Compare Saros vs 1348 Ex Voto

Reviewers praised Saros for broad accessibility and difficulty-tuning options, including modifiers, visual recoloring, remapping, and ways to soften or intensify challenge.

Accessibility support is repeatedly called thin, with limited settings and no difficulty options in some builds; one PC review also struggled with fixed keybinds.

Platform-specific support was praised through PS5 showcase features, Pro upscaling, DualSense use, and 3D audio.

Console reviewers are particularly disappointed by the lack of a 60 FPS option, including on PS5 Pro, making the platform feature set feel unusually limited for a 2026 release.

Fun factor was very high, with reviewers repeatedly describing the act of playing, replaying, and mastering Saros as joyful or addictive.

Most reviewers found the experience more frustrating than enjoyable, chiefly because combat and technical friction dominate the short campaign. Positive moments usually come from scenery, atmosphere, or brief one-on-one combat flow.

Performance optimization was praised overall, especially on PS5/PS5 Pro, with only minor dips or loading-related hitches noted.

Optimization is one of the strongest negative patterns, especially on PC where capable hardware can still stutter badly. Console coverage also reports a restrictive frame-rate target and heavy drops in demanding scenes.

Polish was praised frequently, with reviewers calling Saros smooth, refined, and consistently excellent.

Across launch and pre-release builds, reviewers repeatedly describe the game as underbaked or unfinished. Glitches, rough transitions, animation problems, and inconsistent systems make the lack of final refinement hard to ignore.

Frame rate was generally strong, with most reviewers reporting near-locked or rock-solid 60fps and only occasional dips.

Frame-rate problems are widespread in the reviewed builds, including severe PC drops and a 30 FPS console cap with additional dips during busy scenes or effects-heavy boss fights.

Innovation centered on the shield, bullet-as-resource design, haptic implementation, and a more flexible challenge structure.

Several reviewers see the game borrowing prestige-action conventions without adding enough mechanical depth of its own, making the design feel more imitative than inventive.

Platforming precision had limited but positive evidence around precise jumping, dodging, and reduced geometry snagging.

Basic climbing and ledge traversal are frequently finicky, with missed prompts, unclear climbable surfaces, and simple platforming sequences that can require repeated inputs.

Replay value was strong, with reviewers saying they wanted to dive back in or keep running even after credits.

One reviewer notes there is no level selection and little reason to revisit completed stages, limiting the appeal of going back for missed collectibles.

Lore depth was praised where reviewers enjoyed logs, mysteries, and hidden material that encouraged deeper digging.

The setting hints at rich medieval history, religion, plague, and social upheaval, but reviewers often felt those ideas were only gestured at rather than explored in depth.

Value for money had limited but explicit support from one reviewer who said they would pay full price.

The low asking price and short runtime appeal to a few reviewers, but most still recommend waiting for a discount because the combat and technical state make even the budget price hard to justify.

Movement feel was praised as smooth, nimble, precise, and joyful across several reviews.

Aeta is often described as heavy in an unflattering way, with stiff turning, awkward climbing, and sluggish movement that can make simple navigation feel more cumbersome than grounded.

Camera controls were specifically praised as quick enough for combat without becoming disorienting.

The camera and lock-on system are repeatedly blamed for combat frustration, especially in groups where focus snaps unpredictably or the close field of view hides incoming threats.

Controls were heavily praised for responsiveness, tactile feel, and precise movement/shooting, with only rare complaints about input conflicts.

Input feel is a recurring problem, with delayed attacks, unreliable dodges and parries, finicky traversal prompts, and occasional moments where Aeta simply does not respond as expected.

Aiming was generally considered forgiving and readable thanks to auto-aim and tracking, though some no-auto-aim weapons were harder to master.

Target selection is a major weak point. Reviewers describe lock-on jumping to the wrong opponent mid-combo, making attacks miss the enemy they intended to pressure.

Tutorial quality had limited but positive evidence, with reviewers noting trial-and-error teaching and encounter design that prepares players for bosses.

The tutorial covers basic inputs but does not adequately explain timing, upgrades, or how later mechanics should be used, leaving some reviewers confused after the introductory section.

Gameplay mechanics, especially the shield, parry, eclipse, and modifier systems, were praised, though one review felt the systems could overprotect players.

The mechanical foundation is viewed as underdeveloped: a few workable ideas are present, but multiple reviews describe the overall play experience as clunky, shallow, or insufficiently refined.

Bosses were widely admired for spectacle, challenge, and memorability, though a few reviewers found some fights long or uneven.

Boss fights are one of the most consistent complaints, with regenerating guard or health, spammy attacks, strange hitboxes, and difficulty spikes that feel more aggravating than satisfying.

Optional challenge-space design was praised as brutal but rewarding.

Chapters tend to funnel Aeta toward a distant objective through walking and combat arenas, creating a rigid structure that several reviewers found stale well before the ending.

Level design was strongly praised for handcrafted chunks, biome structure, combat spaces, and a balance between freshness and mastery.

Levels can be visually impressive but are often criticized as narrow, repetitive corridors with confusing landmarks, invisible boundaries, and traversal solutions that are easy to miss.

Enemy variety was praised for diverse, escalating, and biome-changing threats that keep combat fresh.

Most coverage finds the enemy pool too repetitive, often describing only a handful of recognizable types and attack patterns. A few reviewers saw enough weapon variety to keep encounters interesting.

Arjun’s arc drew praise where reviewers felt his development became darker, more complex, and captivating.

Aeta and Bianca begin with an appealing premise, but many reviewers wanted substantially more time and depth for their bond, motivations, and personal growth before the late-game revelations.

World interactivity had limited evidence, mostly around movement-reactive effects and environmental destruction.

The world looks richer than it plays: many props are set dressing, NPCs are scarce, and interaction often comes down to supplies, collectibles, boxes, and narrow traversal prompts.

The core loop was usually seen as compelling and satisfying, though Polygon felt progression systems weakened the roguelike loop.

The linear walk-fight-walk structure wears thin for many reviewers because combat carries most of the interaction while the quieter stretches offer little beyond movement and collecting supplies.

Combat was the strongest consensus point, described as thrilling, precise, tactile, and among Housemarque’s best work.

Sword fighting is the central point of disagreement. A few reviewers enjoy its one-on-one parry-and-guard rhythm, but the dominant view is that shallow tactics, broken targeting, unreliable dodges, and group encounters undermine it.

Save/run continuation quality was praised via suspend, leave-and-return, and day-one roguelite quality-of-life comments.

Autosaving can be inconvenient when it records progress before difficult encounters with poor supplies, and some reviewers had to reload saves to escape bugs or failed interactions.

Several reviews found the game rich in sections, weapons, collectibles, and sights, though the content variety was usually discussed through exploration and spectacle.

The campaign leans heavily on the same basic rhythm of walking, fighting small groups, and light traversal. Several reviewers felt the limited enemy, puzzle, and activity mix became repetitive quickly.

Weapon balance was mostly positive for variety and viability, though some weapons or no-autohit variants frustrated reviewers.

Weapon and combat upgrades can skew balance sharply, with stronger parts or instant-kill effects reducing experimentation and making ordinary encounters easier than the broader combat system suggests.

Exploration was praised for hidden paths, secrets, and optional areas that reward revisiting biomes.

Exploration is limited by strongly linear spaces and sparse interaction. Hidden paths and collectibles can reward curiosity, but many reviewers wanted more freedom and more meaningful reasons to leave the main route.

The learning curve was approachable for some but still initially demanding, with trial-and-error teaching and a tough early adjustment.

Combat is difficult to read for the wrong reasons in early play, with one reviewer still unable to make sense of parry and dodge timing well after the tutorial.

Difficulty balance split reviewers: many called it tough but fair and customizable, while some felt ganks, repetition, or modifiers could undermine balance.

Difficulty can swing for the wrong reasons: some bosses feel punishing because of hitboxes and regeneration, while certain upgrades or later familiarity can make ordinary encounters trivial.

Onboarding was mixed: some reviewers said mechanics ramped up well, while one felt the many systems were poorly communicated.

Early guidance does not do enough to make the combat and upgrade systems understandable, leaving some players unsure how newly unlocked mechanics are meant to work.

Immersion was praised through tactile feedback, 3D audio, and audiovisual design that pulled reviewers into Carcosa.

The setting can be absorbing, but rough animations, technical glitches, and interface choices repeatedly remind players of the machinery underneath and pull them out of the historical fantasy.

Saros’ checkpoint-like structure and biome restart options were praised for reducing repetition and respecting time.

Checkpoint experiences vary: some reviewers praise generous respawns close to encounters, while others describe autosaves that can send them back through frustrating fights or lock them into poor resource states.

The upgrade system was praised for making attempts feel worthwhile and improving approachability.

Sword components, trinkets, and skill upgrades provide some useful customization, but their impact is uneven: certain bonuses feel negligible while a few powerful effects can trivialize encounters.

Protagonist appeal was mixed: several reviewers found Arjun compelling or well-acted, while one found him unpleasant by design.

Aeta divides reviewers: some find her resolve, vulnerability, and knightly idealism compelling, while others call her flat, repetitive, or difficult to invest in as the story progresses.

Progression was usually praised for meaningful permanent upgrades, though one reviewer felt it overemphasized numbers over skill.

Scroll-based progression provides health, guard, food, and combat upgrades, but many reviewers find the growth shallow or low-impact. A few enjoy the straightforward additions and useful combat abilities.

World-building was praised through Carcosa’s mysteries, logs, lore, and thematic environmental storytelling.

Reviewers admire the medieval Italian setting and plague-era concept, but many feel the game underuses its history, religion, class tensions, and social collapse instead of making the world feel fully lived in.

User interface design had limited mixed evidence, with one reviewer finding it good enough but imperfect.

Interface complaints focus on overlapping subtitles, awkward presentation, and other rough UI details that do not match the cinematic ambitions of the rest of the game.

Narrative quality was the most mixed major attribute, ranging from gripping and coherent to underdeveloped, opaque, or overambitious.

The opening rescue premise earns interest, but the broader consensus is that the second half becomes disjointed or underdeveloped and the climax does not earn its twists. A notable minority loved the story.

Skill-tree depth was mixed, from exhaustive and satisfying to more of a limited trunk than a deep build system.

The skill tree adds parries, dodges, combo extensions, and stat boosts, but most reviewers consider it shallow or poorly explained. A few specific unlocks are powerful and genuinely improve combat.

Writing quality was mixed, with praise for logs and media-literate storytelling but criticism of hollow or unclear themes.

The writing draws praise from a minority for its earnest themes and performances, but most reviewers criticize blunt exposition, thin character work, abandoned ideas, and a late twist that feels poorly earned.

Originality was mixed, with praise for bold changes and criticism that Saros repeats Returnal-like beats with minimal variation.

The plague-era female-knight premise feels distinctive, yet some reviewers say the actual structure follows familiar cinematic action-adventure formulas too closely.

Pacing drew mixed responses, from tighter run pacing to complaints that story, repetition, or traversal could drag.

The short runtime keeps the campaign compact, but pacing inside that span can still drag because of long travel, repetitive combat, exposition, and abrupt jumps between story beats.

Menu usability had limited negative evidence, focused on hidden information and unclear equipment-screen navigation.

Menus receive direct criticism for sluggish or unresponsive behavior and for doing too little to explain the game's systems clearly.

Side character depth was a common weakness, with reviewers describing the supporting cast as shallow, disposable, or stock.

One long-form playthrough criticizes the supporting cast as so thinly established that even recurring side characters fail to leave a memorable identity.

Sound design and 3D audio were praised for intensity, dread, positional clarity, and haunting effects.

Ambient audio, weapon clashes, and the broader soundscape often strengthen the medieval mood, though several reviews flag uneven mixing, repeated combat lines, or volume shifts that distract.

HUD/readability comments were positive but limited, emphasizing that the intense spectacle remained coherent and not visually confusing.

The minimal interface can complement the cinematic presentation, but another reviewer found the bright enemy health bars visually jarring and immersion-breaking.

Grind and repetition drew mixed-to-negative comments, especially around repeated boss attempts and artifact droughts.

One review describes the practical grind not as leveling but as repeating the same fight patterns until timing and resource use finally line up, turning progress into repetition.

Facial animations were a repeated weakness, especially outside cutscenes where faces could not match the vocal performances.

Facial animation is a prominent visual weakness, with uncanny mouths, stiff expressions, lip-sync issues, and distorted faces repeatedly distracting from otherwise strong dramatic performances.

Navigation drew criticism from one reviewer who found objective direction poor despite liking the map.

The absence of a map or minimap becomes frustrating in similar-looking spaces, where poorly distinguished routes and subtle interactable ledges can make the intended path harder to read than it should be.

Graphics quality was praised across reviews for visual flair, PS5 showcase value, and striking Unreal Engine 5 presentation.

Visual quality is split between gorgeous environments and much rougher close-up character work. The scenery can be striking, but texture issues, clipping, facial problems, and performance compromises keep the package from looking consistently polished.

Dialogue quality was mixed to weak, with several reviewers noting stilted conversations, unnatural backlog delivery, or long quiet stretches.

The performances often elevate the spoken material, but the dialogue itself is frequently criticized for repetitive combat lines, overexplaining, blunt exposition, and Aeta narrating obvious environmental details.

Emotional impact was mixed, with some reviewers admiring ideas but others saying the narrative and characters did not fully move them.

The premise aims for grief, devotion, betrayal, and forbidden love, yet most reviewers felt the relationship was too underdeveloped for the climax to land. A smaller group found the story genuinely moving.

The soundtrack was praised for oppressive, unnerving, and complex music that supports Carcosa’s tone.

The orchestral score is generally well received and helps sell the somber period atmosphere, even if repetitive combat cues or mixing occasionally compete with dialogue.

Reviewers repeatedly praised the unnerving, dread-soaked atmosphere, even when they disagreed about the story itself.

The best stretches create a convincing plague-era mood through lighting, scenery, sound, and bleak environmental cues. Technical problems and repetitive combat can puncture that atmosphere at key moments.

Animation comments were mostly negative, focused on stiff dialogue animation and odd or weak face animation outside stronger cinematic moments.

Combat motion capture can look authentic in motion, but the broader animation package is inconsistent, with glitches, stiffness, odd hair physics, and rough transitions frequently breaking the presentation.

Loot drew mixed feedback: some liked risky artifacts and weapon discovery, while others disliked artifact droughts or limited replacement control.

Trinkets and sword parts can offer useful bonuses, but reviewers disagree on how meaningful the hunt feels. Some collectibles reward exploration, while others feel low-impact or like filler.

Art direction was a clear strength, with reviewers highlighting Carcosa’s strong, alien visual identity and memorable environmental design.

The medieval Italian aesthetic is one of the clearest strengths, with striking lighting, countryside vistas, chapels, ruins, and period-inspired architecture giving the game a distinctive visual identity.

Resource balance drew limited but mixed evidence, with one review noting balance concerns and another criticizing excess currency gains.

Food and provisions can add useful attrition to fights, but limited supplies combined with autosaves can also make retries harsher than intended. One reviewer liked the scarcity and decision-making it created.

Voice acting was widely praised, especially Rahul Kohli’s performance, with the broader cast also receiving positive notes.

Voice acting is the clearest non-visual strength. Alby Baldwin and Jennifer English are repeatedly praised for giving conviction and emotional credibility to material that many reviewers otherwise find underwritten.

Environmental detail was a frequent highlight, with reviewers praising Carcosa’s biomes, architecture, and alien spaces.

The environments are the most universally praised part of the package, with detailed villages, forests, mountains, ruins, chapels, vineyards, and lighting that frequently look far beyond the game's small-team scale.

Horror tension was supported through praise for dread, anxiety, cosmic horror, and the unsettling eclipse-driven world.

One review strongly praises the quiet dread of the plague-stricken world, where sound and lighting make the setting feel like a grounded medieval tragedy rather than fantasy.

Visual effects were a major highlight, especially the particle-heavy combat fireworks and colorful VFX.

Lighting and fire effects receive strong praise, adding drama and texture to chapels, burning buildings, landscapes, and other period environments.

Enemy behavior often feels artificial rather than tactical: groups may wait their turn, spawn awkwardly, or repeat predictable patterns instead of coordinating naturally.

Bugs are common across the reviewed builds, ranging from broken interaction prompts and clipping to stuck characters, missing assets, glitched bosses, and other issues that sometimes force a restart.

The cast received mixed reactions, with some reviews praising performances while others wanted more depth beyond Arjun.

The few apparent choices near the ending have little weight; two reviewers specifically say the final outcome is unchanged even when the player refuses the prompted action.

Crashes appear in both PC and console coverage, including startup or save-loading failures in earlier builds. Patches improved some experiences, but stability remained a recurring concern.

Endgame content was a limited concern, with one reviewer specifically wishing for a dedicated post-game activity.

Reviewers generally felt Saros honors Housemarque and Returnal’s lineage while refining or expanding the studio’s formula.

Fast travel and biome teleporting were widely praised as major quality-of-life improvements that reduce tedium.

Handheld or remote play suitability had limited evidence, but one reviewer said it looked and played beautifully on PlayStation Portal.

DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers were a standout, repeatedly praised as tactile, innovative, and deeply integrated.

Load times had limited but strong evidence, with Digital Foundry praising nearly instant transitions.

Mission structure changes very little across the campaign, with reviewers describing repeated travel, skirmishes, and simple traversal rather than meaningfully different objectives.

Puzzles rarely rise beyond moving boxes, cutting ropes, or finding a simple traversal route. Reviewers generally see them as filler rather than a meaningful second pillar beside combat.

The game is deliberately linear, but many reviewers feel the boundaries are too restrictive, with obvious side paths, invisible walls, and little freedom to explore the attractive scenery.

One reviewer specifically criticizes the lack of stealth or alternate approaches, reinforcing how narrowly the game funnels players into direct combat.