The Saros: Zenith update dropped today, at no extra cost for all game owners—featuring New Game+, enhanced accessibility options and more.
If Saros looked a little too chaotic or difficult for players new to third-person shooters, the latest update should help make the experience more approachable. As of today, October 19, the Saros: Zenith update is available to all Saros owners at no additional cost. This is not a full DLC expansion, but rather a free update that introduces several new features. While it does not necessarily add much in the way of new content, the development team at Housemarque has added New Game+, a new Boss Rush mode, gameplay modifiers, trophies and various accessibility options. The studio also released a trailer outlining the new features.
The major accessibility improvements include four additions: a high-contrast visual mode, a “Slow Game Speed” option, an auto-fire setting, and something Saros players have been asking for: gyro or motion-sensor aiming functionality. The high-contrast mode is fairly self-explanatory, but the Slow Game Speed setting is particularly interesting. Players now have the option to manually slow down the game during combat or enable a setting that automatically slows down attacks when they enter combat. The developers noted that they did not want to reduce the number of projectiles, as the game’s signature “bullet ballet” combat is a major part of its identity. Instead, this option is designed to make the experience more approachable for newcomers to this style of game, easing the challenge of combat and allowing players to progress through the story more comfortably.
Another helpful feature introduced in the Saros: Zenith update is the auto-fire setting, which automatically fires your weapon when you aim at an enemy. This is similar to the mechanics found in many top-down shooters. Essentially, the developers wanted to reduce hand strain and the learning curve associated with managing multiple controls, removing the need to manually fire while aiming at enemies. Instead, players can focus on lining up their shots. However, the developers are not making everything easier. Players are still expected to reload as usual, including timing their button presses correctly to achieve a perfect reload.
Working alongside the auto-fire setting, players can also adjust how they aim using a toggle scheme, allowing for a more freeform approach to targeting enemies. Gyro controls have become increasingly popular, with even some FPS players mastering this alternative control method. The technology is not necessarily new, as we have already seen it used extensively on systems like the Nintendo Switch, but it offers a great way to reduce hand fatigue while giving players another option for aiming that may better suit their preferences.
On top of the accessibility features, Saros: Zenith greatly expands the “Carcosan Modifier” system. Using this system, players can apply various modifiers to the world of Carcosa to adjust the difficulty to their liking rather than relying on a fixed difficulty setting throughout the entire game. Protection Modifiers make the experience easier and more forgiving, and Zenith introduces 10 new options to give struggling players even more ways to customize their experience. One of the highlighted additions is “Corruption Melee Enhancement,” which allows players to sacrifice maximum Integrity in exchange for Corruption Armor. Players can then use their accumulated Corruption to deal additional damage. The developers also described this modifier as a way to encourage players to engage in more melee combat.
Not only does the Saros: Zenith update make the game more approachable, but it also introduces ways to make the experience more challenging. The update adds 10 new Trial Modifiers designed to increase the difficulty. One of the highlighted additions is “Hostile Regeneration.” With this modifier enabled, larger enemies can still be stunned by weapon damage, but they will quickly regenerate and recover. To finish them off, players must land a melee strike.
Adding another layer to the modifier system is a New Game+ mode called “Eclipse Layers.” After completing Saros, mysterious new nodes appear in the Armor Matrix back at Passage. These are the key to unlocking the next Eclipse Layer, a more intense version of the game with altered rules. Essentially, players can customize their challenges and even experiment with combining deadly chains of Trials that can make the game significantly harder. To show off their accomplishments to other players, Arjun now wears a Crown, and his armour glows gold during Eclipse Layers.
Of course, the more Trials players take on, the more elaborate the Crown becomes. But the Crown is not just for aesthetics. Apparently, there are also 12 “Visions” scattered across Carcosa, offering new collectibles exclusive to Eclipse Layers. It is not entirely clear what these additional pieces of story text will reveal, but that is something players will soon be able to discover for themselves.
Like many fighting games or titles featuring numerous boss encounters, Saros: Zenith now introduces an Overlord Rush mode. Accessed through the Primary Unit in Passage, this mode throws players into an intense training simulation where they must defeat powerful Overlords from the main game as quickly as possible, competing against friends and players around the world through an integrated leaderboard. Overlord Rush is divided into multiple “Sets,” each featuring a different selection of Overlords. The “Incursion” and “Ascension” Sets contain three Overlords each and can be completed in 10 minutes. The final Set, known as “Totality,” is exactly what it sounds like, pitting players against all eight Overlords from across Carcosa in one continuous gauntlet. Time to start flexing on your friends!
A full explanation of the Saros: Zenith update is available on the PlayStation Blog, written by Housemarque’s design lead on the update, Adebe Tinari.
