Saros Review

Sorrowos, the latest third-person bullet hell shooter from Developer Housemark, delves into the theme of repeated actions in pursuit of different outcomes, a concept mirrored in its roguelike level structure, recurring combat encounters, and the internal struggles of its protagonist, Arjun. The game shares a foundational gameplay loop with its predecessor, Returnal, featuring fluid gunplay and dynamic movement. However, in its attempt at greater thematic ambition, Sorrowos introduces challenges that Returnal managed to avoid, leaving some of its more compelling narrative threads feeling underdeveloped. Despite these shortcomings, the game's exceptionally difficult combat is a significant draw, offering a rewarding experience even when the inherent repetition begins to wear on the player. The story centers on Arjun Devraj, an expeditioner for Space Corp, voiced and likenessed by actor Rahul Kohli, who delivers a strong performance in the lead role. Arjun's crew is dispatched to the planet Carcosa to investigate the disappearance of previous expeditions. Carcosa is depicted as a world characterized by biomechanical imagery and the Gothic architecture of a long-lost alien civilization, with a science fantasy aesthetic heavily influenced by H.R. Giger and reminiscent of the modern Doom games, particularly in its chaotic combat and pulsating soundtrack. Players quickly discover that Carcosa is a deeply unsettling place, with solar eclipses transforming it into a hellscape and inducing a profound psychosis that erodes the well-being of its inhabitants as tensions escalate. Sorrowos draws parallels to works like "Heart of Darkness" and "Apocalypse Now," but its primary inspiration is Robert Chambers' 19th-century anthology, "The King in Yellow." The game directly incorporates names and themes from the book, while also touching upon cosmic horror. Players witness Arjun grappling with his own sanity and past decisions as the game progresses, prompting questions about the true purpose of Saltari, why Arjun repeatedly respawns without consequence, and the very nature of reality within the game. These existential inquiries are explored through run-based levels across Carcosa. Success in Sorrowos hinges on mastering enemy attack patterns and adopting an aggressive playstyle with preferred weapons, which allows players to enter a flow state characteristic of fast-paced shooters. The game's design philosophy is strongly rooted in Returnal's, with some of the rougher edges smoothed out. While not necessarily an evolution, Sorrowos delivers a satisfying experience in line with Housemark's signature style. Carcosa's environments are divided into distinct levels that must be completed in a single run for progression. These levels are procedurally generated from a defined set of rooms, leading to slight variations with each playthrough. Some rooms focus on platforming challenges, while others are filled with hordes of biomechanical enemies, and some combine both. The repetitive nature of the runs can make them blend together, but death is an integral part of the learning process, serving as a training ground for future attempts. The ultimate goal is to navigate levels as healthily as possible and defeat their bosses. Housemark's expertise in shooter development, evident in titles like Resogun and Nex Machina, is on full display. Sorrowos prioritizes speed and agility, complemented by a forgiving aiming system that lends it an arcade-like feel. Players can opt for weapons like the onslaught rifle, which disables auto-aim for powerful shots, or the smart rifle, which locks onto targets, allowing for greater focus on mobility. Most weapons offer satisfying impact, including pistols that remain effective throughout and late-game rip saws that inflict damage over time. These weapons come with randomized perks and variations. The game also brilliantly utilizes the DualSense controller's haptic feedback, mapping alternate fire modes to a half-trigger pull and power ability wind-ups to a full trigger pull, both crucial for split-second execution. Beyond firepower, the core challenge lies in reacting to the colorful projectile barrages on the battlefield. Enemies fire blue shots that can be absorbed to recharge the shield and power ability, red shots that can be parried but not blocked, and yellow shots that build corruption, reducing max health but empowering certain weapons. Players must constantly learn to balance evasion with strategic absorption or parrying of these attacks. Combat arenas demand management of chaotic enemy assaults, while boss fights emphasize attention to detail, relying on swift visual and audio cues to signal incoming attacks and create opportunities for players to retaliate. This dynamic gameplay tests reflexes and offers moments of triumph even amidst frustration. Sorrowos aims to ease player friction compared to Returnal by incorporating more permanent resources and upgrades. A skill tree at the home base allows for improvements to health, shield, and power potency, as well as resource gathering rates. Certain branches can enhance weapon leveling or strengthen the ultimate ability. These upgrades are incremental, designed to make future runs more manageable and encourage smarter play, which is essential given the game's escalating difficulty. However, this focus on incremental progression can lead to monotony, as combat often becomes a war of attrition rather than a test of creative strategy. Spending extended periods repeating levels to reach bosses can feel tedious, a common pitfall in roguelite shooters where build crafting is limited to weapon and perk selection. As a PlayStation 5 exclusive, Sorrowos attempts to align with Sony's more narrative-driven single-player titles, incorporating a high-concept story with themes of breaking harmful cycles, confronting past mistakes, and exploring struggles with sexual identity. While this ambition is commendable, the execution falls short, with many compelling plotlines left underdeveloped. Arjun is a captivating protagonist, driven by a quest to find someone important on Carcosa, yet harboring deeper internal conflicts. His stubbornness manifests as he tries to understand the loop he's trapped in. The narrative occasionally builds towards engaging revelations but lacks the necessary follow-through to fully resolve them. While flawed and even irredeemable characters can be fascinating, the game's storytelling is often too abstract, obscuring the player's understanding of events. Despite the presence of excellent readable data logs that provide thematic depth, these insights are not always integrated into the main story. The narrative struggles to establish clear through-lines, leaving players to connect disparate pieces without sufficient groundwork. In contrast, Returnal's impact stemmed from its focused narrative on Selene's personal struggles, gradually revealed through its roguelike structure. Sorrowos attempts a broader scope but struggles to effectively convey its intended message. Housemark once again demonstrates its mastery of bullet hell combat, blending it seamlessly with challenging action. The game is primarily a test of skill, a rhythmic dance of evasion and offense with a powerful sci-fi arsenal. The roguelike structure, however, sometimes hinders progression, struggling to balance genre-mandated repetition with a strong sense of advancement. Despite the repetitive nature, sharpening skills for the difficult and enjoyable boss fights is a worthwhile endeavor. After investing 22 hours to reach the true ending, the reviewer feels conflicted. While the increased emphasis on story and ambition are appreciated, the abstraction of its strongest ideas results in powerful themes feeling hollow. Ultimately, while eclipsed by its predecessor in certain aspects, Sorrowos is deemed worth the repeated challenges. The review concludes by recommending other sci-fi shooter reviews, including Pragmata, and action RPG reviews like Diablo II: Lord of Hatred, and encourages readers to stay with IGN for all gaming news.