When I first started my journey through Saros, I knew that my love for the previous Housemarque title, return, it would be a huge asset, but I also knew it wouldn't carry me over on its own. Saros is truly a spiritual successor return, and players with a strong foundation are likely to raise in this game Saros much faster. However, Saros contains enough new systems and mechanics that even the most experienced Return players will likely benefit from some help early in the game. With that in mind, this guide will focus on providing a list of tips for beginners this will give all players power Saros.
Saros: All biomes
Wondering how many biomes Saros has? Here's everything you need to know.
Saros: An overview of tips for beginners
I will cover several areas in considerable depth in this guide, but this first part will begin by sharing a brief overview of the most important topics. Saros it throws a lot of information at you fairly quickly once you start the game, but try not to get overwhelmed. Focus on these areas first, and as you begin to understand how Carcosa works, the broader list of tips will make a lot more sense.
- Collect all Lucenite: Collecting Lucenite should be your main focus on your first few runs.
- Always moving forward: Don't worry about retreating.
- Expertise over preferences: Always take stronger weapons (this may change later, but applies early)
- Always take Halcyon: Halcyon is a very important upgrade material. Always grab it when it's offered early.
These are the three tips you should focus on during your early game experience. I'll expand on these ideas below and provide more context for specific items and areas.
Saros Important tip for beginners 1: First of all, to luce
Always collect lucenite: to shine it is both a resource and a currency Saros. For much of the game, nothing is more important than maximizing your ability to collect them. Lucenite is not only used to buy upgrades from Primary, but also to collect it increases your expertise, which allows you to find more powerful weapons.
If you are just starting out Saros, collecting Lucenite should be your main focus. You should try to collect every loose piece in the world and every piece dropped by enemies.
This may seem obvious, but it's very easy to get overwhelmed during combat and forget that Lucenite drops from every enemy. It was my first instinct to be overly protective and not rush into the enemy ranks to collect lucenites, but I quickly learned that this was not a smart way to play. Saros.
You should absolutely dive headfirst into the enemy to collect as much Lucenite as possible. Not only will this help you collect as much lucenite as possible, but it will also allow you to get into the habit of playing aggressively, which will pay off as the fight gets more and more hectic as the game goes on.
Focus on the Drive attribute:
The Drive attribute increases lucenite's gain. As mentioned above, this has two primary functions: firstly, it increases the amount of Lucenite you return to Passage with, which ultimately allows you to unlock upgrades to Primary faster. Second, the more lucenite you collect, the faster your skill level increases on the fly, which determines the level of weapons you find.
You can permanently increase your Drive attribute through Primary and temporarily increase it while traversing artifacts.
Unlock Lucenite Saver:
Lucenite saver is on the third tier of upgrades to Primary. It will cost you 1 Halcyon. With this upgrade, you lose less Lucenite when you die. You don't need to unlock all the upgrades on the lower tiers to achieve this. You will simply need to create a continuous path through Shield Amplifier (1 Halcyon to unlock) to Second Chance (2 Halcyon to unlock). Lucenite Saver is directly linked to Second Chance.
Saros: Explaining Attribute Volatility
Confused about how attribute volatility works in Saros? Here is the question of whether or not you should go over the cap.
Saros Important tip for beginners 2: Always move forward
Always forward mentality:
When I say you should always move forward, that doesn't mean you shouldn't take the time to thoroughly explore each biome every time you run. I mean you should play Saros with the mentality that you won't back down for items you've left behind or resources you've strategically decided not to pick up in case you need them later.
Play Saros with the mentality that whatever you find, you will decide what to do with it then and there. You often won't even be able to return to a place once you've progressed too far in a biome, so you should always plan on not coming back. If you don't need Aether, collect it and exchange it for Lucenite. There may be exceptions to this rule once you start learning how biomes work, but this is the way to go when you're starting out.
Don't return to defeated biomes until later in Saros:
In keeping with the main goal of the rule, once you've completed the first and second biomes, don't go back to them to explore. Wait until you've completed at least the third biome and you'll have a good grasp of how the game works. This will allow you to gather many of the abilities you will need before you return as well.
There is literally no point in returning to these areas at the beginning of the game because you can get more lucenite by moving forward.
Saros Important Beginner Tip 3: Focus on Power over Preference
Don't be too picky about early weapons:
I know from experience that using a weapon you really like is always the best choice, but v Saros, you should always choose the stronger option when presented, even if it's not your favorite weapon. This is especially true when we are talking about large differences in ability. If it's only one level, you might be able to justify keeping the Smart Rifle over the Ricochet if you want, but once you start getting into the two or three level difference, there's simply no scenario where you shouldn't take the more powerful weapon.
Saros: All main and power weapons
Saros has quite a few weapons with different variants that players can get their hands on. Here's how players can use them and when they unlock.
Saros General tips for beginners
While I feel these three tips are the most important, there are still more areas worth discussing. Below are some general tips that should make your life easier when exploring Carcosa.
Always take Halcyon:
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This is one of the most important tips for the early game, but it doesn't need much explanation. You'll need a fair amount of Halcyon to start with, which is rare and finite. Take it when given the option.
Unlock Second Chance:
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Second Chance is located on the third tier of upgrades in Primary. Unlocking with Halcyon allows you to come back from the dead once before you have to start running. It may take a few runs to get enough Lucenite and Halcyon to unlock this upgrade, but doing so will extend all other runs so it will be a priority.
Remember the shield booster/damaged projectiles:
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In the early game, Corrupted Projectiles can be extremely dangerous. Not only do they deal damage, but they also reduce your maximum armor integrity for the rest of the run if they hit you. Initially, your shield can't absorb damaged projectiles, making them all the more dangerous.
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Shield Amplifier is available at the top of the second rung of upgrades on Primary. 1 Halcyon will be required to unlock. Once you have this, keep in mind that you'll be able to absorb power from Corrupted Projectiles, which can make a huge difference against Prophet, the boss of Shattered Rise.
Don't hoard Carcosan keys:
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You go through each chamber and area so quickly that there's no point in holding on to the keys. You might think you'll find something worth holding on to later in the run, but more often than not you'll end up wasting extras when you get to the end of a biome without using them.
Don't forget the acolyte bet:
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After collecting several artifacts in one run, you'll eventually reach a point where your armor won't hold any more. I know when I first started I was incredibly frustrated when I found an artifact I really wanted to use only to find my armor was full.
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Fortunately, I discovered Acolyte's Wager, which allows you to remove an artifact from your armor. You can find the icon in the lower left corner of the Equipment menu. Hold square and highlight the artifact you want to remove.
Always check for negative effects on damaged artifacts:
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Once you enter the Eclipse phase of the biome, the artifacts will be damaged. Don't forget to check the negative effects that are under the main effects. You should carefully weigh the pros and cons, as certain negative effects can profoundly affect your playstyle.
Check logs and conversations after each run:
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Players looking to get the most out of the story and/or achieve 100% completion should make sure to check the Passage for Audio and Text Longs after each run. Also check the minimap to see if there are any NPCs available to chat with. Instead of a simple NPC icon, you'll see a text bubble.
