A major update, Zenith, has arrived for SAROS, the PS5 title that blends bullet hell shooting with action gameplay. The Zenith update is available free of charge to all owners of SAROS.
Developer Housemarque revealed key details of the Zenith update on the official PlayStation Blog on October 19. The update focuses on expanding replayability for existing players while improving accessibility for new players. It introduces new game modes, Carcosan Modifiers, and control and visual options.
The new feature "Overlord Rush" is a mode where players aim for a high score by facing the powerful Overlords from the main campaign in succession. Accessible via the Primary Unit in the Passage, it functions as a training simulation. Players face three Overlords in each of the first two sets, followed by a final set requiring them to take on eight Overlords back-to-back. An integrated leaderboard allows players to compete globally for high scores, with options to filter rankings by primary weapon.
A New Game+ mode called "Eclipse Layers" has also been added. Players who have completed SAROS can take on higher difficulty challenges through a newly unlocked node in the Armor Matrix. To enter Eclipse Layers, players must apply a certain level of Carcosan Modifiers, choosing from a total of 25 Trial Modifiers to customize their own challenge conditions.
The Carcosan Modifier system has also been expanded. Ten new protective modifiers designed to lower difficulty and ten new trial modifiers aimed at increasing the challenge have been introduced. Among the new protective modifiers is an effect that converts corruption accumulated in armor into bonus melee damage. For trial modifiers, a new effect causes certain large enemies to quickly recover after being incapacitated by weapon attacks, requiring a melee finisher to eliminate them.
In Eclipse Layers, protagonist Arjun's appearance changes. Arjun dons a Crown while his armor glows golden, and the Crown grows larger and more ornate based on the number of applied Trial Modifiers and the Modifier Balance value. In addition, 12 new collectible "Visions" have been added. Appearing in the form of murals and messages etched in stone by an ancient king, these collectibles reveal additional narrative details as the Crown's tier increases.
Accessibility features for new players have also been improved. Added options include High-Contrast visuals, gyro aiming utilizing the DualSense wireless controller, and a "Slow Game Speed" setting. Slow Game Speed reduces the speed of gameplay without altering enemy attack patterns or projectile counts, allowing players to adjust both the level of slowdown and how it is activated. An auto-fire option that automatically discharges weapons when aiming at targets is also provided. Reloading remains manual, however, requiring precise timing to achieve a Perfect Reload just as before.
SAROS is a PS5-exclusive single-player action game released on April 30 by Housemarque, the developer of Returnal. Set on the planet Carcosa, where an ominous eclipse endlessly repeats, the story follows Soltari Enforcer Arjun Devraj as he investigates secrets hidden across the world.
