Saros has been one of those games that has piqued my interest since it was announced back in February of 2025. Looking like the next evolution of Returnal in every sense, it has almost entirely convinced me that I need to finish it before Saros releases a few months from now. In today’s State of Play, we were given yet another trailer that shows off some more of the gameplay features that we’ll be using throughout our time in the game. Let’s dive right into it.
Right off the bat, the creative director, Gregory Lowden, starts off the presentation with the focus of today’s gameplay video – the comeback system. In my previous article from the last trailer we saw, we did talk a little bit about the comeback system, but this trailer seems intent on giving us all the juicy details that were a mystery before. Death in Saros seems like nothing more than a day in the park, much like Returnal, and players should lean into it as if it’s just part of the game. The trailer gives us more details on the permanent progression system and the types of perks we can expect to grab before the next run starts.
Upgrading is done via Echelon IV’s Primary unit, a Soltari AI that allows you to adjust your Enforcer Armor via the Armor Matrix. By using your collected resources, you can upgrade your armor to suit your playstyle. Do you want to upgrade maximum armor integrity so you can take more damage? Do you want to make Lucenite gain faster so you collect more per cycle? Or upgrade your armor’s power capacity to have longer shield usage? Key additions like our 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 our cycles more digestible. Marathon runs are possible, but you can also now teleport directly to your last biome start. On death, your collected main and power weapons will be kept, so if you found a great Soltari shotgun or Carcosan weaponry on death, you will start with it once again.
With Carcosan modifiers, you can adjust your experience to make Saros more challenging or more forgiving. Carcosan Modifiers come in two types: Protection Modifiers reduce challenge by doing things like decreasing incoming damage, making it easier to reload your weapon, or extending the time you can use your Shield. By contrast, Trial Modifiers make the game more challenging by making Hostiles more aggressive, your weapon’s power degrades over time, or even removing your Second Chance ability entirely. The combination of Modifiers you choose is entirely up to you, but crucially, Protections and Trials must be kept in balance to ensure a consistent challenge level.
The last section of the trailer talks about a feature called the Eclipse, which can be activated by finding an alien device deep in the ruins of the planet. The Eclipse settings corrupt the world, escalating the world around you in a horrific fashion. The audio changes, the world appears as if it’s bleeding, and the gameplay turns the dial up to eleven. Enemies will deal extra damage due to corruption, which reduces your maximum armor integrity. To combat this, the player can use their power weapons to sway the battle back into your favor. Weapons and artifacts become corrupted as well, which alters them in both positive and negative ways, which ramps up the challenge and makes every run unique.
Saros seems intent on revolutionizing the gaming space again, like its predecessor, and I can’t wait to see what kind of challenge awaits in the agonizing months between now and its release. Come back stronger, April 30th 2026.
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