I'm having a really hard time with the first boss (the guy with the square spell thing that follows you). Getting him to half health is rough, and then he kicks it up a notch and I get destroyed. I'm even entering the fight with full health and 3 potions. Should I maybe go upgrade something? I haven't upgraded anything yet.
Amazing game though. Some of the cutscenes are downright haunting, especially with some good headphones cranked up.
If you really really struggle with him, there's... something you can get from beating the East boss which I found super useful against the bird boss. You can actually do any of the first 3 bosses in any order, if you like.
Ahh, good to know. Probably better to just leave and go to another area instead of banging my head against the wall on this one.
I west east first and I'm definitely in the "game is hard" category -- dying several times before I beat each large encounter. Do you guys think there are certain upgrades to go for first if you're basically a klutz?
I west east first and I'm definitely in the "game is hard" category -- dying several times before I beat each large encounter. Do you guys think there are certain upgrades to go for first if you're basically a klutz?
For initial upgrades I'd probably recommend (in order):
I thought the sword upgrades are all really good. You can parry shots even from bosses. I used the charge up spin slash all the time, mostly to take off huge chunks of health right after a boss/big enemy does a big attack.
I disagree strongly with upgrading your health carrying capacity until you have a good stable of offensive upgrades, if at all. You can prevent incoming damage through patience and exploiting enemy patterns, and you can save that currency for stuff like the grenade or whatever.
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DrakeEdgelord TrashBelow the ecliptic plane.Registered Userregular
edited April 2016
So I found something last night. Not super spoilery. Just a weapon you can find.
Seems to perform like the other sword so far. The only difference I can make out is cosmetic after messing with it a tiny bit before going to bed.
I disagree strongly with upgrading your health carrying capacity until you have a good stable of offensive upgrades, if at all. You can prevent incoming damage through patience and exploiting enemy patterns, and you can save that currency for stuff like the grenade or whatever.
The poster above literally asked for recommendations "if you're a klutz", hence recommendations for a person possibly not that great at exploiting enemy patterns.
Also, today's patch has completely broken the game on Mac. :?
I didn't find everything, might do that with help of a guide just for the general areas? I love finding secrets when they are just side bonuses on the way to somewhere, but when they are objectives (for getting 100%) and the only clue is "it's in this quarter of the game" then finding those last few is a real drag. Maybe NG+ gives more hints? Haven't tried that yet.
Some tips for people who might be struggling:
Go east first. It has the easiest boss and the best boss reward weapon.
I put about 2 hours into this today. Wow, what a cool fucking game. Controls/combat feel real good, dashing feels pretty tight.
I went North first and took the boss down after several attempts. I found the 2nd phase was a lot easier than the 1st. For those struggling:
He has two main attacks during his first phase. A trail of purple blocks that chases after you, and then either a cross or plus pattern that's centered on you. Be patient with the chasing one, just dodge it and don't try and damage him during this. You can go nuts when he does the cross/plus pattern, just make sure to dash out before it goes off. He'll also summon some flying dudes that dive on you, they're pretty easy to deal with. When he teleports, make sure to chase after him.
His 2nd phase, as I mentioned, seemed a lot easier. He sends entire rows and columns of purple blocks across the room, leaving gaps in between each other column/row. You'll want to run right up next to the column/row that just showed and stay there, because it'll skip over you. It's easiest to just stand next to the boss and hit him, and then dash out if you need to.
I suspect they may all be grouped together, taunting me.
Also, I have a feeling the shotgun is either not supposed to be as strong as it is or isn't supposed to be acquired that early.
Guns Spoiler:
The "upgrade" to the shotgun is rather well hidden and yet it's both weaker than the shotgun, holds less ammo, and its icon is in the row with the other initial tier guns. Seems suspicious...
Just a quick not spoilery question: can all 4 triangles from one direction be acquired immediately? I started with north and got 3 of them. Something blocking the way to the last one. Just wondering if it's something I need to find in the area or if I should go explore other directions
Just a quick not spoilery question: can all 4 triangles from one direction be acquired immediately? I started with north and got 3 of them. Something blocking the way to the last one. Just wondering if it's something I need to find in the area or if I should go explore other directions
There are 8 triangles per quadrant and most are accessible with the base gear.
I disagree strongly with upgrading your health carrying capacity until you have a good stable of offensive upgrades, if at all. You can prevent incoming damage through patience and exploiting enemy patterns, and you can save that currency for stuff like the grenade or whatever.
The poster above literally asked for recommendations "if you're a klutz", hence recommendations for a person possibly not that great at exploiting enemy patterns.
Also, today's patch has completely broken the game on Mac. :?
Well, here's the thing, I was also super klutzy when I started playing, but I slowed myself down and forced myself to just watch and see what the enemies would do. Trust me as someone who's finished the game, it's more rewarding and frees you up to make more interesting upgrade choices.
I struggled sooo hard with the northern boss, that I thought fffuuu, Imma go get some upgrades first. Which led to me struggling sooo hard with the western boss, but eventually defeating it. Then I tried the northern boss again and defeated it without even dying once... lols
Hint for those struggling with the western boss:
You can make him smash the crystals with his subordinates in them if you position yourself correctly while he does his sword strike jump attacks. My strategy was to try and make him do that first, because fuck trying to fight against that guy AND regular samurai guys at the same time...
Tip for the chain dash challenge:
Switch to keyboard/mouse mode as you always dash toward the cursor, so without moving it you'll just go back and forth and can concentrate totally on timing
Man, the chain dash input timing is really annoying. There's the energy limit anyway, so the only reason I can see to make it so unforgiving is for that achievement.
That the second challenge is 800 consecutive dashes is more about wasting the player's time than challenging them.
Which sort of connects to my one significant complaint about the game, which is that it doesn't really have a satisfactory "reward system" — (quasi-spoilers regarding the game's design and its secrets)
Where conceptual precursors (like the Metroidvanias) of the world tend to reward you with all manner of upgrades and transformations upon uncovering their secrets, this game tends to just ask that you be satisfied with the process of uncovering a secret and collecting inscrutable doodads. (Consider how two of the games collectible objects are just different key types — you search for secrets to find keys so you can open doors that let you search for more secrets to find more keys to open more doors.)
Obviously the town and its vendors play some role in how the game is structured as such, but I think it would have been cool to at least have more of the Phantasy Star-esque visual-story screens hidden here and there (maybe have them attached to the monoliths).
Is there a way to extend your dash distance (possibly one of the dash-and-attack upgrades)? Because there's a number of chests and things I've seen that are just out of dash distance.
Is there a way to extend your dash distance (possibly one of the dash-and-attack upgrades)? Because there's a number of chests and things I've seen that are just out of dash distance.
Not that I ever discovered.
Hints behind spoiler:
Most of the time you're given a glimpse of something just out of reach to let you know that either you're looking for your "helper" to identify invisible platforms, or you'll need to use one of the guns to shoot a switch. The laser gun in particular lets you look a little farther than you usually can.
Tip for the chain dash challenge:
Switch to keyboard/mouse mode as you always dash toward the cursor, so without moving it you'll just go back and forth and can concentrate totally on timing
Thanks for this, turned on twich on the other monitor and tapped away. Looked back when it was at 1300-something.
I hate that so many things are so hidden you will never find then till post gane
Do they get map indicators then?
Nope.
A lot of the hidden stuff is also of that detestable variety which has you scraping up against every wall, doing blind jumps off ledges to find unseeable paths, and just generally obfuscating secret routes to pointless degree. Coupled with the fact that you don't get map indicators for hidden items and the map itself is pretty much crap, I don't see any reason at all to even bother attempting to get 100% on this game. I'm sure as hell not going to waste hours scraping over every last corner and ledge, and if I have to resort to a guide to find this stuff, then that part of the game just isn't designed well enough to make me care.
I like exploring stuff and finding hidden things, but c'mon, this is 2016. Don't waste my fucking time on 80's-era "secrets" design.
Ninja Snarl P on
0
DrakeEdgelord TrashBelow the ecliptic plane.Registered Userregular
While on the other hand I'm thrilled by this sort of thing. I've spent most of my time just fighting and exploring. They use some interesting signals and cues to show a secret is present, like sounds or the hint of a path. And it seems like the devs designed the game to allow you to skip a ton of stuff. The things you need to complete the game are shown on the map, so it's not like it's a block to completing the game.
I hate that so many things are so hidden you will never find then till post gane
Could you elaborate? Is this some NewGame+ thing?
I think Bluedude is just saying that the in your natural course of navigating the world and defeating bosses you will typically miss a large portion of the hidden content, and since the game isn't especially long if one chooses to disregard hidden content, most stuff will be found "post-game".
For people curious about how much effort that might want to put into finding hidden stuff, these are some of the rewards for different objectives (much spoilerage ahead):
Typically each quadrant requires you to find 3 triangles to face the boss, and then a fourth triangle (I think?) as part of facing the final boss. However there are 8 triangles; finding all 8 in each quadrant unlocks a specific door, which typically leads to a challenging area that demands dash-chain skills and some serious combat. The rewards for doing so are:
North Quadrant — One of the hidden monoliths
East Quadrant — One of the hidden keys and an alternate shotgun-type weapon (its bullets bounce)
West Quadrant — One of the hidden outfits (I think it was the pink one)
South Quadrant — An upgrade for the laser
There are also four monoliths per zone. Finding all 16 and finding the related secret room in the Northern Quadrant will give you an ugly brown outfit that grants an additional lifepoint.
And there are also four hidden keys per zone, with doors requiring various numbers of keys all over. I only found 15, so I don't know what's behind the 16-key door, but presumably it's like all the rest and contains alternate outfits and gearbits (the currency).
That said, 12 keys will unlock a door in town that will take you to a special bar area that has some NPCs and four special combat arenas.
While on the other hand I'm thrilled by this sort of thing. I've spent most of my time just fighting and exploring. They use some interesting signals and cues to show a secret is present, like sounds or the hint of a path. And it seems like the devs designed the game to allow you to skip a ton of stuff. The things you need to complete the game are shown on the map, so it's not like it's a block to completing the game.
Eh, the "interesting signals" consists of maybe a small scattering of different-colored blocks against some walls and a few times where Hud will point out invisible platforms. And that stuff isn't even remotely consistent; plenty of stuff against walls is just random bits of scenery, and there are several "ledges" hidden from the player's view.
Most of the "secrets" here are not all clever and are impossible to "discover" through anything but random attempts. Which is pretty lousy, considering that the secrets lock away playable content in a game that isn't particularly long anyway.
Ninja Snarl P on
0
DrakeEdgelord TrashBelow the ecliptic plane.Registered Userregular
I've found them through sounds as well. It's funny how often sound gets overlooked.
I mean, you can think this stuff is lousy I guess. I'm pretty happy with the way the game has been built though. I really appreciate a game that doesn't hold my hand and spell things out. It's rare that I get a game that I feel like rewards my time spent. Every time I play I make some little bit of progress, some nice discovery. I figure out a new wrinkle to the gameplay and I'm just enjoying the experience without any kind of pressure to complete. There's plenty of other games that give you everything up front. It's pretty refreshing to find a game that caters to my tastes and allows me to just enjoy myself without bothering me. I really value that sense of discovery.
Having completed say 98% of the game, I'd say it was less than 10% of the hidden stuff that felt "old-school cheap". The sound design really is excellent and offers a lot of assistance for discovery, but it can be difficult to pick up on such cues if you're easily distracted by the rad tunes.
There are a couple instances where visual clues that serve to identify secrets multiple times in other locations are suddenly not indicators of anything, and I sort of assumed it was just a case where they accidentally used a given tileset.
The dumbest stuff is the "ghost-indicator" (ghost in Destiny sense); they probably should have put in some subtle radar ping as you get closer to a viable point to check your ghost-vision. Also, I wish the maps were a bit more accurate. The underworld is basically nonsense, full of random pink lines and vague outlines of rooms.
Posts
Ahh, good to know. Probably better to just leave and go to another area instead of banging my head against the wall on this one.
For initial upgrades I'd probably recommend (in order):
1. Grenade (2 Chits)
2. Potion Pouch (2 Chits)
3. Projectile Parry (3 Chits?)
Seems to perform like the other sword so far. The only difference I can make out is cosmetic after messing with it a tiny bit before going to bed.
The poster above literally asked for recommendations "if you're a klutz", hence recommendations for a person possibly not that great at exploiting enemy patterns.
Also, today's patch has completely broken the game on Mac. :?
you find optional cosmetic sword/companion/outfit options throughout the game
your sword never changes aside from purchasable upgrades. You do usually find a new gun after every boss though.
I didn't find everything, might do that with help of a guide just for the general areas? I love finding secrets when they are just side bonuses on the way to somewhere, but when they are objectives (for getting 100%) and the only clue is "it's in this quarter of the game" then finding those last few is a real drag. Maybe NG+ gives more hints? Haven't tried that yet.
Some tips for people who might be struggling:
I got like a handcannon/revolver from west, a shotgun from east, and a laser rifle from north.
It seemed like there were slots for 6 guns in the inventory, so counting the startin pistol there might be 2 more?
West Boss Spoiler:
I went North first and took the boss down after several attempts. I found the 2nd phase was a lot easier than the 1st. For those struggling:
His 2nd phase, as I mentioned, seemed a lot easier. He sends entire rows and columns of purple blocks across the room, leaving gaps in between each other column/row. You'll want to run right up next to the column/row that just showed and stay there, because it'll skip over you. It's easiest to just stand next to the boss and hit him, and then dash out if you need to.
Overall, though, be patient.
Battle.net Tag: Dibby#1582
I suspect they may all be grouped together, taunting me.
Also, I have a feeling the shotgun is either not supposed to be as strong as it is or isn't supposed to be acquired that early.
Guns Spoiler:
Battle.net: Fireflash#1425
Steam Friend code: 45386507
There are 8 triangles per quadrant and most are accessible with the base gear.
[/spoiler]
Well, here's the thing, I was also super klutzy when I started playing, but I slowed myself down and forced myself to just watch and see what the enemies would do. Trust me as someone who's finished the game, it's more rewarding and frees you up to make more interesting upgrade choices.
Hint for those struggling with the western boss:
Unreal Engine 4 Developers Community.
I'm working on a cute little video game! Here's a link for you.
Got up to the Northern boss - had a huge amount of trouble so I decided to go east instead
Beat the east boss and am clearing around the east still for more stuff
Super damn fun
Switch to keyboard/mouse mode as you always dash toward the cursor, so without moving it you'll just go back and forth and can concentrate totally on timing
Which sort of connects to my one significant complaint about the game, which is that it doesn't really have a satisfactory "reward system" — (quasi-spoilers regarding the game's design and its secrets)
Obviously the town and its vendors play some role in how the game is structured as such, but I think it would have been cool to at least have more of the Phantasy Star-esque visual-story screens hidden here and there (maybe have them attached to the monoliths).
Not that I ever discovered.
Hints behind spoiler:
Do they get map indicators then?
Nope.
Thanks for this, turned on twich on the other monitor and tapped away. Looked back when it was at 1300-something.
Could you elaborate? Is this some NewGame+ thing?
A lot of the hidden stuff is also of that detestable variety which has you scraping up against every wall, doing blind jumps off ledges to find unseeable paths, and just generally obfuscating secret routes to pointless degree. Coupled with the fact that you don't get map indicators for hidden items and the map itself is pretty much crap, I don't see any reason at all to even bother attempting to get 100% on this game. I'm sure as hell not going to waste hours scraping over every last corner and ledge, and if I have to resort to a guide to find this stuff, then that part of the game just isn't designed well enough to make me care.
I like exploring stuff and finding hidden things, but c'mon, this is 2016. Don't waste my fucking time on 80's-era "secrets" design.
I think Bluedude is just saying that the in your natural course of navigating the world and defeating bosses you will typically miss a large portion of the hidden content, and since the game isn't especially long if one chooses to disregard hidden content, most stuff will be found "post-game".
For people curious about how much effort that might want to put into finding hidden stuff, these are some of the rewards for different objectives (much spoilerage ahead):
North Quadrant — One of the hidden monoliths
East Quadrant — One of the hidden keys and an alternate shotgun-type weapon (its bullets bounce)
West Quadrant — One of the hidden outfits (I think it was the pink one)
South Quadrant — An upgrade for the laser
There are also four monoliths per zone. Finding all 16 and finding the related secret room in the Northern Quadrant will give you an ugly brown outfit that grants an additional lifepoint.
And there are also four hidden keys per zone, with doors requiring various numbers of keys all over. I only found 15, so I don't know what's behind the 16-key door, but presumably it's like all the rest and contains alternate outfits and gearbits (the currency).
That said, 12 keys will unlock a door in town that will take you to a special bar area that has some NPCs and four special combat arenas.
Eh, the "interesting signals" consists of maybe a small scattering of different-colored blocks against some walls and a few times where Hud will point out invisible platforms. And that stuff isn't even remotely consistent; plenty of stuff against walls is just random bits of scenery, and there are several "ledges" hidden from the player's view.
Most of the "secrets" here are not all clever and are impossible to "discover" through anything but random attempts. Which is pretty lousy, considering that the secrets lock away playable content in a game that isn't particularly long anyway.
I mean, you can think this stuff is lousy I guess. I'm pretty happy with the way the game has been built though. I really appreciate a game that doesn't hold my hand and spell things out. It's rare that I get a game that I feel like rewards my time spent. Every time I play I make some little bit of progress, some nice discovery. I figure out a new wrinkle to the gameplay and I'm just enjoying the experience without any kind of pressure to complete. There's plenty of other games that give you everything up front. It's pretty refreshing to find a game that caters to my tastes and allows me to just enjoy myself without bothering me. I really value that sense of discovery.
There are a couple instances where visual clues that serve to identify secrets multiple times in other locations are suddenly not indicators of anything, and I sort of assumed it was just a case where they accidentally used a given tileset.
The dumbest stuff is the "ghost-indicator" (ghost in Destiny sense); they probably should have put in some subtle radar ping as you get closer to a viable point to check your ghost-vision. Also, I wish the maps were a bit more accurate. The underworld is basically nonsense, full of random pink lines and vague outlines of rooms.