Sony has released a free trial for "Saros" and set a time limit of two and a half hours for the PS5 exclusive action title from Housemarque. With a story runtime of just under 20 hours, that's a decent amount of time to get a real feel for the game.
Getting started with this sci-fi shooter won't cost you a penny. You take on the role of Arjun Devraj, voiced by Rahul Kohli, and blast your way through a dark, neon-drenched world called Carcosa. Housemarque delivers exactly what they do best: intense bullet-hell gameplay from a third-person perspective.
The catch is the price after the trial period. "Saros" currently costs the full €79,99 in the PlayStation Store. A discount is not in sight for now. However, your complete game progress and all unlocked trophies from the trial will be carried over immediately if you then decide to pay the full price.
The hope for long-term endurance
Sony and Housemarque desperately need these players right now. Commercially, the title has fallen short of expectations since its release on April 30th. The vast majority of players have simply ignored the game. That hurts.
Now the studio is hoping for long-term success through word-of-mouth recommendations from premium testers. Whether this strategy will work remains to be seen. The game is incredibly good, but the challenging difficulty level and high price are deterring many.
The trial is a perfect opportunity for anyone who's been hesitant because of the gameplay. Two and a half hours is plenty to see whether the brutal difficulty frustrates or captivates you. However, you should only buy it afterward if money is no object. It's better to wait for the next sale.
Are 2,5 hours enough for you to properly assess the gameplay and difficulty level of Saros in such a fast-paced shooter?
I find it strange to bundle demos into a subscription, forcing customers to pay for them. I don't pay anything for a test drive in a car I'm considering buying.
I'll take a look, but so far it hasn't really appealed to me and I've preferred to play returnal again.
Perhaps they should have done it that way from the beginning, or even better, a demo like in pragmata.