Housemarque and Sony Interactive Entertainment released a gameplay preview of their fast-paced, cinematic action game, Saros.

The Passage, a Carcosan temple with a vast history to be discovered, serves as the game’s central hub. There, you can speak with other Echelon IV crew members, explore the world, and find a mysterious banyan tree. You can also upgrade yourself using collected Lucenite and Halycon from your eclipse cycles on Carcosa via our “come back stronger” mechanics.

Upgrades are made through the Echelon IV Primary Unit, a Soltari AI that allows you to adjust your Enforcer Armor via the Armor Matrix. Using your collected resources, you can upgrade your armor to suit your play style. Would you like to maximize your armor integrity to withstand more damage? Would you like to gain Lucenite faster so you can collect more per cycle? Or do you want to upgrade your armor’s power capacity for longer shield usage? Key additions, such as the Second Chance system, are also unlocked as you progress through the Armor Matrix. Primary also allows you to teleport directly to any previously unlocked biome, making the cycles more manageable. Marathon runs are possible, but you can now also teleport directly to your last biome start. If you die, you will keep the main and power weapons you collected, so if you find a great Soltari shotgun or Carcosan weaponry, you will start with it once again.

With Carcosan modifiers, you can adjust your experience to make Saros more challenging or forgiving. There are two types of Carcosan modifiers: Protection modifiers reduce the level of difficulty by decreasing incoming damage, making it easier to reload your weapon, and extending the time you can use your shield. Conversely, Trial Modifiers increase the game’s difficulty by making Hostiles more aggressive, reducing your weapon’s power over time, or removing your Second Chance ability. You can choose any combination of modifiers, but it’s crucial to keep Protections and Trials balanced to ensure a consistent challenge level.

In Saros, the eclipse corrupts weapons, artifacts, the world, and people’s minds. Arjun must push through the eclipse to find answers, but with every attempt, more corruption is added to Carcosa. The eclipse also alters the properties of certain biomes. In the Blighted Marsh, which you’ll see in the trailer, the marsh water comes alive and burns players when the eclipse is activated. Hostiles will also shoot yellow, corrupted projectiles that reduce your maximum armor integrity unless they are cleansed using your power weapon. The soundscape becomes corrupted during the eclipse as well, with Sam Slater’s music distorted by layers of resonating drone guitars. The team at Housemarque who worked on Saros have created a spectacular eclipse experience that they cannot wait for you to play.

Saros will be released on April 30 for PlayStation 5.

Source: Gematsu