Sunteți pe pagina 1din 178

Darksiders: FAQ/Walkthrough by DomZ Ninja

Version 1.0, Last Updated 2010-07-25 View/Download Original File


Hosted by GameFAQs
Return to Darksiders (PS3) FAQs & Guides

Liked this FAQ? Click here to recommend this item to other users.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Winner of the GameFAQs FAQ of the Month for February 2010
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

( ( ) ( ( ( ( (
)\ ) ( )\ ) ( /( )\ ))\ ))\ ) )\ ))\ )
(()/( )\ (()/( )\()|()/(()/(()/( ( (()/(()/(
/(_)|(((_)( /(_))((_)\ /(_))(_))(_)) )\ /(_))(_))
(_))_ )\ _ )\(_)) |_ ((_|_))(_))(_))_ ((_)(_))(_))_
| \(_)_\(_) _ \| |/ // __|_ _|| \| __| _ \/ __|
| |) |/ _ \ | /| ' < \__ \| | | |) | _|| /\__ \
|___//_/ \_\|_|_\|_|\_\|___/___||___/|___|_|_\|___/

_____________________________________________________________

======================================================================
========

DARKSIDERS

FAQ/Walkthrough
Copyright (c)2010 DomZ Ninja

======================================================================
========

Author: DomZ Ninja


E-mail: domzninja[at]hotmail[dot]com
Updated: 07/25/10
Version: 1.0

NOTE: This guide does contain spoilers!

______________________________________________________________________
________

TABLE OF CONTENTS
______________________________________________________________________
________

See that series of numbers to the right of each section? If you want
to find
a specific section in the FAQ, press CTRL + F to open a search box.
Type in
the series of numbers for the desired section that you're trying to
find and
press Enter. Whabam! The search function will take you there in an
instant.

1] - Version History.................................. [0100]


2] - Controls......................................... [0200]
3] - Walkthrough...................................... [0300]
3.01] Prologue................................. [0301]
3.02] The Crossroads........................... [0302]
3.03] Scalding Gallow.......................... [0303]
3.04] Choking Grounds.......................... [0304]
3.05] The Broken Stair......................... [0305]
3.06] Twilight Cathedral....................... [0306]
3.07] Drowned Pass............................. [0307]
3.08] Anvil's Ford............................. [0308]
3.09] The Hollows.............................. [0309]
3.10] Dry Road................................. [0310]
3.11] The Ashlands............................. [0311]
3.12] Iron Canopy.............................. [0312]
3.13] The Black Throne......................... [0313]
3.14] Eden..................................... [0314]
3.15] Final Preparations....................... [0315]
3.16] The Destroyer............................ [0316]
4] - Move List........................................ [0400]
5] - Wrath Abilities.................................. [0500]
6] - Lifestone Locations.............................. [0600]
7] - Wrath Core Locations............................. [0700]
8] - Artifact Locations............................... [0800]
9] - Abyssal Armor Locations.......................... [0900]
10] - Items........................................... [1000]
10.1] Items.................................... [1010]
10.2] Gear/Equipment........................... [1020]
10.3] Weapon Enhancements...................... [1030]
11] - Achievements.................................... [1100]
12] - Bestiary........................................ [1200]
12.1] Enemies.................................. [1210]
12.2] Bosses................................... [1220]
13] - Thanks/Credits.................................. [1300]

______________________________________________________________________
________

1] VERSION HISTORY
[0100]
______________________________________________________________________
________

FAQ/Walkthrough #46
-------------------

Version 1.0 (02/25/10) - FAQ/Walkthrough complete and submitted.

______________________________________________________________________
________

2] CONTROLS
[0200]
______________________________________________________________________
________

.-----------------------------.---------------------------------------
-------.
| D-Pad | Select Weapons/Gear
|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------
-------|
| Left Analog Stick | Move, Dash (RB + Left Analog)
|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------
-------|
| Right Analog Stick | Move Camera, Aim (Click)
|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------
-------|
| Start | Pause
|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------
-------|
| Back | View Map, Summon Watcher (Hold)
|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------
-------|
| X Button | Sword Attack
|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------
-------|
| Y Button | Secondary Attack
|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------
-------|
| A Button | Jump
|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------
-------|
| B Button | Interact
|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------
-------|
| Right Trigger | Use Gear
|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------
-------|
| Left Trigger | Focus on Enemy (Hold)
|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------
-------|
| Right Bumper | Block
|
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------
-------|
| Left Bumper | Use Wrath Abilities
|
'-----------------------------'---------------------------------------
-------'

______________________________________________________________________
________

3] WALKTHROUGH
[0300]
______________________________________________________________________
________

NOTE: This walkthrough is based on the Normal difficulty.


======================================================================
========
3.01] PROLOGUE
[0301]
======================================================================
========

Like most games, a tutorial is first in line before getting to the fun
stuff.
If this is your first time, pay attention. A vicious foe stands on top
of a
downed bus as he summons tiny freaks to do his bidding. Kill the
Minions that
crawl towards you with your sword (press X). Once they are weakened,
you can
finish them off by pressing B for a fireworks show of blood and guts.

The Minions aren't so tough, so use this time to get yourself


familiarized
with the game controls and mechanics. To attack, press X. Jump by
pressing A
(you can double jump) and block/evade by hitting the Right Bumper.

Once you kill about six or so Minions, the monster known as Trauma
will drop
down from the bus and confront you himself. At this time, the game
orders you
to enter Chaos Mode. Comply by holding down the Left Bumper and
pressing the
Right Trigger. As War turns into a humongous fiery demon, you are
pretty much
invincible. Coast through the monster by using your swords to tear him
to
pieces.

A meteor conveniently clears the road for you, so move forward. Exit
Chaos
Mode by inputting the same button command and approach the cars. War
may look
human-sized, but he possesses great strength. Pick up a nearby car by
pressing
B, then aim and toss it with the Right Trigger. Continue towards the
giant
golem creature in the distance for a short scene.

If you exited Chaos Mode earlier, you should be able to reenter


against the
fight with the Angel Soldiers. Easily dispose of them and your Chaos
Mode will
run out for good.

Follow the golem - the Tormented Gate - through the ruined city. Don't
worry
about the helpless people running amok; you're one of the Four
Horsemen of the
Apocalypse: just kill 'em! You'll run into a few Minions and Angel
Soldiers
along the way. The angels have devastating attacks, so try to block
often with
the Right Bumper.
With the enemies defeated, a strange goo forms on the side of a nearby
skyscraper. This is Demonic Growth, and you can use it to climb. Scale
the
building, then climb up the next set of Demonic Growth to reach the
roof. In
order to cross rooftops, locate the power line in front of you and
jump to
automatically grab it. Shimmy across.

A large set of Demonic Growth forms on the adjacent building. Jump


onto it and
begin your ascent. Minions will be crawling on the growth ready to
attack, so
avoid them by holding down the Right Bumper and using the Left Analog
Stick to
shift in any one of the four cardinal directions. Quickly move up onto
the
roof, then finish off the demons. You can try attacking the Minions
while
climbing, but that process is slow and leaves you open for attack.

As you enter the office building ahead, an exit is sealed off as


Minions pour
into the room. In order to open up the exit, you must exterminate all
enemies.
Drop down the elevator shaft and follow the hallway. Nearby, a winged
demon
will obliterate an unfortunate helicopter. I hope those are on our
side...

Slide down a wire to exit the building and encounter a few more Angel
Soldiers. There are plenty of cars here, so use them to your advantage
by
chucking them at your opponents. Use your map (use the big map if you
need to
by pressing Back) and follow the street towards the red skull icon.
This will
take you to the area's boss.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Straga ----------------------

Straga is a gargantuan demon that wants nothing more than to reduce


War to a
bloody pulp. With the intimidation factor aside, he is not difficult
at all.
Straga can't move around all that well since the lower half of his
body is
submerged in lava, so he is a bit limited when it comes to mobility.

For the most part, you'll be dodging cars left and right. Straga will
dig
deep in his bottomless pit of cars and begin throwing them your way
like they
are Hot Wheels. Lock onto the boss with the Left Trigger and dash to
avoid
impact. Next up, use the cars to attack the boss. If you are locked
onto
Straga, you should automatically hit him square in the face every
time.

Keep doing this until Straga falls forward. With his ugly mug in
reach, jump
in the air and slash away at his head. Straga will pull himself away
after
three his, then retaliate with his next attack. The demon will pick up
the
street entirely, tilt it twice, then slam the street to the ground.
Stand on
the street as he lifts it up the two times, then get ready to double
jump as
Straga drops it down.

As the battle progresses, Straga will use a third attack (though it's
just as
easy to dodge as the other two). As the boss slams his fist in the
ground, a
stream of lava will roll your way. Just like the cars, sidestep the
liquid hot
magma.

The only way to stun Straga is to toss cars back at him, so you will
have to
be patient and wait for him to use the cars on you first.
Nevertheless, this
is a painfully easy boss fight and doesn't require much skill. The
process of
stunning Straga, then slicin' his face up must be done a total of
three times
in order to end the boss fight - finish the job by pressing B when the
game
prompts you to do so.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

Despite the early advantage, Straga gains the upper hand and takes
care of
War. After a cutscene, the prologue will end.

======================================================================
========
3.02] THE CROSSROADS
[0302]
======================================================================
========

Charred Council
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

You've been given a second chance, so don't mess it up! You can't do
jack
without a weapon, so head towards the pedestal on the right side of
the area
to locate the Chaoseater.
Upon removing the blade from its pedestal, you will also learn your
first
Wrath Ability: Blade Geyser. Press Start to access your Gears & Wrath.
Here
you can assign abilities and items to one of four slots. Assign both
your Life
Essence and new Wrath Ability, then exit the menu.

Next, approach the swirling blue geyser to retrieve some Souls. There
are
three main types of Souls: Blue Souls represent the game's currency,
Green
Souls replenish War's health, and Yellow Souls replenish War's Wrath.
After
absorbing a handful of Souls, War will be transported back to Earth.

Seraphim Hotel
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

The ruined hotel is filled with destructible items. Break them down
even more
by either slicing them apart or throwing them against walls. Most
objects here
yield Souls, so spend some time destroying all the cars and other
items in the
parking garage before moving on. On the other side of the ramp on the
second
floor is a chest that can be opened for 100 Blue Souls.

Double jump across the ramp and walk forward. The next gap is out of
your
jumping range, so instead hug the wall and jump up to grab the upper
ledge.
Shimmy across the hole to the other side. This area is devoid of all
humans,
and instead their corpses have become ravenous ghouls.

Wicked are slow-moving creatures like zombies in old school horror


flicks and
are generally regarded as fodder in this game. Use the Right Bumper to
block
their attacks and lock onto a single foe by holding the Left Trigger
down.

Slice through the first wave of Wicked and move around the perimeter
of the
garage. A vile creature emerges from the ground and, in an attempt at
a
kamikaze, destroys a portion of the floor. No worries! Just shimmy
across the
pipe overhead. Stupid monster.

War's gauntlet will glow any time you're near an interactible object,
such as
a door. First, try grabbing the nearby Wickeds with War's gauntlet for
head-crushing fun! Pry open the nearby door with B and use the Demonic
Growth
to reach the top of the shaft and a new room.
You will encounter another fiery fat dude here, but this time he's
ready to
fight you like a man. Known as Fleshbursters, they get their name from
their
well-known trait of self destructing once their health is low. They
are also
capable of attacking with their grubby paws and breathing fire at you.

Deal with the Wicked here first so they don't distract you (note:
killing
Wicked with your gauntlet rather than your sword yields Green Souls,
so use
this method of destruction if you're low on health), then target the
Fleshburster. Avoid his slow attacks by dashing to the side and back,
then
retaliating as he pauses between attacks. When you see the
Fleshburster glow
and swell up, back away.

Explore the room to find another chest with some Green Souls and go up
the
steps to find a block. Stand on the side with the handle and hold B to
begin
dragging/pushing it. Move the block towards the northern corner of the
room,
then use it to reach the high ledge. Shimmy across the pipe to reach
the
opposite side of the room.

Kill the Wickeds here in the hallway and enter the next elevator
shaft. Climb
across the Demon Growth up one floor. The floor in front of you will
give way,
sending you to a new room.

This room is heavily populated with Wicked. Begin killing as many as


you can
until the game interrupts you with a cutscene. A Gholen appears and
eliminates
the remaining Wickeds. This beast is a much tougher foe than the
scraggly
zombie dudes that preceded it.

The Gholen will attack with its flaming fists in a number of ways.
Normally,
he has an overwhelming hook attack that'll knock you flat on your ass
if
you're unlucky enough to come in contact. The Gholen can also use a
fist slam
attack to create a red-hot shockwave. Finally, if you keep your
distance, you
will be susceptible to a long-range flame attack.

Juggle between attacking the Gholen up close, then dashing away (a hit
and run
technique) and keeping your distance and pelting it with anything you
can get
your hands on. The game suggests you use your Wrath Ability, but it's
up to
you. Finish the Gholen off with an interactive execution to open up
the exit.
Pass through the doorway that was once blocked by a barrier. Defeat
the
remaining Wicked and open up the treasure chest here for some Green
Souls.
Approach the balcony for a scene.

The Crossroads
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

War will be introduced to Vulgrim here. This chump basically serves as


a
merchant throughout the game, strolling around and offering items and
other
goodies for the price of Blue Souls.

Talk to Vulgrim. He demands that you give him 500 Blue Souls. By now
you
probably have around 300, so get to work. This place is wide open and
home to
a lot of wrecked vehicles and other destructible objects. First, head
south
and drop down the hole to find a chest containing 100 Blue Souls.

Climb up and start your way towards the northwest side of The
Crossroads. Pass
by the subway entrance and begin killing Wickeds. A Gholen drops in,
so use
the many cars here to quickly finish the monster off. The Gholen will
probably
bring you over the 500 blue Soul mark, but that doesn't mean we have
to report
back to Vulgrim already. There's still a lot of stuff to find here.

The chest at the far north end of this street contains Green Souls.
Descend
the stairs into the subway. Well, it was once a subway. Grab onto the
Demon
Growth once you enter the waterlogged chamber and climb across the
ceiling.
Avoid the large blobs along the way. These creatures are called
Lashes, and
will whip you if you get too close. Avoid both Lashers to reach the
treasure
chest at the other end. Claim the prize of 200 Blue Souls.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

You can find the game's first Artifact in the waterlogged subway.
Dive down
into the murky water. Press B to descend and A to ascend. Search the
bottom
of the chamber to find a glowing green object; swim through it to
obtain the
Soldier Artifact.

Exit out to the open and start checkin' out the eastern side of the
streets.
Phantom Guard Soldiers lurk on this side of The Crossroads. These guys
aren't
too tough and only have basic sword attacks. They are about as strong
as the
Angel Soldiers from the Prologue if you need reference.

Enter the open building to find a treasure chest. Open it up for 100
Blue
Souls. Return to the streets and make your way towards the hole on the
east
end. There is yet another chest down here, which yields some Green
Souls.

Continue dealing with Wickeds and Phantom Guard Soldiers on the east
end of
the area. Proceed down the lonesome street to encounter a second
Gholen. Once
he's out of the way, follow the street to find another staircase
leading down.
Behind it is a chest containing Green Souls. Next, head down the
stairs,
collect the 100 Blue Souls, then return to the surface.

There's one last thing to do here. There are six fire hydrants
scattered
around The Crossroads. Destroy them all to make a hidden treasure
chest appear
near the south end of the area. This bad boy holds a whopping 500 Blue
Souls,
so don't miss out on the opportunity!

Once ready, talk to Vulgrim and present him with your Souls. At the
end of the
deal, you are left with the Earthcaller. This horn can stun enemies
with the
Right Trigger, but also wake up Tormented Gates.

Assign your new gear to one of the slots in the menu. Approach the
stone slab
behind where Vulgrim stood and use the Earthcaller. The Tormented Gate
is
awakened and lets War pass. Open the door to enter the library.

Upon first glance, you will find a Green Soul-bearing chest next to
you. Take
the stairs on the left to reach a portion of the wrecked room. Defeat
the
Fleshburster and Wickeds here, then open up the treasure chest for 100
Blue
Souls. Fall down to the bottom of the main chamber to find one more
Fleshburster.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #1 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Your first Lifestone Shard is in reach. One of the reasons why snarky
video
game reviewers and analysts branded this game a Zelda ripoff: collect
four of
these shards to increase your overall health. Sound familiar?
In the library's main chamber is a small pool of water (on the west
side).
Dive in and swim through the tunnel to emerge in a small chamber. The
treasure chest here contains the Lifestone Shard.

Return to the main chamber. Some Demonic Growth gives you access to
the other
side of the library. Kill the Wickeds and head into the hallway.
Retrieve some
Green Souls from the chest in the corner and open the door at the end.
The
second door takes you to the Scalding Gallow.

======================================================================
========
3.03] SCALDING GALLOW
[0303]
======================================================================
========

Scalding Gallow
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Destroy the car pileup near the entrance, then walk forward to find
two
Minions. After defeating them, jump up the ledge to the left and
proceed up
the staircase. Maneuver across the gap inside the half-destroyed
building and
open the treasure chest to receive 250 Blue Souls. You cannot reach
the other
side of the building, so drop down instead.

Don't bother heading towards the central area; instead continue on the
left
side of the Scalding Gallow. Minions and Phantom Guard Soldiers roam
around,
giving you a fresh supply of Souls. Continue moving forward until you
reach a
small building on the right side of the road.

Vulgrim appears inside, so as a result you are able to buy items off
of him
for the price of Blue Souls. Before chatting him up, open the chest
next to
him for 250 more Blue Souls. You can purchase the Scythe from Vulgrim,
another
main weapon, so that may want to be your first choice.

~-~ Wrath Shard #1 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Like Lifestone Shards, Wrath Shards require you to collect four in


order to
increase War's overall Wrath. They are easily just as important as
Lifestone
Shards, so keep your eye out for 'em.

The first Wrath Shard requires no exploration. Simply purchase the


Wrath
Shard from Vulgrim for 2500 Blue Souls.

~-~ Wrath Shard #2 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

After doing business with Vulgrim, turn around and make your way up
the
Demonic Growth to find a chest containing a Wrath Shard. That was
easy!

There is nothing more you can do at this end of the Scalding Gallow.
Backtrack
towards the central area and cross the bridge.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Phantom General -------------

The Phantom General is basically an oversized version of the Phantom


Guard
Soldiers you've been slicing apart all day. He has only a handful of
attacks
and lets his henchmen do most of the dirty work. The Phantom General
starts
the battle off with a few basic attacks, like a simple slice of his
axe. Not
too difficult to avoid.

The Phantom General's axe will sometimes glow red. The boss will then
slam the
hilt into the ground, resulting in a minor shockwave. All you have to
do is
dash backwards as you see the weapon turn bright red. Also, aside from
staying
on the offense, the boss does what no common enemy does and actually
blocks
your attacks!

Most of the fight is spend dealing with Phantom Guard Soldiers than
the boss
himself. He will summon up to five soldiers and patiently wait until
you
decimate every single one of them. He'll even try to sound like a
tough guy by
spewing threats even though he never tries to commit them. Usually you
will
have to fight around two waves of Phantom Guard Soldiers before the
Phantom
General begins to attack you himself.

Once weakened, the Phantom General will begin to use an ultra-powerful


attack.
The boss will wind up, then begin spinning around like a buzzsaw. It
can knock
you flat on your back if you aren't quick enough to avoid it, and
he'll spin
around four to five times, so repeatedly dash to keep away from the
axe's
reach.
The fight is rather easy if you play it smart and don't get too
carried away
with attacking him. The Phantom General can catch you by surprise if
you are
too overzealous, so remember to block and dodge his axe strikes. Try
to mix up
Chaoseater and Scythe combos to catch him off-guard and wait for a
button
prompt to appear to finish the fight.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

After the bloody execution, follow the Watcher towards one of the
gargoyles on
the perimeter of the arena. Grab it with B and push it towards the
middle to
set it in its place to fix the stream of blood. Find the second
gargoyle that
isn't running and push it in its place. This will free Samael.

Samael will give you orders on how to take care of The Destroyer.
First, you
must defeat four of his most loyal minions and retrieve their hearts.
The
closest one lies in the Twilight Cathedral, and Samael gives War a
pair of
wings to help aid him in his quest! After a double jump, hold down A
to glide
through the air.

Backtrack across the bridge and look to the left. The floating blue
orb in the
middle of a hole is a Shadow Geyser. If you jump inside it, it'll
shoot you
high up in the air. Couple this with your new Shadowflight ability and
you'll
be able to cover large amounts of ground.

Use the Shadow Geyser to reach the next platform and defeat the
enemies here.
Hop across the next geyser to enter a tunnel. Proceed through and kill
the two
Minions inside the cave. Hop up the next Shadow Geyser to be propelled
to the
top floor of the cave.

Traverse along the Demonic Growth (destroy the Lasher along the way)
and make
your way across the ceiling to the other side of the lava pit. Take
care of
the Minions before gliding across the pit to reach a pair of Shadow
Geysers.
Double jump and hold down A as you glide through both of them. They
will lead
you across the long lava stream. Climb up the ledge ahead to exit the
cave.

======================================================================
========
3.04] CHOKING GROUNDS
[0304]
======================================================================
========

Choking Grounds
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Walk straight ahead past the enemies and enter the mausoleum to spawn
another
Vulgrim location. Stock up on any items, including the ever so useful
Life
Essence. If you're loaded on Blue Souls then you may want to also
think about
purchasing new moves for your two weapons.

Exit and confront the Duskwings floating around outside. These foes
are easy
because if you jump in the air and press B next to them, you'll
execute a
one-hit kill.

Any time you move past a tombstone you risk encountering an Undead
Soldier.
They rise from the earth in small groups to attack. They fight
similarly to
Phantom Guard Soldiers, so in other words they are weak on their own.
Just
don't let them surround you.

There's a lot to explore here in the Choking Grounds. First off, go


south from
the mausoleum towards the stone wall. In the southwest corner of the
area are
three tombs lining the side of the wall.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

If you look very closely at the tombs that line the southwest end of
the
area, you may notice that the middle one looks a tad different than
the other
two. Face the north end of the tomb and you should be able to grab
onto it
with B. Grab on, then begin pulling the tomb to access a secret
stairway.

The underground tomb contains some Wicked, Undead Soldiers, but most
importantly, a Soldier Artifact. Kill the enemies and claim your
prize.

Exit to the surface and pass the stone wall to the southern end. Move
down a
small flight of stairs to locate a treasure chest containing 100 Blue
Souls.
Eliminate the Fleshburster and the Undead Soldiers down the street and
also
smash the cars to retrieve some Blue Souls.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~


There is a staircase on the northwest end of the cemetery that leads
to an
underground tomb. Kill the Fleshburster and Wicked before accepting
the
Soldier Artifact.

Like the cars along the perimeter of the Choking Grounds, the
tombstones also
yield Blue Souls. More importantly are the cross-shaped tombstones.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #2 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Destroy all eight cross tombstones to make a treasure chest appear at


the
southwest end of the Choking Grounds. Open this chest for a Lifestone
Shard.

Continue searching the cemetery for Souls and other cool stuff. Go
over to the
east end of the Choking Grounds to reach another side street. Kill off
the
foes wandering around. Follow the street west, past the building, to
find a
chest containing some Green Souls.

This time, follow the street east towards the Tormented Gate. Before
awakening
it, jump on the ledge lining the right side of the road to reach a
chest
containing 100 Blue Souls. Drop back down and now hug the left side of
the
street. You should find a deep hole near the base of a building.

Drop down and follow the tunnel to reach the basement. Kill off the
Undead
Soldiers and Wicked, then open the chest in the corner for 100 Blue
Souls.
Shoot up to the first floor using the Shadow Geyser.

~-~ Wrath Shard #3 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

There is a Wrath Shard inside a treasure chest on the first floor of


the
building here. The only thing in your way from taking it is a
Fleshburster
and some Wicked.

You won't be able to reach the upper floors of the building, as a


strange
structure is in the way of the Demonic Growth. Exit the abandoned
building the
same way you came in and approach the Tormented Gate. Use your
Earthcaller to
wake up the beast.

Instead of just getting out of our way, the Tormented Gate gives War
the
ability to enter the Shadow Realm. Ugh, more work to do. Portals to
the Shadow
Realm are represented by orange circles on your map. The closest one
is along
the street where you found the chest containing Green Souls.

Shadow Arena Challenges pit you against normal enemies, but your
methods of
destruction are restricted. In order to win a challenge, you must
follow the
commands given to you at your arrival.

--- Shadow Challenge Arena ------------

Defeat 40 enemies within the time limit.

This isn't too tough, considering all the enemies you start off
against are
Wickeds. Slice through the group of zombies with your Scythe and
don't even
bother using your grab attack to kill them - that takes too much
time. I
suggest the Scythe at first because it has a wide range and can mow
down
Wicked in a hurry. Once the numbers dwindle, switch to the
Chaoseater.

Phantom Guard Soldiers and Fleshbursters follow. Again, stick to the


Scythe
when you are surrounded and Chaoseater for one-on-one affairs. Avoid
using
executions because the animation takes too long, so just avoid using
B for
the challenge's entirety. Also use Wrath Abilities such as Blade
Geyser
against tougher foes like Fleshbursters. You should be fine during
the
three minute time period.

At the end of every successful Shadow Challenge Arena, you are


presented with
two treasure chests each containing Green Souls and Yellow Souls.
Destroy the
eyeball gate, open the chests, then return to the Choking Grounds.

The next Shadow Challenge Arena is also fairly close. It's close to
the
Tormented Gate, though on the south end.

--- Shadow Challenge Arena ------------

Defeat 5 enemies using aerial combos within the time limit.

Simple. The game even gives you step-by-step instructions on how to


perform
an aerial combo! Sheesh! Your best bet is to weaken each enemy first
before
trying to execute an aerial combo. For the Phantom Guard Soldiers,
attack
them on the ground until the button prompt appears over their head.
Instead
of going for the execution, lock on and hold down X to send them
flying. Hit
'em once or twice to get the aerial kill.

At first, the game gives you one enemy at a time, though this later
increases
to two. If you repeat this strategy, you'll win with absolutely no
trouble.
You should get a nice amount of Blue Soul bonus for this one, since
you have
a whopping three minutes to complete this challenge.

Go to the Shadow Challenge Arena on the southeast corner of the area.

--- Shadow Challenge Arena ------------

Kill 30 enemies using only War's instant kill attacks within the time
limit.

You're probably used to this method of killing by now, but this is


the only
way to go here. You can only dispatch of your foes by pressing B when
the
button prompt appears. The first eight enemies are Duskwings, which
can be
killed immediately by jumping in the air and pressing B. By jumping
after
each kill, you can eliminate all eight in succession without even
touching
the ground.

The next group of opponents are Undead Soldiers, then more Duskwings.
You
know how to deal with the latter, but the former must be weakened
(you know
this already). The good thing about instant kills is that you can
interrupt
combos midway through by pressing B, so the second you see that red
button
appear over their head, hit B to do away with them.

Honestly, this challenge is not that difficult. Just make sure not to
kill
any enemies by conventional methods. Whenever you see the button
prompt
appear, avoid finishing a combo and press B immediately. Five minutes
is also
pretty generous, so you can take your time if you'd like.

The one (big) problem about this challenge is that you have to fight
Gholens.
You don't have to kill them, but they do appear. The good news is
that other
enemies will also appear, so you can avoid the Gholens entirely and
focus on
Duskwings and Phantom Guard Soldiers. This also comes in handy
because you
can avoid the Gholen's attacks during executions, because you cannot
take
damage during the instant kill animation. :)
The final Shadow Challenge Arena is on the opposite end of the
cemetery.

--- Shadow Challenge Arena ------------

Kill 50 enemies before War's infected health depletes.

This challenge features no set time limit, but your own life will be
ticking
away instead. The arena is filled with poisonous air that slowly
drains your
health away. The first wave of foes are Wicked. Don't bother
extracting Green
Souls from them with your grab attack, because you're not even
hurting that
much at all. Slice through them and the Minions that subsequently
follow.

Phantom Guard Soldiers soon follow, and they make up the bulk of the
challenge's enemies. The trick about this challenge is to take your
time and
actually protect yourself and block attacks instead of charging in,
guns
blazin'. Use your Scythe's sweeping attacks and follow up with
instant kills
to help slow down the pace and avoid taking damage.

A Gholen will appear near the end of the challenge. Again, you do not
have to
kill him, but doing so doesn't hurt. Use Wrath Abilities to take down
the foe
and when you execute your instant kill, it'll give you a lot of Green
Souls.
You can also just try to avoid it and focus entirely on the Phantom
Guard
Soldiers, but it's up to you.

There are four chests around the perimeter of the arena. Two contain
Yellow
Souls and two contain Green Souls. Only use the chests sparingly.
When you're
down to about half health (one Lifestone has been depleted), use one
of the
Green Soul chests. Use the second one before killing the final enemy
to
receive a sweet Soul bonus.

Once the final Shadow Challenge Arena has been completed, War will
learn the
Block Counter ability. Just before an enemy strikes, press the Right
Bumper to
counterattack. It requires timing, but practice makes perfect.

Return to Vulgrim and use your crapload of newly obtained Blue Souls
to
purchase new moves and Wrath Abilities. Return to the Tormented Gate
and wake
his sleepy ass up a second time to gain access to a new area. You will
also
receive your first Weapon Enhancement: RAVAGER. Equip it to one of
your two
weapons, then move into the tunnel.

Break apart the cars and open the door to your right. Walk through the
drain
pipe to enter a second tunnel. Destroy the cars and open the chest in
the
corner for 100 Blue Souls. Defeat the Duskwings before crossing the
chasms
using the Shadow Geysers.

War will be sealed into the next room he enters as Phantom Guard
Soldiers
flood into the room. Eliminate them all to continue through the
tunnels and to
The Broken Stair.

======================================================================
========
3.05] THE BROKEN STAIR
[0305]
======================================================================
========

The Broken Stair


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

What better way to start off an area than by finding an Artifact?

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

At the start of the area, hug the right wall as you exit out of the
tunnel.
As soon as the side opens up, follow the trail of debris. The Soldier
Artifact is pretty hard to miss as it's lying right on the edge of
the
upcoming cliff.

Return to the street and lay waste to the Duskwings and Wicked. The
four-way
intersection ahead isn't much of an intersection at all, for the
northern and
eastern paths are dead ends. Instead, go south.

Head down the stairs down into the cave below. Open the treasure chest
in the
corner for 250 Blue Souls. Yummy! If you follow the hanging blue
amulets, they
will lead you to another Vulgrim location.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #3 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Return to the previous chest in the cave. There is a pool of ice-cold


water
in the corner. Dive in and swim through the tunnel to emerge on the
other
end. Hop onto dry land to find a chest containing a Lifestone Shard.
Dive back into the water and exit the cave. Enter the elegant building
ahead
and climb up the staircase. Take care of the pair of Phantom Guard
Soldiers,
destroy the furniture, then pry open the treasure chest for 250 Blue
Souls.
Looking out the hole in the side of the building, you will spot a line
of
Shadow Geysers. Use them to reach the entrance ramp of a destroyed
overpass.

Several Duskwings emerge from a nearby building. Kill them along with
the
Wicked lurking around.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #4 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

After disposing of the enemies on the overpass, make sure to turn


around to
find a chest behind a sea of cars. Destroy the cars to make a path to
the
treasure chest, then open it for another Lifestone Shard.

Use the Shadow Geysers to navigate across the ruined highway. When you
reach
the third section of highway, a familiar foe will make his presence
known.

Remember the ugly monster found in the very beginning of the game,
Trauma?
Well this guy was pretty easy back then, but that's because we had the
ability
to transform into a giant flaming demon. We can't do that now, that's
for
sure.

The Trauma starts at the entrance ramp and will throw cars at War. As
it flies
towards your tiny head, ready to crush your entire being,
counterattack by
pressing B just before the car hits you. Lock onto the Trauma with the
Left
Trigger and toss the vehicle right back. Of course, he will retaliate
the same
way. Repeat this process until he eventually reaches your location.

With no cars available, you are left with just your weapons. Stay
locked onto
the Trauma and dash from side to side as he swipes at you with his
sharp
claws. Attack it just like any normal enemy and get ready to use an
instant
kill when the button prompt eventually appears.

With the Trauma slain, continue to the next section of highway. Before
you
make your way to the distant building, don't miss out on the chest in
the
corner that contains 250 Blue Souls. Use the final Shadow Geyser to
glide
right into the open building.
A strange force field seals off access to the roof, so instead use the
stairs
to navigate downward. The floor directly below you offers a few Wicked
and 250
Blue Souls inside a chest. Drop down to the bottom floor to face off
against a
handful of Phantom Guard Soldiers. Once you have eliminated them, look
around
to find a fancy-looking chest. Open it to receive the Beholder's Key.

Return to the top floor and use the Beholder's Key on the barrier to
reach the
building's roof. During the cutscene, War avoids the angels and takes
hold of
an Angelic Mount. Grand Theft Griffin!

While riding the Angelic Mount, you can attack angels by pressing the
Right
Trigger. You can also use the Left Trigger to lock onto incoming foes.
Use the
Left Analog Stick to move and the Right Analog Stick to move your
targeting
reticule. The entire sequence is straightforward. Think of it as Star
Fox, but
with more demonic and angels and less prepubescent frogs.

Once at the end of the sequence, Tiamat takes your Angelic Mount as a
snack
and War is left on the outskirts of the Twilight Cathedral.

======================================================================
========
3.06] TWILIGHT CATHEDRAL
[0306]
======================================================================
========

Twilight Cathedral
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

On the far right side (the south end if you're looking at the map) is
a
treasure chest containing 100 Blue Souls. It's on a ledge below, so
you will
have to drop down to get it.

There are two locations of importance outside the cathedral. To the


left of
the Twilight Cathedral entrance is a chest containing Green Souls. To
the
right is another Vulgrim location. Stock up on whatever you'd like,
then enter
the Twilight Cathedral.

The Watcher will lure you over to a pedestal. Follow him and pick up
the
crystal blade. Carry this blade to the east end of the hallway. The
angel
statue next to the locked door is carved with open hands, almost as if
she
could be holding something. Place the crystal sword in the statue's
hands with
B to unlock the door, then go through.

As you enter the next chamber, you'll see that Tiamat is having a bit
of
trouble subduing her lunch. Jump across the rock island to the other
side of
the foyer. The game will focus on a large monster hanging from the
ceiling.
Aside from killing Duskwings, there's nothing we can do here, so go
through
the door on the right.

You will exit out into the courtyard. The northern doorway will be
sealed shut
as you are forced to deal with an army of Undead Soldiers and
Duskwings. Once
you slay every last one, the door will open back up. Go on through.

Bomb Growths are growing out of the floor in this room. Bomb Growths
are
pretty much like sticky grenades or Plasma Grenades for Halo fans like
myself.
Pick one up with B, then throw it with the Right Trigger as it
detonates.
It'll stick to any surface, so throw one at the set of red crystals on
the
side of the wall. They will be destroyed and the path will be opened.

Get the Green Souls from the treasure chest near the Bomb Growths and
move
through the hole in the wall. Climb up the side of the wall using the
notches
and jump to the ledge above. Turn around and jump to a nearby platform
containing a chest. Open it up for Rage (this item restores some of
your
Wrath). Hop back over to the previous ledge and proceed through the
hallway.

You are now on the upper balcony of the courtyard. Open the treasure
chest on
the side of the wall to receive the Map. Turn towards the statue
against the
balcony and press B to push it off the edge and straight through the
courtyard. Before entering the pit below, use the northern door.

This is the upper portion of the foyer, as you can catch an up close
look at
the weird monster thing hanging from the ceiling. You'll also find a
treasure
chest containing 100 Blue Souls here. Return to the courtyard and drop
down
into the hole you created.

Glide over the lava pit and defeat the Undead Soldiers here. Use the
ledge to
cross the giant pit ahead and deal with more Undead Soldiers. I don't
know why
but I have a lot of fun using the Earthcaller to push the enemies into
the
pools of lava. It's funny. :)

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

This Soldier Artifact is easy to miss because it's floating high up


in the
air. After crossing the pool of lava, you should end up on a patch of
Demonic Growth. Instead of dropping down to the ground, move your
camera so
you can see the other side of the tunnel. You should be able to see
the
Soldier Artifact floating in the air. From here, jump from the
Demonic
Growth to snag it out of the air.

More Undead Soldiers are waiting for you on the other side of the
door. Slice
'em up and inspect the chest for a Beholder's Key. Take it all the way
back to
the courtyard; use the Beholder's Key on the blue force field on the
opposite
end of the courtyard.

In the next room, hop over the lava pools to enter a circular room. An
enemy
that bears a striking resemblance to the Phantom General appears here.
This
guys is actually called a Conscript, and he is covered with shiny blue
armor.
Watch out for his crystal attack and swinging buzzsaw strike. Now that
I think
about it, he even has similar attacks as the Phantom General! Continue
attacking to break his armor, then finish him off with an instant
kill.

Open the chest for 250 Blue Souls and replenish your health by
absorbing the
Green Souls found in the second treasure chest. Take the crystal blade
all the
way back to the foyer. Place it on the angel statue on the opposite
end and go
through the newly-opened door.

It looks like Tiamat has finally finished off her lunch. There is
another
crystal blade resting on a pedestal, but a Goremaw lurks overhead. If
you try
to snag the sword, it'll reach down and gobble you up. Grab a Bomb
Growth and
toss it at the Goremaw to destroy it, then pick up the sword.

Doing so will prompt the appearance of a Conscript and three Undead


Soldiers.
Deal with the three lesser foes first, then focus on the real threat.
If you
have gathered up some distance between your enemy, try picking up a
Bomb
Growth and tossing it at him to deal a nice amount of damage.
After disposing of the Conscript, place it on a nearby angel statue to
open up
another passage. Don't head anywhere just yet, though.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #5 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

On the southern end of the room is a small opening that leads to a


patch of
red crystals. These can only be destroyed with a Bomb Growth, but it
is too
far away from the bomb for you to carry it through the opening before
the
bomb's detonation. Instead, use the window to your advantage.

If you pick up a Bomb Growth and turn around, you will spot a hole in
the
southern wall that gives you a clean view of the red crystal. Click
on the
Right Analog Stick to aim, then throw the Bomb Growth through the
hole and
onto the crystals. With the crystals destroyed, proceed through the
opening
and take the Lifestone Shard.

Head through the northwest door. You will end up on the left side of a
large
room. Use the Shadow Geyser to reach a balcony high above you.

~-~ Artifact: Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Instead of facing the balcony, face the opposite way and jump into
the
Shadow Geyser. Float away from the balcony to snatch the Champion
Artifact
right out of the air.

Return to the balcony and exit through the wooden door. Climb along
the ledges
to reach the other end of the balcony and continue around the
perimeter of the
room. At the end, push the stone block down to the ground. Drop down
and push
the block against the wall to the right of the Goremaw. Line it up
with the
ledges above so you can use the block as a suitable stepping stone.

Climb up to the top and enter the door on your right. Back on the
other end of
the foyer, defeat the Undead Soldier and use the Bomb Growth to attack
the
giant Goremaw. It'll drop the stone structure it was holding, right
through
the floor. Drop down into the gaping hole you just created.

Proceed through the dark tunnels of the catacombs. When you reach a
large
room, refill your health via the treasure chest in the corner and
slash at the
bound stone to receive the Crossblade.
Test out your new toy on the Lavashrikes that appear. Enter Aim Mode
(click
the Right Analog Stick) and use the Left Trigger to target the beasts,
then
let your Crossblade fly. Once you've defeated the pests, switch to
your normal
weapons for the Undead Soldiers.

Finally, a Rot Mauler enters the chamber. Stay away from the vile
creature, as
it spits poisonous muck at you if you get too close. Target the
monster and
charge up your Crossblade, then toss it at the Rot Mauler to deal some
damage
to it. Repeat this until the Rot Mauler takes a page from the
Fleshburster and
explodes. However, if a button prompt appears, press B to decapitate
it. Even
without its head, the Rot Mauler still lives. Step away and use your
Crossblade one final time to destroy the monster.

A glowing object takes your attention after the Rot Mauler bites the
dust.
Lock onto it with your Crossblade and hit it to open up an exit out of
here.

Defeat the Lavashrikes in this new room, then use the lever near the
pool of
lava. It's supposed to raise the statue from the lava, but the red
crystals
surrounding it is making its job very difficult.

There is a Bomb Growth on the front of the red crystal, so lock onto
it with
your Crossblade and toss the weapon at the bomb to detonate it. The
crystals
on the front of the statue will be destroyed, but there are still some
on the
back of the statue. Jump onto the ledge to your left. As you make your
way to
the side of the statue, look behind it to spot a Bomb Growth stuck to
the
statue. One Crossblade throw away and the red crystals will be no
more.

Return to the lever and raise the statue from the lava. Hit the
Crossblade
target on the front of the statue to open up two doors. The door on
the right
is out of our reach, so settle for the other one.

Use the Crossblade on the two Bomb Growths to destroy the support
beam,
creating a huge island for you to walk on. Drop down onto the ground
and look
around the bend to find a similar situation, although these Bomb
Growths are
not lit.

You can imbue elemental powers into your Crossblade. For example, toss
your
Crossblade at one of the torches hanging on the wall to light it on
fire. Lock
onto one of the torches first, then the three Bomb Growths. Your
Crossblade
will be engulfed in flames, then ignites the Bomb Growths as you
create
another island for yourself. Nifty!

You will end up on the other side of the previous room. Enter the door
ahead.

This room contains three angel statues, meaning that you are to find
three
crystal blades somewhere nearby. Open the chest at the north end of
the room
for some Green Souls, then use the Shadow Geyser to reach the doorway
above.

Destroy the two metal crates hanging from the wire overhead, then use
the
zipline to reach the other end of the lava pit. Two columns stand on
either
side of you; use the lever to lower them as one rises in front of you.

Kill the two Lavashrikes and jump onto the column in front of you.
Follow them
to the southeast end of the lava pool. Hit the Crossblade target to
rearrange
the column level. Glide to the southwest end and hit the Crossblade
target to
raise and lower the columns again. As this is happening, jump onto the
western
column and look west to find another Crossblade target. Trigger it to
make a
column appear in the center of the room... containing Bomb Growths.

Use the Bomb Growths to destroy the two sets of red crystals in the
room. Jump
to the blue Crossblade target on the southeast end and hit it. From
here, hop
across the columns to the northeast corner and jump into the open
hole. Hit
the Crossblade target inside and open the chest for 250 Blue Souls.

Use the columns to reach the northwest end and jump through the hole
in the
wall you created earlier. Climb onto the notches on the wall, then use
them to
jump onto the cable floating overhead. Shimmy across the cable to
reach the
northern end of the room, where you can retrieve the crystal blade.

Turn around and open up an exit using the Crossblade targets, then
exit the
room (you should be able to if you hit the Crossblade targets in the
order
that I gave). Return to the statue room and place the blade in any one
of the
three statues. Next, make your way to the western chamber.
The camera pans out and gives you a nice tour of the room. It's pretty
big.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Easy. Stand on the center of the bridge and look down to your right.
The
Soldier Artifact is floating on a ledge that can easily be reached if
you
glide on down.

From the Artifact, maneuver across the stone gears to the other side
of the
room to find a dormant Bomb Growth. These are not lit, so you can
carry them
without fear of detonation. Carry it back across towards the other end
of the
room. There are some red crystals lying near the lava's edge. Toss the
Bomb
Growth on the crystals.

There's a torch right next to the red crystals, so lock onto it before
you hit
the Bomb Growth to successfully detonate it. The crystals will be
destroyed
and the gears will be in place. Return to the dormant Bomb Growth and
use the
ledges and Demonic Growth to reach the top of the room.

Turn the dial near the entrance of the room to rotate the bridge. Hop
on and
use it to reach the left side of the room. Here you will find dormant
Bomb
Growths, an active Bomb Growth, and red crystals to its right. In
order to
destroy the crystals, you must form a line of dormant Bomb Growths
stretching
from the active one all the way to the crystals. That way, when you
detonate
the active Bomb Growth it'll blow up each one until it hits the
crystals.

Proceed past the rubble and pull the lever at the end to make a
Crossblade
target rise at the western end of the room. Backtrack to the dormant
Bomb
Growth, pick one up, and hurl it across the room at the red crystals
on the
far side. Ride the bridge to the other side, then use the torch to
light the
bomb and open up the path.

Turn the lever to make a second Crossblade target appear, then make
your way
to the west end of the room. Target both targets with one Crossblade
throw to
reach the crystal blade. Take it, open the chest for 250 Blue Souls,
and leave
the room.
Place the second blade on a statue to make the final door open up.
Inside, a
nice treasure chest taunts you as it is lowered into the floor. Undead
Soldiers arrive instead; defeat all three to make the chest appear
again. Open
it up for a Beholder's Key.

~-~ Wrath Shard #4 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

After killing the monsters and retrieving the Beholder's Key, make
sure to
open the treasure chest in the corner for a Wrath Shard.

Backtrack to the previous room with the three statues. If you head
back one
more room to the spot where we rose the statue from the lava pool, you
may
remember a blue force field there. Use the Beholder's Key there and
continue
into the new room.

Use the Crossblade to slay the Lavashrikes flying around, then cross
the lava
using the pillars to your right. Turn the dial on the side of the wall
to make
a column appear across the lava pit. Next, use the door to reach a
boss
chamber. Not Tiamat, but someone much uglier.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: The Jailer ------------------

This putrid, mutated fiend is luckily not as tough as he is


disgusting. The
Jailer has one main attack: he uses his free arm to swing one of the
cages
around in a sweeping motion. He's not exactly swift or agile, so this
is very
easy to avoid once you see it coming. As a result, The Jailer usually
gives in
and lets the Undead Soldiers deal with you.

When The Jailer slams the cage into the ground, several Undead
Soldiers will
somehow be released. Dash away from the boss and let the soldiers
follow, then
kill them before The Jailer reaches your position. (it should take a
while for
that to happen).

Use your Crossblade and Aim Mode to target the three yellow bulbs on
The
Jailer's enlarged shoulder. Hit all three in one throw to stun the
boss. With
the boss on one knee, run up and unleash a flurry of Chaoseater
combos.
Retreat when The Jailer gets back up, as it isn't too happy.
The bulbs turn from yellow to red, and The Jailer goes into an all-out
frenzy.
He shuffles around, swinging his cage back and forth like a madman.
He'll most
likely take out a few of the columns in the room, actually making it
easier to
navigate the prison. Once The Jailer calms down, the battle will
resume its
normal schedule.

Continue to repeat this process. The battle doesn't get any harder,
but if you
need any health there is a treasure chest containing Green Souls in
the corner
of the room. Stun The Jailer by targeting its fleshy bulbs, then whack
away:
do this a total of three times to win the fight. Finish off The Jailer
(and
his prisoner for good measure) with an instant kill.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

A gate opens up, revealing a lever. Pull it to start up an elevator as


you
descend to the basement.

Toss a dormant Bomb Growth on the patch of red crystals, then ignite
it using
the single lit torch. Several enemies appear on the other side; kill
'em.

There are many torches lining the walls of this room, but only one is
lit. Use
the lit torch to light the one closes, then use that one to light the
next
one, and so on. Eventually, light the torches lining the lava stream
across
from the elevator. Do this until you can go no further, then pick up a
dormant
Bomb Growth and throw it down the lava stream and onto the red
crystals in the
distance.

Head through the opening you created and move around the bend. Before
jumping
across the lava stream to the other side, light a few more torches.
Hop across
the end; you should be able to reach the dormant Bomb Growth from
here. Target
the closes torch, then detonate the bomb to smash apart the crystals.

Slice apart the Lavashrike, then shimmy along the ledges across the
lava pit.
Pull the lever here to make a rock island form along the lava stream,
then run
through where the red crystals once were. Pull the lever here to make
a dial
rise to an earlier room.
Return to the elevator and ride it back up. By the way, if you lit
every torch
down here, a chest containing the BLOODTHIRST Weapon Enhancement
appears next
to the elevator. You might want to take the time to do this.

The ride back up isn't so comfortable, as several Undead Soldiers join


you.
Defeat them, then pass through the prison to the room on the other
side. Turn
the dial here to make a second column rise from the flames. Cross the
chasm
and hit the two Crossblade targets here to open up a gate. Don't worry
about
the door on your right: go forward instead.

A Conscript is waiting for you below. He and his two Undead Soldier
buddies
are pretty annoying, but you've read the script before. Deal with the
little
guys, then focus on the Conscript after. There's always a chest in the
corner
if you are in need of Green Souls.

After kicking the Conscript to the curb, a Rot Mauler and two more
Undead
Soldiers try and put a stop to you. God, I hate Rot Maulers. Deal with
them,
then take the final crystal blade. But wait, there's more! Two more
Conscripts
drop into the room in an attempt to finally put you to rest. Yessir, I
am dead
serious.

Bring the damn crystal blade all the way back to the statue room and
place it
on the third and final angel statue. The platform raises above to one
of the
cathedral's courtyards. You'll recognize the place.

Before entering the door that opens up, instead climb up the stone
block in
the southeast corner of the room to reach the balcony above. Use your
Crossblade to kill the Goremaw hanging over the northern door and
proceed
through.

Follow the walkway towards a chest; open it for an ABYSSAL ARMOR


PIECE. If you
fall down below, you will find two more chests: reap them for 250 Blue
Souls
and another special treat: a WRATH CORE.

Exit to the courtyard. Keep in mind that all of Twilight Cathedral is


open to
you, so you are welcome to backtrack. If you are really in need of
some stuff,
you may want to consider returning to the main entrance to shop at the
Vulgrim
location. Otherwise, take the western door to the boss's lair.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Tiamat ----------------------

Tiamat is one tough customer, and she certainly means business. I


really hope
that you have at least one Life Essence at your disposal. For the
first part
of the boss battle, Tiamat lurks around the perimeter of the rooftop.
She will
occasionally stop to cough up a fireball your way; sidestep to avoid
getting
burnt.

The only way to damage Tiamat while airborne is to use one of the many
Bomb
Growth lying around the roof. Unfortunately for us, they are dormant
and must
be lit somehow. There are two ways of doing that, both huge pains.

The most conventional way - the same way we've been doing it so far -
is to
toss a Bomb Growth onto Tiamat. There are several torches surrounding
the roof
so target a torch, then the Bomb Growth to damage the bat queen. There
are two
problems with this: first off, you must be very close to Tiamat to
pull this
off, so she must directly be hovering over a torch for you to target
her. This
isn't very common. Secondly, she's constantly spewing fireballs that
it's hard
for you to pause, enter Aim Mode, select both targets, and let it fly.

The second way to inflict damage on Tiamat is with timing. Just as


Tiamat is
getting ready to hurl a fireball, throw a Bomb Growth at her face. The
fireball should be enough to ignite the Bomb Growth. Personally I find
the
timing window to be very small and I've never been precise with it. I
prefer
the first option.

Either way, damage Tiamat with a Bomb Growth and she falls to the
ground.
Attack her unrelentlessly with your Chaoseater until she gets up. Now
Tiamat
will fly around the roof, but instead of pausing to shoot a fireball,
she will
divebomb you, her talons scraping the ground. Avoid getting ripped to
shreds
by the talons and wait until she calms down.

Tiamat will start using fireballs again, so get back to the Bomb
Growths. Keep
your health in check: unlike some of the fights earlier in the game,
there are
no Green Soul chests to aid you, so use your Life Essence sparingly
and don't
get too cocky when using the Bomb Growths. Stun Tiamat with a Bomb
Growth,
then continue attacking. Do this twice more to ground the bat for
good.

With Tiamat on the ground, she will now use her large wings and
claws... and
tail for attacking! There are several scenarios to take into account
in this
next phase of the fight.

If you are too far away, Tiamat will respond by shooting a series of
fireballs
your way. Blocking them is your best bet. If you stand up close to
Tiamat, she
will retaliate with her two clawed hands. Dangerous stuff. If you get
behind
Tiamat, she has no trouble sweeping her tail from side to side to
knock you
away. Finally, if Tiamat floats up in the air, back away before she
does a
cannonball down into the ground.

Stay in front of Tiamat and block her claw attacks, then retaliate
with a
Wrath Ability like Blade Geyser. Sometimes you will stun the boss,
leaving her
open for attack for a quick few seconds. Also try using a charged up
Crossblade attack to keep her distracted, then go in for the kill with
your
Chaoseater.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

War rips Tiamat's heart right out of her chest as you receive the
Heart of the
Chosen. You also receive a LIFESTONE for a job well done. Step into
the blue
portal to return to the entrance of the Twilight Cathedral.

Vulgrim gives War some information on Serpent Holes, making the trek
back to
the Scalding Gallow much easier than the first trip. Talk to Vulgrim
and spend
any Blue Souls you've got, then press Y to venture into the Serpent
Hole.
Select "Scalding Gallow" to head there. The Serpent Hole is a few sets
of
stairs, so it isn't exactly a long or confusing journey.

Scalding Gallow
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Exit the store for a cutscene. The Watcher is dead... or not dead?! I
don't
know. I guess he'll still be chillin' with us then. Either way, War
gets his
Chaos Form back! Remember, to unleash your Chaos Form, hold down the
Left
Bumper and press the Right Trigger.

Go across the bridge towards the southern end of the area. Pass
underneath the
building just north of the entrance to The Crossroads. If you look on
the
eastern side you can see a patch of red crystals growing on a pillar.
Target
the Bomb Growth conveniently attached to the crystals and ignite it
with your
Crossblade. The pillar will fall, granting you access to the chest on
the
upper level of the building. Open it up for an ABYSSAL ARMOR PIECE.

Proceed alongside the western end of the area to find a road branching
out
further to the west. Destroy the enemies lurking near the red crystal
blockade
first, then take a gander at your surroundings. The Bomb Growth
latched onto
the crystals is dormant, so use a nearby torch to spark the bomb. Pass
beyond
where the crystals once were to a tunnel.

You will eventually be stopped by a Ravenous and a large wave of


Phantom Guard
Soldiers. Ravenous are very annoying enemies that look and act similar
to
Fleshbursters. They sacrifice the latter's kamikaze attack and instead
steals
Blue Souls from enemies around you. If you kill a foe, the Ravenous
will sap
them away before you can take them yourself.

Ravenous have pretty much the same attacks as the Fleshburster minus
the
kamikaze explosion, but are much stronger and are far more durable.
Now is a
good time to use Chaos Mode to take down the big man and the little
guys
pestering you as well.

The exit opens up after vanquishing all monsters. You will be taken to
a giant
silo with the broken fan being your platforms. Walk across the blade,
then
glide to the one on your left. Follow it to a hallway. Kill the two
Phantom
Guard Soldiers guarding the switch (hah, what else would they do!) and
activate it to turn on the fan.

Return to the silo and use the slowly moving fan blades to gain access
to the
western side of the room. From here, continue cutting your way through
waves
of baddies (don't forget to open up the chest along the way for 250
Blue
Souls) to the Drowned Pass.
======================================================================
========
3.07] DROWNED PASS
[0307]
======================================================================
========

Drowned Pass
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

A nice change of scenery. I didn't think I'd say it in a game like


this, but
the Drowned Pass is actually quite pretty. The Drowned Pass contains a
network
of underground channels; it's easy to get lost underwater, so consult
to your
map if necessary. I will be using it in this guide much more than any
other
previous area.

From the start, walk forward and drop off the edge and into the water
below.
Deep Lurkers attack from underneath the water's surface. Remember that
you can
still attack while swimming.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Swim towards the northeast corner of the map: there's a small alcove
on the
map right near the entrance of the area. The shaded areas on the map
show
elevation, so the darker it is on the map, the deeper it is. Swim
underneath
the waterfall to reach a tiny cove containing the Soldier Artifact.

Next, return to the main pool and dive down. Swim through the eastern
tunnel
to emerge on dry land on the far east end of the map. Defeat the three
Phantom
Guard Soldiers first, then focus on the Shadowcaster.

These annoying, serpentine creatures can float in the air, leaving you
restricted to airborne attacks. These monsters are also very quick in
the air
and can easily dodge your airborne attacks, leaving you further
restricted to
your Crossblade. Yeah, like I said, annoying. Stun the Shadowcaster
with a
charged-up Crossblade, then attack with traditional weaponry.

The enemies leave you with two treasure chests. One holds an ABYSSAL
ARMOR
PIECE while the other contains a measly 250 Blue Souls. Certainly
doesn't
sound special when comparing it to an Abyssal Armor Piece, eh?

Swim back through the tunnel and head south to find two submerged
buildings.
Beware of the Deep Lurkers well, lurking around the dark corners of
the ruins.
You can access the upper floors, which are above the water. You will
find a
chest on one of the top floors of the northern buildings. Jump out of
the
water and into the room, then open up the chest for 250 Blue Souls.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Dive underwater and enter the northern building through the west
side. Slip
through the hole in the wall to enter a stairwell. Swim up the
stairwell to
reach a small room containing a Soldier Artifact.

The northern building has all the goodies while the southern one has
jack
squat. Lame.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #6 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

From the southwest building, swim west to reach a secluded ramp. Slay
the two
Minions and the Shadowcaster. If you look across the gap, you will
see a
treasure chest in a small alcove. We can't reach the alcove, so
instead jump
into the water below. Swim below and strike the glowing blue target
on the
side of the submerged pillar to make it rise out of the water.

Return to the ramp, then use the pillar as a stepping stone to reach
the
treasure chest. Open it up for another Lifestone Shard.

Return to the water's surface and paddle your way to the southwest
bank. The
southern end of the area contains nothing but enemies, so there's no
need to
even waste your time there.

There's a Tormented Gate here on the bank, but he can wait. We should
still
collect the rest of the items here before waking him up. To the left
of the
Tormented Gate is a ramp we can use to reach the upper section of the
Drowned
Pass (i.e. where we started off). Some Phantom Guard Soldiers drop
down up
ahead, so kill them and continue along the pathway.

Follow the road until it forks. Go to the left to find a Vulgrim


location at a
dead end. Purchase anything that you'd like; otherwise return to the
fork.
Going north just takes you back to the entrance, and we've covered the
map as
much as we can right now, so return to the Tormented Gate and wake it
up.
S'more Shadow Challenge Arenas await. I never liked these things. Stay
on the
upper pathway and follow it all the way to the fork. This time, go
right and
drop down the hole to find a small chamber with a Shadow Challenge
Arena.

--- Shadow Challenge Arena ------------

Keep at least 1 Undead Soldier alive throughout the time limit.

Okay, this is weird; the enemies are on our side for this challenge.
There
are six Undead Soldiers alive, and it's your task to keep them safe.
Your
attacks cannot hurt them, and at least one must survive throughout
the
duration of the challenge.

The Phantom Guard Soldiers are easy, but once the Fleshbursters
arrive you
may want to solely focus on them. The Undead Soldiers aren't aware of
their
kamikaze attack so they may take some hits from that, but otherwise
they are
fairly competent fighters. Once the final minute strikes, get ready
to enter
Chaos Mode: Gholens and multiple Undead Soldiers. To differentiate
between
the two, your buddies have glowing blue orbs over their head.

The next closest arena is in the eastern cove where you found the
Abyssal
Armor Piece.

--- Shadow Challenge Arena ------------

Kill 15 enemies using environmental weapon attacks.

This one can be frustrating if you use a basic approach. Don't


immediately
pick up one of the respawning cars and toss it at an enemy, because
it won't
kill them. Instead, attack the Undead Soldiers until the B button
appears
over their head, then use a car to finish them off. Make sure to lock
onto
the weakened enemy or you may miss or hit someone else.

The challenge isn't that difficult when it comes to Undead Soldiers,


but
when Rot Maulers and ultimately Traumas are added to the mix, time
turns
against you. Five minutes seems like a long time, but it'll quickly
drain
away when you are forced to kill Rot Maulers and equally tough foes.
I
managed to win by ignoring the Rot Maulers and continuing to only
kill the
Undead Soldiers.
Dive into the water and swim to the underwater ruins. Climb onto the
southern
building and use the stairs to reach the Shadow Arena on the top
floor.

--- Shadow Challenge Arena ------------

Kill 30 enemies using the destructive power of War's Chaos Form


within the
time limit.

So the challenge is to use Chaos Form to beat enemies. Where's the


challenge?
Immediately begin by using Chaos Form to slay the punk-ass Phantom
Guard
Soldiers. Once your Chaos Meter depletes, it's back to your normal
self. Now
your score is only tallied if you kill enemies while in Chaos Form,
so start
hacking enemies to fill up your Chaos Meter (it refills as you damage
foes).

Try not to fill up your Chaos Meter by killing weak enemies like
Phantom
Guard Soldiers and Undead Soldiers. If you do, by the time you
reactivate
Chaos Mode you'll be left with tough enemies. Instead, target
Shadowcasters
and even Traumas to refill your Chaos Meter. That way, once you enter
Chaos
Mode, all it takes is one or two quick swipes to dispatch some weak
chumps
and increase your tally by the handful. You shouldn't have any
trouble
winning in the five minute time limit.

From the roof, drop down to the southeast portion of the pool. Climb
onto dry
land and enter the drainage pipe to find the final Shadow Challenge
Arena.

--- Shadow Challenge Arena ------------

Kill 5 enemies using only block and projectile counter attacks within
the
time limit.

Another five minute-long challenge. While you only have to defeat


five
enemies, this challenge can be tough if you are not good at
counterattacking.
I mean, that's the only way to win this challenge, so you better be
somewhat
decent at it. The game is not only nice enough to give you
instructions on
how to perform these attacks, but the enemies appear one or two at a
time to
cater to your very needs.
This is all about timing, and since you only have to worry about two
baddies
at a time max, it can be rather quick to get the hang of it. To kill
one of
the Phantom Guard Soldiers, you must perform two counterattacks. This
seems
redundant, so weaken them first so that you only have to pull off one
of
these moves to finish them off. If you're a quick learner, you should
taste
success even quicker.

And that's a wrap! Meet back up with the Tormented Gate to earn an
ABYSSAL
ARMOR PIECE and the exit outta here. If you'd like, stop back at
Vulgrim's
location to buy some goods. Now would be a good time to purchase the
BANE
Weapon Enhancement if you haven't already. Otherwise, continue west
past the
open hole that the Tormented Gate left behind.

Continue into the sewer and drop into the water to your left. Enter
the
submerged tunnel and slice apart the Deep Lurkers. Follow the tunnel
to an
exit leading to dry land. Climb onto the Demonic Growth and watch out
for the
Bomb Sacs before you double jump onto the zipline. Cross the gaping
hole
below, then drop down. A Vulgrim Location is to your left while the
exit is on
your right.

======================================================================
========
3.08] ANVIL'S FORD
[0308]
======================================================================
========

Anvil's Ford
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

It won't take long to find Ulthane once we enter Anvil's Ford. Walk
forward to
find a hammer lying on the ground. Press B next to it to start a
cutscene.
Ulthane informs War that HE is the Black Hammer, not the measly weapon
lying
in the dirt, and challenges him to a fight.

Ulthane is easy, but only because there is one way to damage him:
Chaos Form.
If your Chaos Meter isn't full, then attack him until it is. He has a
simple
punch attack and a shockwave move that are both easy to dodge. Once
your Chaos
Meter is full, activate him and smack him around a few times to end
the fight
prematurely.

Ulthane and War put aside their differences for the time being in
order to
exterminate the area of pesky "pigeons". The game will keep score of
how many
angels War and Ulthane kill. If you win at this sadistic little game,
you'll
get an achievement, but nothing bad happens if you come out on the
losing end.

The angels all fly in the air, making it hard for you to target them.
Ulthane,
however, can use his hammer to knock them down to the earth. Once he
does so,
quickly locate the nearest angel and begin attacking. Once you see the
button
prompt appear, use your one-hit kill before Ulthane walks over and
steals your
kill.

Eventually, Ulthane will lead you to a new area. Here you will begin
fighting
Angel Champions. These guys come equipped with sick armor and huge
shields.
Try to let Ulthane deal with them while you kill off Angel Soldiers.
It'll be
easy to tally up your score killing off weak enemies while Ulthane
deals with
the harder ones.

Ulthane will then move north to another area. There is a chest in the
corner
of the area containing Green Souls if you need nourishment.

More angels will appear here. This is a good time to enter Chaos Mode
to help
even up the score if you're trailing. Once the coast is clear, Ulthane
will
signal to you: press B next to him to be launched to the top of a
building.
Ulthane will stay below and defend against angels while you fight some
on the
roof.

After a few angels are dead, the room will open up. Grab the Green
Souls from
the chest, then drop down below to find s'more Green Souls. However,
DO NOT
open this chest. Save it for later.

Below, walk over to the Bomb Growth and pick it up. Toss it at the
blue
crystals across the way to destroy them. This brings down a huge
section of a
bridge, giving Ulthane a way to cross the pit.

A Storm Warden will drop in unexpected. These dudes have huge-ass guns
that
fire electrical projectiles at you. They pack a punch, but are kinda
slow when
traveling through the air. Pick up a Bomb Growth and hurl it at the
Storm
Warden to stun him, then begin attacking now that he's grounded.

Once the Storm Warden is finished off, pick up his gun. You can use
the
Redemption against its own users. Using this fancy weapon makes you
basically
a lock for winning this little challenge. The only downside is that
you cannot
block when holding it and you're really slow when lugging the big
thing
around.

Ulthane will destroy a patch of blue crystals blocking your way,


giving you
access to a narrow end-around.

My strategy is to go all out. Screw health, just soak up all the


punishment
you can take like a masochistic sponge and kick ass. Pick off the
Angel
Soldiers shooting you from afar with the regular fire (Right Trigger)
and use
charged up blasts (Left Trigger) to topple the Angel Champions. Take
out the
Angel Soldiers first because their long-range fire can be a real
killer.

Your kill score should skyrocket when using the Redemption,


considering how it
shreds angels apart and has unlimited ammo. While I suggest that you
should be
a little casual when it comes to monitoring your own health, I'm not
saying
that you still should not protect yourself. You can dash while holding
the
Redemption by pressing the Right Bumper, so try and avoid projectile
attacks
when you can.

Continue attacking angels surrounding you. If there's no more, look to


the
right and help Ulthane out/be a jerk and steal his kills. Ulthane will
tell
you to hold on before breaking another set of crystals in front of
you. By now
you may be hurtin' pretty badly, so drop the weapon, run back to the
building
and open the chest for Green Souls, then run back. Now you're ready to
take on
more enemies now that you have been rejuvenated.

Push forward and deal with more angels. After some killin', two Storm
Wardens
appear alongside some backup. Again, focus on the Angel Soldiers
first, then
worry about the two Storm Wardens. Ulthane will destroy another patch
of blue
crystals blocking your way.

It's time to abandon the Redemption since you have to cross a gap to
reunite
with Ulthane, but that was the last batch of angels. Before jumping
across,
climb the Demonic Growth on the east end of your location. Open the
chest up
here for 250 Blue Souls.

~-~ Wrath Shard #5 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

From the plateau, work your way back towards the Demonic Growth. You
should
see another patch growing alongside a building. Latch on and follow
it around
the side of the building to find a sweet little cave and another
Wrath Shard.

As you trek up the mountainside, Ulthane will reveal a chest


containing Green
Souls. Go for it, then continue alongside the big man. At the top of
the
mountain, Ulthane will reveal the results of the game. If you win,
then way to
go! Have fun with a new achievement. Not only that, Ulthane gives you
COMBAT
LORE as a reward for a fair game.

The fun and games may have come to an end, but we aren't out of the
woods just
yet. Uriel still has a bone to pick with War.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Uriel -----------------------

Uriel is a feisty chick, and it does not help that Ulthane is now
sitting on
the sidelines after he had no trouble massacring heaping piles of
angels only
minutes before. That jerk.

This heavenly woman is much more agile than any other angelic enemy we
have
encountered before. She has a long sword and can string together
combos when
up close and also has a few devastating long-range spells. If you get
too
close, you are at risk for a two or three-hit sword combo that deals
no damage
if blocked. Uriel can also fly high in the air, then do a somersault
before
crashing to the floor, blade first.

If you decide to keep your distance, Uriel will toss blue energy
blades that
look kinda like the Cutter ability from Kirby games. Uriel's final
attack is a
shockwave move similar to her overhead slam. She will rise in the air
before
plummeting to the ground. Either run far away or double jump before
impact or
else you'll be hit with electrical shocks.

Whichever method you take, it won't take long to study and work around
this
boss's offensive strategy. Immediately use your Chaos Form at the
start of the
fight and unload on her to take away a chunk of her health right from
the
get-go.

If you want to stay up close, use jumping attacks like Flipsaw and
Spin Slash
(or Air Grinder if you prefer your Scythe). A much preferred strategy
is to
use your Crossblade to knock Uriel to the ground, then run up and
proceed to
use whatever combos and Wrath Abilities you would like. Sooner or
later, Uriel
will submit to your awesome might and power.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

Ulthane sends you on your way after Uriel retreats. Walk forward and
fall down
the pit in the middle of the floor, then continue against the current
of the
stream. Along the way you will find 250 Blue Souls and 100 Blue Souls
inside
two treasure chests. Soon enough, the stream will lead you to an
opening.
Inside, follow the lonely hallway to The Hollows.

======================================================================
========
3.09] THE HOLLOWS
[0309]
======================================================================
========

The Hollows
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Right off the bat, you'll be introduced to the second member of The
Chosen.
The Griever drops down in front of a large grandfather clock and
starts
hissing and shrieking like a maniac. Boss battle... already?!

Not quite. Pick up the Redemption off the ground. The Griever will
shoot laser
beams out of her mouth while her head strafes back and forth to cover
the
entire room. Dodge back and forth until the attack stops, then hit the
clutch
of blue crystals on her underbelly with a charged shot to knock her
backwards.
Do this a second time after avoiding a second laser attack to scare
her off.

The Griever knocks down the clock in her retreat, making a mess of the
large
room. Collect 100 Blue Souls from inside the chest behind the clock,
then take
the western doorway. Refill your health using the Green Soul chest,
then open
the next door to enter a long hallway.

Use the Demonic Growth to cross the ruined hall and enter the door on
the
other side to reach another big room. If you couldn't tell already,
The
Hollows is basically a huge, abandoned train station. Pretty neat idea
for a
dungeon.

Locusts will emerge from some piping and fly around; target them with
your
Crossblade, then dive into the water below. Submerge and deal with the
Deep
Lurkers underneath before exploring the northwest tunnel. Ascend to
the
surface once at the end, then climb along the Demonic Growth. At the
top, pull
the lever on the balcony to set ablaze the broken gas pipe.

With the pipe lit, target it with your Crossblade, then do the same
with the
one next to it. Now with the second one ignited, use it to ignite the
gas pipe
at the southeast corner (next to the red crystals on the ledge above).
Toss a
dormant Bomb Growth at the crystals. We cannot blow up the Bomb Growth
because
we are out of reach, so instead fall into the water and swim back
through the
tunnel that led you to the lever.

Grab onto the wire and start your way across. If there are Locusts in
your
way, slice 'em up as you cross. Hop onto the zipline and slide down to
the red
crystals, then destroy them to grant yourself access to a door. Head
through.

Just as you enter the room, you'll catch a small glimpse of a new
monster
sneaking its way out. Walk down the stairs and drop down on the ledge
overlooking a pool of water. Open the chest for 250 Blue Souls.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Jump into the deep pool of water. Kill the Deep Lurker that's
wandering
around by his lonesome, then dive to the very bottom to locate the
Soldier
Artifact. To get out of here, return to the water's surface and
locate the
yellow and black-striped ledges. Use them to reach the top of the
hole.

From the water, head west down the hall to encounter the monster that
fled the
scene before. This is a Goreclaw: similar to Minions, Goreclaws have
more
health and are a bit tougher. Once you get used to these enemies,
they'll be
as easy to dispatch as Minions. Slay the first one, then take out two
more to
destroy the barrier blocking the door.

More Goreclaws will attack here in the long shaft. Defeating them is
easy, but
things get a bit hairy when a Gholen smashes through a wall and
confronts you.
It wouldn't hurt to use Chaos Mode here to deal with the Gholen and
the
remaining Goreclaws.

The barrier ceases, and the camera zooms in on a pool of water at the
end of
the room. Check the two alcoves for chests: you will find an ABYSSAL
ARMOR
PIECE in one and Green Souls in the hole that the Gholen made. Jump
into the
water afterwards.

Swim through the tunnel and deal with the Deep Lurker, then submerge
when you
see a ray of light coming from the ceiling. Jump out onto dry land.
The door
here is locked, so instead hop into a second pool of water. Fend off
against
the Deep Lurkers. Up ahead, the path is blocked off by a strong water
current,
so instead dive deeper to the bottom.

Swim forward to reach an intersection. Go right to ultimately emerge


in a tiny
alcove; the chest here contains REAPER. This Weapon Enhancement is
pretty good
for collecting Blue Souls, so you may want to equip it if you're low
on cash.

Return to the water and head straight at the fork this time. This path
will
take you to another room; this one containing a lever and a couple of
chests.

~-~ Wrath Shard #6 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Before pulling the lever in the room, open the treasure chest for
another
Wrath Shard.

The second chest houses 250 Blue Souls. Yank the lever to turn off the
propeller in the entrance of the underground tunnel. Now that the
water
current has been turned off, return to the passage and make your way
through.
You will find a Beholder's Key on the other side of the propeller.

Return to the locked door and open it using the key. Attack the
chained stone
in the middle of the chamber to receive the Tremor Gauntlet. Now you
can
finally break pesky blue crystals!

A Grappleclaw spoils the fun soon after. After a few seconds, more
random
enemies pour in. Attack the beast with your new weapon until it falls.
Press B
next to the dazed foe to jump on like a crazy, demonic cowboy. Move
the Left
Analog Stick around to have the Grappleclaw turn against its monster
buddies
until it throws you off.

Remain attacking enemies using conventional tactics. You may want to


stick
with your Chaoseater; while the Tremor Gauntlet is powerful, it has an
extremely short range. You may even want to switch back to your
Scythe. If a
Grappleclaw becomes stunned, then immediately use it to begin
destroying other
foes. Once the first Grappleclaw is killed, another one appears.

Once the enemies stop pouring in, the barrier at the top of the room
falls.
Regain any lost health with the chest on the edge of the arena.
Destroy the
patch of blue crystals with your Tremor Gauntlet, then use the ledges
to reach
the chest at the top. Retrieve the Beholder's Key inside, then use it
on the
door on the opposite end of the room.

Smash the crystals in your way and dive into the underground hallway,
then
follow it to another area.

Once inside the lift station, the camera zoom in on a patch of


crystals on the
top floor. Looks like that is our destination. There are two treasure
chests
at the ground floor: one contains Green Souls and the other Yellow
Souls
(haven't seen many of those!).

Climb up the stairs in the southwest corner to find a metal block.


Grab onto
it with B, then with your Tremor Gauntlets equipped, hold down Y and
release.
War will use a Shockwave Punch to knock the block down to the lower
level.
With the metal block positioned conveniently on the lift, use the
lever to
raise the lift. Once it stops, pull the block towards the gap in the
railing
on the right side of the lift.

Grab ahold of the metal block so that you are facing east and use a
Shockwave
Punch to punch the block onto the middle lift. Glide over; the lift is
raised
already so no need to fiddle with the lever here.

You might notice, however, that the eastern lift is too high to
successfully
transfer the block over. Instead, position the block next to the gap,
then hop
on top of the block. Shadowglide over to the eastern lift and use the
lever to
lower it. Drop to the ground and return to the western lift to reach
the
middle lift and the block again. Now you can Shockwave Punch the metal
block
onto the eastern lift. Hop over and raise the third lift.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Behind the eastern lift is an alcove containing the Soldier Artifact.


Once
you have it in your possession, you will have to drop down to the
floor and
go the long way to get back onto the third lift.

The block can now be used as a stepping stone to reach the top floor
of the
lift station. Break the crystals and proceed through the tunnel. You
can use B
to rip apart the pesky Locusts here with your bare hands now that you
have
solid ground underneath you.

Exterminate the Locusts, then use the wire to sling across the hole to
the
other side. Enter the subway tunnel and stay in the center between the
two
train tracks. The Griever is directly above you, and sometimes her
pointy feet
will smash through the ceiling and into the ground. She doesn't target
the
center of the tunnel, so weave between the support beams.

The Griever continues using intimidation tactics on us, but they don't
seem to
be working considering we aren't backing down anytime soon. A few
Goreclaws
and Flamecallers pour into the tunnel from a nearby hole. Flamecallers
are
very similar to Goreclaws, but they sacrifice the latter's buzzsaw
attack for
a scorching-hot fireball attack.
Enter where the enemies came from and destroy the crystals blocking
your way.
Follow the hallway and smash apart a second set of blue crystals to
emerge
back in a room we've previously visited (we found a Soldier Artifact
here).
Drop down near the water's edge and use your Tremor Gauntlets to smash
the
blue crystals in front of you.

Doing so will create an outpour of water into the pit behind you,
while
simultaneously draining the water from the room north of here. Before
entering
the northern room, swim east to reach a chest containing the Map.

In the northern room, climb the stairs on the west end of the room to
reach a
lever. Turn it to make the circular disc on the floor move west. Drop
down and
grab the end of the flatbed car on the center of the circular disc.
Use a
Shockwave Punch to knock the flatbed off of the disc and into a dark,
neglected corner of the room.

Notice how the four lights surrounding the disc turned red? It
signifies that
there is nothing on top of the disc. Now turn around and locate the
subway car
behind you. Go behind it and push it onto the disc (make sure the
lights turn
green so that it's on all the way). Backtrack to the lever and turn it
once
more to make the disc return to it's original spot - with the subway
car now
on top.

Smash the blue crystals in front of the subway car, then Shockwave
Punch it
into that tunnel. Another Shockwave Punch will push it all the way to
the end
of the tunnel. Now you can jump onto the car and onto the Demonic
Growth.
Navigate through the hall and break the blue crystals here to end up
basically
at the entrance of The Hollows. All you have to do now is go east to
reach the
entrance.

A Wraith Scout appears in the clock room in place of The Griever.


While it
makes sense that one would rather encounter one of these goons than
The
Griever, they are still very tough enemies. Wraith Scouts float in the
air and
carry duel-wielding blades that can slice War apart like a hot knife
through
butter. Against the first Wraith Scout, use the Tremor Gauntlet to
corner her
and keep her grounded.
A second Wraith Scout brings along some Phantom Guard Soldiers. Kill
them
first, then focus on the Wraith Scout. A third and final Wraith Scout
is
accompanied by more Phantom Guard Soldiers and Goreclaws. Strategy?
Just use
Chaos Form and put them out of their misery. :)

The barrier blocking the eastern door dissipates, giving us the option
of
going through. Obviously take it. Walk up the staircases to the upper
balcony
of the clock room. Grab 100 Blue Souls from the chest, then kick open
the door
to the balcony.

To the right is a chest containing 250 Blue Souls; to the left is


another set
of blue crystals. Open the door behind it and jump into the water.
There are
two pillars submerged underwater; focus on the one on the far left.

Dive underwater and hit the glowing blue target at the base of the
pillar,
then quickly return to the surface. Jump onto the pillar before it
rises out
of reach. Turn around and jump to the northern exit.

Use your Crossblade to light the two unlit gas pipes, then follow the
tracks
south. A Phantom Captain will sick two Flamecallers on you. They are
easy as
pie, but the Phantom Captain is a major upgrade from the Phantom Guard
Soldiers you have been dicing up since the wee early hours of this
game.
Still, he is no match for your bone-crushing Tremor Gauntlet.

Walk towards the locked door and pick up a dormant Bomb Growth. Bring
it back
to the gas pipes and plant it on the red crystals. Light it using the
gas
pipes to destroy the crystals and create an open path.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #7 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Before you leave, sneak between the two subway cars on the side of
the room
to find a chest containing a Lifestone Shard.

In the pump room, open the chest in the corner for 250 Blue Souls.
Kill the
Locusts and proceed north, past the two pumps, to a water-filled
chamber. Dive
in and swim through the northern passage. Jump out and use the striped
ledges
and the Shadow Geyser to reach the top.

The lever here does not work due to the gears being clogged by the
many
crystals, so instead swim to the opposite side of the room. Deal with
the
Locusts and begin smashing the blue crystals with your Tremor
Gauntlet. One
reveals a dormant Bomb Growth spot.

Throw the Bomb Growth across the pool to the red crystals. Look up and
to the
east side to spot a gas pipe. Lock onto the flame, then look to the
west side
to spot one that is unlit. Target it to light the pipe, then swim back
across
(don't forget to take the 250 Blue Souls from the chest).

Climb up the platforms on the west end and smash the blue crystals to
free one
of the gears. Target the gas pipe behind the gear, then lock onto the
one next
to the lever to light this one as well. Now you can use the third gas
pipe to
ignite the Bomb Growth on the red crystals.

Now you can use the striped ledges to reach the second gear. Destroy
the blue
crystal covering it, then return to the lever and pull it. The ceiling
will
open, dropping a gigantic spire through the floor. The gaping hole
gives you a
shortcut to the entrance to the pump room.

Drop through the hole; the raised water allows you to reach the chest
to get
the Beholder's Key. Return to the main entrance of the pump room
(where the
bridge is).

~-~ Artifact: Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Once at the main entrance of the pump room, drop off the bridge and
into the
raised pool of water. Swim through the northern pipe, then float
upwards.
There is a tiny room above the pipe where you will find the Champion
Artifact.

Exit the pump room to return to the subway tracks. Do away with the
Locusts
and follow the tracks to the locked door; use the Beholder's Key to
open it
up.

As you enter the room, a tentacle bursts from the wall and snags the
subway
car, twisting and contorting it as it tries to yank it through its
hole. The
Torture Coil eventually fails and retreats back into the hole. It
won't be
bothering us now that the subway car plugged the hole in.

Grab the subway car next to you and begin pushing it south, using
Shockwave
Punches every so often. A second Torture Coil will grab the subway car
and
repeat the same process. While it's distracted with the car, run past.
Knock
open the chest for some Green Souls and enter the damp tunnel nearby.

Two Grappleclaws drop in along with a wide variety of lesser enemies.


Like in
the past, use the Grappleclaws to your advantage to kill off the
weaker
opponents before finishing the wicked mounts off yourself. Cars are
placed in
order to help you, but they usually just get in the way.

Two passages open up. Take the northern trail to find the Hoardseeker,
which
locates all chests on your map. There is a second treasure chest in
the windy
path, though it's protected by a Goremaw. Stun it with your
Crossblade, then
open the chest to retrieve 100 Blue Souls.

Next, take the western path. Phantom Guard Soldiers and a Wraith Scout
roam
around in this tunnel. Defeat them, then pull the lever on the other
end of
the room to open a gate underwater below you. To enter the water, head
to the
northern end of the room and dive into the small pool. Swim through
the open
gate, then return to the surface and move onward.

The large ravine is pretty barren, but fall down anyways. Proceed to
the other
end to find some crystals blocking a pipe. Destroy it to let some
water flow
in. Dive under and swim through the northern passage to emerge in a
drainage
pipe. Jump out and follow the pipe onto a ledge.

Hop across to a platform and use the striped ledges to reach a second
blocked
pipe. Break it to send some more water into the ravine, successfully
filling
it up.

~-~ Wrath Shard #7 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Climb back up to the second blocked pipe (well it's not blocked
anymore) and
turn around. Leap over to the chest and open it for a Wrath Shard.

Enter a cave near the eastern side of the ravine for some Green Souls,
then
climb up the tallest ledges to complete your journey across the
ravine. Kill
off the Locusts and keep on movin'. The sewer system will immediately
take War
to The Griever's lair.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-
--- BOSS: The Griever -----------------

This battle must be won with some intelligence. Walking up to The


Griever and
trying to attack the glowing blue crystals on her underside
accomplishes
nothing. Well, it gets you hurt, if you count that as an
accomplishment. You
must think of another strategy to damage this boss.

There are patches of blue crystals scattered throughout the terminal.


You must
destroy them all to clear the train track leading to The Griever (who,
by the
way, does not move at all in this fight). Make sure to destroy the
crystals
closest to The Griever, since even smashing crystals can be a chore in
this
fight. The Griever's laser attack will harden the crystals if she hits
them,
leaving them temporarily unbreakable.

Run up to the crystal the farthest away and use an aerial attack with
your
Tremor Gauntlet (aerial attacks destroy them in one hit while ground
attacks
take two hits) before she knocks you backwards with a ground pound.
Continue
breaking crystals while avoiding her laser beams.

Things get annoying when there are only one or two crystals left. The
Griever
keeps hitting them with laser beams, leaving them indestructible. By
the time
they cool down, The Griever is ready to shoot them again. Try staying
out in
the open and not hiding behind the crystal. Lure The Griever away from
the
crystal and dodge/block the laser beam yourself. Once the attack stops
and the
crystals cool down, quickly punch them.

Once the crystals are clear, run behind the flatbed car at the south
end of
the boss arena. Begin pushing it along the track towards the big boss.
She can
push your car backwards with a ground slam if you get too close. I
suggest
using a Shockwave Punch right around where the tunnel part of the
arena ends
and the actual room begins; you should have enough distance to
connect.

The Griever will shake it off and send the car backwards. She then
begins
slamming her head against the sides of the walls, sending large spires
crashing to the ground. Dodge each and every one until the attack
ceases, then
try pushing the flatbed car forward again.
Once the flatbed car is send crashing into The Griever a second time,
she will
fall to the ground. Run up to her and use your Tremor Gauntlet to
destroy the
crystals on her underbelly, exposing her real weak point. The Griever
sicks a
huge swarm of Locusts on you. If you are in need of health, use your
one-hit
kill to receive some Green Souls. Otherwise, use the Tremor Gauntlet's
aerial
attack to dispose of them in large groups at a time.

The battle will then repeat itself. Hit The Griever with the flatbed
to
initiate her rock spire attack; hit her a second time to stun her. Now
that
the crystals cannot protect her weak point, have at it with your
Chaoseater.
To speed up the process, enter Chaos Mode and hack away at the weak
point. If
The Griever is still alive, she will summon more Locusts. Feast on
them for
health and repeat the process with the car again: the first shot
pisses her
off, the second time knocks her to the floor.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

After the execution, War receives Heart of the Chosen along with a
LIFESTONE.
Step into the blue portal to be transported back to Anvil's Ford.

Anvil's Ford
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

As if War doesn't have enough weapons, Ulthane crafts him a pistol.


Ulthane is
so badass. Now you can attack enemies from a distance using Mercy.
Enjoy its
unlimited ammo and use the Right Trigger to fire it.

Exit Ulthane's house into Anvil's Ford. The crows here serve as good
target
practice for Mercy. Once you've pissed PETA off enough, return to the
Drowned
Pass.

Drowned Pass
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Head to the Vulgrim location. We haven't met up with him in a while,


so you
probably have a boatload of Blue Souls ready to cash in. First things
first,
pick up the WRATH CORE that he has: it's expensive, but it is best to
get it
out of the way now.

If you cannot afford it, then don't worry about it. We have better
things to
buy. Impact Rounds and moves for your Tremor Gauntlet come to mind.
Once your
little shopping spree is up, use Vulgrim to transport to a Serpent
Hole
leading back to the Scalding Gallow.

Scalding Gallow
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Return to Samael and give him the good news. Number three on our demon
hit
List is The Stygian, a massive worm that lives in The Ashlands. Samael
gives
War another neat ability to help him reach the Ashlands. With the
nifty
Chronomancer ability, War can activate Chronospheres to temporarily
slow down
time.

Run back to the Vulgrim location and continue north. Defeat the
Minions and
destroy the blue crystals before heading into the drainage pipe. Use
the
Wicked lurking around as health boosts and continue through the pipe
to a
tunnel. In the entrance, you will find a chest containing 100 Blue
Souls.

Finish off the Wicked and Duskwings, then break the crystals leading
to a side
room. You will find your first Chronosphere here. There is also a
lever here
that opens a gate at the other end of the tunnel, but it is impossible
to pass
through the gate before it slams shut. The trick? Manipulate time with
the
Chronosphere.

Press B next to the glowing blue Chronosphere to slow down time, then
pull the
lever to open the gate. With time slowed down, you should make it
through. Use
the cars here to deal with the Fleshburster, open the chest at the end
for 100
Blue Souls, then continue up the stairs.

At the top, open the chest for 100 more Blue Souls and climb up the
ledges on
the wall. At the top, jump away from you into a pipe.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Before moving through the pipe to The Dry Road, look behind you! This
Soldier
Artifact can be easy to miss if not careful.
Proceed through the pipe to reach the Dry Road.

======================================================================
========
3.10] DRY ROAD
[0310]
======================================================================
========

Dry Road
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

There are a few Wingrocks hanging upside-down in front of you. Treat


them just
like Duskwings, because they are basically just a palette swap of a
Duskwing.
You will find some more Wingrocks and Wicked in the street to the
west. Save
the cars for later, for some new enemies appear once you've dealt with
the
ones here.

Fallen Angels will swoop down, two at a time. They actually are not
very
strong and act similarly to Angel Soldiers, minus the long-range laser
beams.
When they dive down to circle you, use a Hammer Smash (Tremor
Gauntlet's
aerial attack) to knock them out of the air. All angels are severely
weakened
when grounded, so the rest should be cake. Another pair arrives
afterwards.

The signs point north, but explore the western side of the street a
lil' bit.
It doesn't look like you can go far due to the road abruptly ending,
but there
are a few chests we can hoard.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #8 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Hug the southern side of the road and jump up the jagged rock
platforms to
the upper portion of the street. Walk west while hugging the wall. A
chest is
neatly hidden behind a broken-down brick wall.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

From the Lifestone Shard location, look south/southwest to see the


Soldier
Artifact sitting there in plain sight. Navigate across the rocky
terrain to
reach it.

You may spot a strange yellow orb floating around here in the ruins.
Don't
worry about it for now, since it has no use to us.

Return to the street and follow it west until it slopes down and
you're on the
cliff's edge. You should hear the familiar clanking noise of chains; a
tell-tale sign that a Vulgrim location is near. If you look across the
hole
you should spot a cave opening that is within gliding distance. Glide
over to
find the Vulgrim location, then return to the other side of the hole.

Turn right and walk south alongside the edge to find a chest at the
end
containing 250 Blue Souls. Now that the place has been combed, go
north
underneath the underpass and into a tunnel.

A Grappleclaw rounds the corner and smashes through the cars in front
of you.
The Wicked here make it difficult to target just the Grappleclaw, and
dealing
with each and every one before the monster is annoying, so just enter
Chaos
Mode and be done with it. If your Chaos Meter is blank, then rip apart
the
Wicked for health and deal with the Grappleclaw on your own.

Destroy the remaining cars and walk forward. A Goremaw has a large
block in
its mouth. Hit it with the Crossblade or shoot it with Mercy to make
it drop
the block. Run up to the block and grab onto the ledge on any side of
it, then
wait for the Goremaw to pick it up again.

Now that you are elevated, position yourself on the left side of the
block and
glide over to the ledge on the left. Open the chest here for CARNAGE,
then
drop down to the ground and shoot the Goremaw again. This time,
position
yourself on the right side of the block and glide to the other side of
the
tunnel.

Pick up a Bomb Growth and toss it at the red crystals to destroy a


roadblock.
Now carefully walk to the edge of the platform and look down to find
one
beneath you. Drop down and glide over to the pipe across the pit. From
here,
jump onto the ledge and work your way to the opposite end (the north
end).

Leap off into the pipe here and be on your way. At the end of the
pipe,
look to your right and glide over to the Demonic Growth. Climb to the
top and
open the chest here for 100 Blue Souls. Glide back down to the pipe.
Equip your Crossblade and lock on to the three Goremaws hanging over
the wire.
Hit all three with your Crossblade to stun them long enough for you to
cross
the wire. Once the Crossblade leaves your hand, glide forward to grab
the
wire, then immediately dash across to the other side. You should make
it
across.

Climb along the Demonic Growth to reach the pipe across the way from
where you
initially started. Follow the pipe as it opens up back out into the
tunnel.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #9 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Before continuing through the sandy tunnel, turn around and jump over
the
pipe you just emerged from. Walk back here to find some blue
crystals. Break
them with your Tremor Gauntlet to reveal a Lifestone Shard.

There's another Vulgrim location up ahead if you follow the stairs on


the left
side, though you may not have many Blue Souls to cash in. Either way,
activate
the location and exit the tunnel to reach the dreaded Ashlands.

======================================================================
========
3.11] THE ASHLANDS
[0311]
======================================================================
========

The Ashlands
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

The opening cinema shows you exactly what you'll be dealing with here
in The
Ashlands. Deadly sandworms and many Chronospheres to help you make it
through
in one piece.

This place really reminds me of the beaches from Half Life 2. In a


nutshell,
if you don't want any trouble, then stay out of the sand (well,
technically
ash) as much as possible. Of course, that proves very difficult
considering
how The Ashlands is a giant desert, but we have to work around it by
using the
Chronospheres.

If you enter the ash normally, an Ash Titan will gobble you up almost
immediately. We have to cross the ash, but why don't we slow down time
first?
Lock onto the Chronosphere floating overhead with your Crossblade and
activate
it. Now that time is slowed down, walk forward into the ash.

The ash here in The Ashlands is very deep and it's hard to keep your
footing.
You cannot dash, double jump, or glide when walking through the sand.
You'll
be going quite slow even while manipulating time, but if you make a
beeline
towards the rock ledge straight ahead, you will survive.

Hop across the gap and walk up the slope to find a chest containing
100 Blue
Souls. This will attract the attention of three Fallen Angels. Deal
with them
accordingly, then drop down and follow the path into a cave.

The ceiling will begin rumbling uncontrollably, but try to ignore it


and
continue down through the hole at the end. Kill off the group of
Stingers as
the shaking continues. Probably just a gigantic Ash Titan swimming
through
the ash above us. Exit the cave.

Up ahead is another barren area with a slice of bedrock taunting us


from afar.
The Chronosphere to our right is blocked behind a wooden gate and
cannot be
targeted like so. Follow the wooden plank on your right to reach a
tower. It
will open up, granting you access to the inside of the wooden tower.
For now,
pass by to find some Demonic Growth on the outside of the tower. Climb
up to
reach the top floor, where you will find a chest holding 100 Blue
Souls.

Return to the inside of the wooden tower and grab onto the Demonic
Growth.
Climb up onto the ceiling and work your way to the other side of the
tower to
find a lever. Turn it to lower the Chronosphere under the gate. Drop
down to
where you started and hit the Chronosphere; run (well, slowly trudge
is more
like it) through the ash and onto the rock.

A few Phantom Captains and Phantom Guard Soldiers attack up here on


the rock.
Just as they round the corner, an Ash Titan will crash through part of
the
hill. Totally unnecessary, but it looks awesome. Destroy the enemies
and
proceed along the path.

Along the way, another Ash Titan will destroy part of the pathway
right in
front of you. Like, I was practically hugging the thing when it leapt
out of
the ash to hinder my progress. Scared the crap outta me. Glide across
to the
other side; some Phantom Captains from a second tower will zipline
down to
your location. Finish them off quickly. FYI, knocking them down into
the ash
below kills them immediately.

Ignore the dead end to the west and instead glide down to the base of
the
second tower. The drill is up and running unlike in the first tower,
meaning
that you will not be able to use the Demonic Growth in the tower's
interior.
Stay on the outer perimeter and proceed up the tower roof. Slay the
Phantom
Captain guarding the lever and yank it to lower the Chronosphere.

Return to the tower interior and hit the Chronosphere with your
Crossblade to
slow down time. Now you can climb the Demonic Growth and shimmy to the
other
side without being at risk of getting struck by the drill's rotating
blades.
While on the other side, knock the Phantom Captain off of the tower
and glide
across to the Demonic Growth on the wall.

Head across the bridge to reach the third and fourth drilling towers.
After
dealing with the enemies along the way, drop down from the third tower
to the
ground and use the Shadow Geyser to float up to the fourth tower.
Inside, a
patch of red crystals are growing below that need to be destroyed.

Climb up to the tower's middle floor to find an army of Phantom


Captains.
Defeating them all will lower the barriers and give you access to a
Bomb
Growth. You will also notice a lever and a Chronosphere. For now, do
not turn
the lever. Instead, hit the Chronosphere to slow down time, then pick
up a
Bomb Growth. Fall down and walk into the tower interior, then toss the
Bomb
Growth onto the red crystals - this is possible now that time has
slowed down.

The crystals will be destroyed; return to the roof and turn the lever
to lower
the Chronosphere. Go into the tower and hit the Chronosphere to slow
down time
once again; now you can use the Demonic Growth to avoid the blades and
cross
the tower. Use the walkway to reach the middle floor of the third
tower.

Defeat the Phantom Captain and lower the Chronosphere to the bottom of
the
third tower. Fall to the ground, activate the Chronosphere, climb
across the
Demonic Growth. I think you know how to handle it. Once on the other
side, use
the Demonic Growth to reach the roof of the third tower. Turn the
lever to
disable the drill.

Fall all the way down to the bottom and enter the hole that was being
drilled
through to slide down into a large underground lake. If you look
around, you
may notice an Artifact inside a hole in the wall just out of your
reach. Face
it, you cannot get it. Not for a long time anyways.

Dive underwater and slay all the Deep Lurkers. It's a fairly big lake,
but not
much down here.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

At the very bottom of the underground lake is a Soldier Artifact.


It's hard
to not see the bright green hue when matched with the dark blue
scenery of
the lake's bottom.

Emerge from the lake via the eastern exit and follow the path to the
Goremaw
cavern. This tunnel is filled with a good six or seven Goremaws. Smash
the
blue crystals to the left to reveal a metal box. Get behind the box
and push
it east, right underneath the first Goremaw (the green gooey patches
accurately represent a Goremaw's location).

Now that the Goremaw has grabbed the box, hit the Goremaw so it drops
the box.
Jump onto the box and face the northern end so that when the Goremaw
snags it,
you can jump and glide to the alcove on the north end of the cavern.
Destroy
the crystals to reveal a Chronosphere.

Hit the Chronosphere, then drop down to the ground. Run all the way to
the
southwest section (you should be able to get underneath the Goremaws)
to find
several Bomb Growths. Activate the Chronosphere here, then pick up a
Bomb
Growth. Walk out to the center of the cavern and look up to find some
red
crystals growing on the ceiling. Toss the Bomb Growth at it to break
the
crystals.

A piece of the ceiling will drop down just as three Fallen Angels
emerge from
a cave. It's time to fight these punks on our terms. Jump onto the
slab of
rock that fell, then up to the cave where the angels came out of. Lure
them
inside, then knock them into the water for an instant kill.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #10 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Before leaping into the water yourself, turn back around and head
along the
ledge. From here, continue east to another section of the tunnel.
There is a
high platform in the dead center of the area; use the Shadow Geyser
to reach
the top, then knock open the treasure chest for a Lifestone Shard.

Don't worry about the treasure chest on the far east end of the
tunnel. No
matter how many times you try, you cannot glide over to it from here.
Turn
back around and head to the pool of water. Proceed into the water
yourself and
follow the water to some Demonic Growth. Climb up to reach the surface
again.

Follow the wooden walkway behind you to locate a chest containing 100
Blue
Souls. Walk back around and follow the rock platforms inside.

You will end up in a dungeon, and a Berserker above commands some


grunts to go
kill you. Like that's ever worked in the past before. The first wave
consists
of a few Phantom Guard Soldiers and Phantom Captains. The second wave
is the
same as the first, but throw in two Wraith Scouts.

For the third and final wave, a Berserker joins another pair of Wraith
Scouts
and two Phantom Captains. You probably built up a full Chaos Meter
from the
first two waves of enemies, so use Chaos Mode now.

Otherwise, use Stoneskin and focus on the Berserker first. His style
of
attacks will most likely kill the Phantom Captains himself. The Wraith
Scouts
are too nimble to target with the Berserker still running around, so
worry
about him first. There is a chest containing Green Souls in a corner,
just as
a heads up.

Now that the coast is clear, ascend the ramp and exit the dungeon,
then follow
the cliffside. Cross a few bridges, defeat some basic enemies, and
move on to
a second ash field. Yeah, that entire area we just spent exploring was
only
one of three deserts. =/

The cave entrance behind you gets sealed off, so no backtracking for
you!
Destroy the Stingers ahead and proceed to the next ash field. The Ash
Titan
roaming around isn't particularly interested in you, meaning that you
can
successfully cross the ash field without the use of a Chronosphere.

Use the wooden platforms as pit stops before crossing to the next one.
Wait
for the Ash Titan to move a fairly good distance away from you (pay
attention
to the yellow marker over it) before trudging to the next platform.
Get a good
start by double jumping and gliding to the ground, then walking the
rest of
the way. The Ash Titan doesn't pursue you as much as other ones, but
that
doesn't mean that it won't snack on you if you get too close to it.

Once you have made it to the other side, collect the 100 Blue Souls
from the
treasure chest and proceed forward for a scene. Some barriers appear
as two
Phantom Captains and a few Phantom Guard Soldiers appear.

Next, a Berserker and Devastator appear together. As you know,


Berserkers are
crazy tough individuals, but Devastators have a large cannon that can
decimate
you any which way you look at it.

Defeat the Berserker first, then worry about the Devastator. While
they only
carry around a massive cannon, Devastators can retaliate if you get
too close.
They'll stick their gun in the ground and fire to create an energy
wave.

Kill the Devastator and steal its gun. Open the chest for some Green
Souls and
follow the eastern ramp that opens up. The Fracture Cannon you
currently have
in your possession can fire explosive shards. Fire a shard with the
Right
Trigger, then detonate it with the Left Trigger. It's a really neat
gun.

You'll find a few Phantom Captains ahead. Stick them with a shard,
then
detonate it to blow 'em up. You can fire four rounds at a time: try
plugging
the Devastator positioned high up on a ledge with four shards, then
detonating
them all at once.

Continue along the bridge, killing waves of Devastators, Berserkers,


and
Phantom Captains as you go. It's not particularly hard to do, nor do
you have
to employ a specific strategy. Just good, mindless fun.
The next area is a gigantic canyon filled with ledges, platforms, and
alcoves.
For now, walk down the bridge to be abruptly stopped by a Devastator.
He
destroys the bridge in the process, sealing you down here in this tiny
platform.

Use the Fracture Cannon to blow away the Devastator, and subsequent
waves of
random enemies. There are two Green Soul chests here if you need
health. There
are also a few Fracture Cannons lying around if for some reason you
lose yours
in the chaos.

Eventually, bridges will be lowered so more enemies can come to your


location.
Additionally, three Devastators are positioned on ledges across the
chasm.
Target and kill all three, then begin across the bridges that were
lowered for
you. Along the way, you will find more Green Soul chests and Fracture
Cannons.
Enemies will come from in front and behind you, so listen to their
grunts and
occasionally turn around to see if there's anyone stalking you.

Once you reach the very top of the walkway, drop your Fracture Cannon
and
glide across the gap. War will drop down below to a new location. Walk
into
the arena in front of you for a cutscene.

An Abyssal Rider enters alone, as a one-on-one duel begins. The


Abyssal Rider
will use his horse to gallop circles around you while he casually
slices the
air with his blade. Dash to keep away from him and use Mercy to pepper
in
small doses of damage from afar. When the Abyssal Rider slumps over
his horse
and the horse goes from a gallop to a weakened trot, run up and begin
slashing
with your Chaoseater.

Soon, some Phantom Captains and Phantom Guard Soldiers are added to
the mix.
Kill them first, then focus on the Abyssal Rider. It's best to stun
him with
Mercy, then go in for the big hits. I strongly advise you to not use
Chaos
Mode here, because we will need it in a few minutes.

The next wave features two Abyssal Riders and a few Phantom Guard
Soldiers.
Grates in the arena floor will open up, revealing lava geysers. I
don't really
need to say it, but you should probably stay away from them.

Again, do not use Chaos Form. Kill the ground forces and then focus on
one
Abyssal Rider at a time with Mercy to whittle the numbers down. Once
one rider
remains, finish him off with your trusty pistol. It's tricky, but
sometimes a
one-hit kill prompt will appear when the Abyssal Rider is getting
ready to use
his charge attack. When you see the horse neigh, run up and press B to
cut its
legs off. Gruesome!

The final wave consists of a handful of Phantom Guard Soldiers and


Phantom
Captains. Oh yeah, and two Traumas! This is where you should activate
Chaos
Mode. If you are lucky (and quick), you should be able to eliminate
both
Traumas during Chaos Mode. Finish off the stragglers to stun the
crowd. Oh,
they're not done just yet...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Abyssal Gladiator -----------

The champ is here! The crowd was holding back on you, for they saved
their
toughest competitor for last. Just because he is the guy to beat
doesn't mean
you are going to have trouble beating him. The boss is essentially a
beefed-up
Abyssal Rider, and we've dealt with a few of them minutes before.

The Abyssal Gladiator functions the same as an Abyssal Rider, but has
one or
two more attacks. Aside from the horse's charge attack, the Abyssal
Gladiator
will toss blue energy balls at you. If they miss you and connect with
the
ground, they turn into large blue geysers. The boss starts off with
just one,
but begins to toss more as the battle progresses. Also, the Abyssal
Gladiator
can slash you with his sword if he's close enough.

Once you use Mercy to stun the Abyssal Gladiator, charge and use Blade
Harpoon
and your strongest Chaoseater combos. Remember to back away once he
regains
his composure, because his horse will retaliate with a ground slam.
Keep on
attacking the Abyssal Gladiator until a button prompt appears.

War knocks the boss off his horse and lets the battle continue. I
didn't
really think that one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse would be
so fair
and noble. I was hoping for a nice cheap shot or something.
Okay, the REAL boss battle begins. No, he's not very intimidating. No,
he
isn't ten times bigger than you. BUT, the Abyssal Gladiator is quite
tough.
What makes this different than normal sword combat is that you cannot
block
the Abyssal Gladiator's attacks. Not even his basic, two-hit sword
slash. You
are going to have to rely on your agility and timing to dodge and
evade the
boss's arsenal of attacks.

His sword slash begins with a small, one second charge period, giving
you
enough time to get behind him and hack away. This boss is also pretty
quick on
his feet, as he can dash your own moves as well. He usually follows up
on a
dash with a move similar to your own Flipsaw attack.

Lastly, the Abyssal Gladiator uses a blue geyser attack just like he
did while
on horseback. He will punch the ground and create a moving blue geyser
that
follows you for a short while. The number of geysers increase as the
battle
goes on.

It's hard to give you a decent battle strategy, as all you can really
do is
perfect your sword skills. use Stoneskin, constantly dodge, try not to
block
as it doesn't work, and try not to get overzealous when attacking or
else he
will surprise you. There are two chests containing Green Souls on
either side
of the arena, so take the time to run away like a sissy and open one
if need
be. Also, Chaos Mode doesn't hurt if you filled your Chaos Meter
already.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

The fans are not pleased. And neither is the Abyssal Gladiator's
horse, Ruin.
War manages to tame the wild beast and the two become BFFs. The angry
fans
storm the arena, but you can now use Ruin to kill 'em off with ease.
Simply
ride around in circles and spam your sword attacks until the gate
opens up.

Ride all the way through the cave to reach the ash field again.
Another good
thing about reuniting with Ruin is that you can gallop along the ash
fields
with relative ease. Also, press the Right Bumper to dash momentarily.

While running around in ash is fine and dandy, we still have an Ash
Titan
lurking around. But this time instead of cowering our fear, we can
confront
and eventually kill the beast.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Ash Titan -------------------

I can't really consider this a real fight, so think of it more as a


mini-boss.
The Ash Titan slithers underneath the ash, waiting for the right
moment to
strike like a viper. But you already know this, because we've
witnessed their
awesome power first-hand.

The boss only has one attack, where it will lunge out of the ash and
follow
you with its head exposed. After the Ash Titan's mouth flares, it will
dive
forward in an attempt to swallow Ruin and War up. Right when you see
the Ash
Titan's mouth begin to twitch, dash forward. Even though it only has
one
attack, stay far away from the worm because running into it will cause
you to
fall off of your horse nearly 100% of the time, leaving you open for
additional abuse.

Run around to get the Ash Titan's attention, then lock onto the
sandworm and
wait for it to open its mouth. Fire at the throbbing yellow tongue
inside with
Mercy to harm the beast. If the Ash Titan gets too close, dash away
from it;
you could either slow down and collide with the Ash Titan's mouth, or
it could
try and use its dive attack. If it manages to hit you and you fall off
of
Ruin, press the Left and Right Bumper together to summon your horse
pal.

Once the Ash Titan has taken enough abuse, it'll fall to the ground.
Gallop
next to it and press B to eliminate the foe. It feels pretty good to
finally
kill something that's been stalking us for so long.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

Wow, now that I think about it, that boss fight felt way too much like
the one
boss battle in Shadow of the Colossus...

Proceed to the northwest corner of the desert. Face the rock platform
to the
right of the cave entrance and dismount Ruin. Jump onto the rock
platform and
grab ahold of the ledge. Pull yourself up and walk along the ramp to
find a
chest bearing 500 Blue Souls!

Return to the northwest cave and proceed inside. Pick up a Fracture


Cannon and
go to work. Multiple random Phantom enemies will be positioned on the
other
side; you know what to do. A Trauma will appear with some backup, but
we have
a badass weapon to use against him. He should go down after a few sets
of four
shards.

Aside from a bunch of cool stuff you can destroy for Blue Souls, there
are
also two treasure chests containing Green Souls and 250 Souls. A
Trauma blocks
the exit of the tunnel, so deal with him to enter a water-filled
chamber.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Dive into the water to find a Soldier Artifact in the center,


floating around
midway down to the floor. It's a little trickier to find than the
last one
because of the rock formations down here, but do some searchin' and
it'll
turn up.

Swim across to the other side of the pool and continue through the
tunnel.
There are several Phantom Guard Soldiers that'll get in your way, but
they
certainly don't pose a threat. Open the chest near the entrance to the
third
ash field and stop at the Vulgrim location in the side cave.

Leviathan's Drift
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

The third member of The Chosen is in this third ash field, so spend
enough
time preparing at Vulgrim's location before running off to do battle.
Pick up
a Life Essence and a Greater Life Essence for the road, then summon
Ruin and
ride into the ash field. Ugh, you can see the massive thing writing
around in
the distance like a skyscraper. This won't be pleasant...

Before you can fight the boss, you'll have to cut through a small army
of
Phantom Guard Soldiers. After a handful bite the dust, the boss frees
himself.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: The Stygian -----------------

Being the king of all Ash Titans, The Stygian is bigger, stronger,
faster, and
overall treated better than the other Ash Titans. Lesser demons have
forged a
metal helmet for their king, so targeting his fleshy tongue won't be
as easy
as you'd think.

The Stygian starts things off by staying underneath the ash, then
emerging
only to charge at you. Use Ruin's dash to avoid the Stygian's giant
head.
After a few charge attacks, the boss will rise and coast around the
ash field.
Dash towards the boss and ride alongside it. Slowly gain up speed and
begin
attacking the side of the helmet once you make your way towards his
head.

Alternate between slashing the left and right side of the helmet. The
Stygian
doesn't do much during this stage other than slither around, and
running into
the side of the giant worm will not hurt you, so simply be patient and
attack
the helmet until it falls off.

Now that The Stygian is a little upset due to its protection being
gone, you
will be able to harm the boss. After a few seconds of inactivity, The
Stygian
will rise in the center of the field and stick his head straight up.
His
primal scream summons five or six baby Ash Titans.

These little guys are much smaller than The Stygian - and even normal
Ash
Titans - but can still be a nuisance. They can be killed with regular
gunfire;
no weakpoints to worry about, so gallop around in a circle as they
tail you
and follow through by using Mercy on them. If a baby Ash Titan gets
too close,
dash forward and continue shooting it until it dissolves away.

The boss will reemerge once his offspring have perished. Now the worm
will
occasionally pop his head up and open up real wide, exposing his
yellow
tongue. Begin shooting at it while galloping away, dashing if the boss
gets
too close. Before diving back under, The Stygian will take one last
lunge at
you. You should get a nice amount of shots off during each
opportunity.
The Stygian doesn't really only has two attacks. Aside from lunging at
you,
mouth wide open, it'll also emerge from the ash and flop around in the
air
before falling back down, kinda like when a whale jumps straight up in
the air
from out of the ocean. If you stay locked onto the boss at all times,
you
should never get hit by this attack because if you are intelligent
enough,
you'll stay far enough from the yellow cursor. It's not rocket
science.

The Stygian will most definitely summon more baby Ash Titans before
the fight
ends, but the number of times may vary. This boss fight is painfully
straightforward, as you shoot the boss's weak point when you get the
chance.
Otherwise, run for dear life and kill the occasional baby from time to
time. I
thought this fight would be much harder coming into it for the first
time. I
was wrong.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

Thanks for the heart, man. With the Heart of the Chosen and another
LIFESTONE
at hand, summon Ruin. Search behind The Stygian's prison to find a
treasure
chest that is easy to miss. Collect the 100 Blue Souls and ride back
to the
Vulgrim location. Enter the Serpent Hole leading back to Scalding
Gallow.

Scalding Gallow
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Bring the third heart to Samael. He tells War to return to The


Ashlands, and
now that we have Ruin we can properly explore the rest of the area.
The
Ashlands leads to the Iron Canopy, home of the fourth Chosen. He also
gives
War the Soul Bridge ability. You can use Ruin to cross Soul Bridges,
one of
which being in The Ashlands.

Use the Vulgrim location here to access the Serpent Hole leading to
The
Ashlands.

The Ashlands
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Now that The Stygian is dead, The Ashlands are devoid of all Ash
Titans. Ride
Ruin to the southeast corner of the ash field to find a rocky
outcropping
housing a swarm of Stingers and a chest. Destroy the bugs and open the
chest
for 100 Blue Souls.

If you ride towards the western side of the ash field where the second
drilling tower stands, the Soul Bridge will activate. We have one more
chest
to open up here, so lets do that now.

~-~ Wrath Shard #8 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Ride to the far north end of the first ash field. You will probably
pass by a
couple Abyssal Riders, but we don't need to fight them. If you locate
on the
map a wooden platform on the north end of the ash field (it looks
like a
circle with rays sticking out of it on the map), head east from there
to
find a cave opening covered in blue crystals. Break them and proceed
inside
the cave to locate the Wrath Shard.

Return to the trail leading up to the second tower and pass it to the
Soul
Bridge. Use Ruin's dash ability to ride across the Soul Bridge to the
other
side. This cave is completely empty, so casually ride through to
trigger a
cutscene.

Well, I thought it was empty.

======================================================================
========
3.12] IRON CANOPY
[0312]
======================================================================
========

Iron Canopy
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

War has been captured by little creepy spider things, so I guess


Samael held
true to his word that War wouldn't have to do much in order to find
Silitha's
home. Tap B over and over to free yourself from the cocoon.

The first chest here in the Iron Canopy is in a small nook north of
where you
start. Go around the corner to 100 Blue Souls. Go across the icy
bridge to
encounter a tiny creature scuttling around. Crush the Broodling by
pressing B
next to it and open the "door" nearby.

Stomp on the Broodlings inside and destroy the blue crystals to your
left. A
Loom Warden hangs in the ceiling above the cable wire. You cannot hurt
the
creature just yet, so we must sneak past it. Pull the block underneath
the
cable and jump on top of it. Hit the Chronosphere on the ceiling to
slow down
time, then jump on the wire and slip underneath the Loom Warden.

Drop down the hole at the end and walk down the street. Battle the
Fallen
Angel patrolling the road and cross the flimsy web bridge. As a
testament to
how crappy it is, the thing falls apart just as you reach the other
side.

Use the Demonic Growth to move around the edge of the building to a
doorway.
It's locked. Climb back across and head down the alley. Kill the three
Fallen
Angels flying around.

~-~ Wrath Shard #9 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

The alley is lined with wooden fences on the left side. They blend in
to the
surroundings and are hard to spot initially, but destroy them all
with your
Chaoseater. You will find a Wrath Shard behind one of them.

The other wooden fence houses a chest containing Yellow Souls. Next,
rip open
the web door at the end of the alley.

Oh boy, there is a lot going on in this building. There are three


floors to
the building, and you are currently on the second floor. Start off by
carefully going across each wooden beam and destroying the Broodlings
on the
floor. If you find pulsing egg clutches lying around, cut them open to
release
more Broodlings.

After exterminating the pest problem, drop down to the first floor.
Kill off
the Broodlings here and break the crystals to reveal a lever; pull it
to make
a Chronosphere rise up from below.

Also look up to find an egg clutch stuck to the bottom of a metal


beam. Use
your Crossblade to slice it open and kill the creatures inside. This
will free
the metal beam and even it out. Finally, collect 100 Blue Souls from
the chest
east of the lever. In the center of the first floor is a support beam
marked
with beige notches you can grab onto. Use these to climb back up to
the second
floor, then use the next support beam to reach the third floor.

Again, crush the Broodlings and the egg clutches, then move to the
north end
of the room. Jump on top of the hanging metal beam and notice how your
weight
pushes your end downward, like a see-saw.

Weigh the beam down a little bit, then target the Chronosphere. Now
that time
is slowed down, run across the now-slanted metal beam to reach a chest
containing a Beholder's Key. There's nothing more to do here, so
leave.
Backtrack to the locked door near the broken bridge and unlock it.

In this next room, a Loom Warden follows your every move underneath
the web
floor. Also, a Goremow lurks above. Kill off the Broodlings hanging on
the
walls, then push the block underneath the Goremaw. Stun the Goremaw to
make it
drop the block... the impact will make the Loom Warden fall off the
ceiling
and to the ground below. Interesting...

~-~ Wrath Shard #10 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Climb onto the block before the Goremaw grabs it, then jump off to
the
rafters after being yanked up in the air. You will find another Wrath
Shard
up here.

We have to drop to the ground floor and get around the pesky Loom
Warden. We
know how to at least, but now we just gotta do it. Cause the Goremaw
to drop
the block again to stun the Loom Warden. Enter the hole in the
southwest
corner of the room, then grab the ledge on the wall. Travel along the
south
wall, then leap to the platform and go up the stairs to exit the room
safely.

Three Undead Lords appear out of a portal in the alley. Like most
enemies in
this game, they are just an upgraded version of Undead Soldiers.
Defeat the
small band of Undead Lords and use the Broodlings as health
supplements to
open up a nearby door.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Before leaving through the open door, ascend the stairs in the
western end.
They lead nowhere, but if you look across the alley you will spot a
Soldier
Artifact on a high ledge. The Artifact is in gliding distance from
the top
of the stairs.

Step down and head through the open door.

The red crystals covering the later half of some Demonic Growth
prevents you
from exiting this room. Drop down to the floor below to find a Bomb
Growth
stuck on top of a block. Push the block onto the metal lift, then
climb back
up to the floor above. Pull the lever next to the entrance to raise
the block
to your level.

Make sure to take the block off of the lift and move it towards the
east end
of the room, where the gap is a bit closer. Shockwave Punch the block
to the
opposite end of the room and push it onto the second lift here. Crawl
across
the Demonic Growth and kill the Lashers in the way to a second lever
above.
Now that the Bomb Growth block is within throwing distance to the red
crystal,
blow it up and continue through.

In the next room, you are immediately sealed in as a Conscript and


several
Undead Lords are spawned. Use the furniture to stun the enemies while
picking
them off one by one. Save your Chaos Mode for when the Earthcracker
appears.
This massive hunk of rock is much more powerful than the Gholens we
have been
facing throughout the game, so Chaos Mode is specially reserved for
this big
lug.

Once the barriers fall, you have two doors to choose from. Enter the
southwest
door to find 250 Blue Souls, then head through the eastern door. Take
the time
to kill each and every last Broodling inside this room. If you are
patient and
in need of health, stomping on every single one will give you quite a
lot of
health. It certainly adds up.

Exit the room and climb up the Demonic Growth. The large orange
barrier leads
to the boss, but we clearly cannot access the boss room right now.
Drop down
to the left and open the chest for Green Souls, then cross the bridge.
Like
earlier, this one will also collapse. Go through the door.

A locked door greets you immediately. Turn right and walk forward.
We're gonna
open that awesome treasure chest, right? Right?! Wrong. War falls
through some
flimsy floorboards below.

Crush the Broodlings and descend the staircase on your left. Collect
some
Green Souls from the chest below and go through the doorway to find a
bound
stone. Enter the side room to find some Yellow Souls first, then slash
the
chained stone to receive the Abyssal Chain.

A Loom Warden drops in, but now we can kill these suckers. Screw the
Earthcaller: assign the Abyssal Chain to its slot. Use the Abyssal
Chain to
yank the Loom Warden's protective shell right off of it, then slash at
its
tender flesh to defeat the monster.

A Blue Chain appears on the other side of the doorway. Go through and
head up
the stairs, then lock onto the Blue Chain. War can swing across Blue
Chain and
use Red Chains to pull himself to them. Since this is a Blue Chain,
lock on
and fire to begin swinging back and forth like Tarzan. Jump once you
have
enough momentum to reach the high ledge. Climb up the Demonic Growth
and jump
up to the ledge above you, then slide around to the platform.

Drop down and use the Blue Chain to swing up to a room containing a
Red Chain
and a Chronosphere. Grapple to the Red Chain to find a chest
containing an
ABYSSAL ARMOR PIECE, then return to the Chronosphere. Activate it,
then use
the Blue Chain behind you to swing past the two Goremaws above.

After obtaining the Beholder's Key from the treasure chest, open the
second
chest for Green Souls and use the Goremaws to get across the fence
back to the
other side. Open the locked door with the Beholder's Key and continue
through.

You will end up in the boss door room. Grapple across the chasm using
the Red
Chains and pass by the boss door. Go south to continue backtracking.
You will
find the second Loom Warden inside this room. This one is accompanied
by a
large swarm of Broodlings. Your best bet is to use your Abyssal Chain
to
remove the Loom Warden's shell, then totally kick its ass in Chaos
Mode.

Two down, two to go. Continue west to reenter the room where you first
met the
Earthcracker.
~-~ Artifact: Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Take the southern door in the Earthcracker room. Use the Red Chain to
reach
the Champion Artifact.

Backtrack through the room with the lifts and back out into the alley.
Climb
back up the metal stairs that led you to the Soldier Artifact, but
this time
turn around. Look up and fire at the Red Chain to be pulled into a
room
containing three treasure chests. You will find Green Souls, 250 Blue
Souls,
and the Hoardseeker.

Continue backtracking through the Iron Canopy. When you reach the
third Loom
Warden, knock it down from the ceiling and remove its hard carapace.
Undead
Lords will join in on the action, but try to focus on the Loom Warden
as much
as possible. Activate Stoneskin and use Blade Geyser to knock everyone
back,
then continue with a flurry of sword strikes on the Loom Warden.

Use the northern passage to reach the door, then exit. Use the Red
Chains to
cross the remains of the first web bridge. Look familiar? This is the
entrance
to the Iron Canopy. Swing across the Blue Chain in the corner to reach
three
chests, then open 'em up for Green Souls, Yellow Souls, and 250 Blue
Souls.

Swing back across and enter the northeastern door to find the final
Loom
Warden. Knock it down from the ceiling with your Abyssal Chain to send
it
crashing through the floor. However, DO NOT jump down into the hole
yet!
Shimmy across the wire and drop down into the hole.

Follow the street, looking up in the air the entire way, and you will
eventually find a Red Chain. Grapple up to it to find a treasure chest
with
Rage inside. Return to the previous room and jump down into the hole
the Loom
Warden created. Defeat the beast to make a large barrier nearby
disappear.
Open the treasure chest for some Green Souls and enter the menacing
chamber.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Broodmother -----------------

So we are given the chance of eradicating the piece of garbage that


has been
introducing the ever-so-annoying Broodlings to this world? THANK YOU.
I am
going to take great pride in this one.

The Broodmother is close to being the easiest boss in the game. She
only has
two attacks that you must worry about. The first is when she begins to
stomp
on the ground with her pointy feet. After she stomps and has her eyes
locked
on you, she'll try to gnaw at you. It's really obvious because the
preparation
time for this move is very long and noticeable.

The boss also takes time to pause and breathe in a gust of air. This
air does
not hurt you nor does it even create a vacuum that pulls you towards
her. All
it does is give you time to attack. Once you see the Broodmother open
her
mouth and inhale, aim at one of the cocoons hanging above and snatch
it with
your Abyssal Chain. Next, lock onto the boss and toss it into her
mouth.

With the Broodmother distracted, you will be able to run behind her
and use
the Tremor Gauntlet to break off the blue crystals on her back. This
exposes
her weak point, ripe for the attacking.

The Broodmother takes note of this and will use her second attack. She
will
jump high in the air and come crashing down. The shockwave produces
stretches
across the entire arena, so the only way to avoid it is by jumping.
Keep in
mind that this attack is insanely powerful and can drain you of nearly
an
entire Lifestone in one shot. She will repeat this attack one to three
times
before calming down.

The battle will repeat itself from here on out. Avoid her bite attack
first,
then toss a cocoon into her mouth. Run behind and use your Chaoseater
on her
bright red backside. Once the boss realizes this and uses her slamming
attack,
time your jumps and do the entire thing over again. It won't take many
more
attempts to exterminate the Broodmother.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

With all four Loom Wardens dead and the Broodmother no more, there is
nothing
standing between you in Silitha.
Follow The Watcher through a door leading into a sewer. A Shadowcaster
emerges
from a portal and enters a nearby pipe. Break open the chest for Green
Souls
and follow him through the pipe. Typical bad guys; he leads you right
into a
trap. A Shadowcaster is joined by a group of Undead Lords. Keep the
Shadowcaster at bay with a charged-up Crossblade while you attack the
Undead
Lords. Eliminate the Shadowcaster and finish off the large wave of
Undead
Lords.

The last line of defense are two Grappleclaws. Activating Chaos Mode
isn't
such a bad idea here; otherwise focus on one and use him to kill the
other.
Classic betrayal, I love it.

The barriers fall, so jump into the hallway. Follow it to a large


chasm. Leap
over to the Shadow Geyser to propel yourself high in the air, then
turn around
and glide behind you to end up above where you started. There is a
chest here:
open it for WAR'S GLORY. Equip it to your Chaos Eater; this Weapon
Enhancement
is part of the Legendary set, so it's really, really good.

Equip your Abyssal Chain and float into the Shadow Geyser. This time,
glide
forward and grapple to the Blue Chain while in midair. Swing across
the series
of Blue Chains to reach a second Shadow Geyser. Glide into it to find
yourself
hovering in front of a second set of Blue Chains. Finally, use theses
to reach
the Demonic Growth on the other end.

Drop into the room below. Two Constructs rise from the ground to
fight. You
oughta know that these guys are fairly strong, but c'mon, we were
fighting
them in the first dungeon. You should have little trouble against
them. Some
Fallen Angels come in afterwards, then finally an Earthcracker. Rack
up your
Chaos Meter if necessary, then unleash it when fighting the
Earthcracker.

Once the doors open, go south. Don't open the door just yet; look to
the left
to find the chest on the other side of the broken floorboards. Use the
Red
Chain to sling over to the chest and open it for 250 Blue Souls. Glide
back
across and go through the door. Grapple from Red Chain to Red Chain
and open
up the boss door. You ready?
Welp, the boss door doesn't lead directly to the boss! Walk to the
edge of the
platform and jump to the Demonic Growth on the left. Climb across and
up onto
the ceiling, then face the Blue Chain. Drop down with B, then
immediately
grapple to the Blue Chain with the Right Trigger before you fall down
into the
pit of despair. Swing across to another patch of Demonic Growth.

Refill your health with the Green Soul chest and open the web door to
reach
the attic. Silitha provides War with some interesting stories before
the fight
begins.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Silitha ---------------------

Silitha just seems like a normal, giant mutated spider with the
ability to
talk, but she definitely has some tricks up her sleeve. Silitha has
trouble
standing still, as she constantly teleports around the attic like a
damn
monkey, giving you very small windows to attack. Plus, her
teleportation
skills also leads to the unpredictability of her attacks.

If you get too close to Silitha, she will teleport somewhere else in a
flash
of purple light. Next comes several options. Most commonly, she will
reappear
directly above you and drop to the ground. If you are caught
underneath, you
will be left in a world of hurt. Sometimes Silitha will teleport in
the middle
of the arena and slash at you with her claws.

Sometimes the boss will teleport onto one of the walls and walk
around. She
cannot attack you from here nor can you reach her, but it provides a
short
break in the madness and allows you to figure out your next move
(which will
probably be dodging more of her dumb attacks).

As far as I know, that's all she's got. While it doesn't seem much,
Silitha
teleports faster and more often as you wear her down, leaving you
virtually no
time to stop between dashes. If you can, take the time to heal
yourself with a
Greater Life Essence if you're low on health or use Stoneskin.

The only time you will be able to damage Silitha is when she
ironically tells
you to stand still. Whenever Silitha stops and begins spewing
nonsense, walk
up to her and press the Right Trigger (while locked on) to grapple up
to her
face with your Abyssal Chain. While airborne, begin slicing and dicing
away at
her ugly mug with your Chaoseater.

The battle will near its conclusion when Silitha teleports on the
ceiling and
berates War some more. She will also summon a ring of Red Chains above
you.
These Red Chains will begin falling to the ground one by one, so
quickly
grapple up to the nearest one, then press the Right Trigger once more
to reach
Silitha. This will initiate the execution cutscene.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

The final Heart of the Chosen is yours. Plus, a LIFESTONE! We can exit
through
the door here, but we have one final goodie to collect...

Hit the Crossblade target on the floating pillar above you, then
switch to
your Abyssal Chain and grapple to the Red Chain hanging underneath it.
The
pillar will float back up to the attic where you started the battle.
Once it
stops, jump off to the floor. You may have noticed that Silitha
crashed
through two floors during her death.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

From the attic, jump and glide down to the floor directly below you.
You'll
find a Soldier Artifact here on the floor's perimeter.

There is also a treasure chest holding 250 Blue Souls for you. Fall
down to
the ground level and take the door to exit the Iron Canopy.

The Ashlands
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Summon Ruin and ride through the cave to make it back to the Soul
Bridge.
Backtrack all the way to the entrance to The Ashlands and use the
Vulgrim
location to warp back to the Scalding Gallow.

Scalding Gallow
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Samael will feast on the final Heart of the Chosen, but not before a
bit of
conflict. Samael's a jerk and a half, but he still holds up on his end
of the
bargain. War will be teleported to a Serpent Hole leading to the Black
Throne.

======================================================================
========
3.13] THE BLACK THRONE
[0313]
======================================================================
========

The Black Throne


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

I absolutely loathe this place. I feel that you must be aware of this.
Moving
on...

Walk down the stairs to the front door. Inside, step on the sun tablet
on the
floor to make a bridge be constructed right in front of your eyes.
Cross the
bridge and through the door.

War will meet up with Azrael in the next room. After the scene, go
east
through the unlocked door. This next chamber is a bit complicated, as
it is
filled with several targets that will raise and lower parts of the
walls. The
diagram below is a mediocre depiction of the room.
_________________
__________ | |
.' `--| ______ |
| _ __ | |______| |
| | | | || | | |
____| |_| |__|| ___|---. | |
| | | |
|____ ____ ___ ______| |
| | 3| | |5 | 6 | |__
__| | _| |___| |____ |______ <--- EXIT
.-> __ | | |
| | 1| | ______________|
| | '._| 2|_______4________
| | |
| '-.__________,--._________,--'
|
'-- ENTRANCE

I'm gonna make this reeeeal easy for you, and simply list which
targets you
have to hit in order to get outta this stupid place. Ignore crystal
#1, then
walk south to find crystals #2 and #3. Hit crystal #2 with your
Crossblade,
then return to crystal #1 and hit that one.
Go through the path that opens up east to reach crystals #4 and #5.
Hit
crystal #4 and take the southern opening to locate crystal #6. Glide
south to
find a chest containing 100 Blue Souls and then glide back. Use your
Abyssal
Chain to swing north to the staircase. There should be an open path at
the top
of the stairs.

Go up and hop onto the platform overlooking crystal #5. Hit it with
your
Crossblade for another opening to appear west. Follow the walkway
around the
side of the wall to the southern end. Now we are on a ledge
overlooking
crystal #4. Hit it to open up the exit.

Pretty much the entire north end of the room contains nothing and
doesn't even
need to be explored. Follow the hallway to the room's exit. A Wraith
Soldier
appears in this next room by herself, to quickly kill her off. She may
give
you a bit of trouble due to her ability to become temporarily
invulnerable
when her body turns clear and blue. Just wait for the Wraith Soldier
to
return to normal, then give her a beatin'.

Up ahead are two lever. Pull the one on the left to make two panels in
the
distance flip. Turn the one on the right to make two more flip. The
one
closest to you flips, revealing a crystal target. Hit it with your
Crossblade
to make the panel farthest from you flip back over. Finally, turn the
lever on
the right once more to align some Blue Chains. Cross the chasm with
your
Abyssal Chain to the other side. Open the two chests for Green and
Yellow
Souls, then proceed through the door.

Step in the center of the room to trigger the appearance of an army of


Forsaken. These seem to be angels that were banished from heaven like
the
Fallen Angels, but of course more difficult to take down. After
defeating the
angels, a Grappleclaw appears alongside some Goreclaws. The final line
of
defense consists of more Forsaken and a Wraith Scout. Enter Chaos Mode
and
finish the job.

The floor opens up, revealing a bound stone. Destroy it to acquire the
Voidwalker, a nifty tool that allows War to basically create portals
that can
transport him between two points. It's an interesting piece of
equipment, but
has a somewhat high learning curve.

Fire a shot at one of the orange tiles surrounding room. Create a


second
portal by shooting the orange tile on the high ledge at the east end
of the
room. Hop into the first portal to pop out of the second. Now that you
are up
on the ledge, head down the hallway. Create a portal on the lone
window, then
make a second one on the orange circle on the floor. If you hop
through the
first portal, you'll pop out of the second.

However, you won't go high enough to reach the platform above. Disable
both
portals by aiming and pressing the Left Trigger. This time, hold down
the
Right Trigger to create a more powerful portal. Now when you jump
through, you
should spring high enough to reach the chest containing 100 Blue
Souls.

Turn around and look behind you to spot a portal tile on an


inaccessible
platform. Fire it to close the first portal you made and make a new
one at
this new portal tile. The second portal (the one directly below you)
should
still be active; jump down into the portal to be carried through the
new one.
Confusing, I know.

Step on the sun tablet to make the portal tile next to you slide up on
the
wall. Interesting. Walk along the path to find a second portal tile
and a Bomb
Growth. Shoot the tile with your Voidwalker to open a portal; you
should see
some red crystals on the other side (if not, run back and hit the sun
tablet
to raise the tile). Toss a Bomb Growth through the portal. Objects can
travel
through portals too, so the bomb will destroy the crystals.

Before the tile behind you lowers, jump through to grab a ledge where
the
crystals were. Again, if you are too late, hit the sun tablet again.
Once up
here, Step on the sun tablet in front of you to make a fast-moving
bridge
appear. Stay in the front of it before the back dissolves under your
feet. Get
to the other side and slay the Wingrocks that follow you into the
hall.

Use the Shadow Geysers to reach the upper level of the hallway. The
door will
close behind you, sealing you inside. Open the two chests for Green
and Yellow
Souls, then use charged up Voidwalker shots on the two portals. Jump
into the
one on the wall to be shot from the one on the ground to reach a ledge
above
you. Walk forward to a boss chamber.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Guardian --------------------

The Guardian is a very simple boss if you understand how to beat it,
but that
isn't too surprising because this is one of three Guardians here in
The Black
Throne. The nasty robot carries around a ball and chain and can rotate
his hip
around 360-degrees to perform a nasty spin attack. The only other
attack the
Guardian uses is an overhead slam.

The ball and chain gives the Guardian a massive reach, so the best way
to
avoid getting smacked backwards is to use the portal tiles on the
floor. There
is one in each corner and one in the middle of the arena. Charge up a
Voidwalker shot on one of the portals, then create a second portal on
the tile
diagonal from it. Now that you have both portals open, it's time to go
to
work.

Jump in one of the portals to be shot out from the other one. Begin
gliding
towards the Guardian and press B when the button prompt appears. War
will land
on its head and begin slashing the red sphere on its head. This will
temporarily disorient the boss; drop to the ground and attack the blue
core
located in its pelvis.

Once the Guardian gets up, it'll glow red and use an extra-powerful
spin
attack. Frantically avoid it and create two more portals. Repeat this
process
a couple more times; the final time, you will have to perform an
execution to
destroy the Guardian.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

Of course, the energy beam doesn't go straight back to Azrael, we have


to use
portals to guide the beam to him. I'm starting to hate this dungeon
already.

Make a portal on the window where the blue beam is shining on, then
drop below
to the bottom floor. Make a second portal on the window to make the
beam shine
through and into the blue orb across the room. This will open up a
passage,
which you should take.

Go inside to find a lever controlling a lift, an orb, and another


portal tile.
Hit the tile with your Voidwalker, then return to the previous room.
Deactivate the portal on the wall here, then look up to where you
fought the
Guardian. Create a portal up there so the beam passes through and hits
the orb
back at the lift.

With the blue orb all charged up and ready to roll, turn the lever to
activate
the lift. You're back at the room where you initially found the
Voidwalker,
and the beam is once again activated. First off, open the two chests
next to
the locked door in front of you for 100 Blue Souls and some Green
Souls. Face
the beam and create a portal on the tile the beam is hitting. Hit the
tile to
the right of the portal to make the beam fire into the locked door,
unlocking
it.

Don't go through just yet. We are going for a little detour. From the
Voidwalker room, follow it just as if we were heading back to where we
fought
the Guardian.

When you reach the room containing the Wingrocks and the sun tablets,
ready
your Voidwalker. Equip it, then step on the sun tablet. As the bridge
forms,
walk across and look to your left once you reach the middle. Fire a
shot up at
the portal tile, then continue across the bridge.

Go backwards across the bridge again and drop back down the hole.
Create a
second portal here with the portal tile, then jump through. You will
end up at
the top of the duel sun tablet room, with another sun tablet in front
of you.
Create a bridge leading to the chest here to find the FURY'S EMBRACE
enhancement.

Okey dokey, return to the Voidwalker room and head for the unlocked
door.

Go through the door to find two Wraith Soldiers. Kill 'em; they will
be
followed by a Grappleclaw and some Forsaken. Kill them as well, then
shoot the
portal tile above the Blue Chain panel. Swing across the chasm with
your
Abyssal Chain and shoot the portal on this side to complete the chain.
Ah, we're back at the lame wall-moving room. Go down the stairs and
shoot the
portal tile at the top of the wall, then look to the left of the
staircase to
find another portal tile at your level. Shoot this one as well. The
beam
should travel through the first hole in the wall, but will stop there.

Look back at the ASCII map for assistance. Hit crystal #5 to raise the
wall
and align the hole with the beam, then go west and hit crystal #3 to
lower the
wall and align all the holes. The beam will power up an orb near the
west end.
Hit crystal #3 again to raise the wall and open the path for you.

Before leaving, look at the north end to spot a portal tile. Shoot it,
then
hit crystal #1 to lower the first wall. Look at the top of the wall to
find a
second portal tile to use. Shoot a charged blast at this one, then hop
through
the first portal. You will be shot into an alcove; open the chest here
for a
Map, then drop down and leave.

The first skull is activated at Azrael's location, and he will open up


a new
portion of the chamber. Use the two portals on the side of the chamber
to get
up to the ledge, then continue using the portals to gain ground. The
door on
the west side is locked, so face away from it.

Jump onto the spinning structure in the middle of the room and walk
clockwise
around it. Once you reach the top, wait for it to take you to the
unlocked
door and jump off. Go through the door and ride the lift up. Phantom
Captains
will keep you occupied along the way: defeat them all and follow the
tunnel to
the next room.

First things first, use Mercy and/or your Crossblade to kill every
last
Wingrock before moving. Now, wait for the bridges to form in front of
you as
you make your way across to a floating platform on the west end. This
one is
stable, so wait here for more bridges to appear in front of you.
Before you
move from here, fire a Voidwalker shot on the portal tile at the base
of the
eastern pillar, then at the one on the northern wall. Make your way
across the
winding bridge to the base of the pillar, then jump through to reach
the exit.

~-~ Wrath Shard #11 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~


Before exiting the room, fire a shot at the portal tile on the
northwest end
of the room. It's far away, so you may need to adjust your position
to reach
it. Next, shoot the portal tile next to you. Voila. Slip through the
portal
to teleport to the western side room to get the Wrath Shard. Use the
lever
inside to open the gate and free yourself.

Return to the door and proceed through.

Fire a Voidwalker shot at the portal tile on the spinning pillar, then
shoot
one at the tile on the wall to the right. Face the second tile and
peer
through the portal. As the pillar spins away and around, you should
see a
portal tile while looking through the second portal. Fire through the
portal
and at the tile with your Voidwalker shot to activate this third
portal.

Walk towards the spinning column and wait for it to get close to you
before
jumping in. You will reach the other side of the hole.

More enemies to fight! They're all familiar faces, so I don't need to


tell you
what to do here. When the coast is clear, open the chests on the side
for
Green and Yellow Souls and enter the door.

The camera zooms in on a locked door high above you. Walk down the
stairs to
find the Beholder's Key. However, the ground begins falling apart and
baddies
show up. Defeat them as the ground crumbles beneath you, then go up
the
staircase.

Three scales lower from the ceiling and two skull blocks appear on a
walkway
surrounding the circular room. Walk towards the two skulls and take a
gander
at the scales above you. Create a portal on the one lowest, then make
a second
one using the tile next to you. Push the skull block into the portal
to drop
it onto the scale, weighing it down. Do the same with the second skull
block
and the second scale.

Jump onto the lowest scale, then glide on top of the middle scale.
From here,
aim up at the top scale and fire a Voidwalker shot at it. Then aim
down and
shoot a shot on the portal tile underneath where the skull block rests
on the
bottom scale. You'll successfully transfer the block from the bottom
scale to
the top scale.

Jump on to the bottom scale as it moves up, then climb up to the top
scale.
Look down and fire a shot at one of the portal tiles on the side of
the room,
then shoot a second shot at the middle scale to remove the block from
that one
too. Quickly jump on top of the middle scale as it soars upwards.

Repeat this process with the top scale to remove its weight, then ride
it to
the top of the room. Use the Beholder's Key on the door, open the two
treasure
chests for Green and Yellow Souls, then continue through. Ride the
Shadow
Geyser to the top floor and break the blue crystals along the way to
receive
the Hoardseeker.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #11 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Activate the portal tile on the floor, then slowly start walking
north,
looking up at all times. There is a well-hidden portal tile on a
ledge
somewhat out of sight. Target it and drop through the first portal to
get
up there. From here, climb up the step and collect the Lifestone
Shard.

Blast the portal tile on the floor and the one above the Shadow
Geyser. Jump
into the Shadow Geyser for a boost through the first portal and up
into the
air. Glide over to the chest containing 250 Blue Souls, then glide
across the
hole to the other end. Turn the dial to activate the lift up to the
second
Guardian.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Guardian --------------------

The second Guardian is exactly like the first one when it comes to
attack. It
can spin around and whack you with its ball and chain or use a slam
attack to
pound you into the ground.

The four portal tiles are covered with metal bars, meaning you cannot
target
them with your Voidwalker. You must bait the Guardian into smashing
apart the
metal protectors with its overhead slam attack. Stand on a portal tile
and
wait for the boss to walk over to you. When it raises its hand
overhead, get
ready to dash out of the way. You can get it to destroy all four, but
two will
suffice.

Once the metal bars are destroyed, create fully charged portals and
use them
to glide onto the Guardian's head. Press B when close enough to stab
the red
sphere, then drop down and attack its shiny blue core. This time, you
must
perform this a total of four times to execute the Guardian.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

The second beam of light appears, and we must guide it back to Azrael.
Hit the
portal behind you and ride the lift down. Create a portal at the tile
here to
cause the beam to reflect off several mirrors. Run down the stairs and
open
the chest in the corner for some Green Souls. Quickly hit all three
rogue
mirrors with your Crossblade to line them up and hit the orb. Ride the
lift
down to the next area.

Back in the scale room, shoot the portal tile opposite your location,
then
fall down to the bottom of the room. Use the skull block to lower the
top
scale down, then jump onto the bottom scale. From here, hop onto the
top scale
and look upwards to find the beam of light.

Target the portal tile the beam is running into, then target the
portal title
on the ground on the east side. The mirrors on the scales should be
lined up
so that the beam of light powers up the orb and unlocks the door.
Exit.

Out here, do the same thing on this side that you did on the other
side. First
make a portal on the spinning pillar, then hit the second portal tile
on your
right. Now use this portal to target the third portal tile on the
other side.
The beam will line up with the orb on the other side once the pillars
stop
spinning.

Hop through the portal to the opposite end and proceed through the
door.
Mirrors and Red Chains rise in this room. Shoot a Voidwalker shot at
the
portal tile next to you, then cross the first Red Chain to reach the
chest
bearing 100 Blue Souls. Switch to your Crossblade and hit the mirror
next to
you. Quickly switch back to your Abyssal Chain and complete your way
across
the room. Hit the last two mirrors to align all three. Lastly, create
a second
portal at the tile to complete the puzzle.

Turn the dial to lower the lift. No enemies this time, just a smooth
ride back
to Azrael. We aren't finished just yet. Jump onto the spinning wall
and take
it to the southeast corner to find a Bomb Growth. Pick it up and throw
it at
the red crystals high on the spinning platform.

With the crystals gone, shoot a Voidwalker shot at the portal tile
behind it.
Make a second portal using the tile on the inside and bottom of the
spinning
wall. Now just wait for the beam to align to activate the second
skull.

The room will be arranged a little bit more, so head to the southwest
corner
of the floor to find two more portal tiles. Fire a charged shot on the
ground
and then the one on the wall so you can propel yourself high into the
air.
Grab onto the ledge here and do the same with the following two portal
tiles
to reach an unlocked door.

Grab the 100 Blue Souls from the chest to your left. There are two
portal
tiles nearby an a ledge that you can access using these tiles.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

The first portal tile is next to the chest, and the other is on the
ceiling
in the southwest corner of the room. Jump into the one on the wall to
appear
on the ceiling, then carefully float onto the ledge before you drop
to the
ground. Run forward and pick up the Soldier Artifact.

This puzzle may remind you of the outer area from before. Turn around
a fire a
Voidwalker shot at the portal tile next to the chest. Then look across
the pit
as two columns rise and fall in the air. The one in the distance has a
portal
tile facing you, so use a charged shot and hit it.

Next, turn back to the portal behind you. Look through and wait as the
column
on the other side of the portal moves up and down. You will see a
portal tile
on the side of this column too. Stand in front of the portal and fire
a
charged shot to hit the third portal tile. It's tricky since the
portal tile
will move up and down with the column, so you must have impeccable
timing.

Once you manage to hit the portal tile, the portal in front of you
should
close. That's normal. Shoot the portal tile again, and if the portal
tile on
the other side is not activate it, activate it again. Now jump through
this
portal tile and you should make it past the columns.

Go down the spiral staircase to find a set of red crystals lying right
on a
portal tile on the floor. Make your first portal on the tile on the
wall
nearby, then face the rotating pillar at the north end. There is a
portal tile
on one side of the pillar. Shoot a charged shot at it, then let the
pillar
rotate twice. This should position the portal north. Jump through the
first
portal to be shot to the north end of the room.

Open up the chest for some Yellow Souls and hit the portal tile here.
Watch as
the pillar spins west: if you peer through the portal, you will find
some more
red crystals on the other side. Once the pillar rotates into this
position,
snag a Bomb Growth in the distance with your Abyssal Chain and throw
it
through the portal. It should stick to the crystals and explode. Hop
through
once the portal realigns with the western end to find an ABYSSAL ARMOR
PIECE.

Return to the southern end of the room where the other red crystals
lie.
Create two portals: hit the one on the spinning pillar first, then the
one on
the wall next to the red crystals second. Use the two portals to reach
the
north end of the room again, then fire a Voidwalker shot at the portal
tile on
the wall. This should erase the portal on the pillar but leave the
second one
be.

Now you can easily throw a Bomb Growth through the portal to destroy
the red
crystals back at the spiral staircase. Hop through the portal to reach
the
staircase and climb to the top. Fire a portal on the tile you just
freed, then
create a second one on the wall back near the moving columns. Jump
through
this second portal to be shot up to the top of the area. Glide over to
the
chest and collect the Beholder's Key inside.
Return to Azrael's chamber the same way you came in. You'll have to
fiddle
around with the moving columns again but by now I hope you are
comfortable
enough with the Voidwalker to kinda figure it out yourself. I mean,
just
repeat the same procedure you used to get to this side in order to get
back.

Once back in the chamber, do not fall down to Azrael. Look up at the
top piece
of the spinning wall and hit it with a fully charged Voidwalker shot.
Drop
down and use one of the easily accessible portal tiles to make a
second
portal.

Now stand in front of the portal and look through. Wait until you see
one of
the orbs used to generate the blue beam of light; one that we have
used many
times earlier in the dungeon. Once you spot it, jump through and glide
to the
ledge below to reach the locked door.

Pull the lever to activate the elevator and defeat the waves of Undead
Soldiers and Undead Lords until you reach the top. Pull the lever to
open the
gate, then walk to the center of the room.

The exits will dissolve, leaving you trapped in a circular ring. Don't
bother
wasting Chaos Mode on the Rot Maulers and Undead Lords; it's very easy
to
punch them off of the ring for an immediate death. A Shield Lord is
next up.
He fights similar to a Conscript, but has more armor and a giant
shield to
boot. Treat him just like a Conscript and the exits will soon open.

Refill your health and Wrath using the chests, then proceed west
through the
unlocked door to end up on another balcony.

This balcony puzzle is similar to the last. Shoot the portal tile on
the
spinning column and the one to your right. Look through the portal to
find a
third portal tile on the column on the far side of the gaping hole.
Shoot it.

If you look through the portal, the column farthest away will turn and
point
at the western platform, which is covered in red crystals. Take a Bomb
Growth
nearby with your Abyssal Chain and throw it through the portal to blow
them
up, then leap through to the west end.
A Rot Mauler and Shield Lord appear, side-by-side. Lower the Rot
Mauler's
toxic barrier with your Crossblade first, then eliminate him. Next,
deal with
the Shield Lord. Another Shield Lord will arise from a portal
alongside some
Undead Soldiers.

Focus on the Shield Lord first, because another wave of Undead


Soldiers will
show up if you deal with the first one. Take down the remaining
enemies to
begin the final challenge.

Two Shield Lords rise from below. Now would be a good time to activate
Chaos
Mode. With the two Shield Lords done and dealt with, lower the barrier
blocking the door. Refuel using the Green Soul and Yellow Soul chests,
then
head on through.

Walk down either step and turn around to find a chest containing 100
Blue
Souls because both staircases. Now take a look at the room you are in.
There
is a large pillar in the center of the room, and the platforms high in
the air
can be moved by operating the dial back near the entrance. Turn it
once to
spin the platforms.

There are also four side chambers. One south, one southwest, one west,
and one
northwest. These tiny alcoves house portal tiles and Crossblade
targets. The
west room is locked and the south room is stupid, so the southwest and
the
northwest rooms are your main focus right now.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

In the northwest corner of the room is an alcove with a pool of water


inside.
Jump in and dive down to locate the Soldier Artifact.

Fire a Voidwalker shot at the portal tile in the southwest room, then
fire a
second one at the tile in the northwest room. Here, hit the Crossblade
target
to lower the portal into the water. This sucks all the water out of
the
northwest room and into the southwest room.

Swim across the water in the southwest room and turn the lever. Turn
the lever
back at the entrance. Head to the west end and inspect the column to
find a
portal tile on its side. Shoot a fully charged shot at the portal
tile, then
leap through the first portal at the northwest room to fly into the
western
room. Pull the lever to ride the elevator up to the boss's lair.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Guardian --------------------

This is the third and final Guardian, so by now you know how to tango
with
these dudes. The boss adopts the same two attacks as the previous two
bosses,
so remember to employ the same strategies on them during this fight.
Really,
the only thing you have to worry about his the Guardian's pissed off
spin
attack.

The portal tiles are now located on two walls instead of the floor. On
each
side, two are in your reach while one is situated high above the
others. Lure
the boss over to one side of the arena and fire two charged-up shots:
one at a
low tile and the other at the one above.

With the Guardian close enough, enter the tile to be shot sideways.
You don't
have as much height as you would if the portals were on the ground,
but you
are still able to glide over to the Guardian if it's close enough. If
you
miss, then continue standing next to the portal to bait the Guardian
to coming
your way. Once you make it, press B to stab the yellow sphere on its
head.

When the Guardian topples to the floor, hack away at its blue energy
core
until it gets up and glows red. Run to the opposite side of the arena
to get
away from its enraged spin attack, then use the portals here to do
your
business. I found this boss battle to be easier than the last two due
to the
positioning of the portal tiles, but they're all really easy.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

One more blasted beam to redirect! We're almost done! Start off by
hitting the
portal tile back near the elevator. Walk down the hall to the left to
find a
second elevator and a portal tile. Shoot this one here to capture the
beam's
energy into the orb, then ride the lift down.

The beam will reflect off a mirror and stop. Hit the mirror to your
right to
adjust it and power up the second orb. Go through the door to the
balcony.
Shoot the spinning column farthest away from you to open its portal,
then hit
the tile on the wall. Shoot the third tile while looking through the
open
portal on the wall and wait for the columns to line up for the beam to
hit the
orb. Go across to the other side and through the door.

We didn't spend much time in this room, but a few things open up,
allowing us
to fully explore it. Additionally, a pillar lowers from the ceiling
and gets
in the way of the light beam.

Use the Shadow Geyser to float over to the south end and punch open
the chest
for some Green Souls, then use the two portal tiles to rocket up to
the top
balcony. Walk around to find a treasure chest containing 250 Blue
Souls.

~-~ Artifact: Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Here on the upper balcony, aim and fire a charged-up Voidwalker shot
at the
portal tile on top of the floating pillar. Drop back down to the
south end of
the room and use a portal here to be transported above the pillar.
There is
a Champion Artifact levitating in the air that's just waiting to be
grabbed.

Open up the two portal tiles on the sides of the floating pillar. You
must
direct the beam through a gate and into the orb to the north. However,
we must
open the gate and rotate the pillar simultaneously. We're going to
have to
enlist in the help of a Chronosphere to get the job done.

Drop down to the eastern side room to find the Chronosphere. Activate
it, then
sprint underneath the floating pillar and hit the target using your
Crossblade. Immediately after, look north and lock onto the two
Crossblade
targets flanking the gate. Hit both of these to open the gate before
the
Cronosphere's effects wear off.

You have to be quick; one way to shave off a second or two is to stand
as far
away from the Chronosphere while still being in seeing distance and
activating
it with your Crossblade instead of manually turning it on. Go through
the gate
now that it's open and take the elevator back down to Azrael.

Stand on the ledge and wait for the top portion of the spinning wall
to reveal
the portal window. Use it to open a portal, then create a second
portal using
the tile on the bottom section of the spinning wall. Stand back and
wait for
the two portals to line up to free Azrael.

A staircase appears below Azrael. Descend the stairs and open the
chest for
some Green Souls, then open the door. Ride the elevator down to the
Well of
Sorrows, where you'll finally be able to get some revenge.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Straga ----------------------

This battle won't be nearly as simple as the last time we encountered


Straga.
Mainly because we have the Voidwalker, and like this game and any
other Zelda
look-alike goes: in order to defeat the boss of a dungeon you must use
the
weapon acquired in said dungeon to weaken it/utilize its weak point.
So we get
to fiddle around with portal tiles in this fight. God I hate the
Voidwalker.

Straga wields a mace and can cover the majority of the arena with his
sweeping
blows. This is by far his most powerful attack, and very difficult to
dodge.
The method of dodging it requires great timing, so don't worry if you
are not
successful on all (or any) of the tries: that's why you have healing
items
like Greater Life Essences!

Straga taps the ceiling with his mace and then leans it on the left
side of
the room for a second or two. Once you see sparks fly, create two
portals on
the two portal tiles on the floor. Stand next to the one on the right.
As
Straga begins to sweep to the right, quickly drop into the portal to
appear on
the left, behind the mace and without a scratch on you. Sometimes he
leans the
mace on the other side of the room, but if that is the case then just
switch
the portal you enter.

He also uses a slam attack that is easier to avoid, but can deal a
heaping
amount of damage. Not only can you use the two portal tiles on the
floor to
help avoid his mace, you must also use them to hurt Straga.

There is a third portal tile on the side of his mace. Shoot that one
first,
then shoot one of the two tiles on the floor. Pay attention to
Straga's arm
motion and how he carries the mace. When he's readying for an overhead
slam,
he'll raise the mace over and behind his head. Once the mace is
positioned
behind the boss's head, fall into the portal to drop onto his back.

Press B next to the orange eyeball on his back to cause Straga to


topple
forward in pain. Lock onto his face and slash away until he pulls
back. Straga
will take some time to recover and let some Undead Lords do his
bidding. While
you contend with them, Straga will occasionally smash his fist into
the floor.

Once the enemies cease, fire another Voidwalker shot at Straga's mace,
then at
one of the tiles on the floor. Jump through once Straga readies a slam
attack
to drop onto his back and hit the weak point. Introduce the Chaoseater
to
Straga's face to initiate another wave of enemies. The monsters he
summons are
either Undead Lords or Fallen Angels; it varies.

Continue teleporting to Straga's back to expose his weak point, then


hack away
at his huge face. The boss battle is annoying, but if you study his
attack
patterns and stay healthy, you should emerge victorious. This time,
War will
take more than just an eye from Straga.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

Why can't we do anything that cool with the Voidwalker as what War did
in the
execution cutscene? Bummer. Hop into the well that Azrael creates to
be
transported to Eden.

======================================================================
========
3.14] EDEN
[0314]
======================================================================
========

Eden
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

War receives another LIFESTONE after the fight against Straga. Even
though the
Lifestone just healed us, open the two chests for Green Souls and
Yellow Souls
anyways. Walk forward to be stopped by another scene. With the Mask of
Shadows, you can reveal hidden objects and chests... and some other
unexpected
stuff.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Shadow War ------------------

OMGWTFBBQ another cheap Zelda reference!!! Shadow War is a spittin'


image of
the Horseman himself, and has the same moves and abilities as you do
up to
this point. Lucky for you, the boss does not use them all. He is
restricted to
just the Chaoseater and Crossblade.

Shadow War doesn't use many attacks aside from Flipsaw and Blade
Geyser. He
can use simple sword combos and will dash to avoid your attacks, but
for the
most part he sticks to using Flipsaw. The time he takes to use the
attack
gives you all the time in the world to dodge and counterattack. Unlike
a real
doppelganger, Shadow War does not mimic your each and every move, and
is
actually pretty easy to hurt.

Unlike most enemies or bosses, Shadow War blocks like a mother. He


will block
most of your attacks if you try and hit him head-on. Either way and
dodge his
Flipsaw move, or try using a Block Counter. I don't talk about this
ability
much, if at all, during this guide, but using Block Counter is a
fantastic way
to really dish out the damage against the boss.

Make sure to save up your Chaos Mode, because Shadow War will enter
Chaos Mode
himself. If he does and you're outta luck, you can still control this
duel.
You'd realize this the best considering you have used Chaos Mode
countless
times throughout the game, but his attacks are very slow. It is not
suicide to
run up and slash Shadow War before dashing backwards to evade his
three-hit
sword combo.

Unfortunately, Shadow War's Chaos Form does not end abruptly like
yours. Once
he activates it, he'll be like that until the fight's conclusion. You
can
certainly take Shadow War down if your Chaos Meter isn't filled; just
be
patient with your attacks and don't get caught up in a long-winded
combo. If
you do have Chaos Mode, then activate it and show the boss how it's
done.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

Before making your way to the tree, turn around and head back to the
starting
point. Use your Mask of Shadows to find a hidden treasure chest
containing 250
Blue Souls. Walk back to Azrael and put on the Mask of Shadows to
reveal a
bridge to the other side of the platform.

The scenery looks very pretty; why not check it out close up? Jump
into the
river on your right. Climb onto the first island and put on the Mask
of
Shadows to locate a chest between two trees. It holds 250 Blue Souls.
Continue
to the right to find another hidden chest containing 250 Blue Souls.
If you
pay attention to your map, you will be able to locate a cave hidden
underneath
one of the waterfalls, where you'll find another ABYSSAL ARMOR PIECE.

Return to the stone path and continue to the top.

~-~ Wrath Shard #12 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

If you have the Fury's Embrace enhancement equipped, you should


notice a
treasure chest icon directly on top of you, but no chest to be found.
This
one is well hidden. Go back down a few steps and jump off to your
right to
the ground below (indicated on the map). The Wrath Shard is
underneath the
staircase.

Return to the staircase and approach the base of the magical tree to
begin a
particularly interesting cutscene. When you regain control, press B
next to
the corpse to pick up the blade. Return to Azrael and step inside the
portal
he conjures for you.

Aside from retrieving the game's remaining collectibles, we also must


forge
the Armageddon Blade in order to wage war against The Destroyer. There
are
many loose ends for us to tie.

======================================================================
========
3.15] FINAL PREPARATIONS
[0315]
======================================================================
========
Leviathan's Drift
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

So, we have to collect shards of a mystical item in order to recreate


it and
use against the game's main antagonist? I'm having way too much fun
with these
Zelda comparisons. Tee hee! Put on the Mask of Shadows and cross the
bridge
that appears to find the first Armageddon Blade Shard.

~ - ~

Drop down to the ground below and use Ruin to ride through the area
where you
fought The Stygian. Use the Vulgrim location to teleport to the
entrance to
The Ashlands.

The Ashlands
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Ride to the southwest side of the ash field, towards the yellow dashed
marking
on the map. Jump up the ledge and go left at the fork. Once you reach
a dead
end, use the Mask of Shadows to make some hidden Bomb Growths appear.
Grab one
with your Abyssal Chain and throw it at the red crystals forming on
the wall.
The Bomb Growth is dormant, so use a torch to ignite it.

Return to the fork and go right this time, up and around the hill.
When you
reach a gap in the path, put on your Mask of Shadows. Use the Red
Chain to
cross the gap, then continue up to find the second Armageddon Blade
Shard.

~ - ~

Fall down to the ground and summon Ruin, then ride him north past the
first
drilling tower. Use your map to find the high cliffs behind the drill
tower
(there's an Artifact on these cliffs, so locate it with your map).
Ride north
of the cliff to find a Shadow Geyser. Jump into the Shadow Geyser to
reach the
top of the cliff.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Continue along the cliffside behind the first drilling tower. Near
the north
end of the cliff is a patch of Demonic Growth leading to a Soldier
Artifact.
Continue south, wearing the Mask of Shadows to find hidden Red Chains
along
the way. The last Red Chain is hanging above the drilling tower's
roof. Get a
jumping head start, then grapple to it in midair. The ABYSSAL ARMOR
PIECE is
here on the roof.

Exit the cavern the same way you came in and backtrack to the second
drilling
tower. Use the Chronosphere to get around the drilling mechanism and
continue
to the third and fourth towers.

~-~ Artifact: Overlord ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Use the tower's interior to reach the roof of the third tower.
There's no
need to mess around with the Chronosphere because we deactivated the
drill.
Once on the roof, use your Abyssal Chain to swing across the Blue
Chain to
the roof of the fourth drilling tower. Deactivate the fourth tower's
drill,
then drop down into the hole that was being drilled. The cave below
leads
you directly to the Overlord Artifact.

Dive into the water and swim to the Goremaw cavern.

Walk to the right while bypassing the Goremaws. Use the Shadow Geyser
to float
up onto the boulder, then swing across the Blue Chain to the far side.
Slay
the Grappleclaw and Goreclaws, then open up the treasure chest to
receive the
STRIFE'S OFFERING as a nice reward.

With that taken care of, we are done with The Ashlands! Head to the
nearest
Vulgrim location (which is the one back at the main entrance) and take
the
Serpent Hole to Dry Road.

~-~ Wrath Shard #13 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

As soon as you enter the Serpent Hole leading to Dry Road, turn
around and
follow the path that appears to a Wrath Shard.

Wow, I would have never expected to find anything useful inside a


Serpent
Hole! Continue through to Dry Road.

Dry Road
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Exit the cave and glide over to the Demonic Growth. Climb up and walk
forward
to initiate a boss battle.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Uriel -----------------------

Uriel was a damn joke last time we faced her, but she has definitely
stepped
up her game. This will probably be your greatest test in the game so
far.
Uriel has a multitude of attacks, all of which can deal around half of
a
health bar with each hit. Since most of her attacks are multi-hit
moves, this
can spell great trouble for you.

Like in the previous battle against the angel, her cutter attack is
used when
there is a large amount of distance between the two combatants. This
is
probably the easiest attack to dodge; that or her basic sword combos.
Uriel
uses random sword slashes up close, including a toppling uppercut and
a
slamming attack.

When Uriel rises high in the air, back away. She will divebomb to the
ground,
resulting in a large wave of energy. However, continue to stand your
ground.
Her body will begin to pulse up to three times, releasing three
additional
waves. It's common to immediately charge her once she hits the ground,
but
these three shockwaves prevent you from doing so. After the last wave,
dash
towards her and retaliate.

Arguably her most annoying attack, Uriel rises in the air and begins
to glow.
Next, a dozen or so glowing swords will rain down from the heavens.
They
usually drop down in a line as opposed to totally randomized
locations, so try
to stay away from the bunch altogether.

This boss is very fast on her feet, and you must pick your
opportunities to
strike. The best times to attack are right after her overhead slam and
her
divebomb attack. Both leave her on the floor, giving you time to keep
her
grounded and continue your punishment.

The best way to knock Uriel out of the air is with a dash attack.
Either
Harpoon Tackle or Meteor Launch do the trick. Once Uriel is lying on
her back,
continue with a Chaoseater combo until she gets up and spins around.
Whenever
Uriel spins in a circle, she is regaining her composure and is ready
to use an
attack. Once she spins around like a top, back away and let her do her
worst.

Two more strategies that you should be aware of are Block Counters and
Chaos
Mode. When fighting bosses that are closer to your size and use
traditional
weaponry like Shadow War and Uriel, Block Counters become increasingly
more
useful. I found the best time to use Block Counters is to
counterattack the
boss's jumping sword smash attack. And I shouldn't have to say this,
but enter
Chaos Mode the minute you get the chance to inflict additional pain on
Uriel.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

After the boss fight, hop up the rock platforms to the south side of
the Dry
Road. Equip the Mask of Shadows and look through the remains of a
building to
spot the third Armageddon Blade Shard.

~ - ~

There's one more prize to obtain here in the Dry Road, but it's a ways
away.
Enter the tunnel and continue through as if you were heading to The
Ashlands.

~-~ Wrath Shard #14 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Enter the room with the wire and the three Goremaws. From the
northern
entrance, look up and to the right to spot a Red Chain. Grapple up to
it,
then spin around and leap onto the ledge here to find a well-hidden
Wrath
Shard.

Stop over at the Vulgrim location, stock up on healing items, and take
the
Serpent Hole to the Drowned Pass.

Drowned Pass
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

All the enemies in the Drowned Pass have been replaced by much tougher
ones,
including Phantom Captains, Goreclaws, and red Grappleclaws (who are
stronger
than their blue cousins and can also breathe fire).

We haven't been here in quite a while, so a number of our weapons can


be used
to uncover new treasures.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #12 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

From the Vulgrim location, walk forward to find a Blue Chain in the
air.
Swing across the water and drop onto the cliffside, where you can
access the
treasure chest and the Lifestone Shard.

Dive into the water and submerge yourself.

~-~ Wrath Shard #15 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Once submerged in the water, swim north. Enter the cave on the left
and
follow it to a patch of blue crystals. Destroy them with your Tremor
Gauntlet
to reveal a chest on the other side. Open it for a Wrath Shard, then
smash
the blue crystals behind it for an easy exit.

Swim to the southern building and climb up to the top floor. Equip the
Mask of
Shadows to reveal a Red Chain, then grapple up to the roof. Jump
across to the
roof of the adjacent building, where the fourth Armageddon Blade Shard
lies.

~ - ~

Climb up to the Vulgrim location. There are a few Grappleclaws and


Phantom
Captains up here; you can either defeat them or run away and escape
using the
Vulgrim location. Your choice. Either way, head to The Broken Stair
next.

The Broken Stair


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Exit the cave and kill the Storm Warden, then use his own weapon to
finish off
the two Angel Soldiers in the distance. Enter the building behind you
and use
the Shadow Geysers to fly over to the highway. Destroy the second
Storm Warden
and again, kill off the remaining angels using the Redemption.

Cross the highway as a third group of angels appear. Once they're


toast,
continue forward onto the building roof to find a few more Angel
Soldiers.
Sheesh! They should be easy to finish off: if they float over the
roof's edge
and are out of reach, reel 'em in with your Abyssal Chain. Next, float
over to
the next building and climb up to the roof where you found the Angelic
Beast
and collect the fifth Armageddon Blade Shard.

~ - ~

Well, there are no nearby Vulgrim locations, so you have to backtrack


all the
way where you came from. Next up: the Choking Grounds.

Choking Grounds
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

The Choking Grounds have been overrun with Undead Lords and Shield
Lords. If
you don't want to deal with the trouble of beating them, then summon
Ruin and
ride to the building near the Tormented Gate. There is a hole near
where the
Tormented Gate once slept that gives you access to the basement.

Use the Shadow Geyser to climb up to the first floor. On the right are
some
crystals that can be destroyed by targeting the ignited gas pipe and
the
dormant Bomb Growth hanging on the crystals.

With the red crystals gone, climb up to the second floor. Kill the two
Undead
Lords, then walk towards the giant root sticking out of the building's
west
side. Sneak between the root and the corner of the wall to find a
chest
containing 100 Blue Souls.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #13 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Break the blue crystals on the building's second floor using your
Tremor
Gauntlet to reveal a chest bearing the Lifestone Shard.

On the northwest corner of the building is some Demonic Growth just


out of
reach. Sling up to it using your Abyssal Chain to get to the third
floor. Kill
off the Shield Lord that appears, then open the chest for Possession.
Equip
your Mask of Shadows to reveal a Shadow Geyser, then take it up to the
fourth
floor. A pair of Wraith Soldiers stand between you and the sixth
Armageddon
Blade Shard.

~ - ~

Only one more shard to go! Jump from the top floor of the building all
the way
to the ground.

~-~ Artifact: Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Head through the passage past where the Tormented Gate was and
continue
through the drainage pipe. When you reach the tunnel with the two
Shadow
Geysers, drop below them and smash the blue crystals to find a
Champion
Artifact.

With that out of the way, return to the Vulgrim location. The map
reveals that
the final shard is in The Crossroads, so head there immediately.

The Crossroads
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Waves of Forsaken will appear as soon as you enter the area. Defeat
them until
the numbers dwindle, then explore the western side of the area. Go
down the
ramp towards the blue crystals and destroy them; enter the cave to
find
HELLFIRE. Return to the Vulgrim location and put on the Mask of
Shadows.

To the west of Vulgrim is a hidden Shadow Geyser. Ride it up to the


balcony
alongside the buildings. Walk to the end and look east to find another
Shadow
Geyser. Before jumping into it, equip your Abyssal Chain. Leap into
the Shadow
Geyser and glide towers the Blue Chain in the air. Immediately grapple
onto it
and swing over to the southeast balcony. Ride the third Shadow Geyser
up to
the final Armageddon Blade Shard.

~ - ~

We still have a few things to do before returning to Ulthane. Enter


the
library behind Vulgrim and take the left staircase. Proceed to the
north end
of the library.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

At the north end of the library, look up and to the east to find a
Blue
Chain; jump up and grapple to it, then swing to the central walkway.
Follow
it west to reach the final Soldier Artifact.

~-~ Wrath Shard #16 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~


This time, return to the central balcony of the library and swing
north
across the Blue Chain. You will drop into a side room containing the
Wrath
Shard.

Continue through the library and to the Scalding Gallow.

Scalding Gallow
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Go east across the Shadow Geysers to reach the cave leading to the
Choking
Grounds. Ride the Shadow Geyser to the upper level and kill the
Lavashrike,
then look to the right across the lava pit.

There is a chest and a portal tile inside. Fire a Voidwalker shot at


the
portal tile, then look to the left and shoot the second portal tile
across the
way. Cross the Demonic Growth to the second portal and use it to reach
the
chest, which contains Life Essence.

Return to Vulgrim location in the Scalding Gallow. Facing Vulgrim,


walk to the
edge of the floor to his left and look across towards Samael's prison.
If you
peer down into the lava, you can notice a rocky path on the opposite
side of
your location, near the base of the island where Samael's prison is.
Carefully
glide down (it may take a few tries) and follow the walkway to find
the final
ABYSSAL ARMOR PIECE.

You should now have completed the Abyssal Armor set. Now War looks
totally
badass in addition to sustaining less damage in combat! To get back
up, jump
into the Shadow Geyser to skyrocket back up to the surface.

Go west into the tunnel leading to the Drowned Pass. In the second
room, look
to the left above the high wall and create a portal at the portal
title on the
ceiling, then enter the fan room.

~-~ Artifact: Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Equip the Abyssal Chain. Look on the map towards the southeast side
of the
fan room. There is a hallway marked on the map, but it is
transparent. The
hallway is actually below the fan.

Ride the fan blade to the southeast side and jump below. As you fall,
you
will catch a short glimpse of a Red Chain at the end of this obscured
hall.
Fire at it to grapple onto it, then drop down. Use the Shadow Geyser
to reach
the top ledge to reach the Champion Artifact.

~-~ Wrath Shard #17 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

In the tunnel leading to the fan room is a portal tile on the west
end, above
a high wall. Shoot it, then use the fan room to return to where you
obtained
the Champion Artifact. Fire a Voidwalker shot at the portal tile
here, then
warp through the portal to reach the Wrath Shard.

Jump onto the high wall to get back across, then exit to the main
sector of
the Scalding Gallow. This time, go north through the tunnel leading to
the Dry
Road. Defeat the Grappleclaw and Phantom Captains, then use the
Chronosphere
and lever to pass underneath the gate ahead.

Once on the other side, turn around and shoot the portal tile on the
back of
the gate with your Voidwalker. Use the lever here to raise the gate
and return
back to the other side. Enter the Chronosphere room and shoot the
portal tile
here as well. Raise the gate and look through the portal to spot a
chest as
the gate moves up. Once the gate is at the very top, jump through the
portal
to reach the chest. You will find DEVIL'S BLESSING inside.

You have found all of the Artifacts in the game. Proceed to the
nearest
Vulgrim location.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #14 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Vulgrim will give you a Lifestone Shard after you have collected all
30
Soldier Artifacts.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #15 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Vulgrim will give you a Lifestone Shard after you have collected all
six
Champion Artifacts.

We have one final Lifestone Shard to collect, and it is in another


Serpent
Hole. Enter the Serpent Hole leading to the Twilight Cathedral.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #16 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

There is a hidden Shadow Geyser next to the Serpent Hole exit. Put on
the
Mask of Shadows and jump into it, then float onto the series of
platforms
that materialize right under you. Follow this path to find the
Lifestone.

Alright, exit the Serpent Hole and stop back at Vulgrim, then head to
Anvil's
Ford through the Serpent Hole.

~-~ Wrath Shard #18 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

About halfway through the Serpent Hole, you will find a Red Chain
high above
you. Jump up and latch to it, then use the Red Chains and Blue Chains
to
drop onto a platform containing the Wrath Shard.

Continue to Anvil's Ford.

Anvil's Ford
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Before you head out to Anvil's Ford, stay here in the sewer.

~-~ Wrath Shard #19 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Make a right out of the Vulgrim location and climb across the wire to
the
other side. Dive into the water and swim through the tunnel, then
rise up to
the surface. Hop out of the water and destroy the blue crystals
against the
wall. Hug the left wall to find the Wrath Shard in a small alcove.

Head west and open the stone door. Jump across the gap and continue
west to
reach the courtyard where you fought Uriel. Take the door on your
right to
work your way back through the parts where you killed angels along
with
Ulthane.

~-~ Wrath Shard #20 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Once on the far west side of the level (where you encounter the
Wicked K),
use the Blue Chain to swing into a small cave. Open up the treasure
chest to
collect the Wrath Shard.

That's the last collectible in the game. If you have been following
this guide
from top to bottom, then you should have every Lifestone Shard, Wrath
Shard,
and Artifact. Now it's time to stop back at Ulthane's pad since we
have all
seven Armageddon Blade Shards.
Now that we've got the Armageddon Blade, there's nothing standing
between us
and The Destroyer. Return to Azrael in Leviathan's Drift.

======================================================================
========
3.16] THE DESTROYER
[0316]
======================================================================
========

Leviathan's Drift
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Use the Mask of Shadows to locate a hidden Shadow Geyser at the


northern end
of the ash field. Speak with Azrael to warp to The Destroyer.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: The Destroyer ---------------

I'll admit, this is a pretty anti-climactic battle. First off, unlike


most
portrayals of dragons, The Destroyer isn't known for his sheer power
and size.
The Destroyer runs around the arena in circles like a puppy dog,
occasionally
pawing at you with his large claw. Sure, he can breathe fire at you,
but he
just looks dumb. Plus, you have to fight the entire battle while on
Ruin.

Hop on your trusty steed and run alongside The Destroyer. He will
often try
and claw at you, which is a good enough reason to never really get
close to
the boss. Just ride around and wait.

The only real time you can hurt The Destroyer is when he charges at
you
directly. This will happen when the boss runs towards the edge of the
arena,
turns around, then begins sprinting at you. Like a good old-fashioned
joust,
charge head-on at the boss, timing your sword slash so it connects
just as The
Destroyer is about to pass. If you miss or time it badly, The
Destroyer will
either barrel into you or claw you off your horse.

However, if you nail him, The Destroyer will slide and collapse behind
you.
Quickly turn around and run over to the fallen beast, then jump off
Ruin. Hack
away at The Destroyer while he's down. You can get a number of shots
off on
him before he gets back up.

The Destroyer usually retaliates with his third attack. The dragon
flies high
up in the air, offscreen. Jump on Ruin and dash in any direction, or
else The
Destroyer will dive down on top of you like a meteor. He will repeat
this
attack once or twice more.

Keep playing chicken with The Destroyer; if you are successful each
and every
time, this should be a quick and painless fight. There is really
nothing else
to mention about this boss fight, other than that during the final
charge, you
will have to press B to initiate the execution scene. Once War jumps
on The
Destroyer's back, repeatedly press B to clip the dragon and finish the
job.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

Yeah, something so lame possibly couldn't be the final battle. War


drops down
in the hole created to face off against Abaddon.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Abaddon ---------------------

Abaddon is a huge pain in the ass. He blocks far too much than one
should
allow, he is super strong and has a multitude of sword combos, and
basically
prevents you from using Chaos Mode in this fight.

Abaddon has a bunch of attacks at his disposal, but many of them are
similar
and cannot be blocked. He has a multiple slash combo, which can be
blocked and
is the weakest he has to offer. The boss also can use a charged slash,
preceded by a glow on the tip of his sword. Don't try to block; just
back away
when you see his sword begin to glow.

When Abaddon floats just off of the ground and his sword glows, he'll
follow
up with an energy cone attack as he dives forward. Kinda like Harpoon
Tackle,
but much cooler. If Abaddon floats up in the center of the arena, he
will slam
to the ground, releasing four energy waves that radiate outwards like
a cross.

Two more moves to note is Abaddon's dash attack, which is basically a


complete
replica of Harpoon Tackle, and a simple overhead slam which is
essentially the
same as every boss in this game. Why does everyone have a powerful
slam attack
in this game? Other than that, I don't think he really has that much.

Kinda like Wicked K, Abaddon doesn't really let many attacks penetrate
him, so
for some players it may be easiest to resort to Block Counters. The
best move
to block is Abaddon's charge slash, because the sword glowing gives
you a nice
heads-up.

Aside from Block Countering, another good way to damage the boss is to
attack
immediately after he has used an attack. Dash away to avoid getting
hurt, then
use Harpoon Tackle to initiate the assault (like The Destroyer, you
can only
hurt Abaddon with the Armageddon Blade).

After landing a handful of successful shots, a quick-time event will


occur
where you will have to repeatedly tap a button shown onscreen to beat
Abaddon
in a little sparring session. Abaddon uses one of his more powerful
spells
once the quick-time event ends. The boss teleports into the distance,
then
throws three giant boulders at you, one at a time. Despite the size of
the
boulders, it is possible to dodge them.

As the boss fight continues, Abaddon will start to teleport around the
ring in
order to confuse you and knock you off guard. Abaddon often teleports
several
times, then tries to use his own version of Harpoon Tackle. Dodge this
move
and counter with Armageddon Blade combos. After the third successful
quick-
time event, Abaddon will be knocked down for good.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

Some wild stuff goes down, but since the gameplay is over you can
place the
controller on the table and let the end scene soak in.

Fin.

______________________________________________________________________
________

4] MOVE LIST
[0400]
______________________________________________________________________
________
======================================================================
========
CHAOSEATER
======================================================================
========

~-~ Standard Moves ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Forehand Strike
- X

Return Slash
- X, X

Double Slash
- X, X, X

Reverse Backhand Strike


- X, X, X, X

Whirl Wind Combo


- X, (Pause), X

Tornado Slash
- X, X, (Pause), X

Dragon's Breath
- X, X, X, (Pause), X

~-~ 180 Moves ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

180 Orbit Slash


- Opposite of Facing (LS) + X

Backside Slash
- X, Opposite of Facing (LS) + X

180 Double Spin Slash


- X, X, Opposite of Facing (LS) + X

~-~ Ground Moves ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Sword Uppercut
- Hold X then release

Sky Scraper
- Hold X

Power Strike
- RB + X

Demon Edge
- (LT + LS Down) + X

Harpoon Tackle
- (Move + RB) + X

Devil's Cross
- Block Counter
~-~ Aerial Moves ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

CrossSlash A (Air Combo)


- A, X

CrossSlash B (Air Combo)


- A, X, X

Spin Slash (Air Combo)


- A, X, X, X

Flipsaw
- A, X (Hold)

Meteor Strike
- A, Move + RB

======================================================================
========
SCYTHE
======================================================================
========

~-~ Standard Moves ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Sweep Attack
- Y

Return Slash
- Y, Y

Reaper Claw
- Y, Y, Y

Death's Rage
- RB + Y

Reaper's Blade
- Hold Y

Hell Razor
- (LT + LS Down) + Y

Reaper's Revenge
- (Move + RB) + Y

~-~ Aerial Moves ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Air Grinder
- A, Y

Air Reaper Blade


- A, Hold Y

======================================================================
========
TREMOR GAUNTLET
======================================================================
========

~-~ Standard Moves ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Power Hook
- Y

Cross Crusher
- Y, Y

Tremor Smash
- Hold Y

Earthbreaker
- RB + Y

Tremor Punch
- (LT + LS Down) + Y

Meteor Launch
- (Move + RB) + Y

~-~ Aerial Moves ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Hammer Smash
- A, Y

Air Tremor Smash


- A, Hold Y

______________________________________________________________________
________

5] WRATH ABILITIES
[0500]
______________________________________________________________________
________

Blade Geyser
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

- One Wrath Core required

Harnessing the power of the Chaoseater, this attack summons a field of


deadly
blades around War.

Stoneskin
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

- Drains Wrath while active

War's flesh hardens, reducing enemy damage and increasing the


effectiveness of
War's attacks.
Immolation
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

- Drains Wrath while active

Scorch War's enemies in a barrier of smoldering Hellfire.

Affliction
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

- Two Wrath Cores required

Plague enemies with an affliction that causes damage over time.

______________________________________________________________________
________

6] LIFESTONE LOCATIONS
[0600]
______________________________________________________________________
________

======================================================================
========
LIFESTONES
======================================================================
========

Lifestone #1
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Twilight Cathedral

Found after slaying Tiamat

Lifestone #2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: The Hollows

Found after slaying The Griever

Lifestone #3
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: The Ashlands

Found after slaying The Stygian

Lifestone #4
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Iron Canopy

Found after slaying Silitha

Lifestone #5
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: The Black Throne

Found after slaying Straga

======================================================================
========
LIFESTONE SHARDS
======================================================================
========

~-~ Lifestone Shard #1 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: The Crossroads

Your first Lifestone Shard is in reach. One of the reasons why snarky
video
game reviewers and analysts branded this game a Zelda ripoff: collect
four of
these shards to increase your overall health. Sound familiar?

In the library's main chamber is a small pool of water (on the west
side).
Dive in and swim through the tunnel to emerge in a small chamber. The
treasure chest here contains the Lifestone Shard.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #2 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Choking Grounds

Destroy all eight cross tombstones to make a treasure chest appear at


the
southwest end of the Choking Grounds. Open this chest for a Lifestone
Shard.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #3 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: The Broken Stair

Return to the previous chest in the cave. There is a pool of ice-cold


water
in the corner. Dive in and swim through the tunnel to emerge on the
other
end. Hop onto dry land to find a chest containing a Lifestone Shard.
~-~ Lifestone Shard #4 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: The Broken Stair

After disposing of the enemies on the overpass, make sure to turn


around to
find a chest behind a sea of cars. Destroy the cars to make a path to
the
treasure chest, then open it for another Lifestone Shard.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #5 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Twilight Cathedral

On the southern end of the room is a small opening that leads to a


patch of
red crystals. These can only be destroyed with a Bomb Growth, but it
is too
far away from the bomb for you to carry it through the opening before
the
bomb's detonation. Instead, use the window to your advantage.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #6 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Drowned Pass

From the southwest building, swim west to reach a secluded ramp. Slay
the two
Minions and the Shadowcaster. If you look across the gap, you will
see a
treasure chest in a small alcove. We can't reach the alcove, so
instead jump
into the water below. Swim below and strike the glowing blue target
on the
side of the submerged pillar to make it rise out of the water.

Return to the ramp, then use the pillar as a stepping stone to reach
the
treasure chest. Open it up for another Lifestone Shard.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #7 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: The Hollows

Before you leave, sneak between the two subway cars on the side of
the room
to find a chest containing a Lifestone Shard.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #8 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Dry Road

Hug the southern side of the road and jump up the jagged rock
platforms to
the upper portion of the street. Walk west while hugging the wall. A
chest is
neatly hidden behind a broken-down brick wall.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #9 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Dry Road

Before continuing through the sandy tunnel, turn around and jump over
the
pipe you just emerged from. Walk back here to find some blue
crystals. Break
them with your Tremor Gauntlet to reveal a Lifestone Shard.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #10 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Ashlands

Before leaping into the water yourself, turn back around and head
along the
ledge. From here, continue east to another section of the tunnel.
There is a
high platform in the dead center of the area; use the Shadow Geyser
to reach
the top, then knock open the treasure chest for a Lifestone Shard.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #11 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Black Throne

Activate the portal tile on the floor, then slowly start walking
north,
looking up at all times. There is a well-hidden portal tile on a
ledge
somewhat out of sight. Target it and drop through the first portal to
get
up there. From here, climb up the step and collect the Lifestone
Shard.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #12 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Drowned Pass

From the Vulgrim location, walk forward to find a Blue Chain in the
air.
Swing across the water and drop onto the cliffside, where you can
access the
treasure chest and the Lifestone Shard.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #13 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Choking Grounds

Break the blue crystals on the building's second floor using your
Tremor
Gauntlet to reveal a chest bearing the Lifestone Shard.
~-~ Lifestone Shard #14 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Vulgrim

Vulgrim will give you a Lifestone Shard after you have collected all
30
Soldier Artifacts.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #15 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Vulgrim

Vulgrim will give you a Lifestone Shard after you have collected all
six
Champion Artifacts.

~-~ Lifestone Shard #16 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Serpent Hole (Twilight Cathedral)

There is a hidden Shadow Geyser next to the Serpent Hole exit. Put on
the
Mask of Shadows and jump into it, then float onto the series of
platforms
that materialize right under you. Follow this path to find the
Lifestone.

______________________________________________________________________
________

7] WRATH CORE LOCATIONS


[0700]
______________________________________________________________________
________

======================================================================
========
WRATH CORES
======================================================================
========

Wrath Core #1
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Twilight Cathedral

Found inside a treasure chest in a side room stemming from the


courtyard (the
same courtyard that leads to the boss room). Can't be accessed until
you get
the Crossblade.

Wrath Core #2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Location: Vulgrim

Purchase from Vulgrim for 10000 Blue Souls. Only appears after you
have
purchased the Wrath Shard from him.

Wrath Core #3
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Vulgrim

Find the Overlord Artifact and cash it in at a Vulgrim location.

======================================================================
========
WRATH SHARDS
======================================================================
========

~-~ Wrath Shard #1 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Vulgrim

Like Lifestone Shards, Wrath Shards require you to collect four in


order to
increase War's overall Wrath. They are easily just as important as
Lifestone
Shards, so keep your eye out for 'em.

The first Wrath Shard requires no exploration. Simply purchase the


Wrath
Shard from Vulgrim for 2500 Blue Souls.

~-~ Wrath Shard #2 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Scalding Gallow

After doing business with Vulgrim, turn around and make your way up
the
Demonic Growth to find a chest containing a Wrath Shard. That was
easy!

~-~ Wrath Shard #3 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Choking Grounds

There is a Wrath Shard inside a treasure chest on the first floor of


the
building here. The only thing in your way from taking it is a
Fleshburster
and some Wicked.

~-~ Wrath Shard #4 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-


Location: Twilight Cathedral

After killing the monsters and retrieving the Beholder's Key, make
sure to
open the treasure chest in the corner for a Wrath Shard.

~-~ Wrath Shard #5 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Anvil's Ford

From the plateau, work your way back towards the Demonic Growth. You
should
see another patch growing alongside a building. Latch on and follow
it around
the side of the building to find a sweet little cave and another
Wrath Shard.

~-~ Wrath Shard #6 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: The Hollows

Before pulling the lever in the room, open the treasure chest for
another
Wrath Shard.

~-~ Wrath Shard #7 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: The Hollows

Climb back up to the second blocked pipe (well it's not blocked
anymore) and
turn around. Leap over to the chest and open it for a Wrath Shard.

~-~ Wrath Shard #8 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: The Ashlands

Ride to the far north end of the first ash field. You will probably
pass by a
couple Abyssal Riders, but we don't need to fight them. If you locate
on the
map a wooden platform on the north end of the ash field (it looks
like a
circle with rays sticking out of it on the map), head east from there
to
find a cave opening covered in blue crystals. Break them and proceed
inside
the cave to locate the Wrath Shard.

~-~ Wrath Shard #9 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Iron Canopy

The alley is lined with wooden fences on the left side. They blend in
to the
surroundings and are hard to spot initially, but destroy them all
with your
Chaoseater. You will find a Wrath Shard behind one of them.

~-~ Wrath Shard #10 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Iron Canopy

Climb onto the block before the Goremaw grabs it, then jump off to
the
rafters after being yanked up in the air. You will find another Wrath
Shard
up here.

~-~ Wrath Shard #11 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Black Throne

Before exiting the room, fire a shot at the portal tile on the
northwest end
of the room. It's far away, so you may need to adjust your position
to reach
it. Next, shoot the portal tile next to you. Voila. Slip through the
portal
to teleport to the western side room to get the Wrath Shard. Use the
lever
inside to open the gate and free yourself.

~-~ Wrath Shard #12 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Eden

If you have the Fury's Embrace enhancement equipped, you should


notice a
treasure chest icon directly on top of you, but no chest to be found.
This
one is well hidden. Go back down a few steps and jump off to your
right to
the ground below (indicated on the map). The Wrath Shard is
underneath the
staircase.

~-~ Wrath Shard #13 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Serpent Hole (Dry Road)

As soon as you enter the Serpent Hole leading to Dry Road, turn
around and
follow the path that appears to a Wrath Shard.

~-~ Wrath Shard #14 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Dry Road


Enter the room with the wire and the three Goremaws. From the
northern
entrance, look up and to the right to spot a Red Chain. Grapple up to
it,
then spin around and leap onto the ledge here to find a well-hidden
Wrath
Shard.

~-~ Wrath Shard #15 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Drowned Pass

Once submerged in the water, swim north. Enter the cave on the left
and
follow it to a patch of blue crystals. Destroy them with your Tremor
Gauntlet
to reveal a chest on the other side. Open it for a Wrath Shard, then
smash
the blue crystals behind it for an easy exit.

~-~ Wrath Shard #16 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Crossroads

This time, return to the central balcony of the library and swing
north
across the Blue Chain. You will drop into a side room containing the
Wrath
Shard.

~-~ Wrath Shard #17 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Scalding Gallow

In the tunnel leading to the fan room is a portal tile on the west
end, above
a high wall. Shoot it, then use the fan room to return to where you
obtained
the Champion Artifact. Fire a Voidwalker shot at the portal tile
here, then
warp through the portal to reach the Wrath Shard.

~-~ Wrath Shard #18 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Serpent Hole (Anvil's Ford)

About halfway through the Serpent Hole, you will find a Red Chain
high above
you. Jump up and latch to it, then use the Red Chains and Blue Chains
to
drop onto a platform containing the Wrath Shard.

~-~ Wrath Shard #19 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Anvil's Ford


Make a right out of the Vulgrim location and climb across the wire to
the
other side. Dive into the water and swim through the tunnel, then
rise up to
the surface. Hop out of the water and destroy the blue crystals
against the
wall. Hug the left wall to find the Wrath Shard in a small alcove.

~-~ Wrath Shard #20 ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Anvil's Ford

Once on the far west side of the level (where you encounter the
Wicked K),
use the Blue Chain to swing into a small cave. Open up the treasure
chest to
collect the Wrath Shard.

______________________________________________________________________
________

8] ARTIFACT LOCATIONS
[0800]
______________________________________________________________________
________

======================================================================
========
SOLDIER ARTIFACTS
======================================================================
========

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Crossroads

You can find the game's first Artifact in the waterlogged subway.
Dive down
into the murky water. Press B to descend and A to ascend. Search the
bottom
of the chamber to find a glowing green object; swim through it to
obtain the
Soldier Artifact.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Choking Grounds

If you look very closely at the tombs that line the southwest end of
the
area, you may notice that the middle one looks a tad different than
the other
two. Face the north end of the tomb and you should be able to grab
onto it
with B. Grab on, then begin pulling the tomb to access a secret
stairway.
The underground tomb contains some Wicked, Undead Soldiers, but most
importantly, a Soldier Artifact. Kill the enemies and claim your
prize.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Choking Grounds

There is a staircase on the northwest end of the cemetery that leads


to an
underground tomb. Kill the Fleshburster and Wicked before accepting
the
Soldier Artifact.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Broken Stair

At the start of the area, hug the right wall as you exit out of the
tunnel.
As soon as the side opens up, follow the trail of debris. The Soldier
Artifact is pretty hard to miss as it's lying right on the edge of
the
upcoming cliff.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Twilight Cathedral

This Soldier Artifact is easy to miss because it's floating high up


in the
air. After crossing the pool of lava, you should end up on a patch of
Demonic Growth. Instead of dropping down to the ground, move your
camera so
you can see the other side of the tunnel. You should be able to see
the
Soldier Artifact floating in the air. From here, jump from the
Demonic
Growth to snag it out of the air.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Twilight Cathedral

Easy. Stand on the center of the bridge and look down to your right.
The
Soldier Artifact is floating on a ledge that can easily be reached if
you
glide on down.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Drowned Pass


Swim towards the northeast corner of the map: there's a small alcove
on the
map right near the entrance of the area. The shaded areas on the map
show
elevation, so the darker it is on the map, the deeper it is. Swim
underneath
the waterfall to reach a tiny cove containing the Soldier Artifact.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Drowned Pass

Dive underwater and enter the northern building through the west
side. Slip
through the hole in the wall to enter a stairwell. Swim up the
stairwell to
reach a small room containing a Soldier Artifact.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Hollows

Jump into the deep pool of water. Kill the Deep Lurker that's
wandering
around by his lonesome, then dive to the very bottom to locate the
Soldier
Artifact. To get out of here, return to the water's surface and
locate the
yellow and black-striped ledges. Use them to reach the top of the
hole.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Hollows

Behind the eastern lift is an alcove containing the Soldier Artifact.


Once
you have it in your possession, you will have to drop down to the
floor and
go the long way to get back onto the third lift.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Scalding Gallow

Before moving through the pipe to The Dry Road, look behind you! This
Soldier
Artifact can be easy to miss if not careful.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Dry Road

From the Lifestone Shard location, look south/southwest to see the


Soldier
Artifact sitting there in plain sight. Navigate across the rocky
terrain to
reach it.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Ashlands

At the very bottom of the underground lake is a Soldier Artifact.


It's hard
to not see the bright green hue when matched with the dark blue
scenery of
the lake's bottom.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Ashlands

Dive into the water to find a Soldier Artifact in the center,


floating around
midway down to the floor. It's a little trickier to find than the
last one
because of the rock formations down here, but do some searchin' and
it'll
turn up.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Iron Canopy

Before leaving through the open door, ascend the stairs in the
western end.
They lead nowhere, but if you look across the alley you will spot a
Soldier
Artifact on a high ledge. The Artifact is in gliding distance from
the top
of the stairs.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Iron Canopy

From the attic, jump and glide down to the floor directly below you.
You'll
find a Soldier Artifact here on the floor's perimeter.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Black Throne

The first portal tile is next to the chest, and the other is on the
ceiling
in the southwest corner of the room. Jump into the one on the wall to
appear
on the ceiling, then carefully float onto the ledge before you drop
to the
ground. Run forward and pick up the Soldier Artifact.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Black Throne

In the northwest corner of the room is an alcove with a pool of water


inside.
Jump in and dive down to locate the Soldier Artifact.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Ashlands

Continue along the cliffside behind the first drilling tower. Near
the north
end of the cliff is a patch of Demonic Growth leading to a Soldier
Artifact.

~-~ Artifact: Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Crossroads

At the north end of the library, look up and to the east to find a
Blue
Chain; jump up and grapple to it, then swing to the central walkway.
Follow
it west to reach the final Soldier Artifact.

======================================================================
========
CHAMPION ARTIFACTS
======================================================================
========

~-~ Artifact: Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Twilight Cathedral

Instead of facing the balcony, face the opposite way and jump into
the
Shadow Geyser. Float away from the balcony to snatch the Champion
Artifact
right out of the air.

~-~ Artifact: Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: The Hollows

Once at the main entrance of the pump room, drop off the bridge and
into the
raised pool of water. Swim through the northern pipe, then float
upwards.
There is a tiny room above the pipe where you will find the Champion
Artifact.

~-~ Artifact: Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Iron Canopy

Take the southern door in the Earthcracker room. Use the Red Chain to
reach
the Champion Artifact.

~-~ Artifact: Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: The Black Throne

Here on the upper balcony, aim and fire a charged-up Voidwalker shot
at the
portal tile on top of the floating pillar. Drop back down to the
south end of
the room and use a portal here to be transported above the pillar.
There is
a Champion Artifact levitating in the air that's just waiting to be
grabbed.

~-~ Artifact: Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Head through the passage past where the Tormented Gate was and
continue
through the drainage pipe. When you reach the tunnel with the two
Shadow
Geysers, drop below them and smash the blue crystals to find a
Champion
Artifact.

~-~ Artifact: Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Equip the Abyssal Chain. Look on the map towards the southeast side
of the
fan room. There is a hallway marked on the map, but it is
transparent. The
hallway is actually below the fan.

Ride the fan blade to the southeast side and jump below. As you fall,
you
will catch a short glimpse of a Red Chain at the end of this obscured
hall.
Fire at it to grapple onto it, then drop down. Use the Shadow Geyser
to reach
the top ledge to reach the Champion Artifact.

======================================================================
========
OVERLORD ARTIFACT
======================================================================
========
~-~ Artifact: Overlord ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Use the tower's interior to reach the roof of the third tower.
There's no
need to mess around with the Chronosphere because we deactivated the
drill.
Once on the roof, use your Abyssal Chain to swing across the Blue
Chain to
the roof of the fourth drilling tower. Deactivate the fourth tower's
drill,
then drop down into the hole that was being drilled. The cave below
leads
you directly to the Overlord Artifact.

______________________________________________________________________
________

9] ABYSSAL ARMOR LOCATIONS


[0900]
______________________________________________________________________
________

Abyssal Armor Piece #1


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Twilight Cathedral

Found inside a treasure chest in a side room stemming from the


courtyard (the
same courtyard that leads to the castle roof). Can't be accessed until
you get
the Crossblade.

Abyssal Armor Piece #2


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Scalding Gallow

On the south end of the Scalding Gallow is a building. On the top


floor is a
patch of red crystals. Use your Crossblade to destroy the Bomb Growths
on the
crystals to send a pillar crashing to the ground. Climb up the pillar
to the
upper floor to reach the Abyssal Armor Piece.

Abyssal Armor Piece #3


----------------------------------------------------------------
--------------

Location: Drowned Pass

In the eastern cove. Defeat the Shadowcaster and Phantom Guard


Soldiers, then
open the treasure chest.
Abyssal Armor Piece #4
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Drowned Pass

Received as a gift after freeing the Tormented Gate and completing the
Shadow
Challenge Arenas.

Abyssal Armor Piece #5


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: The Hollows

Inside the tunnel (the room after first fighting a Goreclaw) where you
fight
multiple Goreclaws and a Gholen. After slaying all foes, enter the two
holes
in the wall; one of them contains the Abyssal Armor Piece.

Abyssal Armor Piece #6


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Iron Canopy

Just after obtaining the Abyssal Chain, in the room where you locate
your
first Red Chain. Grapple to the Red Chain next to the Chronosphere and
jump
through the hole to find it.

Abyssal Armor Piece #7


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: The Black Throne

In the spiral staircase chamber on your way to the third Guardian. Use
the
spinning pillar in the air and the Bomb Growths along with your
Voidwalker to
reach the chest.

Create a portal on the pillar and make a second one next to you. When
the
pillar rotates so that the portal is pointing west, throw a Bomb
Growth
through the portal so it sticks to the crystals next to the pillar.
With the
crystals out of the way, wait for the portal to line up with the west
end
before jumping through to the alcove to find it.
Abyssal Armor Piece #8
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Eden

Jump into the river and follow it to the right. Look at the map and
search the
waterfalls lining the mountainside to find a hidden cavern inside one
of them.
Walk to the end to find a chest containing the Abyssal Armor Piece.

Abyssal Armor Piece #9


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: The Ashlands

Found on top of the roof of the first drilling tower. Ride north of
the tower
and hug the right walls until you come across a Shadow Geyser north of
the
cliff wall. Use it to reach the top of the cliff, then sling across
the Red
Chains with your Abyssal Chain to get to the tower's roof.

Abyssal Armor Piece #10


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Scalding Gallow

Inside the Vulgrim location, face east and look across the lava pit
towards
the island where Samael is. If you look below, you will find a narrow
rocky
path sticking out from the base of the island. If you carefully glide
down and
land on the walkway, you can follow it to find the final Abyssal Armor
Piece.

______________________________________________________________________
________

10] ITEMS
[1000]
______________________________________________________________________
________

======================================================================
========
10.1] ITEMS
[1010]
======================================================================
========

Life Essence
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Restores some of War's health.

Greater Life Essence


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Completely regenerates all of War's health.

Rage
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Restores some of War's Wrath.

Greater Rage
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Completely restores all of War's Wrath.

Possession
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Instantly increases War's Chaos level to maximum.

Undying
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Upon receiving a fatal strike, War's health and Wrath are completely
restored.
This item must be equipped to function.

======================================================================
========
10.2] GEAR/EQUIPMENT
[1020]
======================================================================
========

Chaoseater
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Start

The Chaoseater is War's main tool of destruction. You start off with
the sword
and will level it up as you level it up as you progress through the
game. It
is always equipped and used with the X button. Not much else to say;
you'll
find more information about the Chaoseater by checking out Section 4.
Scythe
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Vulgrim

The Scythe can be purchased from Vulgrim; it first becomes available


during
your first trip to the Scalding Gallow. The Scythe is a clunky weapon
that
sacrifices speed for power and long range. It'll take a second to wind
up a
powerful Scythe attack, but it has great range and many of its attacks
radiate
around War, making it the perfect weapon to use when surrounded by
enemies.

Tremor Gauntlet
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: The Hollows

The Tremor Gauntlet is found in The Hollows and is primarily used for
destroying blue crystals scattered throughout the game. You can also
use the
Tremor Gauntlet as a form of attacking as well. While the Tremor
Gauntlet is
attached directly to War's hand, you can bet that this weapon doesn't
have
much range. The polar opposite of the Scythe, the Tremor Gauntlet
sacrifices
range, but is faster to use and easier to string together combos.

Earthcaller
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: The Crossroads

The Earthcaller is a horn crafted out of an unknown material and can


be used
to wake up Tormented Gates. In addition, the Earthcaller, if pointed
at an
enemy, can knock them backwards and onto the ground. Still, the
Earthcaller is
stupid and you'll use it maybe three times in the game before it gets
replaced
by other, superior equipment.

Crossblade
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Twilight Cathedral


The Crossblade is a large blade shaped like an "x" that fits perfectly
in
War's hand. You can toss the weapon like a deadly frisbee in order to
stun
enemies and activate switches. Hold down the Right Trigger to charge
the
Crossblade, making it more powerful against foes.

Not only that, but the Crossblade has the power to absorb elemental
energy and
use it to your advantage. For example, lock onto a torch with the Left
Trigger
and throw your Crossblade at it to catch the weapon on fire. You can
then use
the enflamed weapon to ignite bombs among other things. The
Crossblade, while
effective in combat, is mainly used to solve puzzles.

~-~ Upgrades ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Ricochet Blade
- Causes the thrown Crossblade to ricochet between nearby enemies

Ricochet Haze
- Boosts the number of ricochet attacks by the Crossblade

The Shredder
- Charged attacks with the Crossblade reap Wrath Souls from enemies

Mercy
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Anvil's Ford

A pistol forged by Ulthane in Anvil's Ford after gaining his trust.


Since you
are now in possession of a gun, you can target flying enemies and
enemies from
lengths away. However, Mercy isn't as powerful as a massive pistol
would
imply, and really only peppers foes to weaken them before going in for
the
kill. Plus, War drastically slows down when using Mercy.

The best (and really only) time to use Mercy is when War travels to
The
Ashlands, since you can attack certain foes from safety while riding
atop your
horse, Ruin.

~-~ Upgrades ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Impact Rounds
- Augments the amount of damage that Mercy inflicts

Abyssal Chain
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Location: Iron Canopy

Pretty much exactly like the Hookshot from the Zelda series. The
Abyssal Chain
is well... a chain that can be used to strike and grapple objects. It
is the
main mode of transportation across large chasms and holes when Red and
Blue
Chains are present. Blue Chains allow you to swing back and forth
while Red
Chains will cause War to grapple to its location.

While not really thought of as a weapon, the Abyssal Chain can be used
in
combat. If used against smaller enemies, War will drag the target
towards him
and stun them momentarily. However, if you target a much bigger enemy,
War
will instead be dragged to the target instead of the other way around.

Voidwalker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: The Black Throne

Without a doubt the most unique and original piece of equipment in the
game,
the Voidwalker is a mechanism that creates portals. More specifically,
it can
create up to two portals at a time and allows War to travel between
the two.

Portals can only be created by shooting portal tiles (orange, circular


tiles).
Shoot a portal tile to create a portal, then shoot a second portal
tile to
make a second portal. Jump through one of the portals to appear
through the
other. This tool is mostly used throughout The Black Throne in order
to solve
puzzles and gain access to areas previously inaccessible.

You can disable portals made by aiming at the portal and pressing the
Left
Trigger. Also, you can create more powerful portals by holding down
the Right
Trigger before firing. This allows War to gain more velocity when
traveling
through portals.

Mask of Shadows
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Location: Eden
The Mask of Shadows, when equipped and worn, will cause War to enter
the
Shadow World. War can spot items, objects, and other things in the
Shadow
World that he previously could not see normally. The Mask of Shadows
is the
only way to locate and obtain the Armageddon Blade Shards at the
game's end,
but must also be used in order to uncover hidden chests, Shadow
Geysers, and
Red/Blue Chains.

======================================================================
========
10.3] WEAPON ENHANCEMENTS
[1030]
======================================================================
========

Weapon Enhancements
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

~-~ Weapon Master ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Vulgrim

Purchase from Vulgrim for 1000 Blue Souls.

Slotted
- Boosts the damage inflicted by a weapon's attack

~-~ Bane ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Vulgrim

Purchase from Vulgrim for 5000 Blue Souls.

Slotted
- Generates Wrath naturally over time

~-~ Ravager ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Choking Grounds

The first Weapon Enhancement found in the game, this is rewarded to


you by the
Tormented Gate in the Choking Grounds after waking him up and
completing the
Shadow Challenge Arenas.

Slotted
- Guarantees Souls for destroying environmental objects by any means

Passive
- Drastically increases damage inflicted with environmental objects
used as
weapons
~-~ Bloodthirst ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Twilight Cathedral

Use your Crossblade to light every torch in the room underneath The
Jailer's
prison cell to make a chest containing Bloodthirst appear.

Slotted
- Leeches weapon damage and converts it to health

~-~ Combat Lore ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Anvil's Ford/Vulgrim

Given to War as a reward if you manage to kill more angels than


Ulthane during
your first trip to Anvil's Ford. If you lose the minigame, then you
can
purchase it from Vulgrim for 1000 Souls.

Slotted
- Boosts weapon experience gained during combat

Passive
- Boosts your armor level

~-~ Reaper ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: The Hollows

Found in the underwater maze in search for the Beholder's Key, in a


side
branch that leads to a tiny alcove. Described in complete detail in
the
walkthrough.

Slotted
- Boosts the amount of Souls acquired from enemies and creatures
- Additional Soul rewards when assigned to the Scythe

~-~ Carnage ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Dry Road

Inside the tunnel leading to The Ashlands. Near the entrance is a


Goremaw
holding a metal block. Knock the block out of its mouth and jump onto
the left
side of the block. When the Goremaw picks the block up - now with you
on it -
jump to the left side of the tunnel to reach the Weapon Enhancement.

Slotted
- Boosts Chaos gained by the Chaoseater sword
- Allows Chaos generation by all weapons
~-~ Hellfire ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: The Crossroads

After obtaining the Tremor Gauntlet, return to The Crossroads and


search the
street west of the library. Destroy the blue crystals blocking the
entrance to
a cave containing Hellfire.

Slotted
- Boost weapon damage on strikes
- Has a chance to inflict fire damage upon targets

Legendary Weapon Enhancements


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

~-~ War's Glory ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: Iron Canopy

After slaying the Broodmother, proceed through the sewer system until
you
reach a large pit. Jump towards the first Shadow Geyser, and instead
of
floating forward to the next one, turn around and glide to a ledge
directly
above where you started. The Weapon Enhancement is here.

Slotted
- Drastically increases Chaos gained via the Chaoseater sword
- Drastically increases Chaos gained by other melee weapons
- Drastically increases the amount of weapon experience gained

Passive
- Drastically increases the duration of Chaos Form

~-~ Fury's Embrace ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: The Black Throne

Continue towards the location of the first Guardian to reach a room


containing
two sun tablets; they are each used to create a bridge in order to get
from
one side of the room to the other. Step on the sun tablet to make a
bridge
appear, then go halfway across and look up to the left. Shoot the
portal tile,
then cross.

Hit the sun tablet and return to the entrance of the room. Drop to the
floor
below and find the nearest portal tile to make a second portal. Step
through
the portal to end up at the top floor of the sun tablet room. Use the
sun
tablets here to cross a bridge leading to the Weapon Enhancement.

Slotted
- Wrath leeches on every weapon strike

Passive
- Boosts Wrath power damage
- Reveals all world maps and items
- Additional Wrath boosts on killing blows

~-~ Death's Blessing ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Location: Scalding Gallow

From the Scalding Gallow, head to the tunnel that leads to the Dry
Road. Use
the Chronosphere and lever to get behind the fast-moving gate in time.
Once
on the other side, turn around and shoot a Voidwalker shot at the
portal tile
on the back side of the gate.

Raise the gate and return to the Chronosphere. Shoot the portal tile
here and
raise the gate. Once the gate is as the very top (peer through the
portal to
find out when), jump through the portal to emerge on a ledge
containing the
Weapon Enhancement.

Slotted
- Leeches weapon damage and converts it to health
- Drastically increases weapon damage
- Drastically increases the amount of Souls acquired from objects and
creatures
- Additional Soul rewards when assigned to the Scythe

~-~ Strife's Offering ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Location: The Ashlands

Ride to the northwest end of the first ash field and drop down the
hole into a
pool of water. Swim to the Goremaw cavern. Use the Abyssal Chain on
the Blue
Chain on the east end of the cavern to find it.

Slotted
- Boosts weapon damage
- Generates Wrath on killing blows
- Generates Chaos on killing blows

Passive
- Drastically increases projectile attack damage
- Increases your defense against projectile attacks
______________________________________________________________________
________

11] ACHIEVEMENTS
[1100]
______________________________________________________________________
________

Here are all the achievements found in the game, in alphabetical


order.

Aerial Predator (20)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Kill 160 enemies while on the Angelic Beast

An Old Friend (10)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect Mercy

Ashes to Ashes (40)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Defeat The Stygian

Balance Restored (100)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Complete the game on Normal difficulty

Battle Hardened (20)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Max out all weapons and unlock all combat moves

BFA (30)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Unlocked everything

Chasm Jumper (10)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Gain the Shadowflight Ability


Dark Rider (10)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Ride for 100 miles

Death Dealer (10)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Meet Vulgrim

Devastator (10)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Kill 10 enemies with one Blade Geyser wrath attack

Don't Make Me Angry (20)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect the Chaos Form Ability

Elemental Thief (10)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect the Crossblade

Full Power (20)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect the maximum amount of Lifestones

High Flier (20)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Kill 5 Duskwings without touching the ground

Horseman (20)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Kill 150 Demons on horseback

Improvised Kills (10)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Kill 150 enemies with items from the environment


Into the Void (10)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect the Voidwalker

Legendary Form (20)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect the Abyssal Armor set

Like a Bat Outta Hell (40)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Defeat Tiamat

One Mean Mother (40)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Defeat Silitha

One Tough Cookie (10)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Meet Ulthane

Open Air Parking (5)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Destroy a helicopter during the apocalypse with a vehicle

Payback's A B**** (50)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Defeat Straga

Prison Break (20)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Free Samael from his prison

Reach Out and Touch Somebody (10)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Collect the Abyssal Chain

Reaper (10)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect the Scythe

Reunited (20)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Obtain Ruin

River of Blood (10)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Shed 3000 gallons of demon blood

Rocked Your Face Off (40)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Defeat The Griever

Sight Beyond Sight (10)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect the Mask of Shadows

Slayer (10)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Kill 666 demons

The Final Challenger? (70)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Defeat The Destroyer

The True Horseman (100)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Complete the game on Apocalyptic difficulty

Time Lapse (15)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Gain the Chronomancer Ability

To Move a Mountain (10)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect the Earthcaller

Treasure Hunter (20)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Search 150 caskets

Tremor Bringer (10)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect the Tremor Gauntlet

Ultimate Blade (20)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Forge the Armageddon Blade

Who's Counting? (20)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Defeat more angels than Ulthane

World Raider (30)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect all 27 Artifacts

Wrath Machine (10)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect all the Wrath Abilities

Wrath of War (20)


----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Collect the maximum amount of Wrath Cores


You Call This Easy? (10)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

Complete the game on Easy difficulty

______________________________________________________________________
________

12] BESTIARY
[1200]
______________________________________________________________________
________

======================================================================
========
12.1] ENEMIES
[1210]
======================================================================
========

~-~ Minion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Very Low

Minions are the first enemies encountered in the game, and with that
bit of
information it's easy to see that these guys are not very tough.
Minions
travel in small groups and attack with a lunging slash, but deal very
little
damage and are easily disposed of. Attacking them one-on-one is a
joke, but
switch to wide-range weapons like your Scythe to deal with groups.

~-~ Trauma ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Very High

Traumas are large, scary, and pretty powerful. Traumas are big enough
to hurl
debris and other objects at War, so you will either have to protect
yourself
by dodging these projectiles or catching them in midair. If you are
eye-to-eye
with a Trauma, you are at risk of getting hit by unblockable punches
and
swipes. Use powerful Wrath Abilities or even Chaos Form to take down a
Trauma.

~-~ Angel Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: Low

Angel Soldiers are the most common angelic enemies you will face off,
and are
often a package deal. Several times in the game you'll encounter a
group of
Angel Soldiers, who wield long staffs. Up close, they will whack you
with it,
but from afar they can use their staff to fire laser beams at you.
Angel
Soldiers fly in the air, so knock them down to the ground before
unleashing a
Chaoseater combo while they're down.

~-~ Wicked ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Expendable

Any foe marked with a threat level of "Expendable" are the weakest
enemies in
the game, provide virtually no threat to you, and can all be instantly
slain
and harvested for Green Souls by pressing B. You will find male and
female
Wicked through the game, and while they can slowly wail their fists at
you,
they deal practically no damage. Pathetic.

~-~ Fleshburster ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Medium

The Fleshburster is a large monstrosity doused in fire. Block against


their
frantic punches and dodge when you see the Fleshburster breathe fire
in your
general direction. Encountered early in the game, these foes are
pretty
durable and cannot be juggled in the air like smaller enemies. Once
you
deliver the final blow, back up as the Fleshburster rears his head
back, as
he's about to perform a kamikaze attack.

~-~ Phantom Guard Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: Very Low

You'll get very comfortable with Phantom Guard Soldiers, as they


appear from
start to finish and in nearly every level. They are not very strong
and are
susceptible to combos and other power moves. Phantom Guard Soldiers
carry a
blade etched out of stone, but that shouldn't intimidate you when
taking into
account their poor combat skills.

~-~ Gholen ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-


Threat Level: High

Gholens look like stubby, plump dinosaurs. Don't be fooled by their


somewhat
silly appearance, for they're quite hard to take down. The Gholen will
use his
big flaming fists to knock you around like a rag doll, in addition to
a wide
shockwave spell and a fire breath attack. Stay back, then retaliate
with
Harpoon Tackle and use Blade Geyser when up close before retreating
again.

~-~ Lasher ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Very Low

Lashers live inside Demonic Growth and will stick their head outside
to smack
anyone who gets too close. They cannot be killed, but will retreat
back into
their hole if harmed. Attack a Lasher to scare it off, then continue
across
the Demonic Growth safely.

~-~ Duskwing ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Expendable

Any foe marked with a threat level of "Expendable" are the weakest
enemies in
the game, provide virtually no threat to you, and can all be instantly
slain
and harvested for Green Souls by pressing B. Duskwings are oversized
bats that
don't really attack much and instead flutter overhead. Jump in the air
towards
a Duskwing, then press B to rip them apart and release Green Souls.

~-~ Undead Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Low

Undead Soldiers are similar to Phantom Guard Soldiers, but are a tad
stronger
and have more health. Still, they possess no special abilities or
attacks and
will instead use their primitive weaponry. Undead Soldiers rise from
the
ground, and since they are commonly found in graveyards, you can bet
to find a
high number in one place: you'll rarely fight only one or two Undead
Soldiers
at a time.

~-~ Wicked K ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-


Threat Level: Medium

The rarest enemy in the game, Wicked K is only present in four


locations, and
in order to face him you must complete a specific requirement. It
seems
strange to go through the necessary work just to fight a powerful
enemy, but
this fancy, top hat-wearing skeleton drops a 1000 Blue Souls after his
defeat.
If you do the simple math, defeat the undead Brit all four times to
net 4000
Blue Souls! The good news is that hunting him down is the hardest
part.

Wicked K will block the majority of your attacks, so really the only
way to
defeat him with ease is to use Block Counter. He only has three
attacks, so
time your block properly when he tries to whack you with his cane.
It's much
harder to Block Counter his top hat throw and giant top hat slam
attacks. Two
or three successful Block Counters is all it takes for him to bolt.

Here is where you can find Wicked K, plus the requirements needed:

1. Choking Grounds - inside the southern crypt (only appears after you
have
freed the Tormented Gate)

2. Drowned Pass - inside the southeast cavern (only appears after you
have
freed the Tormented Gate)

3. Twilight Cathedral - inside the cave north of the cathedral's main


entrance
(only appears once War obtains the Abyssal Chain)

4. Anvil's Ford - on the westernmost side of the area (only appears


once War
obtains Mercy)

~-~ Ravenous ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Medium

The Ravenous is a bigger, blue version of the Fleshburster. He acts


nearly
identical to a Fleshburster, punching and smashing his way through any
obstacles, but the biggest difference is that the Ravenous cannot
breathe fire
or use the Fleshburster's signature kamikaze attack. What makes the
Ravenous
unique is that if you kill any nearby enemies, they will sap away the
Souls
that appear before you can take them yourself.
~-~ Goremaw ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: Very Low

Goremaws hang from ceilings and wait to ambush prey that walks
underneath
them. Goremaws often hang above entrances, exits, and important
objects as
guards of sort. You cannot kill Goremaws, but you can stun them with
your
Crossblade long enough to safely run underneath them without the risk
of
getting snatched up.

~-~ Lavashrike ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Expendable

Any foe marked with a threat level of "Expendable" are the weakest
enemies in
the game, provide virtually no threat to you, and can all be instantly
slain
and harvested for Green Souls by pressing B. Lavashrikes resemble a
Duskwing
that has been caught on fire. They can attack by shooting fireballs at
you,
but can still be killed in one swift hit.

~-~ Rot Mauler ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Medium

Rot Maulers are disgusting, ugly, putrid bags of flesh. They don't
only look
disgusting, their toxic stench can actually poison War if he gets too
close;
sapping away his health until you back away and let the poison
subside. Toss a
charged Crossblade shot at a Rot Mauler to whisk away their poison
shield,
then run up and go for the kill.

~-~ Conscript ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: High

Conscripts are large skeletons donned with shiny crystal armor. They
are most
common in the Twilight Cathedral, guarding crystals blades, but are
also found
late in the game. They use their large axe to perform slow, powerful
blows
that can cut your health away in a flash.

Avoid their spin attack by dodging backwards and wait for the
Conscript to
attack with a lunging slam. When he misses, take this opportunity to
attack
their back while they try to pry their weapon out of the ground. Once
you
manage to knock off all of their armor, the fight tilts in your favor.

~-~ Deep Lurker ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: Very Low

The body of the Deep Lurker surges with electricity, and even touching
one of
these nasty fish will result in a wake-up call. Deep Lurkers try to
gain the
upper hand by hunting in schools, but it only takes one or two hits
with your
Chaoseater to dispose of them.

~-~ Shadowcaster ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Medium

Shadowcasters are long, snake-like creatures that are primarily


spellcasters.
They have the unique ability to somehow float in the air, and can
slither back
and forth like no other, making your chances of actually connecting
with an
attack difficult. Most of the Shadowcaster's magic spells are used
from a
distance, so close the gap and knock it out of the air to
significantly weaken
the spellcaster.

~-~ Angel Champion ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Medium

Everything about the Angel Champion is bigger than their counterpart -


the
Angel Soldier. They are larger in size, wear more armor, carry around
a bigger
sword, and also have a huge shield to boot. Like any angel, your main
priority
is to get him down to your level. Either avoid or counter one of their
sword
strikes, then punch him out of the air. Once the Angel Champion is
grounded,
the fight won't last much longer.

~-~ Storm Warden ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Medium

Storm Wardens look very similar to Angel Champions, but have yellow
wings and
carry around a huge energy cannon instead of a sword and shield. They
stay low
to the ground and try to swerve behind War before shooting him with
the
Redemption. Storm Wardens can either use a rapid-fire shot or charge
up one
ultra powerful energy shot. As an added bonus, you can use their
weapon (the
Redemption) after their defeat!

~-~ Locust ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Expendable

Any foe marked with a threat level of "Expendable" are the weakest
enemies in
the game, provide virtually no threat to you, and can all be instantly
slain
and harvested for Green Souls by pressing B. Locusts attack in large
swarms
and are actually pretty pesky with their long stingers, but still pose
no real
threat to War.

~-~ Goreclaw ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Low

Goreclaws are a bit stronger than Minions, and the addition of a row
of spines
along their back means that they have a new attack. Goreclaws most
commonly
jump in the air and spin around like a buzzsaw (basically an exact
copy of
War's Flipsaw attack). They are quick on their feet, so try to block
because
it may be hard to dash away from it.

~-~ Flamecaller ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: Low

Flamecallers are exactly like Goreclaws, whom are exactly like


Minions! See
the pattern? Flamecallers don't have a row of spines like the Goreclaw
and
therefore do not share attacks, but instead Flamecallers can spit out
fireballs. Keep in mind that they are not strong at all and can be
dispatched
as easily as Goreclaws.

~-~ Wraith Scout ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: High

Wraith Scouts may not look as intimidating as some of the monsters we


have
crossed paths with so far, but they are not to be taken lightly. These
ghastly
women can swiftly float through the air like a cold breeze and make
them a
hard target for some of your attacks. Stay locked onto them and stun
them with
your Crossblade to try and slow 'em down.

Their double swords are a dangerous pair, especially when the Wraith
Scout
throws both at you like two boomerangs. Even their basic attacks are
far more
deadly than expected, because wielding two blades makes for a much
quicker set
of combos. Stun a Wraith Scout with your Crossblade, then run up and
knock
them senseless with your Tremor Gauntlet. Capitalize while the Wraith
Scout is
face up on the floor.

~-~ Phantom Captain ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: Low

These chumps are exactly like Phantom Guard Soldiers. They pretty much
look
exactly the same, wield a slightly more upgraded version of the
latter's
sword, and all possess the same basic attacks. There's really nothing
special
about Phantom Captains, as they are still fairly weak and begin to
replace
Phantom Guard Soldiers as the default fodder enemy as you progress
through the
game.

~-~ Grappleclaw ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: High

A rare enemy at first, the Grappleclaw is a large quadruped that has


two large
horns on either side of its face. Even though they are pretty big in
size, the
Grappleclaws have no trouble moving around, and can even stand on
their hind
legs for a second or two in order to punch the stuffing out of you.
These foes
often start by punching twice, then finishing off with a headbutt.

As tough as they may be, Grappleclaws can actually come in handy, as


War can
jump on and ride them after weakening them a little bit. While riding
a
Grappleclaw, you can use the beast to attack other nearby enemies
before
getting tossed off like a rag doll. With this information in mind, it
is
important that you target Grappleclaws first so you can use them to
dispatch
of the weaker enemies present.
Very late in the game, War will come across red Grappleclaws. They are
a bit
tougher than the blue Grappleclaws, but also have a new attack: they
will rear
their head back and breathe a stream of fire your way. Keep in mind
that you
will only encounter two or three red Grappleclaws during the game's
duration.

~-~ Wingrock ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Expendable

Any foe marked with a threat level of "Expendable" are the weakest
enemies in
the game, provide virtually no threat to you, and can all be instantly
slain
and harvested for Green Souls by pressing B. Wingrocks are more like
Lavashrikes than Duskwings, because they also have a projectile
attack.
Instead of shooting fireballs your way, Wingrocks fire a small gust of
wind at
you. But that's the only difference.

~-~ Fallen Angel ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Low

I'm starting to get tired of the whole palette-swap deal when it comes
to
these enemies. The Fallen Angel is really nothing special, as he
basically
looks like a super evil version of an Angel Soldier. The black armor,
evil
aura, and deteriorating wings all show that this is one bad mofo. But
he's
still pretty darn weak. Fallen Angels act just like Angel Soldiers,
minus the
energy blast attack.

~-~ Stinger ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: Expendable

Any foe marked with a threat level of "Expendable" are the weakest
enemies in
the game, provide virtually no threat to you, and can all be instantly
slain
and harvested for Green Souls by pressing B. Stingers are EXACTLY the
same as
Locusts, except they are now purple and the developers decided to make
them
all electrical and stuff. Don't care.

~-~ Berserker ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~


Threat Level: High

As the name implies, these dudes are straight-up crazy. Berserkers


possess
very little intelligence and have no battle strategies as they wave
their axe
back and forth like a madman, hitting whomever gets in their way.
While
Berserkers seem like cool guys since he inadvertently kills his own
teammates,
they are incredibly strong.

You'd think that their suit of armor would kinda weigh them down when
attacking, but the Berserker's blind rage increases his speed and
agility in
battle. Their most dangerous attack is when one initially spots you,
as he
will make a beeline to your location. If you let him ram you, then
you'll be
in a world of hurt. Stay alert, block/counter, and use some Wrath
Abilities to
cut them down to size.

~-~ Devastator ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: High

Devastators look similar to Berserkers with their similar appearance


and same
type of armor, but Devastators tote around a large cannon kinda like
the Storm
Wardens. Unlike the Storm Wardens, however, Devastators cannot fly up
around
with the greatest of ease. They usually stay in one spot and fire
explosive
shards at you, but if you get too close they'll also respond with a
shockwave
attack. Weaken them from a distance with Mercy, then go in and finish
the job.
You can take their Fracture Cannon from their dead bodies as a reward.

~-~ Abyssal Rider ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: Medium

Abyssal Riders let their mount do most of the work. They will ride
around on
their horses and let them try to run you over, but if they do close in
on you
you should be ready to dodge a sword strike or two. Also use a dash
when the
horse uses one of its own. Abyssal Riders don't do much offensively,
but
killing them is the problem. Their horses ride around so much that the
best
way to defeat one is to just use Mercy. When the Abyssal Rider slumps
over in
pain, run over and attack until he gets back up and rides away.
~-~ Broodling ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: Expendable

Any foe marked with a threat level of "Expendable" are the weakest
enemies in
the game, provide virtually no threat to you, and can all be instantly
slain
and harvested for Green Souls by pressing B. Broodlings are so
annoying. They
are everywhere in the Iron Canopy; on ceilings, stuck to walls,
underneath
tables, EVERYWHERE. They'll try to nip at your shins, but you can
perform a
satisfying stomp attack to reduce them to bug guts.

~-~ Loom Warden ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: High

There are only four Loom Wardens in the game, and you cannot hurt them
until
you have obtained the Abyssal Chain. Use the chain to rip their hard
carapace
off, exposing their soft flesh. Loom Wardens will naturally get pissed
off at
this and attack with their sickle-like appendages. Dash behind them
and slash
their backside, then finish off with a Blade Geyser attack.

~-~ Undead Lord ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: Medium

Undead Lords may look cool, with their body covered in green flames
and their
huge, swirly sword, but they aren't so tough. They replace Undead
Soldiers
later on in the game and use the same attacks; nothin' special aside
from a
few simple sword combos. Often found in groups to help detract from
the fact
that they are pathetic one-on-one.

~-~ Earthcracker ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Very High

Earthcrackers are oversized Gholens, and luckily for your sake, you
only fight
two, maybe three in the entire game. Earthcrackers have the same
attacks as
the Gholen (punch, overhead slam, running tackle), but since they are
so much
larger they are clearly more difficult to avoid. The best method to
dispose of
an Earthcracker is of course Chaos Mode, but if that is not available
then
switch to using Wrath Abilities.

~-~ Forsaken ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Medium

I'll give them brownie points for looking uber-cool, but Forsaken
perform
similarly to Fallen Angels. Their spears are much longer than the
Fallen
Angels, giving them a longer range. Forsaken always appear in small
groups and
often join other enemy types, making them pesky foes. Snatch them out
of the
air with your Abyssal Chain and defeat them quickly before focusing on
bigger
and badder problems that may be at hand.

~-~ Wraith Soldier ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Threat Level: Very High

I've always found Wraith Scouts to be incredibly feisty and annoying


foes, so
when I was introduced to Wraith Soldiers I was not too pleased with
the
outcome. Wraith Soldiers all have the same attacks as Wraith Scouts,
but have
one very dangerous ability.

Wraith Soldiers can become transparent, leaving them invulnerable to


enemy
attacks. In fact, your sword will pass right through their body! Lock
onto a
Wraith Soldier and wait for them to become vulnerable again, then
quickly
respond by using your Abyssal Chain to pull them towards you. Attack
them
while they're down before they turn transparent again.

~-~ Shield Lord ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Threat Level: Very High

Shield Lords are kinda like Conscripts, but admittedly don't look
nearly as
cool. I dunno, something about the bright blue armor did it for me. As
their
name implies, the biggest difference between a Shield Lord and a
Conscript is
that the former carries around a large shield alongside a huge
sledgehammer.
The worst attack they have is their spinning attack, which is preceded
by a
lame threat or one-liner.
Like Conscripts, the best time to attack a Shield Lord is after their
overhead
slam attack. The Shield Lord will get his weapon stuck in the ground,
so
attack while he tries frantically to get it dislodged. However, this
does not
always work out so well, as the Shield Lord also uses his shield to
knock you
away if you get too close. Take the time to break off their armor and
shield,
then hack away at their naked bodies.

======================================================================
========
12.2] BOSSES
[1220]
======================================================================
========

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Straga ----------------------

Straga is a gargantuan demon that wants nothing more than to reduce


War to a
bloody pulp. With the intimidation factor aside, he is not difficult
at all.
Straga can't move around all that well since the lower half of his
body is
submerged in lava, so he is a bit limited when it comes to mobility.

For the most part, you'll be dodging cars left and right. Straga will
dig
deep in his bottomless pit of cars and begin throwing them your way
like they
are Hot Wheels. Lock onto the boss with the Left Trigger and dash to
avoid
impact. Next up, use the cars to attack the boss. If you are locked
onto
Straga, you should automatically hit him square in the face every
time.

Keep doing this until Straga falls forward. With his ugly mug in
reach, jump
in the air and slash away at his head. Straga will pull himself away
after
three his, then retaliate with his next attack. The demon will pick up
the
street entirely, tilt it twice, then slam the street to the ground.
Stand on
the street as he lifts it up the two times, then get ready to double
jump as
Straga drops it down.

As the battle progresses, Straga will use a third attack (though it's
just as
easy to dodge as the other two). As the boss slams his fist in the
ground, a
stream of lava will roll your way. Just like the cars, sidestep the
liquid hot
magma.

The only way to stun Straga is to toss cars back at him, so you will
have to
be patient and wait for him to use the cars on you first.
Nevertheless, this
is a painfully easy boss fight and doesn't require much skill. The
process of
stunning Straga, then slicin' his face up must be done a total of
three times
in order to end the boss fight - finish the job by pressing B when the
game
prompts you to do so.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Phantom General -------------

The Phantom General is basically an oversized version of the Phantom


Guard
Soldiers you've been slicing apart all day. He has only a handful of
attacks
and lets his henchmen do most of the dirty work. The Phantom General
starts
the battle off with a few basic attacks, like a simple slice of his
axe. Not
too difficult to avoid.

The Phantom General's axe will sometimes glow red. The boss will then
slam the
hilt into the ground, resulting in a minor shockwave. All you have to
do is
dash backwards as you see the weapon turn bright red. Also, aside from
staying
on the offense, the boss does what no common enemy does and actually
blocks
your attacks!

Most of the fight is spend dealing with Phantom Guard Soldiers than
the boss
himself. He will summon up to five soldiers and patiently wait until
you
decimate every single one of them. He'll even try to sound like a
tough guy by
spewing threats even though he never tries to commit them. Usually you
will
have to fight around two waves of Phantom Guard Soldiers before the
Phantom
General begins to attack you himself.

Once weakened, the Phantom General will begin to use an ultra-powerful


attack.
The boss will wind up, then begin spinning around like a buzzsaw. It
can knock
you flat on your back if you aren't quick enough to avoid it, and
he'll spin
around four to five times, so repeatedly dash to keep away from the
axe's
reach.

The fight is rather easy if you play it smart and don't get too
carried away
with attacking him. The Phantom General can catch you by surprise if
you are
too overzealous, so remember to block and dodge his axe strikes. Try
to mix up
Chaoseater and Scythe combos to catch him off-guard and wait for a
button
prompt to appear to finish the fight.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: The Jailer ------------------

This putrid, mutated fiend is luckily not as tough as he is


disgusting. The
Jailer has one main attack: he uses his free arm to swing one of the
cages
around in a sweeping motion. He's not exactly swift or agile, so this
is very
easy to avoid once you see it coming. As a result, The Jailer usually
gives in
and lets the Undead Soldiers deal with you.

When The Jailer slams the cage into the ground, several Undead
Soldiers will
somehow be released. Dash away from the boss and let the soldiers
follow, then
kill them before The Jailer reaches your position. (it should take a
while for
that to happen).

Use your Crossblade and Aim Mode to target the three yellow bulbs on
The
Jailer's enlarged shoulder. Hit all three in one throw to stun the
boss. With
the boss on one knee, run up and unleash a flurry of Chaoseater
combos.
Retreat when The Jailer gets back up, as it isn't too happy.

The bulbs turn from yellow to red, and The Jailer goes into an all-out
frenzy.
He shuffles around, swinging his cage back and forth like a madman.
He'll most
likely take out a few of the columns in the room, actually making it
easier to
navigate the prison. Once The Jailer calms down, the battle will
resume its
normal schedule.

Continue to repeat this process. The battle doesn't get any harder,
but if you
need any health there is a treasure chest containing Green Souls in
the corner
of the room. Stun The Jailer by targeting its fleshy bulbs, then whack
away:
do this a total of three times to win the fight. Finish off The Jailer
(and
his prisoner for good measure) with an instant kill.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Tiamat ----------------------

Tiamat is one tough customer, and she certainly means business. I


really hope
that you have at least one Life Essence at your disposal. For the
first part
of the boss battle, Tiamat lurks around the perimeter of the rooftop.
She will
occasionally stop to cough up a fireball your way; sidestep to avoid
getting
burnt.

The only way to damage Tiamat while airborne is to use one of the many
Bomb
Growth lying around the roof. Unfortunately for us, they are dormant
and must
be lit somehow. There are two ways of doing that, both huge pains.

The most conventional way - the same way we've been doing it so far -
is to
toss a Bomb Growth onto Tiamat. There are several torches surrounding
the roof
so target a torch, then the Bomb Growth to damage the bat queen. There
are two
problems with this: first off, you must be very close to Tiamat to
pull this
off, so she must directly be hovering over a torch for you to target
her. This
isn't very common. Secondly, she's constantly spewing fireballs that
it's hard
for you to pause, enter Aim Mode, select both targets, and let it fly.

The second way to inflict damage on Tiamat is with timing. Just as


Tiamat is
getting ready to hurl a fireball, throw a Bomb Growth at her face. The
fireball should be enough to ignite the Bomb Growth. Personally I find
the
timing window to be very small and I've never been precise with it. I
prefer
the first option.

Either way, damage Tiamat with a Bomb Growth and she falls to the
ground.
Attack her unrelentlessly with your Chaoseater until she gets up. Now
Tiamat
will fly around the roof, but instead of pausing to shoot a fireball,
she will
divebomb you, her talons scraping the ground. Avoid getting ripped to
shreds
by the talons and wait until she calms down.
Tiamat will start using fireballs again, so get back to the Bomb
Growths. Keep
your health in check: unlike some of the fights earlier in the game,
there are
no Green Soul chests to aid you, so use your Life Essence sparingly
and don't
get too cocky when using the Bomb Growths. Stun Tiamat with a Bomb
Growth,
then continue attacking. Do this twice more to ground the bat for
good.

With Tiamat on the ground, she will now use her large wings and
claws... and
tail for attacking! There are several scenarios to take into account
in this
next phase of the fight.

If you are too far away, Tiamat will respond by shooting a series of
fireballs
your way. Blocking them is your best bet. If you stand up close to
Tiamat, she
will retaliate with her two clawed hands. Dangerous stuff. If you get
behind
Tiamat, she has no trouble sweeping her tail from side to side to
knock you
away. Finally, if Tiamat floats up in the air, back away before she
does a
cannonball down into the ground.

Stay in front of Tiamat and block her claw attacks, then retaliate
with a
Wrath Ability like Blade Geyser. Sometimes you will stun the boss,
leaving her
open for attack for a quick few seconds. Also try using a charged up
Crossblade attack to keep her distracted, then go in for the kill with
your
Chaoseater.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Uriel -----------------------

Uriel is a feisty chick, and it does not help that Ulthane is now
sitting on
the sidelines after he had no trouble massacring heaping piles of
angels only
minutes before. That jerk.

This heavenly woman is much more agile than any other angelic enemy we
have
encountered before. She has a long sword and can string together
combos when
up close and also has a few devastating long-range spells. If you get
too
close, you are at risk for a two or three-hit sword combo that deals
no damage
if blocked. Uriel can also fly high in the air, then do a somersault
before
crashing to the floor, blade first.
If you decide to keep your distance, Uriel will toss blue energy
blades that
look kinda like the Cutter ability from Kirby games. Uriel's final
attack is a
shockwave move similar to her overhead slam. She will rise in the air
before
plummeting to the ground. Either run far away or double jump before
impact or
else you'll be hit with electrical shocks.

Whichever method you take, it won't take long to study and work around
this
boss's offensive strategy. Immediately use your Chaos Form at the
start of the
fight and unload on her to take away a chunk of her health right from
the
get-go.

If you want to stay up close, use jumping attacks like Flipsaw and
Spin Slash
(or Air Grinder if you prefer your Scythe). A much preferred strategy
is to
use your Crossblade to knock Uriel to the ground, then run up and
proceed to
use whatever combos and Wrath Abilities you would like. Sooner or
later, Uriel
will submit to your awesome might and power.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: The Griever -----------------

This battle must be won with some intelligence. Walking up to The


Griever and
trying to attack the glowing blue crystals on her underside
accomplishes
nothing. Well, it gets you hurt, if you count that as an
accomplishment. You
must think of another strategy to damage this boss.

There are patches of blue crystals scattered throughout the terminal.


You must
destroy them all to clear the train track leading to The Griever (who,
by the
way, does not move at all in this fight). Make sure to destroy the
crystals
closest to The Griever, since even smashing crystals can be a chore in
this
fight. The Griever's laser attack will harden the crystals if she hits
them,
leaving them temporarily unbreakable.

Run up to the crystal the farthest away and use an aerial attack with
your
Tremor Gauntlet (aerial attacks destroy them in one hit while ground
attacks
take two hits) before she knocks you backwards with a ground pound.
Continue
breaking crystals while avoiding her laser beams.

Things get annoying when there are only one or two crystals left. The
Griever
keeps hitting them with laser beams, leaving them indestructible. By
the time
they cool down, The Griever is ready to shoot them again. Try staying
out in
the open and not hiding behind the crystal. Lure The Griever away from
the
crystal and dodge/block the laser beam yourself. Once the attack stops
and the
crystals cool down, quickly punch them.

Once the crystals are clear, run behind the flatbed car at the south
end of
the boss arena. Begin pushing it along the track towards the big boss.
She can
push your car backwards with a ground slam if you get too close. I
suggest
using a Shockwave Punch right around where the tunnel part of the
arena ends
and the actual room begins; you should have enough distance to
connect.

The Griever will shake it off and send the car backwards. She then
begins
slamming her head against the sides of the walls, sending large spires
crashing to the ground. Dodge each and every one until the attack
ceases, then
try pushing the flatbed car forward again.

Once the flatbed car is send crashing into The Griever a second time,
she will
fall to the ground. Run up to her and use your Tremor Gauntlet to
destroy the
crystals on her underbelly, exposing her real weak point. The Griever
sicks a
huge swarm of Locusts on you. If you are in need of health, use your
one-hit
kill to receive some Green Souls. Otherwise, use the Tremor Gauntlet's
aerial
attack to dispose of them in large groups at a time.

The battle will then repeat itself. Hit The Griever with the flatbed
to
initiate her rock spire attack; hit her a second time to stun her. Now
that
the crystals cannot protect her weak point, have at it with your
Chaoseater.
To speed up the process, enter Chaos Mode and hack away at the weak
point. If
The Griever is still alive, she will summon more Locusts. Feast on
them for
health and repeat the process with the car again: the first shot
pisses her
off, the second time knocks her to the floor.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-
--- BOSS: Abyssal Gladiator -----------

The champ is here! The crowd was holding back on you, for they saved
their
toughest competitor for last. Just because he is the guy to beat
doesn't mean
you are going to have trouble beating him. The boss is essentially a
beefed-up
Abyssal Rider, and we've dealt with a few of them minutes before.

The Abyssal Gladiator functions the same as an Abyssal Rider, but has
one or
two more attacks. Aside from the horse's charge attack, the Abyssal
Gladiator
will toss blue energy balls at you. If they miss you and connect with
the
ground, they turn into large blue geysers. The boss starts off with
just one,
but begins to toss more as the battle progresses. Also, the Abyssal
Gladiator
can slash you with his sword if he's close enough.

Once you use Mercy to stun the Abyssal Gladiator, charge and use Blade
Harpoon
and your strongest Chaoseater combos. Remember to back away once he
regains
his composure, because his horse will retaliate with a ground slam.
Keep on
attacking the Abyssal Gladiator until a button prompt appears.

War knocks the boss off his horse and lets the battle continue. I
didn't
really think that one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse would be
so fair
and noble. I was hoping for a nice cheap shot or something.

Okay, the REAL boss battle begins. No, he's not very intimidating. No,
he
isn't ten times bigger than you. BUT, the Abyssal Gladiator is quite
tough.
What makes this different than normal sword combat is that you cannot
block
the Abyssal Gladiator's attacks. Not even his basic, two-hit sword
slash. You
are going to have to rely on your agility and timing to dodge and
evade the
boss's arsenal of attacks.

His sword slash begins with a small, one second charge period, giving
you
enough time to get behind him and hack away. This boss is also pretty
quick on
his feet, as he can dash your own moves as well. He usually follows up
on a
dash with a move similar to your own Flipsaw attack.

Lastly, the Abyssal Gladiator uses a blue geyser attack just like he
did while
on horseback. He will punch the ground and create a moving blue geyser
that
follows you for a short while. The number of geysers increase as the
battle
goes on.

It's hard to give you a decent battle strategy, as all you can really
do is
perfect your sword skills. use Stoneskin, constantly dodge, try not to
block
as it doesn't work, and try not to get overzealous when attacking or
else he
will surprise you. There are two chests containing Green Souls on
either side
of the arena, so take the time to run away like a sissy and open one
if need
be. Also, Chaos Mode doesn't hurt if you filled your Chaos Meter
already.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Ash Titan -------------------

I can't really consider this a real fight, so think of it more as a


mini-boss.
The Ash Titan slithers underneath the ash, waiting for the right
moment to
strike like a viper. But you already know this, because we've
witnessed their
awesome power first-hand.

The boss only has one attack, where it will lunge out of the ash and
follow
you with its head exposed. After the Ash Titan's mouth flares, it will
dive
forward in an attempt to swallow Ruin and War up. Right when you see
the Ash
Titan's mouth begin to twitch, dash forward. Even though it only has
one
attack, stay far away from the worm because running into it will cause
you to
fall off of your horse nearly 100% of the time, leaving you open for
additional abuse.

Run around to get the Ash Titan's attention, then lock onto the
sandworm and
wait for it to open its mouth. Fire at the throbbing yellow tongue
inside with
Mercy to harm the beast. If the Ash Titan gets too close, dash away
from it;
you could either slow down and collide with the Ash Titan's mouth, or
it could
try and use its dive attack. If it manages to hit you and you fall off
of
Ruin, press the Left and Right Bumper together to summon your horse
pal.

Once the Ash Titan has taken enough abuse, it'll fall to the ground.
Gallop
next to it and press B to eliminate the foe. It feels pretty good to
finally
kill something that's been stalking us for so long.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: The Stygian -----------------

Being the king of all Ash Titans, The Stygian is bigger, stronger,
faster, and
overall treated better than the other Ash Titans. Lesser demons have
forged a
metal helmet for their king, so targeting his fleshy tongue won't be
as easy
as you'd think.

The Stygian starts things off by staying underneath the ash, then
emerging
only to charge at you. Use Ruin's dash to avoid the Stygian's giant
head.
After a few charge attacks, the boss will rise and coast around the
ash field.
Dash towards the boss and ride alongside it. Slowly gain up speed and
begin
attacking the side of the helmet once you make your way towards his
head.

Alternate between slashing the left and right side of the helmet. The
Stygian
doesn't do much during this stage other than slither around, and
running into
the side of the giant worm will not hurt you, so simply be patient and
attack
the helmet until it falls off.

Now that The Stygian is a little upset due to its protection being
gone, you
will be able to harm the boss. After a few seconds of inactivity, The
Stygian
will rise in the center of the field and stick his head straight up.
His
primal scream summons five or six baby Ash Titans.

These little guys are much smaller than The Stygian - and even normal
Ash
Titans - but can still be a nuisance. They can be killed with regular
gunfire;
no weakpoints to worry about, so gallop around in a circle as they
tail you
and follow through by using Mercy on them. If a baby Ash Titan gets
too close,
dash forward and continue shooting it until it dissolves away.

The boss will reemerge once his offspring have perished. Now the worm
will
occasionally pop his head up and open up real wide, exposing his
yellow
tongue. Begin shooting at it while galloping away, dashing if the boss
gets
too close. Before diving back under, The Stygian will take one last
lunge at
you. You should get a nice amount of shots off during each
opportunity.

The Stygian doesn't really only has two attacks. Aside from lunging at
you,
mouth wide open, it'll also emerge from the ash and flop around in the
air
before falling back down, kinda like when a whale jumps straight up in
the air
from out of the ocean. If you stay locked onto the boss at all times,
you
should never get hit by this attack because if you are intelligent
enough,
you'll stay far enough from the yellow cursor. It's not rocket
science.

The Stygian will most definitely summon more baby Ash Titans before
the fight
ends, but the number of times may vary. This boss fight is painfully
straightforward, as you shoot the boss's weak point when you get the
chance.
Otherwise, run for dear life and kill the occasional baby from time to
time. I
thought this fight would be much harder coming into it for the first
time. I
was wrong.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Broodmother -----------------

So we are given the chance of eradicating the piece of garbage that


has been
introducing the ever-so-annoying Broodlings to this world? THANK YOU.
I am
going to take great pride in this one.

The Broodmother is close to being the easiest boss in the game. She
only has
two attacks that you must worry about. The first is when she begins to
stomp
on the ground with her pointy feet. After she stomps and has her eyes
locked
on you, she'll try to gnaw at you. It's really obvious because the
preparation
time for this move is very long and noticeable.

The boss also takes time to pause and breathe in a gust of air. This
air does
not hurt you nor does it even create a vacuum that pulls you towards
her. All
it does is give you time to attack. Once you see the Broodmother open
her
mouth and inhale, aim at one of the cocoons hanging above and snatch
it with
your Abyssal Chain. Next, lock onto the boss and toss it into her
mouth.
With the Broodmother distracted, you will be able to run behind her
and use
the Tremor Gauntlet to break off the blue crystals on her back. This
exposes
her weak point, ripe for the attacking.

The Broodmother takes note of this and will use her second attack. She
will
jump high in the air and come crashing down. The shockwave produces
stretches
across the entire arena, so the only way to avoid it is by jumping.
Keep in
mind that this attack is insanely powerful and can drain you of nearly
an
entire Lifestone in one shot. She will repeat this attack one to three
times
before calming down.

The battle will repeat itself from here on out. Avoid her bite attack
first,
then toss a cocoon into her mouth. Run behind and use your Chaoseater
on her
bright red backside. Once the boss realizes this and uses her slamming
attack,
time your jumps and do the entire thing over again. It won't take many
more
attempts to exterminate the Broodmother.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Silitha ---------------------

Silitha just seems like a normal, giant mutated spider with the
ability to
talk, but she definitely has some tricks up her sleeve. Silitha has
trouble
standing still, as she constantly teleports around the attic like a
damn
monkey, giving you very small windows to attack. Plus, her
teleportation
skills also leads to the unpredictability of her attacks.

If you get too close to Silitha, she will teleport somewhere else in a
flash
of purple light. Next comes several options. Most commonly, she will
reappear
directly above you and drop to the ground. If you are caught
underneath, you
will be left in a world of hurt. Sometimes Silitha will teleport in
the middle
of the arena and slash at you with her claws.

Sometimes the boss will teleport onto one of the walls and walk
around. She
cannot attack you from here nor can you reach her, but it provides a
short
break in the madness and allows you to figure out your next move
(which will
probably be dodging more of her dumb attacks).
As far as I know, that's all she's got. While it doesn't seem much,
Silitha
teleports faster and more often as you wear her down, leaving you
virtually no
time to stop between dashes. If you can, take the time to heal
yourself with a
Greater Life Essence if you're low on health or use Stoneskin.

The only time you will be able to damage Silitha is when she
ironically tells
you to stand still. Whenever Silitha stops and begins spewing
nonsense, walk
up to her and press the Right Trigger (while locked on) to grapple up
to her
face with your Abyssal Chain. While airborne, begin slicing and dicing
away at
her ugly mug with your Chaoseater.

The battle will near its conclusion when Silitha teleports on the
ceiling and
berates War some more. She will also summon a ring of Red Chains above
you.
These Red Chains will begin falling to the ground one by one, so
quickly
grapple up to the nearest one, then press the Right Trigger once more
to reach
Silitha. This will initiate the execution cutscene.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Guardian --------------------

The Guardian is a very simple boss if you understand how to beat it,
but that
isn't too surprising because this is one of three Guardians here in
The Black
Throne. The nasty robot carries around a ball and chain and can rotate
his hip
around 360-degrees to perform a nasty spin attack. The only other
attack the
Guardian uses is an overhead slam.

The ball and chain gives the Guardian a massive reach, so the best way
to
avoid getting smacked backwards is to use the portal tiles on the
floor. There
is one in each corner and one in the middle of the arena. Charge up a
Voidwalker shot on one of the portals, then create a second portal on
the tile
diagonal from it. Now that you have both portals open, it's time to go
to
work.

Jump in one of the portals to be shot out from the other one. Begin
gliding
towards the Guardian and press B when the button prompt appears. War
will land
on its head and begin slashing the red sphere on its head. This will
temporarily disorient the boss; drop to the ground and attack the blue
core
located in its pelvis.

Once the Guardian gets up, it'll glow red and use an extra-powerful
spin
attack. Frantically avoid it and create two more portals. Repeat this
process
a couple more times; the final time, you will have to perform an
execution to
destroy the Guardian.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Guardian --------------------

The second Guardian is exactly like the first one when it comes to
attack. It
can spin around and whack you with its ball and chain or use a slam
attack to
pound you into the ground.

The four portal tiles are covered with metal bars, meaning you cannot
target
them with your Voidwalker. You must bait the Guardian into smashing
apart the
metal protectors with its overhead slam attack. Stand on a portal tile
and
wait for the boss to walk over to you. When it raises its hand
overhead, get
ready to dash out of the way. You can get it to destroy all four, but
two will
suffice.

Once the metal bars are destroyed, create fully charged portals and
use them
to glide onto the Guardian's head. Press B when close enough to stab
the red
sphere, then drop down and attack its shiny blue core. This time, you
must
perform this a total of four times to execute the Guardian.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Guardian --------------------

This is the third and final Guardian, so by now you know how to tango
with
these dudes. The boss adopts the same two attacks as the previous two
bosses,
so remember to employ the same strategies on them during this fight.
Really,
the only thing you have to worry about his the Guardian's pissed off
spin
attack.
The portal tiles are now located on two walls instead of the floor. On
each
side, two are in your reach while one is situated high above the
others. Lure
the boss over to one side of the arena and fire two charged-up shots:
one at a
low tile and the other at the one above.

With the Guardian close enough, enter the tile to be shot sideways.
You don't
have as much height as you would if the portals were on the ground,
but you
are still able to glide over to the Guardian if it's close enough. If
you
miss, then continue standing next to the portal to bait the Guardian
to coming
your way. Once you make it, press B to stab the yellow sphere on its
head.

When the Guardian topples to the floor, hack away at its blue energy
core
until it gets up and glows red. Run to the opposite side of the arena
to get
away from its enraged spin attack, then use the portals here to do
your
business. I found this boss battle to be easier than the last two due
to the
positioning of the portal tiles, but they're all really easy.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Straga ----------------------

This battle won't be nearly as simple as the last time we encountered


Straga.
Mainly because we have the Voidwalker, and like this game and any
other Zelda
look-alike goes: in order to defeat the boss of a dungeon you must use
the
weapon acquired in said dungeon to weaken it/utilize its weak point.
So we get
to fiddle around with portal tiles in this fight. God I hate the
Voidwalker.

Straga wields a mace and can cover the majority of the arena with his
sweeping
blows. This is by far his most powerful attack, and very difficult to
dodge.
The method of dodging it requires great timing, so don't worry if you
are not
successful on all (or any) of the tries: that's why you have healing
items
like Greater Life Essences!

Straga taps the ceiling with his mace and then leans it on the left
side of
the room for a second or two. Once you see sparks fly, create two
portals on
the two portal tiles on the floor. Stand next to the one on the right.
As
Straga begins to sweep to the right, quickly drop into the portal to
appear on
the left, behind the mace and without a scratch on you. Sometimes he
leans the
mace on the other side of the room, but if that is the case then just
switch
the portal you enter.

He also uses a slam attack that is easier to avoid, but can deal a
heaping
amount of damage. Not only can you use the two portal tiles on the
floor to
help avoid his mace, you must also use them to hurt Straga.

There is a third portal tile on the side of his mace. Shoot that one
first,
then shoot one of the two tiles on the floor. Pay attention to
Straga's arm
motion and how he carries the mace. When he's readying for an overhead
slam,
he'll raise the mace over and behind his head. Once the mace is
positioned
behind the boss's head, fall into the portal to drop onto his back.

Press B next to the orange eyeball on his back to cause Straga to


topple
forward in pain. Lock onto his face and slash away until he pulls
back. Straga
will take some time to recover and let some Undead Lords do his
bidding. While
you contend with them, Straga will occasionally smash his fist into
the floor.

Once the enemies cease, fire another Voidwalker shot at Straga's mace,
then at
one of the tiles on the floor. Jump through once Straga readies a slam
attack
to drop onto his back and hit the weak point. Introduce the Chaoseater
to
Straga's face to initiate another wave of enemies. The monsters he
summons are
either Undead Lords or Fallen Angels; it varies.

Continue teleporting to Straga's back to expose his weak point, then


hack away
at his huge face. The boss battle is annoying, but if you study his
attack
patterns and stay healthy, you should emerge victorious. This time,
War will
take more than just an eye from Straga.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Shadow War ------------------

OMGWTFBBQ another cheap Zelda reference!!! Shadow War is a spittin'


image of
the Horseman himself, and has the same moves and abilities as you do
up to
this point. Lucky for you, the boss does not use them all. He is
restricted to
just the Chaoseater and Crossblade.

Shadow War doesn't use many attacks aside from Flipsaw and Blade
Geyser. He
can use simple sword combos and will dash to avoid your attacks, but
for the
most part he sticks to using Flipsaw. The time he takes to use the
attack
gives you all the time in the world to dodge and counterattack. Unlike
a real
doppelganger, Shadow War does not mimic your each and every move, and
is
actually pretty easy to hurt.

Unlike most enemies or bosses, Shadow War blocks like a mother. He


will block
most of your attacks if you try and hit him head-on. Either way and
dodge his
Flipsaw move, or try using a Block Counter. I don't talk about this
ability
much, if at all, during this guide, but using Block Counter is a
fantastic way
to really dish out the damage against the boss.

Make sure to save up your Chaos Mode, because Shadow War will enter
Chaos Mode
himself. If he does and you're outta luck, you can still control this
duel.
You'd realize this the best considering you have used Chaos Mode
countless
times throughout the game, but his attacks are very slow. It is not
suicide to
run up and slash Shadow War before dashing backwards to evade his
three-hit
sword combo.

Unfortunately, Shadow War's Chaos Form does not end abruptly like
yours. Once
he activates it, he'll be like that until the fight's conclusion. You
can
certainly take Shadow War down if your Chaos Meter isn't filled; just
be
patient with your attacks and don't get caught up in a long-winded
combo. If
you do have Chaos Mode, then activate it and show the boss how it's
done.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Uriel -----------------------

Uriel was a damn joke last time we faced her, but she has definitely
stepped
up her game. This will probably be your greatest test in the game so
far.
Uriel has a multitude of attacks, all of which can deal around half of
a
health bar with each hit. Since most of her attacks are multi-hit
moves, this
can spell great trouble for you.

Like in the previous battle against the angel, her cutter attack is
used when
there is a large amount of distance between the two combatants. This
is
probably the easiest attack to dodge; that or her basic sword combos.
Uriel
uses random sword slashes up close, including a toppling uppercut and
a
slamming attack.

When Uriel rises high in the air, back away. She will divebomb to the
ground,
resulting in a large wave of energy. However, continue to stand your
ground.
Her body will begin to pulse up to three times, releasing three
additional
waves. It's common to immediately charge her once she hits the ground,
but
these three shockwaves prevent you from doing so. After the last wave,
dash
towards her and retaliate.

Arguably her most annoying attack, Uriel rises in the air and begins
to glow.
Next, a dozen or so glowing swords will rain down from the heavens.
They
usually drop down in a line as opposed to totally randomized
locations, so try
to stay away from the bunch altogether.

This boss is very fast on her feet, and you must pick your
opportunities to
strike. The best times to attack are right after her overhead slam and
her
divebomb attack. Both leave her on the floor, giving you time to keep
her
grounded and continue your punishment.

The best way to knock Uriel out of the air is with a dash attack.
Either
Harpoon Tackle or Meteor Launch do the trick. Once Uriel is lying on
her back,
continue with a Chaoseater combo until she gets up and spins around.
Whenever
Uriel spins in a circle, she is regaining her composure and is ready
to use an
attack. Once she spins around like a top, back away and let her do her
worst.

Two more strategies that you should be aware of are Block Counters and
Chaos
Mode. When fighting bosses that are closer to your size and use
traditional
weaponry like Shadow War and Uriel, Block Counters become increasingly
more
useful. I found the best time to use Block Counters is to
counterattack the
boss's jumping sword smash attack. And I shouldn't have to say this,
but enter
Chaos Mode the minute you get the chance to inflict additional pain on
Uriel.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: The Destroyer ---------------

I'll admit, this is a pretty anti-climactic battle. First off, unlike


most
portrayals of dragons, The Destroyer isn't known for his sheer power
and size.
The Destroyer runs around the arena in circles like a puppy dog,
occasionally
pawing at you with his large claw. Sure, he can breathe fire at you,
but he
just looks dumb. Plus, you have to fight the entire battle while on
Ruin.

Hop on your trusty steed and run alongside The Destroyer. He will
often try
and claw at you, which is a good enough reason to never really get
close to
the boss. Just ride around and wait.

The only real time you can hurt The Destroyer is when he charges at
you
directly. This will happen when the boss runs towards the edge of the
arena,
turns around, then begins sprinting at you. Like a good old-fashioned
joust,
charge head-on at the boss, timing your sword slash so it connects
just as The
Destroyer is about to pass. If you miss or time it badly, The
Destroyer will
either barrel into you or claw you off your horse.

However, if you nail him, The Destroyer will slide and collapse behind
you.
Quickly turn around and run over to the fallen beast, then jump off
Ruin. Hack
away at The Destroyer while he's down. You can get a number of shots
off on
him before he gets back up.

The Destroyer usually retaliates with his third attack. The dragon
flies high
up in the air, offscreen. Jump on Ruin and dash in any direction, or
else The
Destroyer will dive down on top of you like a meteor. He will repeat
this
attack once or twice more.

Keep playing chicken with The Destroyer; if you are successful each
and every
time, this should be a quick and painless fight. There is really
nothing else
to mention about this boss fight, other than that during the final
charge, you
will have to press B to initiate the execution scene. Once War jumps
on The
Destroyer's back, repeatedly press B to clip the dragon and finish the
job.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-

--- BOSS: Abaddon ---------------------

Abaddon is a huge pain in the ass. He blocks far too much than one
should
allow, he is super strong and has a multitude of sword combos, and
basically
prevents you from using Chaos Mode in this fight.

Abaddon has a bunch of attacks at his disposal, but many of them are
similar
and cannot be blocked. He has a multiple slash combo, which can be
blocked and
is the weakest he has to offer. The boss also can use a charged slash,
preceded by a glow on the tip of his sword. Don't try to block; just
back away
when you see his sword begin to glow.

When Abaddon floats just off of the ground and his sword glows, he'll
follow
up with an energy cone attack as he dives forward. Kinda like Harpoon
Tackle,
but much cooler. If Abaddon floats up in the center of the arena, he
will slam
to the ground, releasing four energy waves that radiate outwards like
a cross.

Two more moves to note is Abaddon's dash attack, which is basically a


complete
replica of Harpoon Tackle, and a simple overhead slam which is
essentially the
same as every boss in this game. Why does everyone have a powerful
slam attack
in this game? Other than that, I don't think he really has that much.

Kinda like Wicked K, Abaddon doesn't really let many attacks penetrate
him, so
for some players it may be easiest to resort to Block Counters. The
best move
to block is Abaddon's charge slash, because the sword glowing gives
you a nice
heads-up.

Aside from Block Countering, another good way to damage the boss is to
attack
immediately after he has used an attack. Dash away to avoid getting
hurt, then
use Harpoon Tackle to initiate the assault (like The Destroyer, you
can only
hurt Abaddon with the Armageddon Blade).

After landing a handful of successful shots, a quick-time event will


occur
where you will have to repeatedly tap a button shown onscreen to beat
Abaddon
in a little sparring session. Abaddon uses one of his more powerful
spells
once the quick-time event ends. The boss teleports into the distance,
then
throws three giant boulders at you, one at a time. Despite the size of
the
boulders, it is possible to dodge them.

As the boss fight continues, Abaddon will start to teleport around the
ring in
order to confuse you and knock you off guard. Abaddon often teleports
several
times, then tries to use his own version of Harpoon Tackle. Dodge this
move
and counter with Armageddon Blade combos. After the third successful
quick-
time event, Abaddon will be knocked down for good.

______________________________________________________________________
________

13] THANKS/CREDITS
[1300]
______________________________________________________________________
________

Of course, this guide couldn't have been made without some extra help.
Here is
a shoutout to everyone who made this FAQ possible:

CJayC: For being an awesome host of an awesome site.

Eternal Czar Smapdi: For being the best co-author anyone could have,
and for
being yourself.

Bradygames Official Guide: Thank you for the locations of all


Artifacts,
Lifestone Shards, and Wrath Shards. Oh
yeah, and
enemy names as well.

FESBians: Because you're cool.

You: For reading this FAQ.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
LEGAL
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

This document is copyright (c) DomZ Ninja 2010.

This document may be found on the following sites:


* GameFAQs - http://www.gamefaqs.com
* GameSpot - http://www.gamespot.com
* IGN - http://faqs.ign.com
* Super Cheats - http://www.supercheats.com
* Neoseeker - http://www.neoseeker.com
* HonestGamers - http://www.honestgamers.com

The latest update of this document can always be found on GameFAQs.

Other sites may use this document, but only with my permission. If you
see
this document on a website not listed above, please email me. Do not
edit or
alter this document in any way. Do not steal anything from this
document. Do
not host or distribute this document for profit. That is plagiarism,
and it is
against the law.

If you have any questions, comments, or anything that you would like
to add to
this guide, then feel free to email me. My email address is found at
the top
of this guide. However, if you do email me, please include the name of
the
game in the title. Lastly, thanks for reading and using this FAQ. If
you like
this FAQ, then please recommend it to others by clicking the
"recommend"
button at the top of the guide. :]

http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/52173.html

"The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out, you left me in the
dark.
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight, in the shadow of your
heart"
- Florence + the Machine
______________________________________________________________________
________
END OF
DOCUMENT

Darksiders: FAQ/Walkthrough by DomZ Ninja


Version 1.0, Last Updated 2010-07-25 View/Download Original File
Hosted by GameFAQs
Return to Darksiders (PS3) FAQs & Guides

S-ar putea să vă placă și