*The Sha Luo Cycle* is set for release at the end of April. This time, I’ll wait for the reviews first.

What first struck me wasn’t actually the release date, but the familiar yet dangerous aura it gives off. When I saw Saros described as a dynamic third-person action roguelike, my first reaction felt like running into an old friend with an odd temper: I knew it could be fascinating, but I also knew it wouldn’t go out of its way to make players happy. Housemarque has officially confirmed that the new title will launch exclusively on PS5 on April 30, 2026, while the Digital Deluxe Edition will grant access two days earlier, on April 28.

When it comes to the characters, there’s one thing I’ll be paying particular attention to: whether it can establish them through atmosphere alone, rather than using mystery as a convenient smokescreen. The information currently revealed about Saros is still mostly focused on its gameplay positioning. It continues the core ideas of Returnal, which achieved an average score of 86 on Metacritic—a result that carries plenty of weight in itself. For players who enjoy high-pressure combat, progression through cycles, and narrative puzzles, this is clearly a very strong signal.

What impressed me is that full media reviews will be published on April 24, about a week before release. By lifting the review embargo early, the development team is essentially handing the finished product over for outside scrutiny ahead of time. That approach makes me feel much more at ease, because it’s unlike some games that keep information tightly locked down right before launch, which always feels awkward. Being willing to let the media release full reviews in advance at least shows that the publisher has confidence in the final quality, while also giving regular players room to decide whether or not to pre-order.

What pulls me out of the excitement, though, is that the PC version many people care about most still has no definite news. Previously, when an overseas journalist asked the director about it, he did not confirm a PC version, only responding, “We’re only talking today about the PS5 version of SAROS, and whether it’s coming to PS5.” The meaning of that sentence is already quite clear: for now, they’re only discussing PS5. Players waiting for a PC release will probably have to keep watching from the sidelines, and shouldn’t start imagining cross-platform plans too early.

If you ask me for purchase advice, I’d divide it into two groups. The first is players who genuinely liked Returnal back then, can accept the repeated trial-and-error rhythm of an action roguelike, and already own a PS5. For them, Saros is absolutely worth putting on this year’s key watchlist. The second is players who care more about emotional connection to the story, character arcs, and the quality of the writing. For them, I’d instead recommend waiting for the media reviews on April 24 to see whether it only has a fun system, while its characters fail to hold up.

After all, whether a game truly stays with us never comes down to impact alone. It has to make its characters feel like real people, not just a beautiful but cold sci-fi shell. If Saros can build on the high standards of Returnal while writing its characters with more warmth, then for me, it won’t merely be the next difficult and stylish action game.