Saros is easier than Returnal, but not by a lot, and most certainly not at first. The spiritual successor to Housemarque’s first tough-as-nails roguelike shooter has modifiers that you will eventually unlock that let you alter aspects of the difficulty, but they can’t be used willy-nilly. You have to balance buffs and debuffs so the game deems its challenge level adequate. So what trials and protections should you use? While it will depend on your playstyle, here’s a few switches I recommend flipping if you’re having trouble fighting your way through Carcosa.
Protections
Damage Enhancement and Armor Enhancement
In terms of making Saros easier, nothing is more effective than powering up your Damage and Armor. Really, if you can balance your modifiers enough to increase these protections to level three, you’ll find that most enemies in Arjun’s way will die pretty quick, and can barely put a dent in his armor. You can obviously increase these to your liking, but if you’re looking to blaze through a segment because you’re treasure hunting or you’re just tired of dying, these two cranked up to their highest level will make you nearly unkillable, as long as you’re not just standing there and letting enemies pelt you with brightly-colored orbs.
Overlord Restoration
If you’re struggling in the run-up to one of Saros’ challenging bosses, Overlord Restoration is a godsend. This Protection restores you to full health when you reach a boss, giving you a second wind and potentially salvaging a rough run. It’s also relatively “cheap” in terms of modifier cost, only turning the dial down one point in the “underpowered” direction.
Weapon Symmetry
If you find yourself attached to a specific kind of weapon in Saros, to the point where you hold onto a weaker gun just because it’s the type you want, the Weapon Symmetry protection makes weapon drops more likely to resemble the one you’re currently wielding. I often used my re-rolls searching for a more powerful assault rifle when I kept finding shotguns or other guns that didn’t click with my playstyle as much. This at least rolls the die more in your favor.
Trials
Corruption Enhancement
So now that you’ve got some upgrades, what are some debuffs you can maybe afford to carry with you into the dangers of Carcosa? I’m a pretty adept dodger at this point, so I was less worried about Corruption accumulating on my health bar. This yellow buildup happens when Arjun is hit by yellow-colored orbs, and prevents recovery items from healing you beyond the point the Corruption has gathered. You can avoid this by dodging through these projectiles, and if you do get some of it on you, it’s possible to clear it from your health bar by using your Power Weapon. If you’re bad at dodging, maybe don’t flip this switch, but if you can skilfully weave through incoming orbs, raising your Corruption Enhancement is an easy way to move the needle in your favor and make room for high-level protections.
Growth Incapacitator
The Second Chance ability allows Arjun to get back up after taking a fatal blow one time per run. However, it’s possible to turn it off for a small modifier balance boost. In general, you should absolutely keep the Second Chance ability active while you’re still learning the ropes, but there will be some areas that disable it altogether, and you still get a modifier boost if you use the Growth Incapacitator trial. So if you reach that point in the game, this is an easy modifier to help you, ever so slightly, tweak Saros’ difficulty further. However, I do not recommend activating its second level, which will give you +10 points in the balance change, but will remove all permanent Armor Matrix enhancements you’ve acquired. That’s for the expert sickos looking to tear their hair out. Don’t turn the dial that far if you’re still struggling with your first playthrough
Proficiency Inflation
As you collect Lucenite, you’ll be able to find more powerful weapons throughout a run. Turning on Proficiency Inflation requires you to find more of the resource before you can upgrade further, but if you’re being thorough, taking out enemies in both main routes and side ones, you should still be able to find plenty of Lucenite to keep your weapons up to speed. So don’t be afraid to turn on this trial, as it can help you make room for protections that will help you explore more areas and find more supplies and drops.
Shield Reduction
If you’re relying on dodging more than your shield to avoid incoming fire, using the Shield Reduction trial is an easy way to get a few balance points on your chart. This debuff makes it so that any red-colored “Nova” projectile will immediately break your shield. In general, you should be trying to parry these attacks instead of shielding from them, and keeping your shield ready to absorb the blue projectiles that give you Power Weapon ammunition. So this will actually train you to be more conscious of what you’re blocking versus dodging and parrying, and give you some breathing room to add protections to your modifiers.
Halcyon Removal
Like the Second Chance modifier, Halcyon Removal is something you turn on when you’re less concerned about long-term benefits and are just trying to barrel your way through to the endgame. Halcyon is a resource that helps you unlock permanent upgrades in the Armor Matrix, and it’s pretty rare in a regular run. Halcyon Removal gives you a whopping six points in balance change but ensures you won’t find any of this useful material while you’re out fighting. Really, it depends on what your build priorities are and what point you’re at in the game as to whether or not you’ll want or need Halcyon upgrades, but it is one of the easiest modifiers to turn on for a short-term, run-specific gain.
