~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Realm of the Dead / Bakuen Kakusei: Neverland Senki Zero
FAQ/Walkthrough
By: Globe_199 (Liam Brown)
liambrown3@bigpond.com
Version 1.2, submitted: 19/12/09.
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---------------
VERSION HISTORY
---------------
1.0; submitted 05/12/09.
Completed FAQ/Walkthrough file.
1.1; submitted 09/12/09.
Fixed information re: Flametongue.
Added information for one of the stages, I forget which.
Updated Legal Notice to allow Neoseeker to host this guide.
Added version history.
1.2; submitted 19/12/09.
Changed "Bakunen" to "Bakuen" - I cannot believe I have been making an ass out
of myself for so long without realising it.
Updated Legal Notice to allow Super Cheats to host this guide.
INTRODUCTION
First of all, you may be asking why you were directed to the "Bakuen Kakusei:
Neverland Senki Zero" site when you clearly typed "Realm of the Dead" into the
search bar. No, you're not crazy. Probably. "Realm of the Dead" is the English
translation of the Japanese version of the game. I have found very little
information about either game on the internet, so you're just going to have to
trust me on this one. Not being Japanese myself, this guide has been written
for the version with the title "Realm of the Dead". So if you can understand
what's written on the front cover of your game, then this is the guide you are
after.
This guide will use the Ctrl+F feature extensively as a means of organising
the information you want to find. If you see a certain segment you want to
skip forward to, press Ctrl and the F button on your computer keyboard
simultaneously, copy and paste the corresponding code in the [brackets] into
the field which appears, then press the enter key. This is a basic computer
skill and I'd be surprised if you have trouble with this.
I have tried to keep spoilers to a minimum, but at times some are inevitable.
There isn't much plot to spoil in this game anyway, so read at your own risk.
CONTENTS
Plot................................................. [STOR]
Basic Controls & Skills.............................. [BASIX]
Characters & Character Specific controls............. [CHAR]
Levelling Up & Equipment............................. [LVLUP]
Tips and General Hints............................... [TIPZ]
Enemies (and how to kill them)....................... [ENMYS]
Items................................................ [ITEMZ]
Walkthrough.......................................... [WLKTHRU]
Lordhill Fortress......................... [LHFT]
Act 1 Scene 1............................. [A1S1]
Act 1 Scene 2: Road of the Dead........... [A1S2]
Act 1 Scene 3: Central Square............. [A1S3]
Act 1 Scene 4: Underground Entrance....... [A1S4]
Act 1 Scene 5: Torture Chamber............ [A1S5]
Act 2 Scene 1: Underground Waterway....... [A2S1]
Act 2 Scene 2: Underground Prison......... [A2S2]
Act 2 Scene 3: Dimly Lit Library.......... [A2S3]
Act 2 Scene 4: Organ Room................. [A2S4]
Act 3 Scene 1: Cavern Entrance............ [A3S1]
Act 3 Scene 2: Cavern..................... [A3S2]
Act 3 Scene 3: Lab I...................... [A3S3]
Act 3 Scene 4: Lab II..................... [A3S4]
Act 3 Scene 5: Operating Room............. [A3S5]
Act 4 Scene 1: Suspension Bridge.......... [A4S1]
Act 4 Scene 2: Eboto Forest............... [A4S2]
Act 4 Scene 3: Amid the Mist.............. [A4S3]
Act 4 Scene 4: Forest Depths.............. [A4S4]
Act 5 Scene 1: Raging Wind................ [A5S1]
Act 5 Scene 2: Great Hall................. [A5S2]
Act 5 Scene 3: Venomous Flower............ [A5S3]
Act 5 Scene 4: Silent Statue.............. [A5S4]
Act 5 Scene 5: Spiral Staircase........... [A5S5]
Act 6 Scene 1: Desecration of the Soul.... [A6S1]
Act 6 Scene 2: Forsaken Garden............ [A6S2]
Act 6 Scene 3: Accursed Lake.............. [A6S3]
Act 6 Scene 4: A Long Dark Road........... [A6S4]
Act 6 Scene 5: Where Hatred Returns....... [A6S5]
Legal Notice
Credits
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PLOT (abridged) [STOR]
The name of the world you are in is Neverland (not to be confused with Never
Never Land, which is completely different). In the 994th Demon Year, hordes of
undead attacked a human village in the Kaizeron region, and continued to
spread to other villages before someone finally sat up and thought that
something should probably be done about it.
Upon hearing news of this event, Demon King Janus / Saint Dorifan / Geizer,
leader of the Black Knights, dispatched Hiro / Greezer / Lyla Dol to single-
handedly solve this problem.
...That's pretty much all the plot you're going to get. The rest is revealed
through NPC dialogue and a few notes you'll find on your adventure. As you can
see, the character you choose does not change the story at all apart from the
introductory sequence and the final "movie" at the game's conclusion.
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BASIC CONTROLS [BASIX]
All of the following information can be found on pages 2-6 of the game manual.
I have rearranged them here in approximate order of importance. All of the
controls listed here are the same between characters, with only a few slight
variations for some of the multi-hit skills, which are unlocked through
levelling up and will be discussed later. In order to use more advanced skills,
you MUST have received a "level up" message informing you of this skill.
*** ie: you can't use a non-basic skill until your character has learnt it. ***
Left analog stick = character movement.
Right analog stick = camera movement (angle will still suck, though).
Square = weak attack (fast).
X = strong attack (slightly slower).
O = interact button (open door, talk to NPC, pick up item).
R1 = Defend.
Triangle = special attack (when SP1 gauge is full).
R1+Triangle = super special attack (when SP2 gauge is full).
Start button = pause menu.
L2 = hold down to open item menu, use left/right arrows to scroll.
L1 = use selected item. Hold down when throwing a bomb, aim with the left
analog stick, then release L1 to throw it.
*NOTE: If you're experiencing hand-eye co-ordination problems, it may be worth
accessing healing items through the pause menu and using them there. However,
you must use bombs and similar items through L1.
*ALSO NOTE: There is no "lock-on" button in this game. This makes bombs and
other thrown items a pain to use, if you even want to use them at all.
BASIC SKILLS
1) "Death Lock" = approach a fallen enemy and press R1+square.
In the manual, these all have different names for each character, but they do
the same thing. Once you have knocked an enemy down (after a chain of attacks,
for example), you will want to use this move as it deals significantly more
damage than normal attacking, and is THE ONLY WAY TO FILL UP THE S2 GAUGE!
Furthermore, enemy attacks do not damage you whilst you are performing this
move, so don't hesitate to run straight into the middle of battle to perform
this on a knocked down enemy. Though this may not be advised when you are
massively outnumbered, as a group of enemies will tend to time their attacks
so as to hit you just as you're coming out of it.
2) "Standing Death Lock" = approach a staggered enemy and press:
For Hiro: square, square, (delay), X, X.
For Greezer and Lyla Dol: square, X, (delay), X, X.
Only certain enemies can become "staggered". This status is only temporary, and
usually results after the enemy is at roughly half health. It is characterised
by the enemy flashing red for a small period of time. The "delay" refers to
waiting for the attack animation for the previous move to finish before
pressing the next button. If you don't time it right, you'll perform one of the
other skills you may have unlocked.
The Standing Death Lock functions the same as the normal (ground) Death Lock,
the only difference being that you can use it on staggered enemies who you
can't normally knock down.
3) "Special Attack" (SP1) = Triangle.
Only able to be performed when the SP1 gauge is full. You can achieve this by
attacking enemies normally and getting attacked yourself, the latter of which
is not recommended.
As the SP1 gauge is easier to fill up than the SP2 one, it stands to reason
that the SP1 attack is much weaker than SP2. Its main advantage is that it
can knock down enemies within a large radius whilst inflicting a bit of
damage, so you can run up and use a Death Lock to reduce enemy numbers whilst
charging your SP2 gauge.
4) "Super Special Attack" (SP2) = R1+Triangle.
Counter-intuitively, the SP2 gauge should be considered separately from the
SP1 gauge. They are both charged by different things, and the status of one
gauge does not affect the other.
The SP2 gauge is filled only by striking an enemy with a Death Lock (R1+square
near a knocked down enemy).
SP2 attacks are very powerful, hitting enemies within a large radius for a
large ammount of damage and knocking them down, possibly for you to finish
them off with a Death Lock. I would recommend you save it for a situation
when you are cheaply cornered by a large group of enemies and don't feel like
losing.
5) Counter attack = hold down R1, and press X.
This skill requires prediction and precision. First, you have to predict
whether or not the enemy is going to use a blockable attack. These are usually
weaker, faster attacks, although there are some enemies whose attacks you can
never block.
As soon as you block the attack, whilst still holding down R1, press X to
counterattack. This deals a lot of damage. It is impossible to practice the
timing of this by yourself, as it requires an attack to be blocked for it to
work.
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CHARACTERS [CHAR]
You are given the choice of one of three characters at the start of your
journey. Whilst this has no effect on the plot, their combat styles are
slightly different, they have different base stats, and receive level up
bonuses (such as equipment and skills) at different points of the game.
~~~~
HIRO
~~~~
Daughter of Demon King Janus, ruler of earth, and Maria, a human. Also known
as Child of the Exploding Flames, she has the ability to command the flames of
Hell at will.
_______________
Starting stats
HP: 2000
Attack 200
Defence: 180
Agility: 160
_______________
Despite being a woman, she is the easiest character to use, as if her
starting stats didn't give that away already. Her starting weapon is a scythe
with a base power of 65, which is strong enough to last a while without an
upgrade. Her scythe also has a wide range and reach, making crowd control
easier using her than the other characters. Her strong (X) attack is capable
of igniting enemies, which is always nice.
Hiro also receives equipment, including the Ring and Gauntlet, much earlier
in the game than the other characters. This means that you will have a longer
opportunity to level them up, and take advantage of the bonuses which come with
them. Highly recommended for players who are new to the game.
Ranking: 1/3.
HIRO'S SKILLS
Demon Cleave - Square-square-square combo. Basic weak attack.
Flame Summons - X attack. Basic strong attack.
Heaven's Gate - R1+square near a fallen enemy. AKA "Death Lock". Basic move.
Hellfire - Triangle, when SP1 bar is full. Basic SP1 attack.
Roaring Flames - R1+triangle, when SP2 bar is full. Basic SP2 attack.
Fiery Slash - Square-Square-X. Level-up skill.
Netherworld - Square+X, to send enemy flying. Level-up skill.
Whirling Slash - Square-X (4 rapid-fire attacks). Level-up skill.
Moving Slash - Whilst moving, square+X. "Tackling move". Level-up skill.
Death Slam - X when enemy is in air to slam them down. Level-up skill.
Inferno - Square-square-X, then mash X repeatedly. Level-up skill.
~~~~~~~
GREEZER
~~~~~~~
Refined and trustworthy Holy Knight who is well respected by all around him.
Able to command the powers of divine magic.
________________
Starting stats
HP: 2000
Attack: 180
Defence: 150
Agility: 140
________________
As gamers tend to be male, would I be right in assuming that most guys would
choose Greezer? I sure did. Surprisingly he is the worst character to use due
to one feature - speed.
In this game, speed kills. You will frequently find yourself cheaply cornered
by several enemies at once, and getting quick hits in can and will make the
difference between life and death. This is also the case with most boss
enemies, as often you will be wanting to either get fast combos in before they
can attack (for easier bosses) or get a hit or two in before running out of
range (for tough bosses). Greezer does neither particularly well, which is why
I consider him to be the "worst" character. Not that the game will be
impossible with him, but you will have a much easier time using the girls.
His strong (X) attack can send enemies flying but, you guessed it, this is also
slow to pull off and you'll probably be hit before completing it.
His weapon choices are fairly similar to Lyla Dol's except that they are
slightly weaker (meaning that with a similar weapon, Greezer will only have 10
higher Attack than her), with a lower chance of inflicting a status. His "best"
weapon has a chance to ignite an enemy, which isn't as useful as poison so you
may want to stick with the weaker Valhallide for most of the game.
He receives equipment much later in the game than the girls', which means you
will be spending more points on healing items as he will be taking more damage,
especially considering his lower speed.
Ranking: 3/3.
GREEZER'S SKILLS
Triple Slash - Square-square-square combo. Basic weak attack.
Fist of Fury - X attack. Basic strong attack.
Divine Vengeance - R1+square near a fallen enemy. AKA "Death Lock". Basic move.
Dragon Claw - Triangle, when SP1 bar is full. Basic SP1 attack.
Fire Blast - R1+triangle, when SP2 bar is full. Basic SP2 attack.
Clear Blade - Square-X-X. Level-up skill.
Holy Sword - Square-square-X-X. Level-up skill.
Sky Rise - Square+X, to send enemy flying. Level-up skill.
Running Cleave - Whilst moving, square+X. "Tackling move". Level-up skill.
Modified Sky Rise - X when enemy is in air to slam them down. Level-up skill.
Raven Claw - Square-X-X, then mash X repeatedly. Level-up skill.
~~~~~~~~
LYLA DOL
~~~~~~~~
Cruel and emotionally barren warrior from the depths of Hell. Her only passion
is to serve the Black Knight Geizer.
The game manual calls her "Lyra Dol", whereas the game spells it "Lyla". Call
her whatever you want, but I will be using the game's translation in this
guide.
_______________
Starting stats
HP: 1800
Attack 160
Defence: 140
Agility: 160
_______________
You can see her panties when she's getting up after being knocked dowm. ;)
Apart from that, you may be thinking that there has to be some benefit in
choosing the character with the lowest stats, like a super-powerful weapon or
something. That seems to be the trend in most games, right?
Well, Lyla missed the memo on this one. Her best weapon, which only becomes
available after Act 5 Scene 5, maxes out with the same Attack bonus as Hiro's.
Taking Lyla's low base Attack stat into consideration, she will always be
weaker than the other two characters. She will also have the lowest Defence
stat too, for similar reasons.
With all that said, her lower Attack stat is counterbalanced by her "best"
weapon having a high chance to inflict poison, which is surprisingly helpful.
It also has a max attack bonus of 85, which makes her total Attack a negligible
10 points lower than Greezer's (if using Flametongue), or equal if he's using
Flarerudius/Valhallide.
Specialising as a one-on-one fighter, her level-up combos tend to be much
more useful than the others'. This is partly because her basic weak combo
is a 4-hit combo instead of 3, so if you're going to be slashing away for 4
hits anyway you might as well make it stronger by using a combo. Unfortunately,
you will most often encounter situations where you are swarmed by enemies,
turning Lyla Dol's strengths into weaknesses and making her other weaknesses
even more prominent. Oh, and for boss fights you won't be getting too many
combos in, so don't think for a second that Lyla will have an easier time
against bosses. She is fast enough for hit and run tactics against most bosses
though, which is a bonus.
She receives equipment at different times than Hiro, some of which are good
(early Dragon Amulet), others of which are bad (later Silver Ring). You'll be
wanting to level up her defensive equipment quickly, and read ahead to know
which weapon you'll aiming for so you don't waste too many points. It is
advised that you level up her starting weapon, the Naniol, to at least Att+60
to make her at least on par with the other characters at the start of the game.
Ranking: 2/3.
LYLA DOL'S SKILLS
Shadowbreak - square-square-square-square. Basic 4-hit weak combo attack.
Rending Fist - X attack. Basic strong attack.
Impending Death - R1+square near a fallen enemy. AKA "Death Lock". Basic move.
Spiraling Blast - Triangle, when SP1 bar is full. Basic SP1 attack.
Silent Surge - R1+triangle, when SP2 bar is full. Basic SP2 attack.
Clear Blade - square, X, X. Level-up skill.
Shooting Star - square, square, X, X. Level-up skill.
Blue Bolt - square+X, to send enemy flying. Level-up skill.
Flowing Dance - square+X when moving. "Tackling move". Level-up skill.
Earth Embrace - X when enemy is in air, to slam them down. Level-up skill.
Evil Eye - square, X, X, then mash X repeatedly. Level-up skill.
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LEVELLING UP [LVLUP]
This is one of the many areas of the game that the manual did not explain very
well. Or not at all, to be exact. There are 2 "types" of levelling up:
1) After you finish a level, you may receive a "level up" upon completion. This
is automatic, and your ranking for that level has nothing to do with it. This
kind of level-up does not alter your stats. It enables you to use different
moves, ie: those in the manual which are described as being "available after
upgrade". See the CHARACTER section for details on these skills. Alternatively
you will be rewarded with a new piece of equipment, which will automatically be
equipped unless you already have something equipped in that slot. You can now
use points to level up these equipments.
2) Using "points" to level up.
Think of these "points" as your combined money and bonus experience points.
You can use them as either, but not both at the same time.
After completing a level, you are rewarded with a number of points depending
on your rank (S/A/B/C/D). An S rank nets you 1500 points, while an A gets you
1000, and a B will get you 700. Personally I have never gotten below a B, so I
can't tell you how many points you get for the lower levels (no seriously, you
have to try pretty hard to get a bad ranking).
To use these points, select the POINT REDEMPTION SHOP option on the screen
after completing a level. You now have the option of using points to buy items
or to level up your equipment. Points can also be accumulated by selling items
you don't need/want.
Assuming you want to level up, select the LEVEL UP option. You will be
presented with options of Weapon, Ring, Amulet, Jewel and Gauntlet. With the
exception of Weapons, consider each of the equipments as being direct bonuses
to your stats. At the start of the game, you will only have a weapon equipped.
As you clear stages and progress in the game, you will periodically be rewarded
with equipment for the other menus.
When there are multiple choices of weapons, only the weapon you have equipped
will be considered when boosting your Attack stat. So it is not wise to waste
points for weapons which you do not intend to use later (see TIPS AND GENERAL
HINTS section if you need help with deciding a priority of what to level up).
~~~~~~~~~~~
EQUIPMENT
~~~~~~~~~~~
**NOTE: Bonuses are NOT cumulative. For example, levelling up the Silver Ring
all the way to a Demon Ring will increase your Max HP by a total of 1000
points, NOT by a combined 2350 points.
----------
WEAPONS
----------
::: HIRO :::
Heaven's Gate: Attack+65. --> 5000pts
Attack+70. --> 7000pts
Attack+75. --> 9000pts
Attack+85.   = MAX ("Awakened").
===============================================================================
NOTES ON HIRO'S WEAPON
She only has one, so don't worry about saving up points for later. It starts
off much stronger than the other characters' weapons, so you can invest points
in her defensive equipment as soon as you get them and work on her weapon
later. The "incomplete" status means nothing - only that you haven't maxed it
out with points yet.
==============================================================================
::: GREEZER :::
Holy Sword Lodion: Attack+25. --> 2000pts
Attack+40. --> 3500pts
Attack+55. --> 6000pts
Attack+70.   = MAX.
Flarerudius: Attack+35, 10% chance of igniting enemy. --> 2500pts
Attack+50, 15% chance of igniting enemy. --> 4000pts
Attack+60, 20% chance of igniting enemy. --> 6500pts
Attack+65, 25% chance of igniting enemy.   = MAX.
(Awarded at the completion of Act 2 Scene 4.)
Valhallide: Attack+45, 10% chance of poisoning enemy. --> 2500pts
Attack+50, 15% chance of poisoning enemy. --> 4000pts
Attack+60, 20% chance of poisoning enemy. --> 6500pts
Attack+65, 25% chance of poisoning enemy.   = MAX.
(Awarded at the completion of Act 4 Scene 4.)
Flametongue: Attack+60,  5% chance of igniting enemy. --> 3000pts.
Attack+65, 10% chance of igniting enemy. --> 5000pts.
Attack+70, 15% chance of igniting enemy. --> 8000pts.
Attack+75, 30% chance of igniting enemy.   = MAX.
(Awarded at the completion of Act 5 Scene 5.)
===============================================================================
NOTES ON GREEZER'S WEAPONS
I would advise skipping the Flarerudius, as the poison effect of Valhallide is
a much more useful status than ignition. The Flametongue is an upgraded version
of the Flarerudius anyway, so if you want an igniting weapon, save your points
for that.
The final boss is immune to both ignition and poison, but most enemies and even
bosses in the earlier chapters are susceptible to poison, so for the most part
you'll be wanting to use Valhallide. Poison lasts longer than ignition and
inflicts much more damage.
If you want the weapon with the strongest Attack, then you should conserve your
points for Flametongue. This weapon comes at a time when you should be spending
points on healing items though, so if you've already levelled the Holy Sword
Lodion, you might as well use that.
===============================================================================
::: LYLA DOL :::
Naniol: Attack+20. --> 2000pts
Attack+35. --> 3500pts
Attack+60. --> 6000pts
Attack+80.   = MAX.
Mephitius: Attack+30, 15% chance of igniting enemy. --> 2500pts
Attack+45, 20% chance of igniting enemy. --> 4000pts
Attack+60, 25% chance of igniting enemy. --> 6500pts
Attack+75, 30% chance of ingiting enemy.   = MAX.
(Awarded at the completion of Act 2 Scene 4.)
Reita: Attack+35, 15% chance of poisoning enemy. --> 2500pts
Attack+45, 20% chance of poisoning enemy. --> 4000pts
Attack+60, 25% chance of poisoning enemy. --> 6500pts
Attack+75, 30% chance of poisoning enemy.   = MAX.
(Awarded at the completion is Act 4 Scene 4.)
Inferri: Attack+65, 20% chance of poisoning enemy. --> 4000pts
Attack+70, 25% chance of poisoning enemy. --> 5000pts
Attack+75, 30% chance of poisoning enemy. --> 8000pts
Attack+85, 35% chance of poisoning enemy.   = MAX.
(Awarded at the completion of Act 5 Scene 5.)
===============================================================================
NOTES ON LYLA DOL'S WEAPONS
The Naniol is her initial weapon, which is the weakest in the game,
exaggerating her lower base Attack. I would suggest levelling it up to
Attack+60 to even things out ASAP. If you sell all your Antidotes and Aid items
after the first Scene, you should be able to do this easy.
There is no reason to use the Reita over an already levelled up Mephitius,
especially as you'll be receiving the Inferri at the conclusion of the next
Act, which is basically an improved model of it anyway.
Definitely use the Inferri when you get it, as the high chance of poisoning
and highest possible Attack bonus will make up for Lyla Dol's base stat
deficiencies. If you don't waste points on the Reita, you should be able to max
it out rather easily.
===============================================================================
*** Apart from weapons, each character receives the same piece of equipment
for the other slots. ***
----------
RINGS
----------
Silver Ring, Max HP+200.    --> 2000pts
Wolf Fang Ring, Max HP+450. --> 4000pts
Twin Ring, Max HP+700.      --> 6500pts
Demon Ring, Max HP+1000.      = MAX.
===============================================================================
Awarded to each character upon completion of:
Hiro: Act 1 Scene 3.
Greezer: Act 1 Scene 5.
Lyla Dol: Act 2 Scene 2.
===============================================================================
----------
AMULETS
----------
Dragon Amulet, recovers 1HP/sec. --> 3000pts
Holy Amulet, recovers 3HP/sec.   --> 6000pts
Black Amulet, recovers 5HP/sec.  --> 9000pts
Demon Amulet, recovers 10HP/sec.   = MAX.
===============================================================================
Awarded to each character upon completion of:
Hiro: Act 3 Scene 2.
Greezer: Act 4 Scene 2.
Lyla Dol: Act 1 Scene 2.
===============================================================================
----------
JEWELS
----------
Silver Necklace, 10% chance to negate Fire/Poison status. --> 2000pts
Gold Necklace, 20% chance to negate Fire/Poison status.   --> 4000pts
Rune Necklace, 30% chance to negate Fire/Poison status.   --> 7000pts
Demon Ornament, 50% chance to negate Fire/Poison status.    = MAX.
===============================================================================
Awarded to each character upon completion of Act 3 Scene 5.
===============================================================================
----------
GAUNTLETS
----------
Spiked Gauntlet, Def+5.     --> 3000pts
Warrior's Gauntlet, Def+10. --> 6000pts
Knight's Gauntlet, Def+20.  --> 9000pts
Demon Gauntlet, Def+40.       = MAX.
===============================================================================
Awarded to each character upon completion of:
Hiro: Act 1 Scene 4.
Greezer: Act 3 Scene 1.
Lyla Dol: Act 4 Scene 3.
===============================================================================
----------------------------------------------------------------------
TIPS AND GENERAL HINTS [TIPZ]
1) At the beginning of each stage, your health and SP bars are set to full. You
can use this to your advantage in a number of ways:
- Save on healing items. Check how far you have to go on a map (the finish line
is indicated by green arrows). If you think you can finish with low health,
give it a shot. Just keep in mind that most exits are guarded by enemies which
MUST be defeated in order to progress, so don't do anything reckless.
- Use your SP attacks as soon as you need them. Don't waste them on something
stupid like a lone Zombie, but if you think it will save you some potions
then do it. You are more than likely to get those bars back up to full before
the next time you'll need them, so there's no use holding on to them for later
when you could use them now.
2) Antidotes. They are plentiful in the early stages of the game, but the first
time you are capable of being poisoned is stage 2-2 (sewers), which is easy to
avoid. Then the issue of poisoning doesn't come up again until 4-2 (forest).
If you're overstocked (max holding limit is 5) or could use the points for
potions or levelling up, sell these first.
3) Bombs, Firebombs, Gas Bombs, etc. These are helpful, as they can inflict
damage from a distance and knock down an enemy. That is, if you manage to get
them to hit. For some strange reason, zombies tend to scatter as soon as you
throw anything in their general direction, making them difficult to hit
directly. You can, however, control the projectory of your bomb by holding
down L1 and directing with the left analog stick. If this doesn't suit your
playing style (it doesn't suit mine), then you can sell all of them for quite
a lot of points. Also, you can hit yourself if you accidentally walk into the
bombs' area of effect, which is another factor limiting it's usefulness.
4) Boxes. Whenever you see one, smash it in like a pinata. Usually at least
one box per group contains an item, which saves you wasting points stocking up
on recovery items. Sometimes they even contain key items, such as keys or
documents.
5) "Which equipment should I level up?"
I'm so glad you asked, hypothetical reader. Here I will list the equipment in
the order I personally find more beneficial, and reasons why you should invest
your hard-earned points into them.
--> For Hiro, you should have ample points to level up each piece of equipment
until they're MAXed as she only has one option for a weapon. For Greezer and
Lyla Dol, you should MAX out their defensive items (except maybe the
Necklace/Jewel), invest a few points into your initial weapon in the earlier
stages but make sure you READ AHEAD FIRST to know when to stop and start
stockpiling points for any upcoming better weapons.
i) Rings.
These are the only way to increase your character's max HP value. This will
always be useful regardless of the level you are on, so level it up ASAP.
ii) Gauntlets.
The only way to give yourself any kind of Defence. Together with the HP boost
from the Ring, this will go a long way in keeping you alive. Level it up when
you are able.
iii) Weapons.
Hiro only has access to one kind of weapon, so this is fairly
straight-forward. Considering how strong Hiro's weapon is from the start, you
may want to stockpile points for when you have access to Rings/Gauntlets before
investing points into this. Conversely, Lyla Dol's starting weapon is very
weak to begin with, so you may want to consider boosting that up as soon as
possible, despite her gaining access to better weapons later. Just don't take
it all the way if you intend to use a different weapon later.
Greezer and Lyla Dol come into the possession of better weapons as the story
progresses. You may want to boost up their initial weapons early on, as this is
the only weapon they'll have for a while. But as soon as the Attack
bonuses become a mere +5, I would stop levelling it and stockpile the points
for later. See the WEAPON subsection of the LEVELLING section for details on
his weapons.
iv) Amulets.
The healing effect of these amulets are negligible until you max it out, which
is a considerable investment of 18000 points. You could easily buy many, many
healing items with that amount of points, which would have the advantage of
restoring HP at once as opposed to slowly over time. The automatic healing is
very nice, but should be seen as more of a bonus than a main source of
restoring HP. They are also very useless for boss fights, when the enemy is all
up in your face leaving you no time for slow healing.
Level them up if you have a surplus of points and healing items, but this
should be very low down on your priority list. Of course you'll want to max it
out, but it's not too urgent.
v) Jewels.
In general, things which only have a certain % chance of happening will never
work when you need them. A slight possibility for avoiding damage from fire
or poison is nice, and these hurdles are fairly prominent in the later stages
of the game, but it is just as easy for you to avoid these threats entirely.
Level them up if you have nothing better to do, or are not confident that you
are co-ordinated enough to avoid these hazards.
6) Continue Items. Sometimes after a level you will be rewarded with a
"continue item". If you happen to die, you have the option of using one of
these to restart the stage you died on from the very start. Items you have
gained or lost before you died are NOT saved, except for Data items for some
reason. Use them if you have forgotten to Save before starting the level,
otherwise they are pointless as you should save in between every stage anyway.
They aren't particularly useful, and they can't be sold or even seen anywhere
else except after the Game Over screen.
7) When in doubt, employ Hit & Run tactics. For those unfamiliar with this
term, it means run up to an enemy, attack it (usually with a weak attack), and
then running in the opposite direction before they have time to hit you back.
Most enemies have a limited range of movement from where they originate from,
so you can usually use this method if you're greatly outnumbered.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENEMIES [ENMYS]
Due to the lack of information on the internet and in the game manual, I have
had to adopt a rather arbitrary naming system for most of the enemies. I have
included a brief description and the locations of each enemy to aid in your
identification of them, so you can understand what I am describing.
::: Zombie :::
Description: Staggers around like an arthritic old man in mud. Looks like a
typical reanimated corpse. Male and female models exist, but they attack and
move in the same way.
Location: All stages of Act 1, heavily in Act 2.
Method for killing them: Zombies are nature's disposable horror sloths. Just
knock them about until they fall over, and finish them off with a Death Lock
(R1+square). Be careful of large crowds though, and they can lunge forward
pretty fast and far to knock you over. Not really much of a threat due to their
slow movement.
::: Hell Hound :::
Description: Stray dogs who have eaten zombified flesh, becoming infected
themselves. They tend to attack in packs.
Location: Act 1, Act 2, Act 3.
Method for killing them: When one spots you, they will jump backwards and line
up to lunge at you in a straight line. Simply move out of their line of fire,
wait for them to lunge, and attack them with a quick combo to knock them down.
Finish them off with a Death Lock. Not particularly threatening, but annoying
when they appear with other enemies as they can lunge forward and knock you out
of an attack sequence. Take care of these first if you can.
::: Zombie Warrior :::
Description: Soldiers who have become infected. Larger than normal zombies,
wears a suit of armour with a sword and shield, and tends to block frequently.
Location: Act 1, Act 2.
Method for killing them: Try to attack them from the sides or back. This early
in the game you do not have access to the tackling move (moving square+X), so
the best you can do is try to work around their Defendng.
If you continue to attack an enemy who has a shield when they are blocking,
eventually you will shatter their shield, making them easier to defeat. You do
not have to do this in order to defeat them, but the option is always there.
::: Beast :::
Description: Blue humanoids with buff figures and wolf-like heads. They like
to lunge at you and hold you in a grip.
Location: Act 2 Scene 2, and onwards.
Method for killing them: Individually, they are easy to defeat with simple
square-square-square combos. By the time you encounter them you will have
access to the square-X-X combo, which works slightly better. Just keep up the
attacks and they wont be able to strike back. You can also block and counter
their attacks if you time it right.
In groups, they are similar to Hell Hounds in the sense that they will lunge
forward and interrupt you. Hit and run strategies would be the way to go in
that situation.
::: Zombie Knight :::
Description: A step up from the Zombie Warrior. They wear silver/grey armour,
and block a lot more often.
Location: Act 2 Scene 3.
Method for killing them: After the previous stage, you now have access to the
"tackling move" (whilst moving, press square+X). This is great for these
enemies, as they only tend to block once they are in range. Simply line one
up from afar, tackle them, and finish them off with a Death Lock. When they
cheaply corner you, as they are wont to doing, it is easiest to finish them
all off with a SP2 attack.
::: Ogre :::
Description: Large, slow-moving, ogre-like. Wields a club.
Location: Act 3 and onwards.
Method for killing them: They don't flinch or get knocked over easily, so
hit and run strategies work here. One or two weak attacks, then retreat out
of their range. Don't go in for a third, because then he WILL hit you. When
they are alone, Hiro's square-X-X attack works well too.
::: Two Face :::
Description: Walks in a reverse-crab position on all fours. Has two heads.
Shrieks annoyingly as it lunges at you.
Location: Act 3 Scene 3 and onwards.
Method for killing them: Similar to Hell Hounds. Avoid their lunge, knock them
down with square-square-square combos, finish them off with a Death Lock.
::: Chained Fools :::
Description: A large, fat, black beast, with a smaller soldier-type figure
chained to its back.
Location: Once as a mini-boss in Act 3 Scene 4 & 5, and again as a common enemy
in Act 6 Scene 2.
Method for killing them: Hit and run tactics all the way. They don't flinch, so
strike them once or twice and then run out of the way before he counters. Don't
stand directly in front of him as he can charge surprisingly far and fast, as
well as having a long reaching attack.
::: Spectral Knight :::
Description: Skeleton-like warriors with a blue glow around their bodies.
Location: Act 4 Scene 2 and onwards.
Method for killing them: Thankfully, they don't block as much as the other
knight-type enemies. Square-X-X combos work well, as does the Square+X move
to throw them up into the air. One Death Lock is usually not enough to kill
them outright, so repeat what you did the first time to finish them off.
You are able to Defend against all of their attacks (except their grappling
move). Therefore, you can block their initial lunge and subsequent attacks
and hopefully pull off a counterattack (R1+X), which will stagger them. You
can then finish them off with either another counterattack, combos, or a
Standing Death Lock. When you're facing a large group of them, try to get your
back up against a wall so they can't attack you from behind, so your
counterattack will hit them all at once. They aren't too smart, and will
continue to use blockable attacks for a while, but will eventually catch on and
start using unblockable grapple attacks on you. Hopefully you would have timed
a counterattack right before this point.
::: Zombie Gladiator :::
Description: A beefed up version of a Zombie Warrior. They weild axes, and
tend to block often.
Location: Act 4 Scene 3 and onwards.
Method for killing them: Working around their incessant Defending is a good
start. Square-X-X works, then Death Lock them while they're down. Not the
most difficult enemy to deal with.
::: Dire Wolf :::
Description: A step up from Hell Hounds. Purple, with glowing green eyes.
Location: Act 4 Scene 3.
Method for killing them: Not too difficult, but you can't knock them over so
no Death Locking. Weak-attack combos will do the trick. Just don't stand near
the bitey end, attack its sides if possible.
::: Silver Wolf :::
Description: A much improved version of the Hell Hound. Grey/silver in colour,
and tackles instead of lunging.
Location: Act 5 Scene 1 and onwards.
Method for killing them: Silver Wolves can't be knocked down, so no Death
Locking for you. Instead, if you perform a move that would normally knock them
over, they will counter attack by lunging towards you with a leg swipe, which
will knock you over. The best way to avoid this is to only attack them with
2 weak attacks, but stopping before the 3rd hit of the combo. If they start
Defending, move away because its preparing for a tackle attack. If you do
accidentally finish a square-square-square combo, run in the opposite direction
as fast as you can, though more likely than not you will get swiped. Hit and
run tactics will work if they appear in groups, though if you can position them
so that one is blocking the path of another, you can use it as a "shield" while
you beat down on it.
::: Dark Knight :::
Description: Warriors of Hell created artificially in a lab. Very quick and
skilled at charging their opponents. Looks like a Beast-Knight hybrid. One
arm is a sword blade, and they have wing-like structures on their backs.
Location: Act 5 Scene 2 and onwards.
Method for killing them: Don't try to run away from them, as they'll lunge
right at you. They also like to quickly side-step so that they are behind you
if you're attacking them head-on. When they start doing this, direct your
character to start attacking in the opposite direction that they were already
doing, and hopefully you'll hit them before they hit you. Avoid large groups
of these if at all possible. At roughly half health they become staggered, so
perform a Standing Death Lock if possible to finish them quickly.
::: Fly Man :::
Description: A red-coloured Dark Knight, whose wings seem to be functional.
They spend most of their time hovering and attacking the hell out of you.
Location: Act 5 Scene 3 and onwards.
Method for killing them: You can't block his attacks, so try to run out of the
way in a straight line, and don't stop until you see him stop because he can
travel far. Weak-attack combos work, but he tends to block often. When he flies
up, it means he will swoop at you. Don't stand directly in front of him when he
does this, although he is very difficult to avoid. He can also shoot a column
of black light, which is unblockable, so don't stay still for too long. Avoid
this by running sharply to one side, although he will continue to target you up
until he fires.
He hits very hard for a common enemy, so heal up often using the pause menu so
you can do it in the heat of battle. Constantly using your tackling skill
may be effective, although these are often tricky to pull off, especially when
there are several of these guys targetting you.
You can stagger them for a short period of time by using your SP1 attack. This
makes them easier to hit (although they're still a major threat), and also
susceptible to Standing Death Locks. Unfortunately, you would be lucky to get
the 4-hit combo in required to do this, especially when you're outnumbered.
(I am still after good strategies for taking down these guys, so if you have
one, please email me so I can include it in this FAQ. You'll get credit!)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ITEMS [ITEMZ]
Items which can be found in boxes seem to be fairly random. Sometimes you will
get a Life Recovery in the first level, other times you will never even see
one in the whole game. I wouldn't get too strung up about it though, because
you can always buy items which are helpful for the level you are up to. Just
use this guide to know what to expect, unless you like surprises.
You can sell each item in exchange for half the points listed in the COST
column.
NAME                 FUNCTION                   COST      ABLE TO HOLD
S-Potion           | Heals 300HP               | 200pts | Max stock: 20
M-Potion           | Heals 800HP               | 500pts | Max stock: 10
L-Potion           | Heals 1500HP              | 1200pts| Max stock: 5
Fairy Water        | Gradually heals HP        | 3000pts| Max stock: 3
Potent Potion      | Heals all HP              | 2500pts| Max stock: 3
Life Recovery      | Heals all HP, fills SP bar| 5000pts| Max stock: 3
Antidote           | Cures Poison              | 1000pts| Max stock: 5
Special Antidote   | Cures poison, heals 500HP | 2500pts|
Protective Agent   | Guards against fire & gas | 2000pts|
============================================================================
NOTES ON HEALING ITEMS
Special Antidote is a rip-off. It costs 2500pts, heals Poison and restores only
500HP. For 1500pts, you could buy an Antidote AND a M-Potion, which restores
800HP. Do not buy these unless you already have 5 Antidotes and are really,
really paranoid about getting poisoned.
As you can hold a whole lot of S-Potions, I would recommend buying these first
as they are expendible. Plus if you find any higher Potions during your
travels, you can save them for later instead of not being able to carry any
more.
2 L-Potions will be enough to completely restore your HP, regardless of which
character you're playing as. They cost less than a single Life Recovery, so
stock up on these first. Similarly, 2 M-Potions restore more than 1 L-Potion.
Only buy the higher-end healing items if you have a surplus of lower items.
============================================================================
S-Bomb             | Small explosion           | 800pts |
M-Bomb             | Medium explosion          | 1500pts|
L-Bomb             | Large explosion           | 2500pts|
S-FireBomb         | Small flames              | 800pts |
M-Firebomb         | Medium flames             | 1500pts|
L-Firebomb         | Large flames              | 2500pts|
S-GasBomb          | Small gas attack          | 800pts |
M-GasBomb          | Medium gas attack         | 1500pts|
L-GasBomb          | Large gas attack          | 2500pts|
ExplodingFireBomb  | Explosion + Flames        | 3000pts|
ExplodingGasBomb   | Explosion + Gas attack    | 5000pts|
Flaming Gas Bomb   | Flames + Gas attack       | 3000pts|
ExplodingFlamingGas| As its name implies       | 6000pts|
=============================================================================
NOTES ON AID ITEMS
I would never actively buy any of these, as they are a considerable investment
for something that you will only use once, and even then it isn't guaranteed to
hit. By all means use what you find during the game, although I personally
find them more useful to sell for points to spend on equipment upgrades or
healing items.
=============================================================================
------------------------------------------------------------------------
WALKTHROUGH [WLKTHRU]
**NOTE: This is written for games with a Normal difficulty setting. If you
selected "Hard", then clearly you are after a challenge so I would be defeating
the purpose by writing a walkthrough for you.
Now, I'm not going to patronise you by giving you step-by-step directions
through each level. Most levels can be completed by opening the in-game map
and heading towards the little line of green arrows which mark the exit. If
you can't proceed through a locked door, chances are you haven't defeated
the enemy which is holding the key for it. These tend to be in close proximity
to the locked door, appear with a group of enemies, and are programmed to be
the last enemy of the group which you kill. Alternatively, you may have to
defeat all the nearby enemies for the door to become unlocked. In either case,
trying to open the door will present you with a message telling you what you
must do.
TL;DR: If you are stuck at some point, try seeking out enemies first.
I will, however, give you hints and describe how to get around sticky
situations in the stages where issues may arise. This means that the
walkthrough will (hopefully) be concise while remaining helpful.
===============================
Lordhill Fortress [LHFT]
===============================
This portion of the game functions as the tutorial. Talk to the various
soldiers to learn some backstory and how to use basic skills if you want.
Across the bridge from the starting point is a large gated area with some boxes
within it. Smash them open for some items.
There are some completely optional enemies you can challenge here if you want,
and doing so may net you some items. If you're NOT interested, talk to the
knight near the gate to open it and proceed to the first "real" stage.