In 2012, Housemarque worked on the Angry Birds Trilogy compilation, the quintessential experience of throwing things at a wall and seeing which one will break it. In 2021, the studio developed Returnal, once again a quintessential experience of frustratingly throwing things at a wall. Now, in 2026, the studio is back with Saros, an experience with more of the same but with more flair and the accessibility to more easily break down those walls.

Turn back time over and over again

Like Returnal, Saros is a roguelike shooter. Players start every run from almost-scratch, earning Lucenite along the way. Upon death or winning the run, Arjun Devraj, the playable character, returns to the starting hub and spends his earned Lucenite to unlock meaningful (and permanent!) upgrades for the next run.

Along the way, Devraj finds an armory of available weapons and powerups that subsist through a single run, adding enough variability to ensure that no two runs are completely the same. Coupled with tangible upgrades, Saros creates an ever-changing experience but ensures that you feel stronger with every consecutive run.

It’s also a visually stunning game with designs that border on Lovecraftian. Enemies are so well designed that it’s impossible not to stop and stare at how detailed the monsters are.

A smoother, hypnotic fight

Saros plays like butter. Normally, shooters played on a controller are too finicky for me, but Saros just works. The game features a good number of auto-aiming weapons that help you focus on dodging projectiles. Even the native aim assist on non-automatic weapons is useful enough for making shots.

There’s also Power Weapons, or high-damage attacks that use consumable Power. There are a handful, and all of them are powerful enough to help win a difficult battle.

Fighting, then, is simply fluid. It didn’t take long for me to breeze through runs without focusing on muscle control. This makes for an easier game overall. Whereas Returnal has players beating their heads against the wall for hours, Saros is more accessible. It wants you to win. It wants you to get stronger.

As mentioned, each permanent upgrade is palpable. Devraj does get stronger. You can feel it when you rush past the starting area in no time. There are caps, but each cap is unlocked when you first beat a boss.

That said, the game still offers a challenge. Often, bosses take a few runs to master. Sometimes, you’ll get bodied by a surprise barrage from behind.

Variability that eventually runs out

The key to making a great roguelike rests on how different every run is. Some even have game-breaking combinations with ultra-rare pickups that wreck all of the game’s challenges.

At the start (especially before everything is unlocked), Saros does feature enough variability that invites you to discover everything that the game has to offer.

However, it does become clear that this variability has a limit. Once I had everything unlocked, I was defaulting to only a few combinations: a smart rifle (with auto-aim) with powerups that improve health and Lucenite drops. Plus, since I already had rerolls unlocked, I could just reset every drop until I got what I wanted. Experimentation doesn’t seem like a major draw for players; instead, it’s more about discovering the combination that works for you and grinding until you find it in every run.

Additionally, the map doesn’t really change. Though there are miniscule changes, none of which alters the experience that much. Each room features different terrain, but they’re all essentially identical to one another: fight the horde that spawns in and collect the reward afterwards.

Despite being treated as a major change to the map, even the self-imposed eclipse mode (from which the game derives its title) doesn’t add much besides the corruption status effect. At first, there’s a sense of dread going into the eclipse, as the game says that enemies are more powerful and unpredictable, but it will eventually teach you that eclipses are just part of the level design. There is zero tradeoff.

Every run has a lingering sense of sameness to it. This should be appealing to some, especially since it helps make the game more accessible. However, this approach will naturally run into a wall, particularly after you spend 2.5 hours on a run only to die on the final boss.

What story?

Saros is an exercise in Lovecraftian worldbuilding. Like all stories of the same bent, the game’s plot focuses more on the insanity of its world, rather than its characters.

The game does not say much about the story besides the bare brushstrokes. Devraj is part of the Echelon IV expedition to the planet of Carcosa. While his main mission is to find the past expeditions, he has a secret motivation to find Nitya, a member of Echelon III and his lover.

Similar to The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, the game features allusions to madness because of “the Yellow”. Both previous expeditions and members of his own team succumb to the madness. However, the game never gives players enough time with any of these characters, so when they reveal themselves as victims of the same religious insanity, it’s never treated with the gravitas it deserves. People die, but you’ll barely miss them.

The same, unfortunately, goes for Devraj himself. Despite the world descending into cosmic horror around him, he stoically continues his mission to find Nitya. He doesn’t seem too affected by death. And, as such, he doesn’t really have a lot of qualities to latch on to, as a player who should be invested in the development of their playable character.

It’s atypical for a first-party PlayStation game to prioritize world-building over character writing. Most of the platform’s titles have incredibly memorable characters, but Saros just doesn’t. That said, the world-building is phenomenal; I just don’t want to spend hours reading through journal entries to find out what’s wrong with this world.

Is Saros your GameMatch?

If you found Returnal too difficult, Saros is a lot more approachable. It didn’t take me long to reach the game’s latter parts. If anything, the difficulty is finding two hours to go on an extended run. With the substantial progression system, it feels meaningful to restart and go again. Fans of roguelikes will easily Swipe Right on this game.

However, if you’re looking for a meaningful story to sink your teeth into, the game heavily prefers environmental storytelling. Prepare to spend hours just poring over lore. Even then, you won’t really get a sense of which characters to root for. For that, it’s a Swipe Left.

Microsoft is making PC Game Pass more affordable in the Philippines. But there’s a trade-off for fans of one of its biggest franchises.

Starting today, PC Game Pass drops to PHP 225 per month, down from PHP 320. The move lowers the barrier for players looking to jump into the service’s growing library across PC.

The update also comes with new US pricing. PC Game Pass now costs $13.99/month (from $16.49), while Xbox Game Pass Ultimate drops to $22.99/month (from $29.99).

But alongside the price cut comes a notable shift: future Call of Duty titles will no longer launch day one on PC Game Pass.

Call of Duty won’t be day-one anymore

Beginning this year, new Call of Duty releases will arrive on the service around a year later, typically during the following holiday season. That means subscribers will need to wait longer before accessing new entries in the franchise.

Existing Call of Duty titles already included in the library will remain available, so current players won’t lose access to what’s already there.

The change also applies to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate globally, where pricing has similarly been adjusted following feedback that the service had become too expensive. (Game Developer)

Still a strong value play

Despite the delay in Call of Duty releases, PC Game Pass continues to offer a wide catalog of games, including day-one launches from Xbox Game Studios and partner publishers.

Subscribers still get access to hundreds of titles, along with perks tied to the broader Game Pass ecosystem depending on their plan.

Microsoft says it will continue refining the service based on community feedback, signaling that more changes could come as it balances pricing, content, and long-term value.

You don’t drop into Marathon expecting mercy. You drop in expecting silence—broken only by the scrape of boots on alien metal and the echo of your own breath inside a suit that feels one size too tight. Every run is a gamble. Every corridor feels like a question you aren’t ready to answer.

In Marathon, you’re not the hero. You’re a runner—hungry, ambitious, expendable. Extraction isn’t guaranteed. Survival is never promised. What you carry out is what you earn.

First taste? Yeah, it bites back

A quick disclaimer: Marathon is my first extraction shooter. I’ve spent plenty of time with first- and third-person hero shooters, so I’m not new to the “shooter with abilities” formula—but this is a different beast entirely.

My first few runs were brutal. Extraction shooters introduce a level of tension I wasn’t prepared for. Losing everything on death raises the stakes in a way few other genres do. Fighting UESC bots alone is already challenging—their AI is surprisingly aggressive and reactive—but once you factor in other players who will shoot you on sight, the experience quickly becomes overwhelming.

First run, first lesson: Nothing is yours

My first deployment was on Perimeter with two random teammates. We spawned near the Hauler, a massive land vehicle on the west side of the map. Not knowing what we were getting into, we went inside—only to find it packed with UESC bots.

Our team’s Destroyer, the tank of the group, went down first, though not without taking a few enemies with him. As the Triage—Marathon’s support/healer role—it fell on me to revive him. I managed to clear the remaining bots, but burned through all my ammo and consumables in the process.

My reboot ability, which allows for ranged revives, wasn’t ready yet, so I attempted a manual revive. That’s when a UESC ghost appeared out of nowhere and dropped me in two shots from behind.

With both of us down—reduced to loot bags—it was up to our Assassin, who had been lurking nearby. He popped a smoke screen, revived me first, and dropped a couple of patch kits. I immediately used my reboot ability on the Destroyer, grabbed a kit, and deployed my healing drone. Somehow, we stabilized.

We cleared the Hauler, looted better gear, and decided to extract early. But on the way to exfil, another team ambushed us. The fight wasn’t even close—we were wiped instantly.

Then came that dreaded screen: elimination, along with a breakdown of everything we’d just lost.

That moment defined Marathon for me.

The game doesn’t need to cheat—you’ll die anyway

The UESC bots are no joke. Some strafe and dodge gunfire, others rush you down with melee attacks, and some will snipe you from rooftops with lethal precision. There are grenadiers that bombard you relentlessly, shielded elites that soak damage, and ghosts that move quickly and unpredictably.

Each map also features a Warden boss—something you absolutely shouldn’t underestimate. I learned that the hard way.

Beyond bots, there are additional threats like Ticks, turrets, and drones. Environmental hazards are just as dangerous: toxin plants, explosive claymores, heat cascades, and frost rooms can all end a run if you’re careless.

Loud, neon, and unapologetically weird

As a fan of cyberpunk and utilitarian sci-fi, I love Marathon’s visual style. It won’t appeal to everyone, but it’s undeniably distinct.

Where many shooters lean into muted palettes and desolate landscapes, Marathon goes in the opposite direction—bold, high-contrast visuals with rich neon tones. It’s a risky choice, but it pays off. The aesthetic not only stands out but also reinforces the game’s tone and identity.

If you’re not listening, you’re already dead

The audio design is one of Marathon’s strongest elements. The soundtrack is filled with high-energy tracks that heighten tension, and subtle shifts in music often signal danger before you even see it.

Sound cues are everything here. Sprinting produces loud, unmistakable footsteps. Even walking can give you away if you’re not careful. Crouch-walking is quieter, but not silent—nearby players can still hear you.

Everything makes noise. Opening containers, interacting with objects, even doors—especially doors. The larger they are, the louder they sound. I’ve never paid this much attention to audio in a shooter before, and Marathon trains you to listen or die.

The guns? Yeah, they carry this game

Gunplay is easily the highlight of the experience.

At launch, Marathon features 28 weapons across eight categories, covering everything from close-quarters combat to long-range engagements. Standouts include the M77 Assault Rifle, V75 Scar, Bully SMG, V22 Volt Thrower, Demolition LMG, WSTR Combat Shotgun, Longshot sniper, Ares RG Railgun, and the V11 Punch pistol.

Weapons can be heavily customized with mods and attachments that don’t just tweak stats—they fundamentally change how guns behave. Putting a stack overflow mod chip on a WSTR Combat Shotgun suddenly gives you four bullets instead of two. Unique gold mods like the Overcharge Lens for the V22 Volt Thrower turn the SMG into Halo’s Needler.

The result is a system that rewards experimentation and mastery. PvP encounters feel incredibly satisfying once you get the hang of it—landing headshots, timing abilities, and outplaying opponents creates moments that keep you coming back.

Great style, messy menus

Visually, the UI aligns well with the game’s aesthetic. The UX, however, needs improvement.

Inventory management can be frustrating. Many items look nearly identical, and mods often differ only slightly in appearance. You’re forced to hover over items and read tooltips to distinguish them—something that feels at odds with the game’s fast-paced, high-risk nature.

In a game where every second matters, clarity is crucial. I’ve lost runs simply because I was stuck comparing item tooltips mid-loot.

Additionally, some font choices feel inconsistent and occasionally jarring, which further impacts readability.

It punishes you—and that’s the point

Marathon is not a game that welcomes you—it tests you. It punishes hesitation, rewards awareness, and demands that you learn quickly or lose everything.

As a first-time extraction shooter player, the experience was overwhelming at first, even frustrating. But beneath that harsh learning curve is something deeply compelling. The tension of every run, the satisfaction of a successful extraction, and the adrenaline of unpredictable encounters create a loop that’s hard to walk away from.

Its strengths are clear: tight, satisfying gunplay, exceptional audio design, and a bold visual identity that sets it apart from its peers. At the same time, it isn’t without flaws. The UI/UX friction, particularly around inventory management, can actively work against the player in critical moments.

But maybe that friction is part of what defines Marathon. It’s not just about surviving the map—it’s about managing risk, making fast decisions, and accepting that sometimes, you’ll lose it all anyway.

And yet, you queue up again.

Not because it’s forgiving—but because it isn’t.