Saros tips and tricks: 6 essential gameplay tips for beginners

Saros has arrived, and it’s as challenging as Housemarque’s last PlayStation 5 game. To help newcomers navigate the world of Carcosa, we’ve compiled some useful tips and tricks.

We’re providing helpful advice you can use right from the start of your first area. This will maximize your chances of success early on, before you get comfortable with the fast-paced combat and learn the game’s mechanics.

Saros tips and tricks

Never stop moving

Saros plays a lot like Returnal, and that’s what I always told new players when they first started playing Atropos.

The best way to avoid getting hit is to not stay still. Keep running.

Creating distance from enemies and dodging their attacks gives you extra time to respond, helping you avoid devastating blows that could end your game and waste a lot of effort.

Staying in motion also helps counter a common problem with Corrupted Artifacts: they can lower your damage if you stand still. It’s a nice extra benefit!

Understand the different bullet colours and what to do

Saros features three types of bullets, and quickly reacting to each one is crucial for defeating the game’s bosses – particularly the second boss.

As a breakdown:

Blue: Dodge or Absorb these for Power using your Shield.
Yellow: Dodge or Absorb these for Power using your Shield (although this also builds Corruption).
Red: Dodge these or Parry.

Certain attacks can use a mix of two different kinds of bullets, so stay alert, particularly when fighting bosses.

Save your Carcosan Keys for doors or until before a boss

The Carcosan Key is a highly prized item in Saros. It allows you to open locked containers and access new areas by unlocking doors in the various environments.

You might want to use this right away, but I suggest saving it for the later rooms or using it on the boss’s container just before the fight.

Rooms are great for opening these keys because they offer multiple items and often a good amount of Lucenites. If you don’t find a room during your run, save the key for the container right before a boss battle. This ensures your proficiency is as high as possible, resulting in a more powerful weapon than if you’d unlocked it earlier.

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Always choose Halcyon

Okay, so sometimes in the game you’ll have to pick between getting an Artifact or a Halcyon. Honestly, almost every time, you should go for the Halcyon. It’s just the better option, in my experience.

This is a key tool for permanently improving your character through the Armor Matrix. It lets you gain new skills or substantially boost your stats, like adding more slots for powerful Artifacts or enhancing your Aether capabilities.

It’s understandable to want powerful items right away to help you succeed, but focusing on upgrades that will benefit you over time is usually the better strategy.

Use the Alt-Fire Mode

In addition to the standard way you fire, partially pressing the L2 button lets you use the weapon’s alternate firing mode.

Each weapon has special abilities that work differently, so it’s important to check what each new weapon does when you find it.

Explore the side rooms

It’s understandable to want to rush back and try the boss again after a defeat, but you’ll actually have more success if you slow down. Take the time to collect Lucenites, grab any Artifacts you find, and most importantly, explore those optional side rooms.

These rooms are usually safe and contain useful items in containers. You can find things like improved weapons, powerful Artifacts, Aether, and even Carcosan Keys, so take your time and explore!

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Authors

Oliver Barsby

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2026-05-01 12:37