Abilities and Permanent upgrades in Saros are unlocked through progression and certain milestones, and can serve to help both in combat and in exploration, depending on which one you unlock. Ultimately Permanent upgrades in Saros can't be missed as they're all laid out on the critical path and mandatory to progression, but it's worth understanding how long you have to wait and what steps are necessary to reach them, as it can help you understand where you should be keeping certain obstacles in mind to return to if the unlock point is soon. Let's look at the Saros' various permanent upgrades and abilities, and what they actually do for you. And no, there is no double jump.
Warning: the following guide contains minor spoilers for Saros, though spoiler information has been kept to an absolute minimum.
All permanent upgrades in Saros
There are six permanent upgrades in Saros, abilities that enhance your combat and traversal, lasting between Cycles. They're all laid out below in the order that you'll unlock them.
Ability |
How to unlock |
Use |
|---|---|---|
Jump Network |
Reach the end of the Shattered Rise biome and defeat the Prophet boss. |
Unlocks fast travel system |
Grapple |
Reach the Colony ruins after completing the Ancient Depths and interact with the terminal when the plot indicates. |
Allows you to grapple to specific points |
Overdrive |
Unlocked after speaking to Eli in the Shattered Descent Biome. |
Powerful attack charged over time |
Parry |
Power up the Carcosan device for Alab in the Blighted Marsh Biome. |
Melee Nova projectiles to repel them back at the enemy. |
Eclipse Thread |
Reach the Desecrated Fortress Biome and trigger the Eclipse at the uncrossable gap. |
Allows you to ride Threads during Eclipses to cross large spaces |
Blazing Strike |
Complete Act 2 and enter the Yellow Shore biome. |
Allows you to break yellow barriers and smash locked containers open. Your melee attack does more damage and lets you teleport to staggered enemies. |
We'll cover each of them in more detail below, but it's worth keeping in mind that some of these upgrades can themselves be enhanced in the Armor upgrades and skill tree via Primary. The Overdrive and Parry abilities specifically have numerous upgrades that can be bought for them.
How to unlock fast travel in Saros
The Jump Network is Saros' term for the fast travel network, which allows you to return to the Passage from certain select points, then use the World Dial at the Passage to return to any such points you've discovered.
The Jump Network is unlocked after defeating the first major boss of the game, The Prophet, at the end of the Shattered Rise biome. You'll be told to return to Passage for story reasons, the Jump Network unlocking to allow it.
How to unlock the Grapple hook in Saros
The Grapple is zipline power that allows you to rappel to specific points, marked with purple/blue lights. It doesn't have direct combat function, but can be used in battle for increased mobility to evade or navigate around enemies. Outside of combat, it allows you to access new areas that would've been previously inaccessible.
The grapple is unlocked after completing the Ancient Ruins biome and the boss at the end of it. Afterwards you'll reach an area called the Colony Ruins, have to return to the Passage with what you find there, then return to the Colony. When you go back, there's a terminal you can interact with to get the grapple.
How to unlock Overdrive in Saros
The Overdrive is a special attack separate from any of Saros best guns, a hugely powerful projectile that explodes for massive damage and is more powerful than anything else in the game. It charges over time as you participate in combat (marked by the purple meter next to your health), then can be triggered with L3+R3.
The Overdrive is unlocked in the Shattered Descent biome. After speaking to Eli at the mid-point for the first time, you'll emerge out the other side with the Overdrive ability unlocked.
How to unlock Parry in Saros
The Parry ability allows you to repel Nova projectiles (aka Red Orbs) with well-timed melee attacks. Doing so sends them back towards enemies for damage and significant stagger effects. Some traps and hazards also create Nova projectiles, so the ability to parry through them can make it safer for traversal. Parrying also ensures that these projectiles won't grant the Saros Corruption effect, unlike your Shield.
To get the Parry, you need to meet Alab in the Blighted Marsh biome and complete the task for him to power up the Carcosan device via a tower nearby. Once you reach it, you'll be teleported back to him, the bridge will be lowered, and he'll grant you the Parry ability.
How to unlock Eclipse Thread traversal in Saros
Eclipse threads are glowing lines that curl through the air, but are only present during Eclipses (outside of Eclipses, they appear as barely-visible white lines). This ability allows you to ride along them, effectively a way of teleporting short distances between fixed locations.
To unlock Eclipse threads you need to reach the Desecrated Fortress biome. At the mid-point you'll encounter a gap that can't be crossed until you trigger the Eclipse, which also changes the environment. Pick up the glowing light by the gap and that'll grant you the Eclipse Thread power.
How to unlock Blazing Strike in Saros
The Blazing Strike, the final upgrade, is an enhancement to your existing melee attack that serves numerous functions. Firstly it allows you to break through all of Saros Yellow Barriers, but it also increases damage, allows you to teleport to staggered enemies to deliver the finishing blow, and lets you break open yellow containers without needing a key.
To unlock the Blazing Strike, players have to complete Act 2 and access the Yellow Shore biome via the Passage. Upon entering it for the first time, you'll automatically unlock the Blazing Strike ability.
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