel like I needed to revisit past biomes again, so I teleported to where I needed to go and went from there. Add in the fact that you can suspend a run (provided you're not in the middle of a boss battle), and Saros is much more generous with your time than Returnal was.
It might not be a direct sequel, but decisions like this and others elsewhere address every issue I had with Returnal. Housemarque's previous game is fantastic in its own way. Yet Saros elevates the studio's roguelite formula to another level. Its structure is surprisingly malleable, combat is deeper and more rewarding, and I couldn't resist being wrapped around the finger of its mysterious and foreboding narrative. I find roguelites hit-and-miss, but it didn't take long before I was utterly infatuated with Saros. It's an incredible game that does more than just refine what worked before. Even after rolling credits, I can't wait to dive back in.
Saros Review - Return Stronger
Saros might be a roguelite, but its definition of a "run" is definitely broader than most. The latest game from developer Housemarque shares plenty of similarities with the studio's previous game, Returnal--both are sci-fi third-person shooters with a bullet-hell tinge--yet Saros takes some bold swings that clearly differentiate the two. By flipping Housemarque's roguelite formula on its head, Saros builds and improves upon its spiritual predecessor in spectacular fashion, seducing you every step of the way with an enthralling marriage of mechanics and story that's not to be missed.
You're given very little to go on as Saros begins. On the planet of Carcosa, communication with the colony ships Echelon I, II, and III has been lost. Echelon IV and its emergency crew are sent to investigate. In addition to a pilot, crew commander, and engineer, the team also includes four armed Enforcers for reconnaissance and security purposes. Protagonist Arjun Devraj is one of these Enforcers, though that number has dwindled to two by the time you take control. With thousands of colonists missing, members of the emergency crew losing their minds, and Arjun able to come back from the dead, you're just as lost as the characters are when it comes to figuring out just what the hell is going on.
What you do know is that the Echelon program was sent to Carcosa by the Soltari corporation due to the presence of Lucenite, a compound with vast energy potential. Soltari is essentially Alien's Weyland-Yutani in all but name, placing Lucenite extraction above all else in the chase for trillion-dollar profits. This creates friction between the crew and those loyal to the company, especially Arjun, who also has personal reasons for being there. He knows someone who was on board Echelon I, so there's an impassioned determination behind his words and actions, even as he struggles to piece together the mysterious circumstances he finds himself in.
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