Saros' Secret Ending: Did We Just Uncover Arjun's Digital Reckoning?
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Want to see what happens when *Saros*' Arjun *doesn't* become a glitchy monarch? We've delved into the detailed steps (courtesy of Ford James' guide on Polygon) to unlock the game's secret ending, where our protagonist faces his messy past head-on, delivering a potent, if melancholic, reflection on redemption.
Alright, legends, gather 'round! Jeff's here, fresh from poking around the digital ether, and guess what? We've got *Saros* on the brain. Specifically, that elusive secret ending that everyone's been whispering about. You know, the one that makes you question everything you thought you knew about Arjun Devraj and his questionable life choices. Ford James over at Polygon did a cracking job laying out the breadcrumbs (cheers, mate!), but let's dig into the *why* and the *what if* with a bit of my usual curious chaos, shall we? Spoilers inbound, obviously. If you haven't played *Saros* through to the main credits, probably best to go do that first, unless you're into spoilers like I'm into accidental interdimensional rifts.
So, you've battled the King, perhaps punched him into next Tuesday, and taken your shiny new crown, eh? Our mate Arjun, bless his troubled heart, usually ends up becoming the very thing he fought – a glitchy, golden-glowing monarch with Nitya as a flickering, ethereal companion. A grim sort of victory, if you ask me. But what if there was another way? A path less... king-ly?
Turns out, *Saros* isn't quite done with Arjun's existential crisis after the first credits roll. Once you've had your King-ly moment, Arjun pops back to Passage, but something's clearly amiss. Primary, your ever-reliable AI pal, starts getting all shifty about a 'signal' in Shattered Descent. Your quest? 'Change your path.' Ooh, mysterious!
First stop on this magical mystery tour? Shattered Descent's Echelon III base. Head inside the main dome, and lo and behold, you find Kayla! She's got a gun pointed at Arjun, which, fair dinkum, is a pretty reasonable reaction when you're the last human standing and some bloke shows up offering 'help.' Trust issues, mate, they're a real killer.
Next, you're off to 'Find the red tree in Blighted Marsh.' Because, naturally, every good redemption arc involves a suspiciously crimson piece of flora. Fight your way through the swampy bits until you find this rather majestic, massive tree with those tell-tale red leaves. Approach it, and *poof*! Arjun's suit and an ethereal voice named Kiira decide to have a conjoined twin moment. Kiira then points you towards Nitya's lab in Cathedral. It's like a cosmic scavenger hunt, isn't it?
So, back to Passage, then off to Cathedral. This isn't a quick sprint, mind. You'll need to trek through the whole biome, both left and right paths, and give those 'oversized tuning forks' a good old melee smackdown. Doing so will make the bell in the middle drop (déjà vu, anyone?), opening up the path to Nitya's lab. There, you'll find a holo log revealing Nitya and Kiira's rather sweet, tragic love story. Turns out, Nitya 'came here for peace,' and found it with Kiira. Bittersweet, that.
Right, back to Passage for one last pre-King-fight detour: the Banyan Tree. This is where things get properly heavy, mate. You find Sebastian, the herbalist who apparently only existed for Arjun, dying in an alleyway back on Earth. Arjun's 'no one was supposed to get hurt, that wasn't part of the plan' line, coupled with flashing red-and-blue lights, pretty much screams 'Arjun was involved in Sebastian's untimely demise.' Crikey.
The game heavily implies Arjun had... *something*... going on with Sebastian, either cheating on Nitya or finding comfort after she left. Sebastian's dying question, 'What was I to you?' and Arjun's gut-wrenching 'You were nothing. That's what I told myself. I didn't deserve your trust' really hammers home the emotional baggage. Our Arjun, not exactly a paragon of virtue, is he?
Alright, all that emotional baggage collected? Time to face the music. Head back to Yellow Shore, and square off with the King *one more time*. But here's the absolute kicker, the bit that changes everything: when the King is beaten and bowed, *do not punch him*. Seriously, resist the urge! Just walk right past him, into that shimmering golden corridor beyond. It's like choosing the blue pill, but for your soul.
So, what happens when you resist the primal urge to clock the King? Arjun still starts transforming, but he *stops it*. He rips off his sun pendant, flings it into the shallow water, and just like that, the ominous glow of Yellow Shore is replaced by a glorious sunrise. He's on his hands and knees, muttering, 'Yesterday is a lie.'
Then, Nitya appears. Not the glitching hologram of the main ending, but *her*. And what a conversation they have:
* Nitya: 'You shouldn't have come here. This was my dream, not yours.' * Arjun: 'I just didn't want to lose what we had. I took things too far. I couldn't stop.' * Nitya: 'You can't change what you've done, Arjun.' * [Long, pregnant pause] * Nitya: 'It's a new day. I wonder what you'll do with it?'
She then saunters off into the sunrise, leaving Arjun to wallow in his self-inflicted misery. The flashing police sirens kick in, and Arjun's final, desperate words? 'I'm sorry, Nitya. I'm sorry.' Roll credits, again.
What's the digital tea leaf reading on this, then? Well, it's pretty clear Arjun was a bit of a train wreck before he even got to Carcosa. Flashbacks show him drowning in booze, snapping at Nitya when she dared compare his drinking buddies to his dad. Yikes. Text logs reveal Nitya wasn't planning on joining Echelon I until Arjun's behaviour pushed her to leave *him*. He begged her to stay, famously declaring 'I am nothing with you.' Talk about emotional manipulation!
So, his grand quest to 'find' Nitya? Not so much a heroic rescue, more a monument to his own selfishness. In the secret ending, even though he rejects the King's crown, Nitya's comment about it being a 'new day' isn't exactly a fresh start *with* her. It's more like she's saying, 'You've got a chance to be better, mate, but I've already found my peace without you.' And those sirens? They imply the real-world consequences of his actions (Sebastian's death, perhaps?) are catching up. Fair dinkum, a bittersweet ending, but perhaps a more honest one for Arjun's truly messy character arc. Sometimes, the 'happier' ending isn't about getting what you want, but facing what you've done.
So, what do you reckon? Is this the 'better' ending? Or just a different flavour of cosmic punishment? Either way, *Saros* really knows how to make you think, doesn't it? Hat tip to Housemarque for crafting such a compelling narrative labyrinth! (Original guide by Ford James for Polygon.)
Tags: Saros, SecretEnding, GamingGuide, NarrativeAnalysis, Housemarque
Original article: Polygon