Three Action Games, Three Very Different Pitches
This year’s mid tier action games are a mixed bag, and Saros, Kiln and City Hunter illustrate why. Saros on PS5 is Housemarque’s latest third‑person bullet‑hell roguelite, sending Enforcer Arjun Devraj to the hostile world of Carcosa. Its loop of repeated runs, shifting biomes and escalating enemy patterns targets fans of demanding but stylish shooters on PS5 and PC. Kiln, by contrast, is a multiplayer experiment built around a single quirky hook: you sculpt pottery that becomes your fighter, then send those creations into combat. Finally, City Hunter remaster brings a 1990 TurboGrafx‑16 tie‑in brawler to modern consoles and PC, updating visuals, controls and audio while preserving the original’s structure. For players in Malaysia choosing what to download next on PS5, PC or console, these three 2026 action games highlight very different strengths, weaknesses and expectations for mid‑budget releases.
Saros PS5 Review: Bullet‑Hell Excellence With Narrative Weight
Early Saros PS5 review impressions are glowing, especially from critics who loved Returnal. You play Arjun Devraj, part of Echelon IV, dropped onto Carcosa after several earlier colonist waves vanish. Reviewers praise Rahul Kohli’s performance for giving Arjun a grounded mix of toughness and vulnerability, and highlight The Passage hub as a space where the remaining crew slowly unravels in believable, human ways. Structurally, Saros keeps the roguelite framework but makes it more generous and rewarding, layering in cutscenes, logs, optional conversations and flashbacks to deepen the mystery. The key twist is the eclipse system, which you manually trigger in each biome. Doing so corrupts the environment, powers up enemy attacks and adds debuffs to artefacts, but also boosts Lucenite drops, creating constant risk‑reward decisions. For action fans, critics say Saros meaningfully raises the bar in combat feel, progression and storytelling compared with earlier Housemarque work.
Kiln PS5 Action: Great Idea, Thin Game
Kiln arrives with an irresistible elevator pitch: make pots, then have those pots do battle. Its reveal suggested a charming, Splatoon‑style focus on a single, elegant idea. Reviewers, however, argue the final PS5 release feels more like style over substance. The pottery creation system is neither as intuitive nor as freeform as trailers implied, and it is heavily gated behind level‑based unlocks. Early on you are limited to a “medium” clay ball and basic silhouettes that all translate into similar, “well‑rounded” fighters, blunting the appeal of experimentation. Critics also frame Kiln as another case of launching too early, with a barebones, lacklustre multiplayer core that cannot carry the concept. Where Splatoon paired its central gimmick with razor‑sharp execution, Kiln’s PS5 action reportedly struggles to offer satisfying moment‑to‑moment play, leaving its creative premise feeling more like a proof of concept than a must‑play competitive experience.
City Hunter Remaster: A Faithful Relic With Modern Comforts
City Hunter remaster digs up a 1990 TurboGrafx‑16 adaptation of the classic manga and anime, finally bringing it to modern consoles and PC. The update polishes visuals, sound and controls, while also letting purists experience the untouched original version. You play Ryo Saeba, a “sweeper” who takes on clients with partner Kaori while quietly pursuing the murderer of Hideyuki Makimura. Structurally, you choose from three jobs involving shady tech, illegal bioengineering and weapons‑running gangs, each built around linear stages and a final boss. Critics stress that, like many licensed games of its era, the story often feels disconnected from the wider City Hunter lore, with out‑of‑place enemies, odd settings and generic traps. As an action game, it is described as very much a product of its time—simple, sometimes clunky, but charming for old‑school fans and newcomers curious about how anime tie‑ins once played.
Which Should You Play, and What Do They Say About Mid‑Tier Action?
Taken together, these three releases say a lot about where mid tier action games and remasters sit in today’s market. Saros looks like the standout: critics call it a bigger, better evolution of Returnal, with deep third‑person bullet‑hell combat, smart roguelite systems and unusually strong storytelling for the genre. It is the obvious priority for PS5 and PC players who want dense, replayable action. Kiln, meanwhile, shows the risks of betting everything on a clever hook without fully developed systems; reviews suggest its gated creation tools and thin multiplayer loop make it worth waiting on, if at all, even during sales. City Hunter remaster occupies another niche: it will not convert anyone seeking modern design depth, but it is a welcome, historically interesting option for retro and anime fans. For Malaysian console owners between big AAA blockbusters, Saros offers the richest, most contemporary experience, City Hunter a nostalgic curiosity, and Kiln a cautionary tale.