The sound of Saros: Building an audio identity for Carcosa
Housemarque details how it crafted Saros’s audio identity using PS5 features and creative sound design, blending new techniques with Returnal’s established approach.
Housemarque began developing Saros with a clear directive from its team: refine the audio identity established in Returnal rather than overhaul it. The studio prioritized a gameplay-first approach, emphasizing immersive soundscapes and PS5 features like Tempest 3D Audio and DualSense haptics. While Saros is a new IP with its own narrative and tone, the team sought to maintain consistency with Returnal’s strengths while introducing fresh elements to define the world of Carcosa.
Early in development, the Eclipse became a key creative anchor for Saros’s sound identity, given its central role in the game’s story and setting. A didgeridoo recording session in the studio provided a breakthrough; through creative processing, the recordings evolved into versatile sounds that could resemble deep voices. This foundation shaped the Yellow King’s vocalizations and influenced the broader Saros sound palette, tying together the Eclipse, the Yellow King, and the Corruption throughout the game.
The team explored unconventional sound sources to build Saros’s soundscape, transforming familiar objects into alien textures. For example, the first enemy encountered in the game, a mechanical drone, incorporates processed floppy disk recordings, while the ocean in the Yellow Shore was created from recordings of marinated chicken, frying chicken, and walnuts in a bowl. Sam Slater’s score complements the sound design, blending distorted voices, synthesis, guitars, and experimental textures to evoke the overwhelming presence of the Corruption across Carcosa.
Enemy vocalizations were designed to be fast, tonal, and memorable, particularly for attacks requiring quick recognition. The team created distinct sonic families for organic, mechanical, and cosmic enemies, with the latter drawing from Mongolian throat singing and instruments like the shakuhachi to convey both menace and beauty. Projectiles were also treated with care, each type—Normal, Corrupted, and Nova—assigned unique audio palettes to help players distinguish threats during intense combat.