Gameplay trailer shows how Saros is easier and different from Returnal

I absolutely adore Returnal, but many think the game is too difficult and unforgiving. Then it's understandable that one of the first things Housemarque mentioned when Saros was unveiled was that we'll get stronger, or at least feel satisfied, every time we die. Now it's time to learn a lot more about that.

The new gameplay trailer at the bottom shows many of the ways Saros is different from Returnal. This includes the fact that you won't just restart at the first level when you die. Every time poor Rahul Kohli bites the dust, you'll be brought back to a central hub in real Hades-style. The Passage is an explorable temple where you'll get to talk with other survivors, learn more about the world and use the "come back stronger" mechanic.

That means using gathered materials to customise your armour to suit your playstyle, By using your collected resources you can upgrade your armour to suit your playstyle. Want to have more health? Gather more materials each run? A shield that last longer? The vast amount of choices are yours to make.

You won't even have to start at the first level after doing all the tweaks and upgrades you want, because Returnal's teleport system is nothing compared to this. Not only will you be able to teleport straight to a biome you've discovered. You'll also keep the main and power weapons you had when dying there.

Sounds too easy for you? Don't worry. The so-called Carcosan modifiers will let you adjust your experience. Making things harder will apparently also reward you, as these modifiers come in two types:

Trial Modifiers - make the game harder by making enemies more aggressive, your weapon's power degrade over time, removing your Second Chance ability and more.

Protection Modifiers - will balance things out by decreasing incoming damage, making it easier to reload weapons, extending how long your shield can stay active and more.

It seems like we'll have to keep these modifiers somewhat balanced, so it seems like we won't be able to activate all of the negatives to brag about beating the game that way.

Finally, we got a small tease about how the eclipses will change the world, not only in terms of visuals and audio, but also gameplay. To make a long story short: It seems like Saros improves upon almost everything from Returnal. Accessibility, replayability, variety, customisation options, progression, cinematic story-telling and more.

Saros launches on PS5 the 30th of April.