How Long to Beat Saros? Main Story Length Revealed

Housemarque’s latest PlayStation 5 exclusive, Saros, brings players into another roguelite adventure, this time set on the off-world colony of the planet Carcosa. Despite being mechanically similar, Saros is far less punishing than Returnal, thanks to its permanent progression system, so you won’t need to spend 100s of hours to complete the game.

That said, the game is still rich with challenging bosses to defeat and diverse biomes to explore, so mastering the mechanics and completing Arjun’s mission will require a solid time investment. Let’s take a look at the game’s main story length.

How Long Does it Take to Beat Saros’ Main Story?

The main story of Saros takes around 20-25 hours to complete, though your playtime might vary depending on your skill level. The game can be challenging, but the permanent progression system allows you to come back stronger and upgrade Arjun’s loadout every time you bite the dust on Carcosa. Throughout the main story, you’ll be able to return to the main hub area called the Passage to upgrade your stats and attributes and fast-travel to different locations.

The game also features a secret ending, which requires you to complete a handful of objectives, and if you want to witness both endings to Arjun’s journey on Carcosa, you can expect a total playtime of around 27 hours. Again, it depends on how well you can take down the bosses and survive the incoming bullet hell.

While Saros doesn’t include traditional difficulty settings, the game will become easier as you progress and unlock permanent upgrades from the Armor Matrix. Abilities like Second Chance, which revive Arjun upon death during a run, will lower the challenge. However, if you want to increase or decrease the challenge of Saros, you’ll need to use the Carcosan Modifiers to tailor your experience.

Protection Modifiers significantly reduce the overall challenge in Saros by providing damage boosts and other helpful buffs. On the other hand, Trial Modifiers ramp up the difficulty, making each run more demanding and hostile. Enabling the Trail Modifiers during a run will almost certainly extend your playtime, as you’ll require more time to defeat bosses and clear biomes.

How Long Does a Completionist Run Take in Saros?

If you’re aiming for a 100% completion run in Saros, it’ll take you around 25-30 hours, which could extend depending on your skills and the Modifiers you choose. Fortunately, you don’t need to focus too much on the game’s 150+ collectibles if your goal is to obtain the Platinum Trophy.

None of the Trophies is excruciating to earn, so even if you do use Trail Modifiers during your runs in Saros, expect your final playtime to arrive at 40-45 hours. It’s worth noting that the locations of the collectibles, including text logs, audio logs, and holo logs, are completely randomized, so players looking to perform a 100% run will need to explore every biome thoroughly.

Speaking of biomes, Saros features 8 biomes, two more than Returnal, and here’s the complete list:

• Shattered Rise
• Ancient Depths
• Shattered Descent
• Blighted Marsh
• Desecrated Fortress
• Acolyte’s Haven
• Cathedral
• Yellow Shore

Unlike Housemarque’s 2021 roguelike adventure, Saros doesn’t have true permadeath, so you’ll be clearing biomes quickly if you can master the mechanics early on. As long as you keep upgrading Arjun’s suit, stats, and attributes, you’ll have no issues fighting the toughest of bosses that Carcosa throws at you.

Game	Saros
Developer	Housemarque
Release Date	April 30, 2026
Platforms	PlayStation 5

So, what do you think about the Saros’ game length? Do you feel it’s just right, or should it have been longer? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.