Italian artist Simone Silvestri on art directing Sony's sci-fi game Saros

Simone Silvestri, an Italian artist, serves as art director for Saros, a sci-fi action game by Housemarque (Sony), releasing April 30, 2026 exclusively on PlayStation 5. The game explores a human colony on a distant planet with ruins of an alien civilization centered on a mysterious eclipse. Silvestri's career began 15 years ago in Rome at Accademia Italiana Videogiochi, followed by freelance work and founding Tiberlabs. He later worked on VR game Gates of Nowhere (Symmetrical, IndieGala, 2018) before moving to Finland for Remedy (5.5 years) and then Housemarque. As art director, he coordinates visual identity across disciplines, ensuring gameplay, narrative, and art align. Saros draws on cosmic horror but not strictly Lovecraftian; influences include Junji Ito and Robert W. Chambers. The alien architecture blends neoclassicism (Calatrava, Étienne-Louis Boullée) with Italian Futurism (Antonio Sant'Elia, Mario Chiattone, Virgilio Marchi, Fortunato Depero), creating a 'violent beauty.' Silvestri emphasizes multiple readings and open questions.