Saros takes a closer look at its characters in a new behind-the-scenes video from Housemarque. Here’s what the developers revealed about the game’s cast and performances.
Saros Devs Discuss Bringing Characters to Life
"One Of The Best Parts About This Project Is The Cast"
Saros developer Housemarque released a new behind-the-scenes video on its official YouTube channel on March 9, discussing the game’s characters and cast, with performances from actors Rahul Kohli and Jane Perry.
The roughly four-minute video features commentary from several members of the development team at Housemarque, the studio behind the 2021 roguelike shooter Returnal, including creative director Gregory Louden, narrative lead William Shaughnessy, art director Simone Silvestri, senior narrative designer for cinematics Khalil Ossaimi, and technical art director Martin Contel.
Louden commended the project’s "phenomenal" cast, saying they "brought authenticity and a real sense of reality to the characters." Shaughnessy also praised the actors, noting they portray "NPCs that capture the balance between hope and dread, and the human element in an alien world."
Rahul Kohli portrays the game’s protagonist, Soltari Enforcer Arjun Devraj, who journeys across the planet Carcosa in search of a mysterious individual. Silvestri spoke highly of Kohli’s performance, saying "the way that he’s acting for Arjun is just fantastic."
The video also confirms the return of Jane Perry, who previously voiced Selene in Returnal. In Saros, she plays Sheridan Bouchard, commander of Echelon Four, the unit associated with Arjun’s mission on Carcosa. The developers emphasized the importance of building strong working relationships with actors they trust to bring the characters to life.
The team also discussed how the game’s cinematics are developed, describing the process as moving through several stages. As Shaughnessy explained, there are "three phases of a game: the game in your mind, the game on paper, and then the game in software."
Ossaimi reflected on the studio’s approach to storytelling and cinematics, saying, "It was a [revelatory] moment for me, personally, as a game developer in what we can achieve nowadays in storytelling. There’s a fine line that we have to walk with cinematics to gameplay, but the type of stories that we're able to tell now are Housemarque with the talent that we have here and the capabilities, I mean, we’re just going to the next level now."
In Returnal, much of the story is conveyed through brief flashback sequences of Selene’s past life. Saros, by contrast, will feature longer cinematic scenes that place characters directly in front of the camera during key story moments, where subtle facial movements become more important—something the developers noted can be especially challenging to animate.
A Closer Look at Combat and Movement
Housemarque has also recently shared gameplay clips offering a closer look at the game’s combat. In one video, Arjun Devraj wields a burst-fire handgun that can charge up to unleash a rapid volley of shots, with bullets capable of ricocheting off surfaces to strike enemies from different angles.
Another clip appears to feature a boss encounter, showing off its bullet-hell roguelite gameplay. Players must avoid intricate patterns of incoming projectiles by dodging or jumping while returning fire. Some attacks can also be absorbed using Arjun’s barrier, a new gameplay mechanic in Saros, which converts the captured energy into power for a retaliatory strike.
First revealed in February 2025 State of Play, Saros is an upcoming third-person roguelite shooter developed by Housemarque. The game takes place on the mysterious planet Carcosa, where a strange eclipse looms over the colony and its inhabitants.
Saros launches on April 30 for PlayStation 5. For more information about the game, check our article below.
Sources:
Bringing Our Characters to Life | SAROS
Shooting Off The Walls │ SAROS
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