How to Unlock Grapple in Saros

TL;DR

• The Grapple unlocks automatically through story progression — you cannot miss it.
• It becomes available at the start of the Shattered Descent, the third biome in Saros.
• You must first defeat two bosses: Prophet (Biome 1) and Bastion (Biome 2).
• Interact with a Soltari terminal on your second visit to Shattered Descent to receive it.
• To use it, press Triangle near any glowing purple or blue grapple point.
• While grappling, you are invulnerable — useful for escaping dangerous situations.
• Grapple points in earlier biomes become active once you unlock the ability.

What Is the Grapple in Saros?

The Grapple is a zipline-style movement tool in Saros that lets you cross large gaps and reach areas that are otherwise completely inaccessible on foot. Think of it as a grappling hook — you fire it at a fixed anchor point and zip straight to it.

You’ve probably already noticed the purple floating machines scattered throughout Shattered Rise and Ancient Depths. Those are grapple points. The game teases them early on but gives you no way to use them until you hit a specific moment in the story. They won’t even show a button prompt until you’ve unlocked the ability.

Once you have the Grapple, a huge amount of the game opens up. Hidden rooms, elevated platforms, collectibles, and even faster routes through arenas all become reachable.

When Do You Unlock the Grapple?

The Grapple unlocks at the beginning of the Shattered Descent, which is the third biome in Saros. You will not have access to it during Shattered Rise or Ancient Depths, no matter how much you explore.

The unlock is tied entirely to story progression. There is no side quest, no hidden challenge, and no secret condition. Just play through the game and you will get it automatically. The game also will not let you proceed into Shattered Descent without it, since the biome’s layout is built around using the Grapple from the start.

How to Unlock the Grapple Step by Step

Step 1 – Beat the Prophet in Shattered Rise

The first thing you need to do is clear Biome 1. That means fighting through Shattered Rise, triggering the Eclipse, activating the gate mechanism, and defeating the Prophet — the Overlord boss at the end of the biome. After the fight, you’ll unlock the Jump Network and be sent back to The Passage.

If you need help with that fight, check out our full guide on how to beat the Prophet in Shattered Rise.

Step 2 – Clear Ancient Depths and Beat Bastion

After Prophet falls, the path to Ancient Depths opens up. Work your way through the second biome and defeat its Overlord boss, Bastion. This boss has three health bars but no weak point mechanic — you can damage it freely from the start. Once Bastion is down, a cutscene plays and you move forward into the third area.

Step 3 – Enter Shattered Descent and Follow the Story

Once you arrive in Shattered Descent, follow the main story objective. The game will lead you through the biome until you need to return to The Passage. A cutscene triggers when you try to repair the item you retrieved from the camp. After that, your objective updates to go back to Shattered Descent.

Step 4 – Fast Travel Back Using the World Dial

Open Primary and use the World Dial feature to fast travel back to Shattered Descent. This is the quickest way to get there. Do not skip this step — the Grapple will not unlock on your first visit to the biome.

Step 5 – Interact with the Soltari Terminal

On your second visit to Shattered Descent, follow the objective marker. It will lead you directly to a Soltari terminal. Walk up to it and interact with it. That’s it — you now have the Grapple. The ability is added to your kit permanently and carries through every run from that point forward.

One thing to note: do not rush past this terminal assuming the Grapple will unlock some other way. You must physically interact with it. Some players have reported missing the prompt by moving too fast through the area.

How to Use the Grapple in Saros

Using the Grapple is simple. Approach any purple or blue glowing point in the environment. When you are close enough, a button prompt will appear on screen. Press Triangle to zip straight to the anchor point.

If the prompt is not showing, you are not in range yet. Move a little closer and it will appear. There is no guesswork — the game makes it clear when you can use it.

While you are mid-grapple, you are completely invulnerable. This makes it a strong defensive tool during hectic fights. If enemies are swarming you or a boss sends out a dangerous wave, grappling to a nearby point can save your life. Keep an eye on where grapple points are placed in each arena so you can use them reactively.

What Can You Access With the Grapple?

The Grapple opens up a surprising amount of the game. Here’s what you can now reach:

• Hidden rooms and side areas — Elevated platforms that were blocked before now have reachable grapple points leading to them.
• Extra chests and collectibles — Many of the locked or out-of-reach containers in earlier biomes become accessible once the Grapple is active.
• Faster traversal routes — Grapple points scattered through biomes let you move across large gaps much faster than running.
• Boss arenas — Some boss fights, like the one against Rhabdom in Shattered Descent, actively use grapple points as part of the encounter. Knowing how to use them quickly is important there.

When you return to Shattered Rise or Ancient Depths after unlocking the Grapple, you’ll notice that the previously dormant purple machines now glow and show the button prompt. Go back and explore those areas again — there’s a good chance you missed some Halcyon, audio logs, and containers.

Speaking of earlier biome secrets, our guides on how to open locked containers with Carcosan Keys and how to unlock Jump Network Pads are worth reading before you go back to explore.

Can You Use the Grapple in Combat?

Yes, and you should. The Grapple does not deal damage on its own, but its combat uses are real. The invulnerability window during a grapple makes it a reliable escape tool when you’re getting overwhelmed. You can also use it to reposition quickly — moving to a higher vantage point or crossing the arena in one move to avoid a ground-based attack.

In Shattered Descent specifically, the biome is designed with the Grapple in mind. Arenas have grapple points placed at useful positions. Get into the habit of scanning the room for them as soon as you enter.

Other Permanent Abilities in Saros

The Grapple is one of several permanent abilities you unlock through story progression in Saros. Here’s a quick look at the others:

• Jump Network — Unlocked after beating Prophet. Lets you fast travel between discovered points and return to The Passage.
• Overdrive — Unlocked during Shattered Descent after speaking to Eli at the midpoint. A powerful special attack that charges over time and fires with L3 + R3.
• Parry — Unlocked later in the game. Lets you deflect red projectiles and use the environment to kill enemies.

All of these are story-locked and unmissable. Just keep progressing and you’ll pick them up naturally.

Quick Tips for Using the Grapple

• Don’t ignore old biomes. Go back to Shattered Rise and Ancient Depths after unlocking the Grapple. There’s a lot more to find.
• Use it defensively. The invulnerability window is real. If you’re in trouble, grapple to safety.
• Look up. Many grapple points are placed high in the environment. If a ledge looks out of reach, there’s usually a grapple point nearby to get you there.
• Don’t rush the terminal. On your second visit to Shattered Descent, take a moment to interact with the Soltari terminal. Missing it means missing the Grapple entirely until you replay the sequence.

For more on navigating the world of Saros, see our guides on how to break orange walls and how to get past yellow barriers.

Final Thoughts

The Grapple is one of the most useful tools in Saros and it changes how you move through every biome once you have it. The unlock process is simple — beat Prophet, beat Bastion, follow the story into Shattered Descent, and interact with the Soltari terminal on your second visit.

After that, a whole new layer of exploration opens up. Old areas become worth revisiting, fights become more dynamic, and the game starts to feel a lot more fluid. If you are wondering how long all of this takes, check out how long Saros takes to beat for a full breakdown.

Want to get started? Grab Saros on PS5 via the PlayStation Store.