Saw Hints and Tips

Saw on PS3

Inevitably Saw the videogame is a gory and creepy survival horror. It features writing from the original film makers and is set some time after the first film but before the slew of sequels. The game is set in an abandoned asylum which Jigsaw has fitted out with a variety of unpleasant games. He has also taken the precaution of burying a key in your body and telling the other inhabitants that they’ll have to dig it out if they want to escape. You’ll need to beat a variety of fellow unfortunates in third-person combat and overcome many puzzling challenges to finish the game. In this Saw strategy guide you’ll find some hints and tips that will help you through Jigsaw’s evil playground.

Exploring Saw the Videogame

You need to explore carefully because Jigsaw has set up little surprises for you all over the place. Make sure you avoid broken glass on the floor wherever possible because it will drain your health. You should also search all rooms, desks, lockers and containers as you go. You’ll find nails which can be used to open locked doors via a simple mini-game just match the symbols by turning the tumblers and the lock will open. There are also many pick ups you can use for traps and we’ll take a look at that later.

There are some sections where you’ll need to cross a plank and if you totter over to one side too much you’ll fall to your death. Try to keep a close eye on your character and if he starts to totter compensate by tilting the pad or back pedalling.

You’ll also find fragments of files on the unfortunate inmates of the asylum lying around. Read these to unlock some Saw trophies and get a bit more background story.

Make sure you keep an eye open for cracks in the wall. These denote areas where you can smash through to access a secret area.

It is best to find a flashlight as soon as you can and pretty much keep it on all the time to aid your search. If you want to use Molotov cocktails just remember you’ll need to be equipped with the lighter and not the torch.

As you explore you’ll also run into other people intent on killing you and some who will run away or ignore you. The best approach is to kill them all. When you first enter a new section wait for a few seconds because if there are people there they will talk before they attack you. Never immediately start searching in a new area until you are sure there’s no one there or you could be blindsided while you look for pick ups.

Hints and Tips for Basic Combat in Saw

The third-person combat in Saw on the PS3 is flawed and you can take advantage of that. The more powerful a weapon is the longer you’ll take to swing it. This effectively means the best approach to win any fight is to punch because you will always punch faster than your opponent can swing a weapon. It may take more blows but you will win the fight doing this.

Many of the Saw trophies challenge you to kill with specific weapons so you’ll need to use scalpels, mannequin arms and baseball bats if you want to pick them all up. The trick is to time the hit right. Wait for your opponent to approach you and swing before they can.

You can also stomp people when they’re down but it is an awkward move to pull off. If you hit someone and they fall to the ground stand over them and press L2 and Square then follow the prompts.

You’ll occasionally run into people with collars on like yours and this will activate the collar. You need to get some distance between you and them before it is set off so shut and bolt a door behind you or hit them to the ground and run to ensure that their collar explodes and not yours.

Traps in Saw on PS3

There are traps throughout the game and you can reset some of them and even manufacture your own. When you open new doors, even doors you have unlocked, you need to be ready to disarm shotgun traps, you’ll get a button prompt popping up and if you hit it in time you get to keep your head.

You can reset many of the shotgun traps behind you if you have a shotgun shell. This isn’t really recommended unless you know there is an enemy present that you want to trick into the trap. You may find you’ll end up triggering them yourself and it’s best to only use them when you have an enemy chasing you and you can get behind the trap and set it to blast them.

Later in the game you’ll find various pick ups and schematics for traps and if you can find a workbench you can manufacture your own traps. Once you have made some traps you need to hold L2 and then press R2 to drop the trap. Try to drop them in door ways and once again make sure you know an enemy is coming or they’ll be wasted. With the traps you drop you don’t need to worry about setting them off and you can even pick them up again if you like. To be honest the traps are of limited use although there are a couple of sections where you’ll need to press a button to access a door and this will release a person trapped inside who will attack you. Dropping a trap at the doorway before you let them out is a good idea.

Saw Puzzles

There are loads of small puzzles throughout the game and the vast majority are some slant on a slide puzzle. Twist, slide or rotate pieces to connect pipes or light all the bulbs. Time button presses to open cabinets containing health syringes. Match pairs of symbols or balance antidotes and poison. There is nothing particularly challenging the only difficulty is completing them in time. Often it is necessary to fail a challenge in order to find out where the valve you need is hidden or how a puzzle works, but the second time round you’ll complete it no problem. Just make sure you always search thoroughly and if you aren’t going to make it first time remember where the bits you need are located and complete it when you respawn at the last checkpoint.

Guide to Killing Pighead

This is probably the toughest challenge in the game but there is an easy way to do it. You should bolt the door on the right and make sure the shotgun trap on the door on the left is ready. Now lay down any traps you have and wait for Pighead to stumble into them. Once Pighead breaks through take the other door and run into the courtyard. Turn off the electric trap and enter the cage and wait for Pighead to follow. There are two doors so just exit by the other one and lock it behind you then quickly run round and lock the door Pighead entered by. Now you can turn on the electric trap at your leisure and watch Pighead fry.

If Pighead does manage to grab you simply match the two sticks with the markings three times in a row and you’ll break free.

For more help check out our Saw Trophy Guide.