Saros: Carcosan Modifiers Guide

Saros is much more forgiving than its spiritual predecessor, Returnal, in terms of overall difficulty. Although there are no direct difficulty options in Saros to make the game more challenging or easier, it requires players to use Carcosan Modifiers to tweak the experience themselves. It is a unique mechanic that players can choose to use to alter the experience by getting some advantages in exchange for some disadvantages. In this guide, we will explain how you can unlock the Carcosan Modifiers feature in Saros and how it works.

How to Unlock Carcosan Modifiers in Saros

The Carcosan Modifiers feature unlocks after defeating Bastion, the boss of the Ancient Depths biome. However, there is another way to unlock it early. The trick to unlock the Carcosan Modifiers feature early is to die 4 times to the Prophet, the boss of the Shattered Rise biome. Prophet is the boss of the first biome, so it will not take you long to reach it. All you have to do is die to Prophet 4 times in total, and when you return to Passage (hub), you will be introduced to the Carcosan Modifiers feature.

How Carcosan Modifiers Work in Saros

Carcosan Modifiers feature allows you to alter the base experience in Saros. As you access the Carcosan Modifiers tab in the Primary at the Passage, you will see a dial and two different sets of modifiers. One set is Protections, and the other one is Trials. The modifiers in the Protections category are buffs or advantages, and the Trials’ ones are nerfs or disadvantages. To utilize the modifiers and activate them for your run, you must keep the needle in the center of the dial (Balanced). If the needle goes to the Underpowered (left side), the modifiers will not activate. The modifiers will only activate when the needle is either in the Balanced or Overloaded stages.

Every modifier in both sets has a certain value of Balance Change. You must activate these modifiers preferably to keep the needle in Balanced for a breathable experience. However, if you want to make Saros more challenging, like Returnal, activate modifiers from the Trials category to shift the needle to Overloaded. This will enhance the challenge significantly.

NOTE: Using Carcosan Modifiers does not impact the rewards or trophies in Saros. They are only for altering the experience.

You can activate a maximum of 12 modifiers, 6from each category, Protections and Trials. Initially, you will have fewer modifiers, as they unlock by progressing through the game. Once you complete the main story once, all modifiers will unlock. Carcosan Modifiers can help tone down the aggression of the late-game biomes, so if you are struggling, give this feature a go, but keep in mind the trials you select in trade for protections.