The bullet-hell roguelike Saros is receiving its largest update yet with Saros: Zenith, which launches today. This free update introduces a variety of new features aimed at making the game more approachable for new players and offering more content for existing ones.
Enhancing Accessibility
For those new to Saros, the Zenith update incorporates several accessibility options. A significant addition is the "Slow Game Speed" feature, allowing players to adjust the pace of enemy bullet patterns. This can be set to a manual toggle or an automatic function that activates when projectiles are nearby. Developer Housemarque stated in a PlayStation Blog post that they focused on balancing these accessibility features with the game's core identity, resulting in this bullet-time-like mechanic.
Another key accessibility change is the introduction of "Auto-fire." This setting enables automatic firing at enemies within the player's aim, freeing them to concentrate on dodging. The developer notes that manual reloading and perfectly timed reloads remain active gameplay elements. These adjustments are intended to reduce the game's intensity for players who find the screen full of projectiles overwhelming.
Content for Veterans
Existing players will find new challenges in the "Overlord Rush" mode, a boss rush feature that pits players against the game's Overlords. Three distinct sets of bosses are available: "Incursion" and "Ascension" each feature three Overlords, while "Totality" presents all eight bosses consecutively for leaderboard competition.
The update also introduces new Carcosan Modifiers. These are optional toggles that can either increase or decrease difficulty. Players can add a limited number of "Protection Modifiers" to ease gameplay, but must balance them with "Trial Modifiers" to increase the challenge.
Ten new Protection Modifiers and ten new Trial Modifiers have been added. An example of a new Protection is "Corruption Melee Enhancement," which uses Corruption to provide a damage bonus for close-range attacks.
These modifiers are integrated into the new New Game Plus mode, known as Eclipse Layers. After completing the game, new nodes appear in the Armor Matrix within the hub area. Unlocking these allows players to access the next Eclipse Layer, which requires more Carcosan Modifiers to progress. In this mode, the player character Arjun dons a crown and golden armor that grows with each added modifier. Higher-level crowns unlock hidden messages within the game world.
Reception and Outlook
Saros received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its unique visuals and engaging bullet-hell gameplay, though some noted that its easier difficulty compared to Housemarque's previous title, Returnal, might have been an overcorrection. Sales figures indicated a slower start, with Alinea Analytics reporting approximately 300,000 copies sold in the first two weeks. Housemarque co-founder Ilari Kuittinen retired from the company shortly after the game's launch. The Zenith update aims to bring renewed attention to Saros.