Nine things to know before playing Saros

Saros is here, and it can be every bit as hard as Returnal is. You'll be weaving and dodging colored orbs in order not to die. If you do, you'll be sent all the way back to the central hub, the Passage. But it's not all that bad! Saros has many more permanent upgrades that make the gameplay easier, and I've got tips to help you make it through.

So take a look below at my advice on how to get through the devilish planet of Carcosa.

Unlock Second Chance as soon as possible

Arjun's permanent upgrades can be unlocked through his Armor Matrix. While surviving Saros is hard, there's one ability that can drastically help: Second Chance. The name is exactly what it implies. Once per run, you can resurrect yourself, similar to how you would in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Having a second lease on life is absolutely crucial, as it can be the difference between defeating a boss or encounter, or having to start your run all over.

Complete Nightmare Strands

Across the biomes of Carcosa, you'll find optional gates called Nightmare Strands, which offer harder-than-usual fights. In exchange, your Second Chance will be restored if you successfully complete them. Be warned though, if you haven't used up your Second Chance, completing a Nightmare Strand won't give you a third life.

Nightmare Strands also offer tons of useful rewards, including Artifact power ups, lots of Lucenite to level up the Armor Matrix, and more. So even if you still have your Second Life, taking on a Nightmare Strand is still worth it. Just make sure you survive.

Use your Power Weapon as often as you can

Power weapons are incredibly powerful tools that Arjun can use that will completely melt enemies. There are several different kinds, and you can pick one that fits your playstyle the best. For example, Prominence launches a single huge blast that incinerates everything around it, while Ilumine fires a constant stream of energy that lasts as long as you hold down the R2 button.

Using your Power weapon is also key to getting rid of Corruption. When you're in the Eclipse phase of your run, coming in contact (getting hit or even blocking) with yellow projects will reduce Arjun's maximum HP. So in order to get rid of the cap, you'll need to fire your Power weapon to cleanse him.

Prioritize the Halcyon

Other than Lucenite, Halcyon is the other form of upgrade currency in Saros, which is depicted as a purple orb. However, it's harder to come by. Enemies can drop it, but it can also be found by simply punching the various red and blue stones across Carcosa that give you rewards. Sometimes you will get two options, usually between a gun and an Artifact or even better, Halcyon! If you really want the gun or Artifact, go for it, but Halcyon is the better long-term choice as you won't lose it if you die (unlike Lucenite).

Don't be ashamed to pick a weapon with Autohit

One of the aspects that makes Saros a bit easier than Returnal, as well as make the onboarding process better is the prevalence of Autohit weapons. Basically, guns with Autohit lock on to enemies so all you really need to do is pull the trigger. Autohit is great because you can pour all of your concentration into dodging enemy projectiles and not have to worry about manually aiming.

Guns with manual aim do hit harder, but what's the point of having a stronger gun if you miss? Not every gun has an Autohit trait, but if you come across one and prefer them at the cost of extra power, don't let others shame you for that! It's in the game for a reason.

Use Carcosan Modifiers to your advantage

Partway through Saros, you'll unlock Carcosan Modifiers that can let you personalize your runs. You'll have to pick between both negative (Trials) and positive (Protections) modifiers in order to balance a scale for the modifiers and proceed. But depending on what you're aiming for in a run, you can choose different modifiers to your advantage.

Are you just trying to beat a boss? You can choose the Trial that reduces the amount of Lucenite you retain after death, while also picking the Protection that increases your raw damage output. But if you're trying to get as much Lucenite as possible, you might pick the Protection that increases your Lucenite collection range so you can grab as much as you can before they disappear. It's all about weighing the pros and cons of each modifier, and picking ones that suit your playstyle the best.

You don't have to trigger the Eclipse all the time

In Saros, you'll come across these portals on the ground with hands sprouting upwards. Touching it will change Carcosa from its normal landscape into a yellow hellish terrain. This will make enemies more powerful, and they can now shoot yellow projectiles that will corrupt Arjun's suit, reducing his max HP. Bonus pickups will be stronger, but now they'll come with adverse side effects. At the beginning of the game, you'll be required to activate the Eclipse in order to move forward.

However, as you progress through the different biomes, you learn that you actually don't have to trigger the Eclipse right away and can proceed through them normally at first. If you still want a challenge or get stronger Artifacts, you're welcome to do so though. If you come across a door with a sun symbol that means you have to activate the Eclipse in order to open it. Plus, you need to do so in order to reach bosses too. So it's not entirely unavoidable, but you can hold it off as long as you want.

Revisit areas with new abilities

Saros has a bit of a Metroidvania aspect where you'll unlock traversal abilities in later biomes. At the beginning, you'll see these blue hooks on ledges that look like they go somewhere, but don't really have the proper tools yet. Later on, you'll unlock a grappling hook, which will let you reach new areas.

These new areas can house more Lucenite and Halcyon to find, so it's worth revisiting previous biomes to collect them all to make Arjun stronger. Collectibles and audio logs can be found there as well.

Take a Break

Returnal added a suspension feature that let you pause the game and come back without ending your run, and Saros has the same thing. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, or life gets in the way, you'll be able to close the game and come back with your progress intact.

There are some restrictions, of course. This only really works when outside of battle. However, if you quit during the middle of an encounter, especially a boss battle, then you’ll be sent back to the Passage, with your precious Lucenite gone. It's a way of ensuring that no-one games the system and ruins Saros’s 'roguelike' aspects.

Best of luck in Saros!