In the abundance of games that somewhere along the way forget that they should primarily be fun, Saros clearly indicates the pace it will maintain right from the introductory chapters: fun, fun, and more fun. Although I have heard praises for the studio Housemarque and the precision of the controls, I did not expect the feeling of controlling Arjun to be this good.
After a brief introduction, the game unhesitatingly throws you into the promised bullet hell. Before you are thousands of projectiles that you must avoid while simultaneously eliminating enemies to progress. The micro-precision that the game demands is incredible, and the response of the controls on the PlayStation 5 is top-notch.
What completely "blew me away" is the audio design. The sound and music irresistibly remind me of the modern film version of Dune. Dark, deep echoes of an alien language and the atmosphere of the planet Carcosa immediately suck you into this dangerous world.
I will especially praise the DualSense controller. The feel of using the weapons I had the chance to try is also phenomenally done. You feel every jerk and sound, literally. Holding R2 halfway gives you one type of weapon, pressing it all the way gives you another. The same goes for L2, which you will use to aim or have a devastating projectile.
I am currently at the first boss and, without shame, I admit that I am just preparing for my fourth attempt. However, the entire first biome gives the impression that I have only scratched the surface of what awaits me. What excites me the most is the balance of difficulty. Although I loved Returnal (2021), I never finished it due to its merciless difficulty. Saros solves this more intelligently, allowing you to tailor the level of challenge through Carcosa modifiers. As someone who doesn't have the nerves for classic souls-like titles, I consider this approach a complete hit.
Arjun and the mysteries of Carcosa are waiting for me, and I leave you with these first impressions while I properly "settle" with the game. For a full review, you will have to be a little patient; I first need to set all the modifiers and survive what comes next!
