Saros is a few days out, but the reviews are in… and IGN’s 7/10 puts it on the lower end for Housemarque’s new PS5 roguelite. The PS5 exclusive doesn’t drop until next week, but we’ve all sunk time into it and we have different opinions, but agree that the gunplay is punchy, the movement (dashing, jumping) feels great, and Carcosa’s biomes give you a real sense of place even as the enemies and bosses grind you into dust. But when it comes to build variety and crafting a distinct playstyle? Saros plays it surprisingly straight.
This has us wondering: what actually makes a great roguelite? We dig into what Vampire Survivors, Balatro, Dead Cells, Spelunky, BallxPit, and Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard do that keeps us coming back and where Saros leaves us wanting more. Is it a Returnal successor that lives up to Housemarque’s legacy, or does its polished presentation play to the wrong strengths?
This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, and Brian Altano and is produced by Nick Maillet.