Despite its new progression elements and difficulty adjustment options, Saros is not an easy game. Housemarque delivers another excellent title that will undoubtedly cause frustration and the urge to throw your controller more than once. However, this beginner’s guide to Saros will equip you with tips and advice to make your initial steps on the planet Carcosa less trying.
Before proceeding, we encourage you to read our review of this title.
Dying Isn’t the End
The first thing to understand is that due to its roguelite elements, being constantly eliminated in the early hours is normal, forcing you to return to the beginning of the game. Don’t get discouraged; this is an integral part of the adventure’s structure. The crucial aspect is that the collected Lucenita will help you level up, making the first level more manageable.
Once you defeat the first boss, you’ll unlock the ability to teleport to each new biome you discover.
Saving Mid-Cycle?
If you’ve been playing for a while but are in the middle of a level and unsure how long it will take to reach the Passage to finish your session, don’t worry. Simply exit the game, and it will automatically save your progress. The next time you boot up your console or the game, you’ll resume exactly where you left off.
This is what the game’s initial screen, which you only see once, refers to.
The only exception to this auto-save feature is boss encounters. If you exit Saros during a boss fight, you will lose all progress and have to restart that biome from the beginning.
Lucenita Above All Else
If you’re struggling to clear a level or a specific section, dedicate a couple of cycles solely to collecting as much Lucenita as possible. When given the option, prioritize artifacts that increase Ambition (white), as this will make your Lucenita more valuable.
With more Lucenita, you can purchase more upgrades when you return to the Passage, making subsequent attempts to clear each level easier.
What Priority Should I Give to Upgrades and Abilities in Saros?
Despite the heavy emphasis on shooting and firepower in this game, survival should always be your top priority. Therefore, among the various artifact and ability upgrade options in the Passage, we always recommend increasing Resilience (maximum health, green) first.
Secondly, we suggest increasing Ambition (white) for better Lucenita acquisition, and thirdly, Control (blue). This isn’t to say that increasing your shield and power weapon capacity isn’t worthwhile, but it’s far more important to focus on evading damage rather than absorbing it. In fact, we believe the shield should be considered a last resort unless you’re using it to absorb blue projectiles in safe circumstances.
If you are proficient at avoiding damage and feel your health is sufficient for survival, then prioritize Ambition, as more Lucenita per run translates to more advantages you can purchase in the next cycle.
The White Flag First
Consulting the minimap, you’ll notice that some sections of levels have two exits: one marked by a white flag leading to an optional area, and one marked by a blue flag indicating the path to continue towards Saros‘s main objective. Always, under any circumstance, try to head towards the white flag first.
There might be occasions where you can’t proceed due to lacking the grappling hook or the means to access the entrance, but most of the time, you’ll find containers with upgrades, health, or weapons. Even if you’re low on health, the risk is often worth it, as these optional sections rarely contain many enemies, and when they do, they are few.
How to Deal with Corruption
In all levels, after invoking the eclipse, enemies capable of firing corrupted yellow projectiles appear. These projectiles, regardless of whether you manage to absorb them, reduce your maximum health. Treat these projectiles as you would red ones, and always strive to evade them.
If, despite your efforts, you are affected by corruption, you must use your power weapon to cleanse yourself. This is why, in any combat arena where you risk being hit by yellow bullets, you should quickly locate the enemy that fires the most blue bullets and keep it alive. This allows you to focus on the others with less worry, and at the end, use that remaining enemy to charge your power weapon and fire it to clear the corruption and continue your adventure.
Which Carcosan Difficulty Modifiers to Choose
Once you unlock the ‘Carcosan Modifiers’ option in the Passage, you can customize various elements of Saros to adjust its difficulty. Among the options we recommend activating if you’re having trouble progressing are Damage Boost and Armor Boost.
As your combat performance improves, Artifact Boost becomes essential for better rewards. You can strike a balance by selecting Corruption Boost and Artifact Destruction as challenges. The former is always better to avoid contact with corrupted projectiles, and the latter because biome changes are less common in advanced runs unless you start from the first one.
The Reload Rhythm
Saros employs a reload system reminiscent of Gears of War: when your ammunition runs out, an indicator appears on screen, and if you press the trigger at the precise moment, you’ll reload much faster.
When in the midst of combat, you shouldn’t stop shooting at any point. As you play, it’s a good idea to become accustomed to the cadence of each weapon and to reload without looking at the indicator, resulting in improved combat performance.
Don’t Return to Previous Levels… Yet
When you finally acquire items like the double jump or the grappling hook, it’s tempting to return to earlier biomes to access containers you spotted previously but couldn’t reach. However, we recommend holding off on this until you have acquired all upgrades.
You will eventually have opportunities to revisit earlier levels with all upgrades unlocked, allowing you to make the most of a full cycle through Carcosa.
Read Weapon and Artifact Descriptions Carefully
While a weapon’s higher level might catch your eye, weapons with a higher level aren’t always better. A new weapon might increase your Control power, but if you’re building for Ambition, it won’t be as beneficial, and it’s better to stick with your current weapon.
Reading descriptions becomes even more critical after activating the Eclipse. Some corrupted or negative effects can be so detrimental to your build that it’s advisable to skip them, even if they are several levels higher than your current one.
Don’t Leave Enemies Behind You
Although Saros provides indicators for incoming enemy attacks, they are insufficient to handle the sheer volume of projectiles that can flood the screen at times. This is why allowing enemies to remain behind you can lead to severe problems.
If you’re only facing one or two enemies, this isn’t an issue. But with more, you can be caught off guard by a wave of bullets coming from the worst possible angle before you can evade them.
Don’t Summon the Eclipse If It’s Not Necessary
In the early levels of Saros, it’s necessary to summon the Eclipse as soon as you find the artifact that activates it to progress. However, in later levels, you might encounter it even when it’s not required to advance. When you see that you can continue progressing through the level without activating it, don’t.
This is because empowered enemies, yellow projectiles, and corrupted weapons can make the game more difficult, and the increased amount of Lucenita you find doesn’t justify the added challenge. However, if you’re on a “Lucenita farming” run where your only goal is to level up and not necessarily advance, feel free to summon it whenever you wish.
Pay Tribute to the Yellow
The coast calls. The Golden King awaits. Do not keep him waiting.
Oh glorious eclipse! Take us to the Coast!!
These tips should help you navigate the initial hours of Saros with greater confidence. Enjoy the game, and remember not to look at the eclipse!
