‘Saros’ is one of the best-reviewed games of 2026 so far

According to critics, the upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive Saros is one of the best games of 2026 so far.

Developed by Housemarque and published by Sony, Saros is an action game that serves as a spiritual sequel to 2021’s first-person shooter Returnal.

“After Returnal we knew we had created something special and award-winning, but we also knew we wanted Returnal to stand on its own. With this in mind, we decided to create a new IP which evolves our deep third-person action and mysterious storytelling,” Housemarque explained.

“Saros is an action game with the haunting story of a lost off-world colony on Carcosa under an ominous eclipse. You play as Arjun Devraj, a powerful Soltari Enforcer who will stop at nothing to find who he is looking for. Our goal is to create an emotional and powerful character study that explores the cost it takes to create a new future,” they added.

Saros launches next week (April 30) for the PlayStation 5 but a number of reviews were shared earlier today (April 24).

According to review aggregate site Metacritic, Saros has a “generally favourable” score of 88 per cent. This makes it one of the best-reviewed games of the year so far, behind Pokémon Pokopia, Resident Evil Requiem and Mewgenics.

“Saros is an excellent, heart-pounding action game.The combat is exhilarating and Carcosa is a blast to explore. The quality-of-life features make it more accessible than Returnal, and while that might upset some purists, it helps Saros avoid some of the frustrating pitfalls that roguelite games sometimes fall into,” GameRant explained in their review.

“Saros is a brilliant third-person shooter that takes what worked in Returnal and streamlines it for an even smoother game without diluting the fun. The core gameplay is the star attraction; complex yet intuitive, and a perfectly judged challenge that’s so satisfying to overcome. With compelling permanent progression, flexible ways to modify your experience, and an intriguing story to follow, this is another step towards Housemarque’s planetary takeover,” wrote Push Square.

“With Saros, Housemarque once again proved that its bullet-hell sensibilities mesh incredibly well with fluid and super-challenging action. This is primarily a test of skill that’s as much a rhythmic dance as it is a fireworks show with a punch-packing sci-fi arsenal,” said IGN’s review.

In other news, Ubisoft has finally confirmed that the Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remake will launch this July – check out everything we know about the Resynced project here.