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Tales of Vesperia Walkthrough

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  • Introduction

    This is the full-text walkthrough for the 2008 Xbox 360 role-playing game, Tales of Vesperia. You'll find detailed instructions on how to complete the game's main quest, as well as tips on each of the game's side quests and earning each of the game's fifty achievements.

  • Getting Around

    1. You can control Yuri with the Left Thumbstick. Whenever you want to interact with your surroundings, such as to open a door or to check something when prompted, press A. Use A to open treasure chests as well.
    2. When moving around an area where there are other people you can interact with, walk close to them and press A to initiate a conversation. You can also use A to open the menus at shops.
    3. To open the in-game menu, press Y. From here, you can equip new weapons and armor to your characters, use items, and do other things like view the World Map and check on your story progress.
    4. When moving through an area with enemies, just touching them will trigger combat. Enemies will chase after you if they see you.
    5. Before long, you'll receive an item called the Sorcerer's Ring. Use X to fire the ring, which will shoot a burst of energy. It can be used to stun enemies, allowing you to move past them and avoid combat or to attack them while they are dazed for a combat advantage.

  • Combat

    1. In battle situations, your main means of attack is B. Press it repeatedly to attack with your equipped weapon.
    2. You can move forward and back in two-dimensions during battle. Attack with B and raise your guard by holding X. To move in three dimensions, hold the Right Trigger. You can also jump by pressing Up on the Left Thumbstick and X at the same time.
    3. You can adjust which enemy you're targeting by pressing and holding Right Bumper. This allows you to freeze the battle and choose another target.
    4. Press Y to open the combat menu. This allows to equip new weapons on the fly to your characters. You can also issue commands to your characters and change how they will act during battle in the Strategy menu.
    5. Also in the combat menu, you can access the item menu. You can use this to distribute items that can heal your teammates or damage enemies from here.
    6. Finally, you can attempt to escape from a battle from the menu as well.
    7. Pressing A and a direction on the Left Thumbstick activates an Arte. Artes are special combat moves, including magic spells. You can assign artes to different directions on the Left Stick from the Artes menu. More info on artes is in the next section.
    8. You can string B attacks and artes together to create combos. Massive combos are possible, and a 100-hit combo unlocks an achievement.
    9. After some time in the game, you'll learn another attack called a Fatal Strike. When you damage an enemy enough with an attack in a certain direction, such as upward attacks or downward attacks, you can activate the opportunity for a Fatal Strike.
    10. A circular symbol will appear. When it does, pull the Right Trigger to activate the Fatal Strike.
    11. After each battle, you'll be awarded experience points, Gald and items for your trouble. Based on your performance, you'll also receive Grade. This is determined by the amount of damage dealt, time spent in battle, and damage blocked. You want to earn as much Grade as possible, as it will help you earn achievements on your second playthrough.

  • Artes

    1. Attack, healing and magic moves during battles are known as artes. They're learned throughout the game for doing various things, completing story events, and performing artes in battle. Equipping weapons will also sometimes allow you to learn artes.
    2. Each character has different kinds of artes. Yuri's artes are generally multi-hit combos or elemental attacks. Estelle's are generally holy attack magic or healing spells. Rita's are massive magic spells that can hit many enemies.
    3. Using artes expends TP, which is represented in a bar on each character profile during battle. When you run out of TP, you can't execute any more artes. TP can be restored using certain items.
    4. Later in the game, you'll learn about techniques called Over Limits. During battle, a bar along the left side of the screen will charge up whenever you take damage, block an attack or deal damage.
    5. You can activate an Over Limit by pressing the D-Pad. Doing so allows you to link attacks and artes together for big combos.
    6. Later in the game, when you've gotten your Over Limit level raised to three or four, you can execute certain special artes when you've unlocked them.
    7. Burst Artes can be activated at level two or higher. After executing an Arcane Arte (they're denoted in your Artes menu), hold down A to activate a Burst Arte.
    8. Mystic Artes are even stronger and can be executed at Over Limit level three or higher. You need to find a weapon that includes the Special skill and learn it to activate the Mystic Arte. Press and hold B to activate a Mystic Arte. It ends your Over Limit.
    9. Weapons also carry Skills. When you equip a weapon and use it, a bar will slowly fill for each skill the weapon includes. When the bar fills, you learn the skill permanently for that character.
    10. You can assign a certain number of skills to a character or change them in the Skills menu.

  • Synthesis

    1. Throughout the game, you'll gather weapons for all your characters. You'll also gather up random materials from battles and chests.
    2. When you go to shops throughout the world, you can access a system called Synthesis. Here you'll combine the materials you've found with the weapons you have to create new or upgraded weapons.
    3. Synthesis is often better than purchasing weapons new from stores. It's usually cheaper, as well.
    4. You can synthesize all kinds of other items as well as weapons and armor. These include costume pieces for your characters and miscellaneous items that impact the battle.
    5. Check the synthesis menu early and often, especially for misc. items. You can synthesize items that allow you to change your party leader during battle, change up your party, and increase your Over Limit levels. All of which are key.

  • Cooking

    1. Like synthesis, you'll gather recipes and food throughout your travels. You can gather recipes specifically by completing the The Wonder Chef side quest.
    2. You can cook at almost any time from the main menu by pressing Y and selecting Cooking. There you can assign a person to cook a recipe. If you have the ingredients necessary, press Y to attempt cooking the meal.
    3. If the cooking is successful, you'll gain whatever benefits are listed under the recipe for a certain amount of time. If you're unsuccessful, the benefits will be reduced.
    4. You can cook after every battle and after every time you sleep. You can't cook until you've fought again or slept again, however, because your party will be full after a meal.
    5. In order to complete the game's cooking side quests, you should assign one person to be your chef and cook as often as possible. The more a character cooks a recipe, the better he or she will become at it until it is mastered.

  • Titles

    1. Completing various tasks or events will often earn characters Titles. These can be viewed in the Status menu.
    2. Titles sometimes carry with them alternate costumes for your characters. They can be changed on the Status menu as well.
    3. Directly, titles have a very limited impact on the game. You'll earn them for a number of things: beating enemies, completing side quests, building levels.
    4. Titles do have a direct impact on unlocking several Achievements. You need to earn all of them for the My Name Is... Achievement and most of them for the Bunny Guild Member Achievement.
    5. The best way to earn titles is to follow this guide, specifically by reading the Side Quests section to note at what points you should them. Many are time-sensitive and require you to take certain actions at certain times.

  • Important Facts

    1. Vesperia can be infuriating because it gives you very little information about side quests and achievements and what it takes to complete them. Many things in the game must be done at a specific point or they are missed for the duration of the game.
    2. Read carefully each of the Secret Mission Achievements. You'll need to complete all of these on a single playthrough to earn a title necessary for the My Name Is... Achievement.
    3. Always carry a full load of Magic Lenses, and use a Magic Lens on every enemy you encounter. Early in the game, it will be easy to miss several scans in the first few battles. Making sure you have lenses is especially important for use against bosses and enemies that are in an area only for a certain amount of time. For example, whenever soldier occupy a dungeon, it is usually only for a limited time. Therefore, you need to scan the enemies in that location before they're gone. These scans go toward the Monster Nerd Achievement and earns you a title for the My Name Is... Achievement.
    4. If you intend to earn the Item Nerd Achievement, never sell any weapons. You'll need them all for Synthesis.
    5. Playing the game on Easy will save you a lot of headache in some battles, so keep it as an option if you're stuck. However, you'll miss out on Grade.
    6. At the end of each battle, you'll receive Grade for your performance. You can use Grade at the end of your playthrough at the Grade Shop. Spending Grade here allows you to carry over things like your levels, Gald and items. It also allows you several special perks, such as 10x Experience, during your second playthrough. It's necessary to complete certain achievements.
    7. Always sleep at every inn, every time you come to a town. Sleeping often will activate certain scenes, giving you items, titles, and story information you wouldn't otherwise get. It's easy to miss critical things, such as a certain item given you after sleeping at the inn in Mantaic. Without it, you can't complete every Secret Mission, you can't get every title, and you'll have to do it on a second playthrough.
    8. Touch every save point, every time you see one. Even if it's a save point you've already seen or touched previously. The Back-Up Plan Achievement is unlocked by activating every save point in the game, even if you don't use every one to save. Some save points count more than once toward this, depending on if the area around it has changed.

  • Main Quest Walkthrough

  • Zaphias, The Lower Quarter

    1. The game begins with you taking control of Yuri, a young man in the lower quarter of the Imperial capital, Zaphias. The game begins with a young boy, Ted, telling Yuri that something called the aque blastia is broken. He enlists Yuri's help to fix it.
    2. Start first by heading downscreen, toward the camera, to find a save point. The floating book will give you a short tutorial and allow you to save your game. Press Y to access your menu, then select Save and Load at the far right to save your game.
    3. Head up the staircase and enter the door at the top marked Yuri's Room. Walk past the bed to a small table on the left side of the window. Press A to receive an Apple Gel, which you can use later to restore hit points.
    4. Exit the room and return downstairs. You can head into the Comet Inn, but there's nothing much to do there except speak with a few locals. Instead, head upscreen toward the other staircase.
    5. When you get control back, you can head back down the ramp to speak with the citizens trying to repair the fountain. You don't gain anything from this, however, so head up the ramp.
    6. You're now in the citizens' quarter. There are a lot of people wandering around here, but talking with them does little but give you a little more insight into the world.
    7. Look left to find a long staircase and a shop. There's nothing much you need here, so head for the stairs.
    8. You'll get a short tutorial about the Wonder Log. Continue up the stairs to the royal quarter.
    9. Follow Yuri's dog Repede to the left to the door of a large mansion. Check the pot to the right of the door with A to retrieve a Magic Lens.
    10. Go around the side of the mansion to the left. Press A beside the furthest window to get inside.
    11. Go to the back of the room to the candelabra on the left and press A to find 100 Gald. The candelabra on the right side hides a Magic Lens.
    12. Go up the stairs and to through the door on the left. Watch the cutscene, then leave the mansion through the front door.
    13. You'll get a tutorial on fighting against a pair of bumbling Imperial Knights, Adecor and Boccos. After learning how to fight, you'll be captured and taken to the town's prison.

  • Zaphias, Prison

    1. Check the back of the cell to find an Apple Gel. Then open the cell door with the key you received during the cutscene.
    2. Step out and save your game at the convenient save point.
    3. Head left. Step into the alcove behind the sleeping knight and find a Magic Lens with A. Then head through the gate.
    4. Stop by the two chests just through the door. Open the left one to reclaim your weapons. Go left through the door.
    5. You'll face two Knight Fencers here, which aren't difficult to defeat. Try to keep moving to avoid the fencers' attacks, then connect with a three-hit combo when you're in the clear.
    6. You can choose to sneak through this room by running past the knights when they're not looking. Touch one and you'll be engaged in combat against more Knight Fencers.
    7. Fighting will gain you more experience at the expense of whatever damage you'll take during the battle. The game encourages you to sneak by, so try to do so. Your goal is up the stairs. However, head to the left side of the room first.
    8. Dodge the lower knight by running by when he's not looking. He'll only go as far as the end of the hallway. Make it to the square area at the end and he'll abandon his chase. Dodge the knight in the square area as well.
    9. Check the boxes in this area to find a Holy Bottle. Then head up the steps.
    10. On the first landing is a long hallway accessible by pushing Forward on the Analog Stick. Go down the hallway to find a room with two chests. Open them to find a Life Bottle on the left and a Cape on the right.
    11. You can equip the Cape by pressing Y and selecting Equip from the menu. Set the Cape to Yuri's accessory slot.
    12. Approach the statue in the center of the room and press A. The inscription refers to things you haven't run across yet, such as "the power of the ring," which you haven't come across yet.
    13. Return down the hallway. Head up the staircase to the left and through the door.
    14. You'll find yourself in another battle. Kill the two Fencers with the same hit-and-run strategy.
    15. When you get control back, exit the large room through the hallway you're facing. Keep heading forward when you enter the next room.
    16. You'll need to sneak past more knights. The first one patrols near a door on the right side of the hallway. Wait until he walks to the left, then sneak by and head through the door.
    17. Once you're in the dining hall, head right. Stop by the unlit fireplace to find an Egg. Then go through the arch to the right. Hit A when you get there to restore your HP and TP.
    18. Go back through the door. You still need to sneak past the three knights in this hallway.
    19. TIP: If a knight spots you and you don't want to fight, run back down the hallway to the end toward the screen. The knights won't pursue you past a certain point.
    20. Keep going past the second knight. You should be safe just under the balcony if you can blaze past him when he's looking down the hall or walking away from you.
    21. The third knight is the toughest to sneak past. His movement and vision patterns are erratic and change often to confuse you. Wait until he's looking down the hall over the balcony. It's a position he'll hold for a long time.
    22. When he's looking toward the other knights, run around behind him and open the chest to find a Life Bottle. Then run away from the screen and left to find a set of stairs.
    23. The chest at the top of these stairs holds Apple Gel. Stop at the save point, then head toward down into the room.
    24. There's another knight here. Wait until he's looking and walking toward the left wall to run by. He'll walk straight into the side of the hallway to give you a chance at stealth.
    25. Bear left. There's a hallway here that leads off to the left. Go down and dodge the knight to find a chest with 200 Gald. Then head back to the door.
    26. Continue downscreen through the hall. When you come to the door on the right marked, Flynn's Room, go through.

  • Boss Fight: Zagi

    1. Zagi is a fast fighter who does quick combos to inflict fairly large damage on you. He'll chase you around the arena and swing two big swords at you to make things difficult.
    2. Your best strategy is to move as quickly as possible away from Zagi. Step close to get him to swing, but keep running away by holding L and running in circles away from him.
    3. To deal him any damage, you'll need to step in after he swings and smack him around with your sword. However, doing so will mean almost certainly taking damage. Zagi will counter and lay into you pretty heavily after each round of attacks. The key is to get on the X button immediately after your attack combo to cut your damage in half.
    4. Another way to deal with this battle, at least for part of the time, is to keep moving as much as possible. When you get far enough away, stop and blast Zagi with Yuri's Arte attack using the A button.
    5. After you do enough damage, the pink-haired girl will join the battle. She's a passable fighter but her true skill is the ability to heal herself and Yuri using TP.
    6. Your main objective is to keep Zagi off the girl so she can keep you both healed. Stick with the same hit-and-run strategy, but step up your focus on escape. Zagi has new strong Artes, including the Cyclone Shot, which sucks.
    7. Just keep pummeling Zagi whenever possible and do as much blocking and dodging as you can. Your ally should be enough to keep you alive until you've dealt Zagi enough punishment.

  • Zaphias, Castle

    1. When the battle ends, it's back to sneaking around the castle. The pink-haired girl introduces herself as Estellise. Head down into a square-shaped room and dodge the knight. Hang a left through the door.
    2. Continue left into another long hallway. Head upscreen and bear left to find a door. Estellise will join the party proper.
    3. Continue upscreen. Go past the knights and up the stairs. You'll wind up in another hallway, heading downscreen.
    4. Run down the stairs past the knight at the balcony. Go through the door to the right on the side of the hall. You'll find another sideways hallway. Open the chest here to find a Life Bottle.
    5. Backtrack to the vertical hallway. Dodge the last knight and head downscreen. At the square end of the room, keep heading down and out of the room.
    6. Open the two chests in this large room to find an Apple Gel on the left side and an Orange Gel on the right. Then approach the statue in the center of the room.
    7. Grab the statue with A and push the Analog Stick Left to move the statue and reveal a secret passage.

  • Zaphias, Sewers

    1. You'll be attacked by a group of rats. They're pushovers compared to the battles you've dealt with earlier. Just hack away to kill them and guard whenever possible.
    2. TIP: The direction you push on the Analog Stick while attacking with the B Button affects where Yuri swings his sword. For fighting small-fry rats, hold down on the Stick to make Yuri swing low, ensuring hits on the smaller vermin.
    3. Head to the right and defeat the rats here to reach a chest. Inside is a Life Bottle.
    4. Backtrack and head downscreen. There's another rat and another chest. Inside is a Magic Lens.
    5. When you're done, continue on. You'll face more rats blocking the path, then come to a pair of crates blocking a chest. Grab one and pull it out of the way to clear the path. Inside the chest is a Holy Bottle.
    6. Keep heading south. Another pair of crates blocks a chest with 150 Gald inside. Here the path forks to the left and the right. Take the left path to find another chest with 200 Gald inside.
    7. Go right to continue forward. You can dodge a few of the rats until you make it all the way to the end of the path. Go right at the last fork to find a chest that houses an Orange Gel.
    8. Now head south and left to find two crates blocking the way to a ladder leading out of the sewers. Slide one of the crates clear and climb the ladder.

  • Zaphias, Royal Quarter

    1. Now that you're out of the sewer, head down to the lower quarter. You can speak with the various citizens in all the areas, but you won't get much out of them that you haven't heard already.
    2. When you reach the citizens' quarter, Leblanc and his bumbling knights will pursue you. Keep heading to the lower quarter.
    3. In the lower quarter, you'll be chased by the knights out of the city. You'll receive four Orange Gels, four Melange Gels, four Life Bottles, four Breads and two Eggs. You'll also receive a World Map and 500 Gald. Yuri's dog, Repede, also will join the party.

  • World Map

    1. Head northeast. There's a small group of wagons along the path here. Stop by.
    2. You can stay here for 50 Gald to replenish your HP and TP.
    3. Head north to a dead end by a river to find a stump. Check it with A to find an Ilyccia Weed. You should be able to get a total of three weeds from the stump. The stump is a Search Point, a place you can return from time to time to find a specific item that grows there.
    4. There's another search point out here. Head northeast beyond the wagon inn. You'll find a ramp beside it that leads up to a large forest. Run through to the south to find a search point. Check it to get two Sacred Trees.
    5. Finally, head northeast to a town blocking the path through a small valley. This is Deidon Hold.

  • Deidon Hold

    1. You'll get a quick tutorial on weapon artes and receive the Battle Book.
    2. You can backtrack a little downscreen to buy new weapons and armor from the man who gave you the Battle Book.
    3. Enter the guard station at the top of the town square, near the knight standing guard. You can speak with the knights, then head up the stairs at the back of the guard station.
    4. On the ramparts, there's a chest with an Apple Gel to the right. Check the boxes near the ladder to find a Milk and Egg.
    5. Climb the ladder and wander the ramparts. To the left is a strange, white-haired man. Speak with him to view a cutscene.
    6. The only other thing up here is a knight you can speak to. When you're done, head back down the ladder and backtrack to the town square.
    7. Go to the far left and head downscreen. There's a lower area here with tents. Check the boxes on the right side of the area to find a Magic Lens.
    8. The boxes on the north end of the area hide an Orange Gel.
    9. Now head back up and cross the bridge in the north of the camp. It's flanked by the two knights near the guard station. Doing so triggers another story cutscene.
    10. The monsters outside Deidon Hold mean you can't use the gate to go through and continue to Halure, your destination. Go back toward the lower area on the left side of the hold.
    11. Kaufman, the leader of the merchants' guild Fortune's Market, tells you to head west to the Quoi Woods. Leave Deidon the way you came in. Head west along the cliff face until you find come to a forest. Stay with it heading west and then north along the cliff face until you come to the Quoi Woods.

  • Quoi Woods

    1. Follow the path into the woods. There's not much room for deviation. You'll run into a couple of enemies and then hit a fork in the path.
    2. Go right to find a chest with an Apple Gel inside. Then return to the fork and head up.
    3. TIP: With three party members, battles should be much easier than when you first were learning combat with Yuri against knights in Zaphias. Most fights should be pretty easy in the Quoi Woods. Use this opportunity to get used to the battle system. Practice using your Artes, specifically when you learn Yuri's Cerberus Strike. Execute it by holding Forward on the Analog Stick and pressing A. Try to link it into effective combos while dodging and guarding against enemy attacks.
    4. Heading up, you'll hit another fork in the path. It's guarded by an enemy. Either sneak by or kill the bird and head up the path. A chest at the end hides an Iron Circlet, which Estelle can equip.
    5. Return to the fork and take the right path.
    6. After a tutorial on cooking, check the area for a save point. There's also a chest to the north, which contains a Magic Lens. Continue through the area to the right to find a new path.
    7. Along the path you'll find a chest that houses a Hard Mail, which Yuri can wear.
    8. Keep following the path around various bends. Another chest houses a Cape. Before long, you'll hit another cutscene.
    9. Karol will join the party and you'll obtain the Monster Book. When you regain control, open the nearby chest to find a Life Bottle.
    10. Continue along the path to exit the woods and return to the World Map.

  • World Map, North of Quoi Woods

    1. Straight to the north is your destination, Halure. It looks like a town surrounding a huge purple tree.
    2. Go east of Halure to find a long path. About midway is a dark cave set in the cliff face. Continue past it to reach a raised plateau. Turn back south from here to find a Search Point. Inside is an Ilyccia Weed and Knight Water.

  • Halure

    1. Karol and Estelle leave the party as you arrive in the city. Enter the first house, the Mayor's Residence, and head all the way upscreen to find a Magic Lens.
    2. On the outside, round wooden floor in the room, approach the tree root on the right side of the room to find an Orange Gel. Then leave the house.
    3. Head left to get into the city. A general store is upscreen when the path forks near a bridge, but you can't access it. Continue left over the bridge to the house there, the inn Denebola.
    4. Inside the inn is a save point and a ramp up to the second level. You can enter the second from the left here. Check the dresser on the right side of the room for a Melange Gel.
    5. Go all the way around the outside edge of the second floor to find a sign that advertises a need for portrait painters.
    6. Save and leave the inn. Continue to the left to find Estelle healing injured townspeople. She'll then rejoin the party. Keep going up the path and you'll find Karol.
    7. You can backtrack now to find the general store manned and the mayor in his house. You can buy some new equipment, but wait until Karol rejoins the party in order to outfit everyone.
    8. Go back up the path toward the tree. You'll trigger another cutscene in which the party decides to try to heal Halure's tree. Head back down to the general store.
    9. You need to gather three ingredients that the general store owner can use to make a panacea bottle. Two of them are back in the Quoi Woods. The third, Luluria Petals, can be obtained from Halure's mayor.
    10. Go back down the path and speak with Karol. He'll rejoin the party.
    11. With all the characters back in tow, take a moment to buy new equipment at the general store. You should be able to get all of your characters in the best available armor and weapons.
    12. Head down the path and stop by the mayor's house. The mayor is standing out front. Speak with him to get the petal.
    13. You still need the nia fruit and eggbear claw. Both of these are in the Quoi Woods. Head south to return to the woods.

  • Quoi Woods, Again

    1. Follow the path through the woods. Fight through the enemies.
    2. Eventually you'll come to a bend near the forest's save point. As you walk, you'll eventually find a Nia Fruit on the ground.
    3. Continue along the path. Head down and left when you come to a fork.

  • Boss Fight: Eggbear

    1. The Eggbear comes flanked by a few wolves. They're more of an annoyance than anything else. Focus on them first.
    2. Clear out the wolves and keep clear of the Eggbear. When all the other enemies are defeated, concentrate on killing the big guy.
    3. This monster can really dish out punishment. Its huge arms have a big reach and do something like 80 to 100 hit points of damage with each blow.
    4. Use hit-and-run tactics to keep yourself alive. Your allies likely will not be so intelligent. Karol probably will go down once or twice, but your allies will do their best to keep each other alive.
    5. Just keep pounding on the bear and staying clear of its six-swing attack. Pummel it and eventually it will die, probably without too much trouble.
    6. When you've got the eggbear claw, return the way you came down the path through the forest.
    7. Exit the forest and go northeast to return to Halure.

  • Halure, Night

    1. Go to the general store. Speak with the store owner to receive a tutorial on Synthesis.
    2. Synthesize the panacea bottle. Then follow the path up to the Tree of Halure.
    3. The bottle plus Estelle will heal the tree. When you regain control. Head to the right to find a Nectar Bottle and Holy Bottle in a pair of chests.
    4. Head back down through town. Stop by the general store to speak with a member of a Surveyor's Guild. She'll tell you new things you can synthesize.
    5. Armed with this new information, go back to the general store to synthesize a few weapons, including a Rapier and Mace.
    6. head to the mayor's house to receive a reward for saving the Tree of Halure. He'll direct you east to the next town, Aspio. It looks like a series of dark caves set in the side of a canyon.

  • Aspio

    1. Head to the main gate, which is guarded by knights. They'll tell you that you can't go in without documentation. You'll need to sneak inside.
    2. Head to the left of the gate. You'll find a strange-looking monster standing near a door.
    3. Speak with the monster and it will transform into the Wonder Chef. He'll teach you the recipe for Salisbury Steak.
    4. Try to door near here. It's locked, but Karol will get it open. You can visit shops here to rest and upgrade your equipment. Then head upscreen and right to exit.
    5. Follow the path into a small circle. Up leads you to a "secret facility," which is locked. Continue to the right to find a wooden path.
    6. Check around the room. Save the stack of books blocking the ladder for last. Check it to find Mordio, who will eventually join the party.
    7. Climb the ladder and check the stack of books at the top to receive the Collector's Book.
    8. Leave the hut and head back to the circle. Head down the stairs to the gate and leave Aspio.

  • World Map

    1. Continue down the canyon heading east. You'll see another city. Stop there to enter the Shaikos Ruins.
    2. TIP: Now that you have a five-member party, you can switch between characters that join in battle. You can only have four characters fighting at a time. Hit Y to open the menu, then select a character. The character icon will be lifted up. Select a second character to switch them. The first four icons are the members of your party that will engage in battle.

  • Shaikos Ruins

    1. Head into the ruins. Watch for a gap in the wall along the right to find a path heading in that direction. At the end is a chest with a Magic Lens.
    2. Head up this path some until you come to a half-destroyed wall. Beside it is a tree. Step behind the wall for another chest that holds an Orange Gel.
    3. Keep going to the nearby staircase. Go up the steps to find another chest on the left, behind a pillar. It holds 800 Gald.
    4. Return to the main path where you started. Go forward a little ways until you find a similar path to the left. Take that, bearing downscreen. A chest is there with a Life Bottle inside.
    5. Moving forward on the main path again, you'll come to a fountain. Head up the stairs to find a chest that holds a Half Guard for Estelle.
    6. Return to the fountain and take the path to the left. You'll open a path beneath a statue here. Go down the stairs into the Ruins' underground.

  • Shaikos Ruins, Underground

    1. Take the path down into the ruins. You'll come to an area with enemy with a staircase left and a ramp down. Kill the enemy.
    2. Continue downscreen until you find a chest. Inside is an Amber Cloak for Rita.
    3. Backtrack to the staircase heading down and left. Descend the stairs and you'll find another chest with Leather Boots inside. Then head up the second stairs, still heading left.
    4. Follow the path down. You'll eventually come to a bronze-looking statute. Check it. You'll receive the Sorcerer's Ring, which can be used to charge blastia in the ruins. Press X to shoot the ring's energy at a blastia, which act like switches.
    5. Charging the blastia here creates a new staircase back in the lower area with the two staircases. Head there.
    6. You'll have to battle two golems along the way. They're strong like the Eggbear you dealt with, but they can take less punishment. Try to keep clear of their multi-swing punches.
    7. TIP: As you're heading to the new staircase, you'll be attacked from behind by a monster. Suffering a preemptive attack means you'll end up with a shuffled party - meaning whoever isn't in your party might be added to the fight.
    8. TIP: You can also use the Sorcerer's Ring to stun enemies, which will give you an advantage when you enter battle. All the enemies in the group will be stunned at the outset of the fight.
    9. Go up the stairs to find a chest with an Apple Gel. Continue along the path to the left, head down the stairs, and head left again.
    10. Head left through the next area. Follow the path upscreen until you come to a door. Turn left here to find a blastia.
    11. Charge the blastia to create a bridge back to the left of the room. Backtrack to it. Cross the bridge to find a chest with an Ohka for Repede.
    12. Charge the blastia here to create another bridge back near the back of the room. Doing so releases a golem behind you, but it's easy to defeat and easier to dodge past.
    13. Cross the new bridge. You'll find a chest with a Chain inside for Rita. Grab that. You can go upscreen to leave this area, but first head downscreen to find another blastia.
    14. Charge this blastia to create a new bridge to a chest. Reach it by backtracking some. Inside the chest is a Long Sword for Yuri.
    15. Return to where you activated the other blastia and leave the room through the door upscreen.
    16. Head left here. You'll find a chest obscured by a rock. Open it to find a Great Axe, which Karol can use.
    17. Head to the right. You'll come to a save point, which stands in front of a staircase. Save here, then keep going right though, and take the path there heading deeper into the room. The path up the stairs is blocked.
    18. Look for a pillar on the left side of the walkway. You'll see the edge of a blastia inside the pillar. Charge it to create a bridge further into the room.
    19. Keep going along this path. You'll come to a fork where you can go up a staircase, but head left instead.
    20. Follow this section of the path around until you find the bridge you just created. Cross it and you'll come to another blastia. Charge it.
    21. Four golems will appear behind you. Battle through them and another bridge will appear, leading to a chest. Inside is a Stiletto for Estelle.
    22. Back down the steps, there are two staircases heading deeper into the room. Head left and up the stairs.
    23. Charge the blastia found here. It raises a portion of a staircase behind you.
    24. Head up the steps beside the blastia and open the chest there. Inside is an Orange Gel. Head back the way you came and take the right staircase.
    25. Charge the blastia, then go back down to the staircase you just created. Across that staircase is your next boss battle.

  • Boss Fight: Goliath

    1. This big monster has a big reach and does a lot of damage, just like the Eggbear, but it's slow-moving. This means that keeping in motion will help you keep the upper hand.
    2. Let your allies distract the Goliath while you try to get behind or to the side of it. Most of its attacks only affect about 90 or 120 degrees of the space in front of him, so getting to the side or back means you're clear of the attacks. Lay in with your sword.
    3. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! The Goliath has a glowing blue spot on the back of its right foot - its Achilles Heel. If you hit this spot while the Goliath is charging its laser-based X-Buster attack, you'll unlock the Secret Mission 2 achievement.
    4. Staying to the side of the Goliath also allows you to dodge the Goliath's biggest, strongest attack, the X-Buster. This laser blast is a straight line in front of the Goliath and does some heavy damage. It takes a long time to charge, however, so use the opportunity to get away.
    5. TIP: Hit the Goliath's Achilles heel during the X-Buster attack to unlock the achievement above, and also knock out its X-Buster attack for the rest of the battle.
    6. As it gets closer to death, the boss will start doing more area attacks. It'll do a body slam attack most often, but you'll see it coming because the boss will linger in the air for a few moments.
    7. After a fair amount of pummeling, you'll topple the Goliath. It shouldn't be too much trouble if you take care of your healers and stay clear of its frontal attacks.

  • Shaikos Ruins, Underground; Aspio

    1. After you defeat the Goliath, you need to give chase to the thief who turned the boss on you. This means backtracking out of the dungeon.
    2. Follow the path downscreen and right to the save point, then continue upscreen to exit. Follow the path back the way you came. Eventually, you'll catch up to the thief.
    3. Kill the enemies surrounding him. After a short cutscene, the characters will decide to return to Aspio.
    4. Continue to the right and head up the ramp to leave the underground. Then head downscreen to leave Shaikos. Go west back to Aspio.
    5. You can head to the shops to the far left of the city if you need new equipment. Otherwise, head up to the right to Rita's hut.
    6. After meeting with Rita, head out of the hut toward the city's exit. Once you've gone a little way, Rita will track you down and rejoin the party.
    7. Leave Aspio. Head west to Halure.

  • Halure, Blooming

    1. You'll part with your party when you enter the town. You can take the opportunity to do some shopping.
    2. Stop by the general store a little up the path. You can synthesize +1 versions of several of your weapons, but those for Karol and Rita won't be available until you get them back in the party.
    3. When you're done, climb the path up to the Tree of Halure. Speak with Rita.
    4. TIP: Stop by the general store and fill your stock of Apple Gel and Life Bottles. You'll need them in the next dungeon.
    5. Return to the entrance to the city. Leblanc and his knights have caught up with Estelle and Karol and are waiting for you. You'll engage them in battle.
    6. These guys aren't much to contend with. Practice using Over Limits as the tutorial teaches them, then pummel the two knights until they go down.
    7. You'll leave the city after the fight. Take the path leading away from Halure to the west until you reach Ehmead Hill.

  • Ehmead Hill

    1. Head in along the path to trigger a cutscene. When you regain control, you'll be heading down a path that leads into the Hill's woods.
    2. Continue upscreen along the path. Keep to the right and look for a gap. Make a note when you find the path to the right, but continue upscreen.
    3. Bust through the enemies on the path until you come to a chest. It holds a Francisca for Yuri.
    4. Return to the orange plants you passed along the way. Beside them is a path that goes downscreen to the left. Follow that branch.
    5. A chest waits at the end that holds three Poison Bottles.
    6. Return back down the path to where you found the gap to go to the right. Follow that path.
    7. You'll come across a few orange plants called billybally leaves. Take note of these, because you'll use them in the next boss fight for an achievement.
    8. Continue following the path, heading upscreen. You'll come to a fork in the path. Take the left branch to a chest that holds a Scarf for Rita.
    9. Return to the fork and go to the right. You'll come to a chest that holds two Life Bottles. Continue around the bend to the left.
    10. There's a save point just ahead. Stop and save your game. This is a fork in the path as well. Head up to reach a chest. Inside is a Repede weapon, the Tama-hagane.
    11. Return to the fork and head left. You'll be attacked by a giant monster, launching another boss battle.
    12. TIP: The battle with Gattuso, a huge wolf-like enemy, is the hardest you've fought to this point. If you don't have a full compliment of Apple Gel and Life Bottles, you should return to Halure before this battle and stock up. Poison bottles also are extremely helpful. You also might want to level up to at least Level 16 before going into the battle.

  • Boss Fight: Gattuso

    1. Before starting the battle, go into your menu and go to the Strategy menu. Hit X to configure your team's individual actions. It depends on who you're bringing, but you should include Estelle for her healing abilities and you might want to consider Rita for her strong magic. She also has fire-based attacks, which do damage to the fire-weak boss.
    2. Configure all your allies to the Moderate HP setting, so they'll back off when they're hurt. At least 80 percent of this battle is dealing with your hurt teammates. Set Estelle to Healing, rather than attack. Set all your allies to use their full TP. Set Estelle and Repede, if you're bringing him, to use items on the Watch HP setting.
    3. Finally, set all your fighting allies to attack the Weakest Enemy. With that done and with plenty of healing items, you ought to be set to go into this battle.
    4. Gattuso attacks you with a pair of annoying minions, who aren't as strong as the boss, but who are annoying and lethal if ignored. Make them your priority first. With your allies set to attack the weakest available enemy, they'll concentrate on these two smaller enemies until their dead, which will help.
    5. TIP: If you're having trouble dispatching the smaller wolves and a party member goes down, you're better off leaving them until you can kill the two minions. They have a tendency to prowl the battlefield, picking off weak, freshly resurrected ally characters, costing you a Life Bottle you might need.
    6. Concentrate on the smaller wolves until they're both down, then focus on moving as much as possible. Gattuso is very fast and very powerful, and has a repertoire of attacks that includes poisoning the team and stunning them as well. Things can go from bad to game over almost instantly here, and you may find yourself replaying this battle.
    7. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! The third Secret Mission achievement is available during this fight, and it's also a sound strategy for taking on the boss. Surrounding the arena are four billybally plants that will stun enemies and allies. You need to hit the plant in order to get it to release its spores stunning spores, however. Do so by luring Gattuso to the plant, then hitting him and it with Yuri's Azure Edge arte. It won't do much to the boss, but it should cause the plant to stun him with its spores. The achievement will be unlocked at the end of the battle.
    8. Concentrate on staying on your feet and keeping your party alive. An effective strategy is to just keep making circles around the arena, though be careful not to draw the boss to your other characters.
    9. TIP: When you're not using the billybally plants to stun Gattuso, stay away from them. A stray attack or one from the boss can trigger the plants stunning spores, causing paralysis to you and usually spelling your doom while you stand helpless.
    10. The boss has several powerful attacks. The ones you need to be most afraid of are one in which it charges across the field toward you and one in which the boss bites a character five or six times for fairly massive damage (at around 80 HP a pop, it often can cut you in half). Both attacks end by sending your characters flying. A neat trick is to hit the X button while flying in the air to make Yuri land on his feet. You can also use X to jump up when you're knocked down.
    11. The best way to kill Gattuso is to have a strong, well-equipped party and to keep them in the fight. Repede and Rita will do fairly massive damage, leaving you free to use ranged TP attacks like Azure Edge and Destruction Field with Yuri. You can also make hit and run attacks with combos to do some damage.
    12. Otherwise, keep an eye on your HP and be quick on your items. It'll cost you quite a few healing Apple Gels, but keeping your party in the fight is the only way to make it through this one.
    13. With diligence and good party management, you'll eventually fell this beast. Keep your allies in the TP and they'll pay you back with devastating attacks against Gattuso. Do what damage you can when you can do it without being punished for it. Patience and preparation are a must here.

  • Elmead Hill, Continued

    1. When finally Gattuso goes down, return to the save point (you'll definitely want to put that fight behind you, permanently). Then head back to the left. Follow the path up to reach the crest of the hill.
    2. Continue left to find a chest with an Orange Gel. Follow the path left and down until you come to a fork where you can head right.
    3. Follow the fork right until you find another fork, with a path heading upscreen and one continuing right. The path right contains nothing, so head up. You'll face a few enemies, including two Gattuso Cubs.
    4. There are three chests here. The one to the left contains an Armet Helmet that Yuri and Karol can wear. The two at the top of the screen contain 2,000 Gald and a Holy Bottle.
    5. Ignore the right path - there's nothing there - and head back to the first fork. Continue down. You'll get a short lesson on camping.
    6. You'll find yourself back on the main path. Head left to return to the World Map. When you get there, you can use the tent you found if you choose. Follow the path to reach Capua Nor.

  • Port Capua Nor

    1. Yuri leaves the party to venture out on his own as you arrive at the port. Start at the door to the right of where you're standing, which leads into the inn Pollux.
    2. Save at the save point here. You can stay for 300 Gald as well.
    3. Next, go downscreen and turn right, or come out of the inn from its downscreen door. You'll see what looks like a rubber ducky spinning in circles near a staircase. Talk to it to reveal the Wonder Chef. He'll teach you a recipe for Sorbet.
    4. Now head upscreen past where the party was waiting. You'll see a staircase descending to the right. Approach it and Yuri will come under attack by three assassins.
    5. The battle can be annoying because there are three of these enemies and only one of you, but if you have an overlimit stored up, use it to blast back all three and then combo them to death. Failing that, try to get in some hits when you can and keep Apple Gels handy to stay alive.
    6. The assassins aren't too strong and will fall before you without a ton of trouble. When they do, Flynn appears.
    7. Continue along the path to find a shop and a Surveyor's Guild member. Buy anything you think you need.
    8. Return to the inn. You'll find Karol, Repede and Rita standing out front. Speak with them.
    9. Karol will suggest you wander around some more. If you've done all that you want to, go to the inn door and choose to enter.
    10. Now head into the left room at the top of the screen.
    11. Leave the inn after the meeting with Flynn. You'll get your party back. Stop by the shop and outfit them with whatever weapons and armor you need.
    12. Head back downscreen to the intersection and take the ramp to the left. Across it is the magistrate's mansion.
    13. You've got your new assignment: Find the Rhybgaro. Speak with the people in the town to hear that the monsters like dark places like under trees, and may be found in the uplands to the south of Capua Nor. They like wooded areas, so you'll be concentrating your search there.
    14. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! Before you leave Capua Nor, head upscreen near the shops and stop at the Dice Master's House. It's a simple game of guessing the outcome of three tosses of dice. You can choose to guess whether the sums will be even or odd, or high or low. You need three correct guesses in a row to win, but it's merely a coin toss - you have a 50-50 shot of winning each "battle." It also costs nothing to play. Get three correct guesses in a row to win a Gel Set. It contains an Apple Gel, Orange Gel and Lottery Gel. Winning also earns you a new title, which goes toward an achievement.
    15. When you're ready, head downscreen to the town's exit.
    16. Follow the path away from the port. Spin the camera behind Yuri and you'll see a ridge to the right. You can access that ridge further down the path.
    17. When you get up onto the uplands, head back toward the sea. You'll see the monster your chasing, the Rhybgaro, standing among the trees ahead. Make for it.
    18. The battle with the Rhybgaro should go pretty easily. It dishes out punishment pretty well, but it only has about 10,000 hit points, which means you'll be done inside two minutes. You'll receive a Golden Horn at the end.
    19. Return to Capua Nor. Yuri gives away the horn, so make for the inn to see Flynn instead of heading to the magistrate.
    20. Go to the inn and enter the room on the left. You'll receive a new assignment.
    21. Go to the magistrate's palace on the left side of the city, up the ramp.
    22. You'll gain access to the side of the mansion. Run to where Raven waits for you. You'll enter the mansion from its basement.

  • Capua Nor, Mansion, Basement

    1. Start by clearing the room. It'll be difficult to attempt to dodge these enemies, plus you can use the experience.
    2. Next, go through the door on the right side of the room. You'll go down a hall and into another room full of monsters.
    3. Open the two chests at the top of the room to receive a Knight Sword for Yuri and a Leather Whip for Rita.
    4. Backtrack down the hall into the first room and go upscreen through the top door. Go through the hall and you'll find yourself in another open room with monsters.
    5. Head to the bottom left corner to find a chest. Inside is a Gladius for Estelle.
    6. You can't go through the door to the left in this room. You can go through the door at the top of the room, but it leads to a hallway. At the end of that hallway is a door that's locked.
    7. That leads the door to the right. Head down the hall to another door into a room full of monsters.
    8. Engage the monsters in this room and clear them out. One group will relinquish a small key, which will get you through the doors in the room you just came from. Open the chest here and you'll also receive a Kotaro for Repede.
    9. Go back to the room with the locked doors. Go to the top of the room and through the door, then continue down the hall to the door. Use the key to unlock the door.
    10. You'll be attacked by a small wolf as you come through the door. Kill it and you'll receive the Small Wolf Key.
    11. Head back down through the door and down the hallway. When you reach the next monster-filled and head left to the locked door you couldn't go through before.
    12. You'll unlock the door with the Small Wolf Key.
    13. Move toward the large gate at the top of this room. Then continue up through the room and out the door.

  • Capua Nor, Mansion

    1. You'll escape from the mansion in pursuit of Ragou, the magistrate. You're back beside the mansion. Run upscreen to the save point to find a chest with a Mat inside. Save at the save point.
    2. Head down the stairs. The team boards Ragou's ship as it's departing. They'll soon come under attack.
    3. The Blood Guild fighters who attack you are relative pushovers. Smash them the way you would any other set of enemies.
    4. After you defeat them, you'll be attacked by Zagi, the assassin boss you fought with Estelle in Zaphias Castle.

  • Boss Fight: Zagi (2)

    1. TIP: This is a tough battle, but if you're not prepared when you exit Ragou's mansion, don't feel like you have no options. You can go straight back into Capua Nor and visit a shop to stock up on healing items. You can also leave the town to go build levels. Raising your characters to about level 24 helps win the battle more easily. Plus it will earn you a new arte for Rita that's pretty much necessary to earn the Secret Mission Achievement during this battle.
    2. Zagi is very fast and his attacks are pretty strong. This will be one of the worst boss fights you're dealt with up to now. Try to keep moving and keep Zagi off-balance by laying into him whenever he goes after your allies.
    3. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! The Secret Mission 4 Achievement requires you to knock Zagi off the side of the boat. This is extremely difficult to do and might take you the length of the battle to pull off. You can try to knock him off with an Over Limit, but this seems nearly impossible because of the timing involved (and the writer of this guide never managed it). Another strategy: Raise Rita's level to 24 and she'll unlock an arte called Stalagmite. This move makes huge stone spikes explode beneath a target, sending them flying. If it's timed right (which is still difficult), you can use it just as Zagi reaches the edge of the boat to send him flying.
    4. Pummeling Zagi is the most effective method. Just keep the hurt coming and stay clear of him when he goes into Over Limit. Keep an eye on your allies and try to keep everyone healed well enough that they're not going to killed when you need them.
    5. Especially important here also is maintaining Estelle's TP levels. Her healing artes are key to your group survival during this battle, as Zagi has a tendency to hurt you badly. Healing items are important, but with all the punishment you'll be taking, it's possible you'll run out.

  • Torim Harbor

    1. After a cut scene, Flynn will ask you to meet him and Ioder at the Inn. Whatever Nor is the biggest place you've been so far (and is decidedly more upbeat than Capua Nor). The Inn is at the far corner of town.
    2. The fish hanging from a cart in the port market is the Chef. Find him and he'll give you the recipe for fried chicken and fries.
    3. Head to the top of the lighthouse for a Holy Bottle.
    4. Examine the crates at the top of the second set of steps for an Orange Gel.
    5. Check the crates around the left side of the same building for a Poison Bottle.
    6. Find the shop for a new batch of weapons to synthesize. For most of them, however, you'll need Tolbyccian Water, Tolbyccian Fish, or Tough Leather, which you won't get more of until the next dungeon.
    7. Find Flynn in room on the right in the Inn. After a cutscene with Ioder and Ragou, Yuri will leave the others temporarily.
    8. Head to the right to find Raven. Talk to him to initiate another cutscene. The others will rejoin you.
    9. Stay at the Inn for another cutscene. Yuri's recognizable face almost gets the party caught, but you escape in time. It's time to go.
    10. Back on the world map, there are new monsters to fight, so crack out your Magic Lenses.
    11. Directly to the West you'll find a camp with your wagon-riding friends if you need a place to rest up.
    12. Follow the path East down the mountains
    13. Hidden at the edge of the forest to your right, there is a stump with blastium ore and magic resin, both good for synthesizing.
    14. Around the ridge and across a small bridge, you'll lay eyes on a path running through thick woods. A few paces in, you'll find your destination, built into the ridge to your right.

  • The Fallen City, Caer Bocram

    1. Right away you will meet Nan, who warns you to keep out and kicks Karol out of the Hunting Guild.
    2. Head in any way and examine the cylinder with the blue orb.
      1. TIP: Caer Bocram is the most maze-like dungeon in Vesperia so far: there will be choices to make. Do some exploring. Most of the choices (left, right, or forward) make sense in terms of what you can see on the screen. If there's nothing to the left, it probably won't take you anywhere. And remember: you can hop down on the colorful piles of leaves grown into the ridges.
    3. To your right, there is a treasure chest and a locked door.
    4. To the left is another locked door and two more chests.
    5. Examine the trap door at the end of the path. Yuri will kick it open. Head below.
    6. As instructed, shoot the thing in the basement with your Sorcerer's Ring (X button)
    7. Back upstairs, you'll be able to enter the previously locked doors. There's nothing but a Mat in the left door, but through the second you'll find an Orange Gel and Password Clue 1: "Light" (you can read it by examining the Password Clue in the item menu).
    8. Shoot the previously inactive cylindrical blastia with the Sorcerer's Ring.
    9. Step onto the circle and select Forward (left and right will keep you on the ground).
    10. On the second level, go left and fight the big turtle to clear the path.
    11. Enter the door past him. There is a limit bottle and 3x Magic Lens in the first room.
    Downstairs you'll find a save point and a spiral staircase. Save your game, but save the staircase for later.
    1. Upstairs you'll find an apple gel, a cocktail dress for Rita and a King Size Belt. Exit through the door.
    2. Head left and you'll find the Hunting Blades, fighting a monster in front of you. There will be a cutscene and a practice battle as you learn about Fatal Strikes. They make it easy to learn: after knocking an enemy by hitting B, a colored insignia will appear on the wounded enemy. Hit the Right Trigger button to finish it off.
    3. After the cutscene, continue left. The treasure chest you'll see is actually a monster. He's a bit tougher than your standard enemy and has a bit more HP, but shouldn't pose much of a problem. You'll receive 4,000 gald for winning the battle and find another 3,000 in the chest afterward. A nice reward for your efforts.
    4. Up the stairs, there is a room that contains a paralysis bottle and a life bottle.
    5. Back down the steps, head all the way to the right. You'll find a treasure chest with an apple gel and a door.
    6. Through the door you'll find another 1,000 gald. Downstairs you'll find a purple ribbon and Password Clue 2: "Sky".
    7. Head back up, go left, to the room you past before. Inside you'll find Holy Raven, a new weapon for Repede, and an Orange Gel.
    1. Up the ladder to the right, you'll find the Tsurugi, a new sword for Yuri.
    2. Up the ladder to the left, there is a room. Enter and head up the stairs to find a sturdy set of armor and the final clue, Password Clue 3: "Sphere"
    1. If you hop down from here (or forward on the platform from before) you'll fight your way to a room with Magic Mist and a chest containing a War Axe.
    2. Items gathered, gald racked in and passwords collected, you're ready to head down that spiral staircase we passed over before. Hop down to the bottom on the colorful leaves, go Forward on the original blastia elevator, and into the door on the left. Head downstairs.
    3. Once to the bottom, a cutscene will reveal that the aer is thick and it's making your party members sick. Luckily, you've figured out the password to get through the door: Light, Sky, Sphere... "Sun".
    4. After a lengthy cutscene, you'll be left to fight the enormous monster intended for the Hunting Blades, but left for you as they take on the Dragon Rider.

  • Boss Fight: Dreadful Beast

    1. A word of warning: don't bother gearing up Karol for this battle, because he won't make an appearance, even if he is set to your party. Your party members will enter one by one, starting with Yuri.
    2. You start the battle with Yuri alone. The task seems daunting: the beast is huge. But fear not. He only gets more agitated as the battle wears on, so now is a good time to throw a magic lens on him and combo him face-to-face, as best as you know how.
    3. TIP: It's a good idea to use a Magic Lens here and check the Beast's strengths and weaknesses (which are many and few, respectively). As each party member arrives, hit the Y button, head into the Artes menu, and disable any magic or abilities that play to the Beast's strengths.
    4. Luckily, this boss fight doesn't have any weaker enemies to contend with, so you can focus on the big guy. Don't be afraid to get close, use your combos, and blast him with your Over Limit once it charges up.
    5. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! Remember Fatal Strikes? A couple times in the battle, The Beast will withdraw into his shell, and the big, colorful insignia will appear. Dutifully hit the RT. It won't kill him, but it will help. And it will earn you an Achievement for Secret Mission 5.
    6. As the battle wears on, The Beasts attacks will grow fiercer and reach further. Getting hit at all will send you to the floor, so have that X button at the ready. One advantage of the Beast's size is that he's also not very fast. If you take a wallop, or a teammate goes down, use the Left Trigger to run away momentarily and heal up with a Life Bottle or an Apple Gel. Then, jump back into the fray.
    7. The Left Trigger is also handy to get around the Beast. The best place to attack him is from behind. Just keep the magic and combos coming, and keep an eye out for the Fatal Strike insignia.

  • Caer Bocram

    1. After another cutscene, you'll escape and catch up to Karol and Nan on your way out. Karol will rejoin your party.
    2. Attempt to leave, making use of the colored leaves. You'll be stopped by the effeminately dressed Cumore (think Ivy from Soul Caliber) who is prepared to take away Estelle, the princess, and battle the rest of you.
    3. In a curious turn, you are saved (and captured) by Schwynn's brigade and taken, finally, into custody.

  • Heliord, back again

    1. In an even stranger turn, the Admiral of the Imperial Knights will interrupt your interrogation and announce that you have been set free, courtesy of Estelle and Ioder.
    2. Leave the Knight's storage facility and head to your left to find Flynn and Ioder.
    3. After a brief chat, try to enter the Inn and Abecor and Boccos will challenge you to a fight to defend their honor. It's another learning session, but you do actually fight them, so stay spry.
    4. You'll learn about Burst Artes (special abilities activated by holding the A button after pulling of a BLANK Arte in Over Limit mode). Try it out against the goons.
    5. At the Inn, Estelle is already asleep. Buy a room for the night to rejoin your party.
    6. Examine the blastia, the large white spiral at the center of town. Estelle will rejoin you.
    7. Head right, back to the Cavalier Headquarters and talk to Flynn in the back. A lengthy cutscene will ensue.
    8. The chaos of the cutscene will leave Rita knocked out in the Inn, and Estelle by her side with her healing artes.
    9. You're stuck at the Inn, so talk to Karol in the hall, then go back into the room for another cutscene.
    10. Head to the right a few steps. The cutscene will continue.
    11. When all is said and done, Estelle will convince Alexei to let her go to Keiv Moc with Rita. The others join as well.
    12. Before leaving, head right (left of the blastia) to talk to the new character standing in wait. This is Drake Dropwart, legendary knight and Estelle's sword instructor.
    13. Make sure you equip Estelle before exiting town to the left.
    14. There is a ridge to the East of Heliord that leads to nowhere, so be sure to head South along the water to head around it. Follow the path to Dahngrest, just across the bridge in the failing sunlight.
    15. Explore the town a bit and synth up. Before long, however, the barrier blastia will give out and allow for a barrage of monster attacks.
    16. You'll fight a couple of battles to help the Guilds defend the city, but decide that the only way to win is to fix the blastia. Head up the center path and then left to find it.
    17. Rita will attempt to do her thing, but the Blood Alliance intervenes. Slap them around in a quick fight to save the city.
    18. Head right and all the way up the center aisle to the Guild Headquarters to seek council with the Guild leader, Don Whitehorse. The guard at the door will tell you that the Don is off driving away the rest of the monsters outside the city.
    19. Exit Dahngrest on the West side of town (not the way you came in) to get back to the world map.
    20. Head East through the forest to a taller, thicker portion, noticeable from the world map. This is Keiv Moc.

  • Keiv Moc

    1. Right away, you'll encounter Raven, the wily old man. He'll join your party. Be sure to toss him an accessory and toggle his abilities and battle strategies to your liking.
    2. In Keiv Moc, you can walk up branches, so keep an eye out. Most of the paths are pretty obvious.
    3. The first split of branches in fact makes a large circle, so don't be alarmed. Explore upwards for an orage gel and down and to the left for the Estoc (a new sword), or just head straight and down the branches to get to the next section of the Keiv.
    4. Pay close attention to the cutscene between Karol and Raven. The ability Raven puts on display will come into play during the next boss battle.
    5. Down the branch and to the next screen, find a Chain Whip and a Bastard Sword in the two treasure chests. The chest contains two Poison Bottles.
    6. The treasure chest at the next bend is another monster in disguise. Combo him relentlessly and be prepared to jump or backstep when he tries to grab you. Getting gobbled up can hurt. The battle will reward you with 4,000 Gald and a limit bottle.
    7. Head up the branch and follow it all the way down. Just before the boss there is a blue save point that will heal you. Make sure Raven is in your battle party and descend to the bottom of the branch.

  • Boss Fight: Gigalarva

    1. Gigalarva is an over-sized scorpion. And he's not happy about it. He's fairly mobile and his attacks have surprising range. He is resistant to stone, wind, and water, so it's best to turn abilities with those elements off. He is weak to fire, healing artes and dark artes. Make use of these.
      1. TIP: Make sure your spell-casters are set so they can run away in battle. Gigalarva will target them. If you get caught in a corner, his attacks can hit everyone at once and the battle will be over in a hurry.
    2. Combo Gigalarva relentlessly. There isn't really a best side to attack from, as he can attack from all sides and turn on a whim. Be ready with the X button to guard, especially if he sends to flying (which he will). Tapping X while in the air will shorten the amount of time you're out of commission.
    3. Stay mobile and keep Gigalarva off of your casters.
    4. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! After Gigalarva uses his Over Limit, he will sometimes use the opportunity to stick his stinger into the ground and heal. If you use Raven's Scorpion ability and lay traps in the right places, you can stop this. You will also earn Secret Mission 6. The best way to do this is to either switch control to Raven before you enter battle, or set Scorpion to your right analog stick for quick deployment. Gigalarva will only attempt this move once or twice during the fight, so much of this task depends on luck.
    5. After the battle, more Gigalarvas will appear. Fear not: the mysterious Duke (Sephiroth's cousin?) will save you.
    6. Back out front, you'll encounter Don Whitehorse, who agrees to speak with you back in town.
    7. Head back to Dahngrest.

  • Dahngrest, Part 2

    1. Synth yourself some new weapons.
    2. The Don is in the Guild Headquarters, at the back of town, up the center path.
    3. The Chef is the strange yellow thing to the right of the Don's door. Talk to him to get a new recipe.
    4. Go inside and talk to the Don. A cutscene will lead to a time-sensitive political disagreement. When Yuri tells the others he dropped his wallet back at the Headquarters, go back and take the door to the left to find Flynn in his prison cell.
    5. When you're set free, be sure to head back to the LEFT if you would like to save or synth weapons or items before moving on. A couple steps to the right, and a series of cutscenes takes over that will last the better part of 30 minutes.
    6. Yuri will confront Barbos. Barbos will instead throw some blood alliance cronies Yuri's way and take off. There are a lot of them, so watch your back. It's a different fight when you're on your own. Try to fight them one at a time, and be careful to not get caught in a group of them. If you do, activate your Over Limit to throw them.

  • Ghasfarost

    1. When the last in a long series of cutscenes comes to an end, you will be freed from imprisonment with the lovely Judith, the dragon rider unmasked. Judith is quick, agile and great at aerial attacks (which is useful with some of the high-flyers in the ensuing dungeon).
    2. At first you won't be able to access the menu, because you won't have your weapons. Your first task is to find them.
    3. A healing save point can be found back in the original prison cell. By now, you'll want one.
    4. Find a melange gel and a Life Bottle in the treasure chests in the back of the main room. The room in front on the far left has Yuri's sword. Judy picks up a spear.
    5. Equip up, then talk to the guy outside of the prison sell. He's a full-scale store and synth stop, so revisit him often.
    6. Examine the glowing green aer just outside the weapon room. The Sorcerer's Ring will be upgraded to level 2. Hit the switches next to the shop man to lower a ramp.
    7. On the second floor, you'll be reunited with everyone. This is a good opportunity to head back to the shop.
    8. The downward ladder only leads to the exit, which we don't need yet.
    9. Take the ladders up. Find a Rivet Belt and three Holy Bottles in the treasure chests. Head toward the core up the center.
      1. TIP: Every ORANGE gear in the puzzle tower can become mobile. You'll have to activate all of them with the Sorcerer's Ring to reach the top.
    10. Up the first ramp to the left, find the Kuruma for Repede in a traesure chest.
    11. Hit every orange gear on the way up. This first section is over with ease.
    12. Up in the second section, there is nothing to do on the first level for now. Find the Blue Dragon sword in the treasure chest, then fight the big guy to the right and zap the orange gear behind him. A bridge on the next level will extend.
    13. Treasure chest: the Wizard Hord.
    14. Head up to the next level and hit the gear at the end of the bridge.
    15. Go back down to the first level of the section to hit the gear you had to pass up before.
    16. The pinwheel, now accessible, is the Chef. Examine it for another recipe.
    17. Go back up one level and hit the gear to the left.
      1. TIP: The path to this gear is HIDDEN behind the gear itself. Depth perception in this room can be deceiving.
    18. Hit both gears, then head up two flights.
    19. Head left and hit the first gear, which will extend a platform, allowing you to hit the second. Head up the downed ramp to the third section of the tower.
    20. This third section has a lot of running up and down. Here's the runabout in a nutshell:
    Up two levels (level 3), hit the small gear.
    Down one level and head to the bridge on the right to hit the next gear.
    Down another level and hit the gear on the left.
    Up one level, hit the gear on the left.
    Up another level, hit the gear on the left.
    Up one more time, again hitting the gear on the left (find a Spike Hammer in the treasure chest)
    Head right and hit the first gear, extending a bridge to the second.
    Down one level and hit the final gear on the right.
    1. Up the ramp you go. Save! You made it.
    1. In the two treasure chests are a lemon gel and a Smash Bow for Raven.

  • Boss Fight: Barbos

    1. Barbos is big, mean and theoretically foul-mouthed. His malfunctioning blastia can hit you from up close and at a distance.
    2. Barbos' attacks hurt the most in close combat. You're faster than him (unless you're controlling Karol) so use your combo-ing prowess and make sure your spell-casters are targeting Barbos.
    3. If Barbos activates his Over Limit, keep him distracted and mix in blows when you can, but stay at a safe distance. He can plow through even a full health bar in a hurry.
    4. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! Barbos' minions will continue to run in from each of the four bridges, even as you defeat them. Make sure you keep the lackies off of your casters so that they can focus their efforts on Barbos. While playing protector, destroy the electric posts at each bridge. Once you've destroyed all four, no more baddies will join their overweight boss, and you can focus your efforts (and celebrate the earning of another achievement)

  • World Map

    1. Whern you've finished with Yeager, you'll be dropped on the south side of Heliord outside. You're set on a southern path and the only thing really ahead is Torim Harbor, so head there.
    2. Along the way, you'll reunite with Raven.
    3. The plan as you reach Torim is to go to the inn, but take a few minutes to wander around the town. On the upper floor, head far to the right where a woman stands near a palm tree. Speak with her and she mentions flowers blooming when they shouldn't be. As she speaks, Judith walks away and destroys a blastia in the meantime.
    4. You can also grab a Holy Bottle from the top of the lighthouse outside. When you're done exploring, head left on the upper area of the town to reach the inn.
    5. Check the inn's right room to find a Life Bottle in an chest of drawers. Then backtrack and pay 300 Gald to stay the night.
    6. Control comes back to you with only Yuri. You need to wander the harbor and speak with the rest of your party to advance the story. Start with Karol, who is still in the room.
    7. Now go into the other room in the inn, on the left, to find Rita.
    8. Leave the inn and speak with Repede next, who is just to the left of the door.
    9. Go down the stairs and head left as if you were leaving the town. You'll run into Judith.
    10. Continue down the stairs and head to the right to find Estelle looking out over the harbor.
    11. Continue to the right. Head down the stairs when you come to them and straight downscreen to the end of the pier, where Raven is waiting.
    12. Return to the inn and talk to the woman behind the desk. Select Rest to advance the story.
    13. Upon awakening, you'll reunite with the party. Head out into the port and head to the right to where the ships are docked.
    14. Down near the ships, you'll see an altercation between some mercenaries and Kaufman, the leader of Fortune's Market. Afterward, continue downscreen onto the pier. Talk to Kaufman when you see her.
    15. Kaufman takes on your guild to battle mermen from the boat. Backtrack to the shop near the inn if you need anything. Make sure you go prepared with a full set of healing items and new equipment.
    16. When you're ready, talk to Kaufman again to set out.

  • The Boat, Fiertia

    1. The controls for the boat are virtually the same as moving around the map on foot. Head southwest toward Desier. You won't get far before another cinematic starts.
    2. You'll be engaged by a group of mermen. Don't worry - they're an easy set of enemies. Battle them in your usual style and you won't have any troubles.
    3. After the fight, you gain control of the boat again. Bear west toward the oblong island nearby to find a Search Point. Land on the beach with A to get the treasure. It consists of a Broken Dagger, a Mystic Orb, one Jet-black Ink, and Demon Bone to use for synthesizing.
    4. Continue out to see bearing southwest. You'll literally run into a ghost ship.

  • The Atherum

    1. Use the save point and choose your team. Estelle is recommended, as always, for her healing abilities. Judith also is a strong choice, but just about any team will do.
    2. Before you leave, speak with Kaufman. She'll give you access to a shop if you need anything.
    3. Now board the ghost ship. Kill the enemies and head upscreen to find a chest with a Trident for Judith.
    4. The ladder to the right of the area leads to the crow's nest. Climb it and check behind the mast to find another chest. Inside is a Seal Bottle, a Limit Bottle, a Specific and a Treat.
    5. Climb back down and take the stairs to the left, which lead up and toward the bow of the ship. Another chest waits, which holds an Ogre Sword for Yuri.
    6. Head back down the stairs. Cross the deck to the right to find a staircase leading down into the ship's hold. Take it.
    7. Continue through the hallway to another set of stairs. Descend into a second hallway. The mirrors here show invisible Anchorgeist enemies, which are weak to fire-based attacks. They go down pretty easy.
    8. Clear the hall and get the Lemon Gel from the chest. Then go through the door to the right.
    9. Continue through the next hallway into a much larger, open room with a big staircase in the center. First, go past the stairs and open the chest to find an Orange Gel.
    10. Check the upper right corner of the room for a Life Bottle, then take the door on the right.
    11. Use the mirror to see where the invisible enemies are in this room. Clear it out, then check the upper left corner of the room for a Seal Bottle. There are also three Magic Lenses in the area that looks like a trough just upscreen of the door.
    12. Exit back through the door and take the stairs up. Head downscreen and left for a chest that hides a Snipe Xiphos for Raven. Then go through the door to the left of the room.
    13. There are three sets of invisible enemies in this room. Clear them out, then check behind the bar to the left for some cooking materials. The chest in the upper left corner of the room is a Fake that will attack you, but winning nets you a Specific.
    14. Backtrack out and climb the next set of stairs. Clear out the room at the top. In the center of the room under the broken staircase is a chest that holds a Limit Bottle. Get it, then take the door right.
    15. You'll be attacked straight away. Finish the enemies in the room. Check the center table for a Holy Bottle.
    16. Backtrack and go through the door leading left. It leads to another hallway and a cinematic.
    17. You'll take control of the second party now. You can't go the same way Yuri's group did, so climb the ladder to the crow's nest. Cross the broken mast like a bridge to reach the aft portion of the ship.
    18. When you get to the back of the ship, you'll find a plank wrapping around the side and two doors. Take the first.
    19. Kill the enemies and open the two chests here for some gels. Then head back to the second door.
    20. Cross the hallway to a staircase. Head up and open the chest in the next hall for a Mat. Continue left to a door, where you'll meet back up with the rest of the group.
    21. Save at the nearby save point, get your team together, and open the chest in the top right of the room. Inside is an Orange Gel.
    22. Go through the door to the left. It leads outside to a chest, which holds a Limit Bottle.
    23. Return through the door and take the stairs up.
    24. The door to the left is locked. Check the bookcase for 400 Gald. Check the table for a Limit Bottle. Then head deeper into the room to trigger a cinematic.
    25. Now check the bottom right corner of the room to find a Pirate Hat that Karol can equip. Finally, check the dead pirate's desk, which triggers a battle with more of the local ghost monsters.
    26. Take the ladder up. Outside, grab the chest to the right for a Holy Symbol.
    27. Return back down the ladder and go left to the door. It's no longer locked and leads to the ship's deck. Go to the upper left corner of the balcony to climb down.
    28. Climb down the next ladder, then go downscreen to find another place to attach the rope ladder. Climb down and leave the ghost ship.
    29. Guide your ship southwest to reach Nordopolica.

  • Nordopolica

    1. Head downscreen and talk to the bald man wearing glasses.
    2. Go back upscreen into the coliseum. Use the save point.
    3. There's an inn to the left and shops to the right. The path through also extends right, so head that way. Enter the door you find there.
    4. At the counter in the next room, you'll learn about a tournament that you can't join yet. Return later and fight through the tournament to earn an Achievement.
    5. Climb the steps and speak with the guards.
    6. Go back down and check the statue on the right side of the stairs to find the Wonder Chef.
    7. Get anything you need to, then return to the inn. Speak with the woman standing out front and choose the Rest option.
    8. the Rest option.
    9. In the morning, there are a lot more people scattered around the area. You can talk, but you won't learn much except a few tidbits about the tournament. Continue back through the door to where you found the tournament registry.
    10. Go up the stiars. You'll see a short cinematic with Duke, the mysterious man who seems to be following the party. After that, there's nothing more you can do in this hall except speak with a few tournament contenders. Go back down through the door.
    11. Continue back to the left and leave the coliseum, Head downscreen as though you were leaving Nordopolica altogether.
    12. Now go downscreen until you see two people with pink symbols over their heads. You'll watch a short cinematic.
    13. Return to the coliseum. Go right past the shops and take the door toward Belius' room. Then speak to Regaey on the right.
    14. After the cinematic, speak with the woman at the center counter and enter the tournament.

  • Nordopolica, Tournament

    1. The tournament is a series of four boss fights. The first, against a knight called Erungar, isn't too tough.
    2. Pummel Erungar with your standard combos and attacks. Do your best not to take damage, as you won't get a chance in between fights to heal up.
    3. The second battle is against Jugem, a thief. He also is pretty easy.
    4. Jugem is a lot ofaster than your first fight. Pummel him with combos, but try to get out of the way of his attacks. He's fast and each hit he gives you will damage Yuri by about 150 points.
    5. Johann de Marc is the third battle. He's big and slow.
    6. Combo de Marc and either step clear of his attacks or block. Both are easy to do, as he takes a long while to swing.
    7. TIP: Remember to block all the way through de Marc's three-hit combo attack. The third swing is a little delayed. Often it will lull you into dropping your guard, only to take a big hit that knocks Yuri down.
    8. TIP: Finish these battles quickly, but conserve TP if you can. Otherwise, you'll have to replenish it on the fly during the last fight.
    9. Defeat de Marc and you'll be sent into a boss battle. It's a mock fight with Flynn. He'll pummel you some, but when your health drops to a certain point, the battle will end. Then Zagi will show up to put you into a real boss fight.

  • Boss Fight: Zagi Again

    1. Immediately pull Yuri back and heal him. Zagi has the same tricks he always has, so deal with him as you have in previous fights.
    2. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT: The Secret Mission achievement in this battle involves pummeling Zagi with magic. His blastia arm absorbs it and heals him, but too much and the thing will overload, destroying it. Then you can go about smashing him with all you've got.
    3. Wrack Zagi with combos to keep him reeling. You can do a fair amount of damage, especially if you keep an eye out for fatal strike opportunities.
    4. When he goes into Over Limit, keep your characters away from Zagi as best you can. He's hard to hit and he does massive damage with his combos.
    5. Zagi has a tendency to move in three dimensions a lot, so keep one finger on your Left Trigger in order to dodge and also give chase. Basically, just keep giving him all you've got.
    6. Despite giving you a lot of punishment, Zagi should go down before too long. He's powerful, but between four characters, he's spread too thin to be a real problem. Keep everyone healed and you'll do all right.

  • Nordopolica, Tournament

    1. Zagi makes his escape and frees all the tournament's monsters, and it's your job to mop them up. Take a minute to heal before jumping into battle, and also to switch out party members if you need to relieve some of your hurt ones.
    2. There's no particular order in which you need to go through this series of fights, but there are a lot of different kinds of monsters to deal with.
    3. It also might be a good idea to switch your battle strategy to Save TP in order to replenish it for your party members.
    4. Also remember that you can the Sorcerer's Ring to get the jump on enemies here as well.
    5. After a couple of battles, you'll see a cinematic and wind up back in the staircase outside the arena. Go down and leave the room.
    6. Go left to the inn to meet back up with Judith. Then go downscreen to the port.
    7. Continue downscreen when you reach the water and you'll find Repede.
    8. Go back up to the coliseum and stay in the inn. Yuri will investigate the rumor about townspeople disappearing, and in the process learn a new arte.
    9. Visit the shop if you need anything, then head downscreen to where you found Repede. Continue to the left to exit the city, then head west along the path.

  • The Weasand of Cados

    1. You're attacked by a group of Leviathan's Claw assassins. They're a little tougher than the assassins you're used to, so keep that in mind.
    2. When they're dispatched, head into the cave. You'll find three Seal Bottles in a chest along the left wall. Just up ahead on the other side is a chest with a Limit Bottle inside.
    3. Ahead the path will fork. Take the ramp down to fight a spider and find a chest. Inside is a Mighty Guard for Estelle or Raven.
    4. Continue along the path up. Follow it to another fork and go up. Continue forward past a second fork to find a chest guarded by a spider. You'll receive a Spike Bow for Raven.
    5. TIP: A big, powerful monster called a Drill Hermit is on the lower path that you skipped. It's what's known as a Giagnto Monster, and killing it and all other Giganto Monsters unlocks an Achievement. This one is tough to kill though, so avoid it for the moment.
    6. Take the path near where you found the Spike Bow down to reach the next room.
    7. Here there are two paths, one leading up and one leading down. Take the downward path first to reach two chests. Inside are a War Harpoon for Judith and an Aquamarine accessory.
    8. Backtrack and take the path up. You'll come across a chest with an Avenger's Scroll inside for Rita.
    9. You'll hit a cinematic as you follow the path. Afterward, continue forward to find a save point.
    10. Take the path up to find a chest. Inside is a Jiraiya for Repede.
    11. Return to the fork by the save point and head right. Kill the enemies and open the chest for a Spine Ripper for Yuri.
    12. Back to the right of the save, there are two more paths. One goes down and loops to the left, and the other goes up and loops right. Take the lower path to a chest obscured behind a rock. Inside is a Silver Circlet for Estelle, Judith or Rita.
    13. Go back to the fork in the path and take the upper route. It's pretty straight, interrupted only by monsters. Continue along until you hit a blue save point. Use it, then continue forward to a boss fight.

  • Boss Fight: Pteropus

    1. This boss is actually the combining of a lot of smaller enemies. When it's a whole, Pteropus is a big shadowy form that's weak to light. Estelle has a few light artes, so you can use those.
    2. Meantime, pummel Pteropus in the usual way. Link your combos and do what damage you can as quickly as you can.
    3. Before long, the boss will separate into lots of smaller bats. These are broken into three kinds: Attack Bats, which fly around hitting you with standard moves; Magic Bats, which use some fairly devastating, multi-hit artes; and a Leader Bat.
    4. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! This boss's Secret Mission achievement is fairly easy. When the Pteropus blows apart into smaller bats, use a Magic Lens or hold Right Bumper to find and target the Leader Bat. Concentrate on it until it goes down. This prevents the Pteropus from reforming and nets you the achievement at the end of the battle.
    5. When Pteropus is in pieces, he's actually much more difficult and annoying. There are tons of targets here, but you need to prioritize. The attack bats are annoying, but somewhat less than deadly. The magic bats, on the other hand, will work together to hit your characters with two or three spells in a row, which can spell doom.
    6. Target and work on the magic bats. Hitting them will them from casting spells, so go into the menu and change your characters' strategy to have them attack Artes Users.
    7. Do your best to keep your team healed and keep working on the magic bats. There are quite a few, and each has 6,000 hit points. Plus they fly, which can make them even more annoying.
    8. Once you know how to go about it, the rest of the battle is mopping up. Kill all the bats to defeat Pteropus.
    9. After the battle, don't miss the chest at the bottom of the screen, which holds a Simple Tent. You'll head out of the cave into the Sands of Koghor, and before long wind up at Mantiac.

  • Mantiac

    1. When you reach the oasis, you'll separate from your allies. Wander around speaking with them to push the story, then head to the inn when you're done exploring.
    2. First, go to the right, back the way you came. Karol is there.
    3. Stop by the shop right at the entrance of town and restock your healing items. Speak with Raven, then head left.
    4. You'll run into Judith at the end of the left path. When you're done talking to her, go up.
    5. When you see two trees before you reach Estelle, look for something bobbing up and down. Examine to it to discover the Wonder Chef.
    6. Continue heading up unit you find Estelle.
    7. Return to the inn when you're done speaking with everyone. Inside is Rita and a save point. When you've finished with both, speak to the innkeeper. Then leave.
    8. Head left and you'll hit a cinematic. You'll reunite with the party, so take the opportunity to hit the shop and get new equipment. Then head to the inn.
    9. Speak to the innkeeper to move the story ahead.
    10. TIP! Before you leave here, stay in the inn. You should get a special item, the Mother's Memento, for your trouble. You'll need it later for a Secret Mission achievement.
    11. Leave the inn and go up to the lake where Estelle was earlier. Then go back down and to the left to leave Mantiac.

  • Sands of Kogorh

    1. The key in the desert it is keeping up your water supply, which is in a gauge on the right side of your screen and which goes quickly. Look for big green cacti stuck in the middle of the desert. You can get water from them with your Sorcerer's Ring by hitting X.
    2. The desert is a big flat expanse that can be difficult to navigate, as it all looks the same. Plus, enemy encounters are plentiful. Keep an eye out for cacti and take advantage of the nights, which don't drain your water supply.
    3. Generally, head upscreen. You'll eventually hit an oasis. Save at the save point and look to the left nearby for a chest with a Riot for Karol inside. Then continue to go upscreen.
    4. Bear left as you go. You'll eventually hit either the upper extreme of the area or the kids' parents you're looking for. If you do hit the upper wall, head left from there to find the parents.
    5. After the cinematic with the parents, save your game at the new save point and head back to the right. Then turn up for a boss fight.

  • Boss Fight: Outbreaker

    1. This boss is a straightforward combo battle, with one caveat - the boss has a weakness to water and a strength against fire. Except, that is, when it turns day into night. Then the weaknesses are reversed.
    2. It's easy to deal with, though. If the boss changes day to night, go into the menu and turn off your water-based artes and turn on your fire-based artes. If it's day, do the opposite.
    3. Managing your artes is the least of your worries, unfortunately. The change from day to night also heals Oubtreaker by more than 6,000 hit points each time it does the move. Later in the battle, this can happen quite a bit and make it difficult to finish him, tapping heavily into your item supplies. But there's a way to deal with it.
    4. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! To get the Secret Mission achievement from this battle, and to actually win it, you need to destroy Outbreaker's core. It's the round thing the monster spits out every once in a while to turn day to night and back again. When it spits it out, jump up and attack the core as relentlessly as possible. It'll take quite a few hits and probably a few rounds of day-to-night transitions before you can do it, but once the core is destroyed, the time of day stays set and Outbreaker can't heal. You get your achievement at the end of the battle.
    5. Once you've destroyed the core, things go much more easily. Rail on the boss with all the combos you can muster and it'll go down before too long.

  • Yormgen

    1. After the battle, you'll awaken in an inn. Go just to the right of the doorway near where you're standing to find the Wonder Chef.
    2. Step back to the left and hit A to check something and receive an Hourglass.
    3. Now go out of the room to save your game. Then head downscreen to the door to leave the inn.
    4. After the cinematic, you're free to wander the town. Head to the shop to the right if you need anything.
    5. Go upscreen and stop off when you can go up a flight of wooden stairs to the right. Speak with the woman in green to the right of the staircase.
    6. To the left of the girl is a chest where you'll find a Simple Tent. Grab it, then head back to the path and continue upscreen. When you reach the sage's mansion, head inside to start another cinematic.
    7. After that long piece of story, you part with your allies and have another opportunity to go talking to them all. Go back in the sage's mansion to speak with Rita.
    8. Go left past Rita and check the wall there to find a Strange Mark.
    9. Exit and head back into town. Take the left path to find Raven. Then head back up to where you spoke with the girl in green to find Karol.
    10. Go back down toward the inn where Estelle and Repede wait. Speak with Estelle, then go down toward the edge of the town.
    11. You'll get your new assignment: Return to Mantaic, and then all the way back to Nordopolica.
    12. Head south to the Sands of Kogorh.

  • Sands of Kogorh, the other way

    1. You're mercifully without your water gauge this time, so feel free to explore a little more. You're basically baring downscreen until you reach the exit.
    2. Soon you'll come to the oasis in the center of the desert. Stop and save, then walk into the glowing green orb to be transported to the desert's entrance on the far, downscreen side. You'll reach Mantaic just beyond.

  • Mantaic, with Cumore

    1. After the cinematic, stop by the shop to the right, then duck into the inn. Speak with the innkeeper to stay.
    2. Another long cinematic plays. When it concludes, leave the inn and head left and then upscreen to the lake.
    3. When you reach the two trees where you found the Wonder Chef, near where the path forks to the right, check the leftmost tree. There you'll find the Wonder Reporter.
    4. Continue up to find Flynn and activate another cinematic.
    5. Leave the town to the right and head back to the Weasand of Cados.

  • Weasand of Cados, blockaded

    1. Head down the path after the cinematic to find a chest with a Sinclair Saber for Yuri.
    2. Continue along the path. You'll find the save point before long. There's not much reason to explore here, since you've already opened all the chests. Continue to the left.
    3. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! When you enter this next area, you might remember the Giganto Monster Hermit Drill that's on the lower path, blocking the way. It was too big for you before, but now it shouldn't amount to much more than a standard boss fight. Take it on to earn the Big Game Greenhorn achievement. See the Giganto Monsters subsection.
    4. If you kill the Hermit Drill, continue down the path it was on to find a chest that holds 8,000 Gald. Then backtrack to a small fork leading up, where you can find a hidden chest that has a Verbena.
    5. Backtrack to the main path and follow it to the left. You'll fight through a few more enemies until you reach the point where you found Raegey.
    6. You'll come out of the Weasand on the other side. Follow the path back to Nordopolica, which is away to the east.

  • Nordopolica, new moon

    1. Head into the town, then make for the coliseum upscreen.
    2. When you've arrived, you can visit the shop. Save 500 Gald and stay at the inn when you're finished.
    3. You'll set out when night falls. Head to the right toward Belius's room. When you get to the door, head upscreen to enter it.
    4. Climb the steps and speak with the guard on the left.
    5. Climb the stairs to the left and take the door at the top.
    6. Head back down and take on the Hunting Blades you run across. Head to the door at the base of the stairs.
    7. Go through the door directly in front of you to reach the arena. You'll face stronger Hunting Blades on the other side and eventually a boss fight, so backtrack to the shop if you need anything.
    8. These blades are mostly fighters. The biggest one, Ogre, should be your primary target, but use hit-and-run tactics to avoid the smaller, faster guys he brings with him. Take them out one at a time and they'll be easy enough.

  • Boss Fight: Belius

    1. Belius has a long reach but a small area of operation, and she's slow-moving. That means staying back and getting behind her are your most effective strategies.
    2. You should be able to hold your own fairly well. Use your combos against Belius and disable artes that are water-based, as these will heal the enemy.
    3. Unfortunately, while the battle starts out easy, it quickly becomes extremely difficult. Belius will put out the four torches around the arena and spawn into two parts. The copy is an illusion, but that won't stop it from seriously pounding you.
    4. The battle can get very out of hand here. The two Beliuses are huge, take up a lot of room, and are hard to avoid. Add to this the fact that the real Belius will continually hit Over Limits, becoming even more powerful.
    5. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! If you want to survive the battle, you'll have to uncover the Secret Mission achievement for this battle. It's simple enough in theory. You have to relight the torches around the arena to dispel the illusion. It takes fire-based attacks, so use Yuri's Destruction Field arte. The easiest way is to target the lamp and run to it quickly. The lamps won't stay lit forever, though. If you have Rita, you can use her Fireball arte to assist with lamp-lighting. You can also use other characters' fire artes. In the meantime, set your battle strategy to Defend to keep your characters from getting totally run by the two huge beasts.
    6. The quicker you light those lamps, the better chance you'll have of surviving the battle. Once you get them lit and the illusion dispelled, it's back to business as usual. Blast Belius with combos for the win.
    7. Leave the arena and head down the stairs. Make your way out of the city by heading left.

  • Fiertia Adrift and Dahngrest

    1. Save and exit the hold. It's night, so your job is to talk to the other members of your party.
    2. When you're done, return to the door to the ship's hold and rest. In the morning, you'll be able to pilot the ship again.
    3. Head north to make for Dahngrest. You'll need to move to the east to find a beach where you can land and walk to the city.
    4. When you reach Dahngrest, the party will split up. Take a few minutes to hit the shop and talk to the townspeople, then head to the inn.
    5. Buy a night in bed and rest when you're ready. Leave the inn and exit the town from its western bridge.
    6. Follow the peninsula southwest until you find a bridge. Cross it and continue on this peninsula until you come to the Manor of the Wicked, which is surrounded by woods. It's west! The game's Synopsis screen will tell you east, but don't listen.

  • The Manor of the Wicked

    1. Kill the guards and enter the manor. It's not too difficult.
    2. You'll be forced into another battle as you enter the room. Clear out the enemies and start looking through the room. Check the around the edges of the room to find items.
    3. Before heading up the stairs, check things out on the lower level. There are a lot of enemies here, so skip it if you don't have a lot of items or time. You can check all of the rooms on the lower level for a weapon and some items, however.
    4. There's a new whip in the first room you come to for Rita. You'll get gels in the next two as you move along the hallway around the corner. The last room contains nothing
    5. Head up the stairs and save there. Check the left side of hall for a Gothic Guard for Estelle.
    6. The chest beside the save contains a Ruby Wand that Estelle can use. Keep following the hall.
    7. There are more rooms to check here. Bypass the first one, as it's empty. The second and fourth contain weapons. Keep going upscreen to the door there to enter another battle with more assassins.
    8. Leave the manor and head back to Dahngrest.

  • Danghrest, After the Don

    1. You'll need to locate Karol. Leave the Union and go downscreen to the intersection. Turn left.
    2. Karol is seated against the wall near the Sagittarius Tavern. Speak with him.
    3. Resupply and head to the edge of town. You'll be returned to the boat automatically.
    4. Take it southeast toward the continent Desier. You'll want to make for Yormgen, which is near a deep bay that you can pilot the boat through. From there, head north until you can enter the Mt. Temza.

  • Mt. Temza

    1. Follow the path and stop by the first chest, on the left, for a Tent. Continue along the side of the mountain.
    2. Take the left path down into the crater when you come to a fork. You'll find two chests at the end that contain ingredients for cooking.
    3. Backtrack and keep following the path. Keep an eye out for another fork near the bend. It leads to a chest that contains a Deadly Horn for Karol. The path blends in really well, so keep pushing along the right side of the trail to find it.
    4. Keep heading up the trail. Before long, you'll start fighting Hunting Blades. Keep up the switchbacks and open a few more chests along the way.
    5. Soon you'll come to an old bridge. Check to the right of it before crossing for a chest.
    6. On the other side you'll find a save point. Use it.
    7. Head to the right across another bridge. Stop by the chest to get a Grand Scepter for Estelle.
    8. You'll soon come to an intersection where there are four paths. Take the one up to the top left for a chest. Then take the path to the top right.
    9. Save at the save point at the top of the path. Get ready, as you're approaching a boss fight.

  • Boss Fight: Nan and Tison

    1. These two are incredibly fast and have the ability to combo you into oblivion - especially Tison.
    2. Before you start, once you have Judith in your party, set your battle strategy so that your characters will fight whichever boss you're not battling. That should help keep them wrapped up.
    3. Concentrate first on Nan, who can use artes, heal, and resurrect Tison once he's gone down. Fighting her also will knock her out of any spells she tries to use.
    4. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! The Secret Mission 12 achievement can be unlocked in this battle. Pay attention to the moves that Nan and Tison do. Nan's Rending Slash move will get her blade stuck in the ground for a short time. Hit her when she's stuck to unlock the first half of this achievement. The second half has you hitting Tison after his Dragon Blade: Advent move. Hit him when he's stuck in the ground and the achievement will unlock at the end of the battle.
    5. This fight is pretty straight-forward other than the fact that it's difficult. Try to keep your distance from Tison so that he can't pummel you, and work to keep your party healed and strong.
    6. Focus on Nan for the opening of the battle. She has less HP than Tison and can do some really annoying things, like Stalagmite, which make it hard to get your groove going during the fight with the stronger Tison.
    7. Once Nan's down (no easy feat itself), reset your battle strategy so that everyone is pummeling Tison.
    8. At this point, as long as you keep an eye on HP, you shouldn't have a problem dealing with this guy.
    9. After the fight's over, check the path to the left for the Ever Blue for Rita and a Feather Coat for Judith in chests.
    10. Backtrack and go down the central path, where Ba'ul waits.

  • Hope and Glory, Fiertia

    1. You now have a dragon-powered Airship. Run around and speak to the rest of the party. Then head to the hold.
    2. Finish by talking to Rita and saving. Then check on Judith to push the story along.
    3. You'll get a short tutorial on flying Ba'ul. This includes the information that you can only land on wide open spaces, and only on land. You can set the Fiertia down in water, however.
    4. The controls are the same as they've been with navigating the World Map.
    5. You'll also receive Ba'ul's Horn, which allows you to contact him. Click in the Left Stick on the World Map to call Ba'ul.
    6. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! It might be a pain, but you can use Ba'ul's ability to fly to remove all the fog from your World Map. Doing so nets you the Map Nerd achievement and also gets you a title toward the My Name Is... achievement. The game is unforgiving on this achievement - there can't be a single blip of fog, so be careful and patient. You may find it advantageous to wait to do this until further into the game, when you've been to more places and exposed more of the map naturally.
    7. When you're ready, fly to the center of the Sands of Kogorh. You'll see a rocky, spiky thing sort of in the center of it. Hit A when you are over it to land.
    8. Head into Phaeroh's Crag. There's only the one path.
    9. You'll get your next assignment from there. Head to Aspio, in the northeast.

  • Aspio, Searching for a Krityan

    1. Head to the door at the left of the city gates to go in and hit the shop. Save here.
    2. Go to the center of town. There you'll see a Krityan standing to the left of the path leading upscreen. Talk to him and you'll find he won't give you any information.
    3. Go to your menu and make Judith your party leader, then talk to the Krityan again. You'll receive the Guide Bell to Myorzo
    4. Head to the right to reach Rita's hut and meet back up with the party. When you're ready, leave Aspio.
    5. You need to go south to the landmass there, Hypionia. Fly to the western side of the continent and look for a sea shell-looking location inside a forest to reach Egothor.

  • Egothor Forest

    1. Start up the path and look to the right for a chest. There are numerous forks all the way up.
    2. Check to the left before you come to the clearer area of the path to find a Gaia Cleaver for Yuri.
    3. A little further up, you'll run into some Imperial Knights and be drawn into a fight with them. See if you can focus on the artes-using Bishops, as they can heal the others.
    4. Head upscreen. There's a chest just to the left of this upper-screen bridge. Grab it and cross to the right.
    5. Follow the path to the top of the ridge and you'll face some more knights. Kill them and you'll have a boss fight to deal with.
    6. Cross the first bridge and head upscreen for a few chests. One includes a weapon for Rita.
    7. Now head through the cave nearby. Continue up and clear out the chests, then take the path down and cross.
    8. You'll come to another intersection. Go down and left to find a Mythril Circlet for the girls.
    9. TIP: To the right of this path is another Giganto Monster. At Level 61, it's too strong for you right now. Leave it for later.
    10. Head back up to the intersection and take the upper right path to get some items. Then backtrack and head up the hill.
    11. At the top, you'll face more knights. They shouldn't be a problem. Beat them and you'll finish this dungeon. When you get back to Ba'ul, fly on to Myrozo.

  • Myorzo

    1. Head along the path into the city. At the first island, check the piles of junk for a Barrier. Then take the door into Myorzo.
    2. You'll meet the Krityan elder in the city square automatically. He asks you to meet him at his house.
    3. Take a minute and explore the town. To the right is the shop, so stock up. The building just upscreen of that has a save point to use and a place to rest for free.
    4. If you head downscreen, you'll see a small staircase. Continue through and you'll see what looks like a swirling ice cream cone. Check it to find the Wonder Chef.
    5. Those are really the only places you can go. When you're finished, head up the stairs to the elder's residence.
    6. After speaking to the elder, head back to the house with the save point. Another cutscene will ensue.
    7. Now go down to the town entrance. Go back to the town to look for you Raven and Estelle, but they aren't there. When you're done, leave the city again.
    8. Go back to Ba'ul and make for Yormgen on the continent Desier. It's toward the northern middle of the continent.
    9. Speak with Flynn after the cutscene at Yormgen. After that, leave the town and re-board Ba'ul.
    10. Fly to the Hyponian continent to the east. You'll find Baction about halfway across, on the northern coast. You'll be taken to the shrine automatically.

  • Baction

    1. Open the two chests here, one on the right and one on the left, before heading into the shrine.
    2. Clear the knights on the left side of the room. Each guards a chest. Get them, then fight your way to the upper right corner and take the ladder down.
    3. The shrine is something of a maze. Go up from this room and the team will start formulating a map. Go up another room and you'll find a chest that holds a Twinkle Star weapon for Rita.
    4. Head back down. In the room with the ladder, go left.
    5. Keep going left and grab the chest in the second room you come to. Continue this way until you have no other option but to head up, and move up to that room. There you'll find two chests.
    6. Backtrack down and head one room to the right. Head up from here to find a save point.
    7. In the next room you'll find two light posts. You can use the Sorcerer's Ring to energize them, though to no purpose, it seems. Go up, as there's nothing in the room to the left.
    8. Cross the room and get the chest, then take the stairs down.
    9. Start by going down. Grab the 9,000 Gald out of the chest and backtrack one room up.
    10. Now go left, then down. You'll find a chest with a Wind Cape inside. Keep going down.
    11. You'll find a statue in the next room. Check it and grab the chest in the top right corner. Then go down.
    12. Here you'll hit another save point. Cross the long hallway and keep going down.
    13. Turn right here. In the next room, go up to find two chests, one containing a Kylan for Repede. Then head back down and turn right.
    14. You'll be forced to fight some knights in the next room. Kill them and clean the area out of chests. You'll also receive Duke's sword, Dein Nomos.
    15. You just opened the door upward, but first go right, then up for another chest. Return to the door you opened and go through.
    16. Go left, then up again. After another cutscene, head up and you'll find a chest with a Mermaid Cloak inside. Go right.
    17. You'll have the option to go up or right in the next room. Take the upward path first.
    18. In the next room is a Mythril Gauntlet that Yuri or Karol can use. Backtrack and take the right path.
    19. This way weaves in a circle through three rooms to the center of the area. Here you'll find a staircase.
    20. Grab the chest at the top of the stairs near the door to find a Masakari Cleaver for Karol. Go through and head up next.
    21. You'll come to a dark room with three big light posts. Go right to light the first one, staying as far back from it as possible and a little to the left as you move toward it. It reveals several large holes in this room that you can fall through, landing on the level below. Tread carefully.
    22. It's annoying, but fall through the holes. Do so three times and Rita will construct a Magic Lantern for you, which automatically illuminates the lights and makes the area a lot easier to contend with. Move through and take the door up.
    23. You'll find more stairs here. Take them down, then head upscreen to another hallway and another save point.
    24. Grab the four chests in the next room, then head up through the last door to a boss fight.

  • Boss Fight: Captain Schwann

    1. Schwann has some powerful attacks, but he isn't as fast as the enemies you've been dealing with before. Still, the most important thing here is to maintain your health, as you're short Estelle's healing artes.
    2. Keep an eye on your HP and use items to keep yourself going. Otherwise, pummel Schwann and try to block as many of his attacks as possible.
    3. Occasionally, Schwann will hit you with an attack that will leave a glowing circle on your character. The circle will eventually explode, so hold the block button for a few seconds to minimize the damage.
    4. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! Wait until Schwann goes into Over Limit and he should use his Mystic Arte on you. When that happens, quickly hit X to get back on your feet and rush over to him. Schwann will be clutching his chest and dazed for a few seconds. Hit him to unlock the Secret Mission 13achievement.
    5. Keep pounding on Schwann and he should go down without too much difficulty or special strategy.
    6. After the battle, you'll be back aboard Ba'ul. Take it across the water toward Zaphias, which is just northeast of you. You're looking for the Heracles off the coast of Zaphias, to its east.

  • Heracles

    1. Go down the steps and speak with the Schwann brigade for supplies. Go right and open the chest there for a Naginata for Judith.
    2. Keep going on the path to the left. Take the stairs down and keep descending. Before long, you'll come to a door. Head in.
    3. Follow the path and you'll get an upgrade to the Sorcerer's Ring. Use it to unlock the door just ahead upscreen. Inside is a chest that holds a Holy Bottle.
    4. Use the ring to open the other two doors ahead. Both contain chests and enemies.
    5. Backtrack out and take the stairs down. Start by heading all the way to the left. Take the ladder down and open the chest there.
    6. Check the console and set it to move.
    7. Now head to the right to the big double doors and go through. Head left and go through the door to find a chest.
    8. Go back and head far to the right. You'll find a door that leads back outside. Go to the right to find a chest.
    9. Now ascend the stairs until you come to another door. Go though it and you'll be in the first room where you entered, but one level above.
    10. Continue on this path until you come to a ladder. Climb up and hold A to push the block there. Push it all the way to the left to enter another room.
    11. In here, push the block to the gate to the left. Destroy the gate with the Sorcerer's Ring and push the block over the side.
    12. Now go downscreen and down the stairs. Fight to the yellow blastia thing here and hit it with the ring to destroy it.
    13. Backtrack upscreen, past the stairs on the left. There's a ladder here. Take it down.
    14. Follow this path to the center of the area and take the ladder up. Open the chest for a weapon for Karol.
    15. Now go to the edge of the platform you're on facing the blocks that are coming by on the line there. Wait till one is over the blastia below and shoot it to make it fall.
    16. Go back down and head back to the right. Go all the way to the right and check the ladder there to lower it. Now you can get back out to the main room where you first started.
    17. Take the ladder down to the left. Stand on the gray pipe that comes up on the right side of the path and face the blocks coming past. Shoot one to make it fall on the blastia.
    18. Go back up the ladders all the way to where you entered the room. Get on the bridge that has the barriers, which should have only one left. At the far end is a console guarded by a knight.
    19. Kill the knight and hit the console. Then head back down and take the ladder that's all the way left.
    20. Go all the way to the bottom and hit the console there for the freight elevator. Send it to the upper floor. Climb both ladders up to it and head left to the elevator.
    21. Push the block to the left and off the platform to break the last barrier. Then backtrack to the right, climb up, and cross the bridge. Save at the save point. Go through the door for a boss fight.
    22. TIP: Put Karol in your party in order to get an achievement during the next fight.

  • Boss Fight: Zagi Once More

    1. Zagi's got the same attacks that you've dealt with in the past, and he's just as fast as always.
    2. Again, you need to focus on keeping the party healthy. Make sure you have plenty of items and use them to heal everyone whenever necessary. Keeping people from dying, rather than trying to revive them, will go along way in helping you.
    3. Meanwhile, hit Zagi with everything you've got and be quick on your X button, as he'll send you flying constantly. Get back up and keep inflicting damage on him.
    4. When he goes into Over Limit, get out of there and try to keep your distance as much as possible. Zagi has a tendency to pummel you whenever possible, so wait for the Over Limit to wear off to avoid his massive attacks.
    5. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! Midway through the battle, Zagi will enact a poison cloud around himself, which damages you whenever you attack him. It's a pain, but it's easily dealt with if you brought Karol. Get close to Zagi and order Karol to use his Nice Recovery Smash on you, or whatever character is near Zagi. The area effect will knock the poison off Zagi and net you the Secret Mission 14 achievement.
    6. After that, the battle's the same. Keep smashing Zagi and retreating to maintain your health.
    7. Leave the control room and backtrack over the bridge. Take the ladder beside the stairs down, then take the ladder furthest to the right. Go through the door.
    8. Check the door to the far right to find a chest. Use the Sorcerer's Ring to open it.
    9. Go back and down the stairs. Use the ring to bust open the door there and go in. Check the room for a Rose Whip for Rita.
    10. Take the stairs down two levels to a save point. Go to the right and clear off the platform of enemies. Then go through the door.
    11. Fight through the enemies to find a chest to the left. Break the gate to get to it. You'll have to fight, but you'll receive 10,000 Gald.
    12. Go to the elevator and press it. Enter the engine room and go left. Grab the chest and head up to the top of the room.
    13. After the cutscene, go right. Grab the other chest and take a right when you hit the intersection.
    14. Take the door to exit and go to Zaphias. You're about to be saddled with a massive cutscene.

  • Capua Nor, After the Cannon

    1. Save at the inn and head out. Hit the shops and do anything else you want to get accomplished while in Nor.
    2. Return to the inn when you're done. Go back to your room and speak with anyone.
    3. With the party back together, you can hit the shops again if you want. Otherwise, exit Nor and make your way north along the coast. Keep going until you hit the ice floes at the northern tip of the continent.
    4. Cross onto the ice floes and follow them north. Soon you'll come to a dungeon you can enter; the Blade Drifts of Zopheir.

  • The Blade Drifts of Zopheir

    1. Head left of the path to find a chest with a Tabar inside for Yuri.
    2. Continue forward. There's another chest to the left. Grab it and head forward to get another chest, but the monster below will destroy the ice ahead.
    3. Backtrack. You need to take the right path closest to the beginning. Go that way and grab another chest.
    4. When the path forks, go left. Grab the chest and watch as the path ahead is destroyed again. Go back to the intersection and take the downscreen path. Grab a chest and backtrack to take the middle path.
    5. There's another intersection just ahead. Get the chest and go up. At the top, you'll find two chests and the path blocked again. Get the Hades out of one of the chests. It's a spear for Judith.
    6. Head all the way back to the last intersection and take the path right.
    7. Continue along this path until you find a save point and some glowing crystals. Clear out the chests on either side of the path, then go past the crystals for a boss fight.

  • Boss Fight: Baitojoh

    1. The first half of this battle is really just an exercise is not letting Karol get killed. You're alone with just him, and he's next to worthless in this fight.
    2. Eventually, a cutscene will bring the rest of the party into the fight. Use fire-based spells to put the hurt on Baitojoh and try to pummel him with aerial and upward attacks.
    3. Watch for the monsters to go under the ice. He has two strong attacks when this happens. The first, Icicle, is an attack that only damages you if you're right next to it. You'll see a plume of ice warning you to get clear, and then the monster will blast through the ice to do some damage. Run away from the ice to avoid it.
    4. The second is an area attack that will knock down all your allies and daze you. This one can only be avoided by attacking the fin, which sticks out of the ice.
    5. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! The Secret Mission 15 achievement can be unlocked by hitting the fin with a several-hit combo. Lay into the fin when it pops up to knock Baitojoh out of the ice and net the achievement. It takes more than one hit, so blast him with an arte or get a combo going. This will also cancel his mean area attack.
    6. With those avoided, keep to Baitojoh's sides. His attacks come from his mouth and tail, so being alongside him will help you keep clear.
    7. Finally, make liberal use of your items to keep healed. This is a powerful enemy, so if your level is too low and you're getting pummeled, run around to do some fighting and bring it back up.
    8. After you're finished, take the lower path out of this central area to find two chests. Backtrack and get the chest to the right, then head up.
    9. The uppermost path in this area takes you clear of the ice floes. It eventually splits, and the lower path leads to a chest.
    10. There's also another split just before exiting. Go left to find two more chests, including one that holds a Psychedelica for Rita.
    11. Continue along the path to leave the Blade Drifts. Your next stop is Halure. Head south off the ice floes and continue south along the coast. When you can, turn inland and follow the path to the center of the continent, where Halure waits.

  • Halure, with Refugees

    1. Head into the town and hit the shop. Resupply.
    2. When you've had your fill of wandering the town, head to the inn. Speak with the clerk.
    3. After the cutscene, leave the inn and go to the mayor's house to the right.
    4. Return to the inn. You'll watch another cutscene, before Yuri and Repede leave the party.
    5. Leave Halure. Head east to the Quoi Woods. Follow the path through until you come to a save point, where Yuri will stop to rest. The rest of the party will catch up.
    6. When you leave the city, you'll be dealing with pumped-up versions of enemies you've seen before. They'll call carry the (Aer Sick) label.
    7. TIP: Use Magic Lenses on these enemies to add them to your Monster Book, because they count as separate entries. This goes toward your Monster Nerd achievement.
    8. Continue on to Zaphias.

  • Zaphias, Storm-Wracked

    1. Head left across the path and climb the stairs. Fight through the enemies, which are different than the ones you've fought in the area around Zaphias before.
    2. At the top of the stairs, you'll need to head toward the castle.

  • Zaphias Castle

    1. Go in and turn to the right. Go up the hall to find a safe place to save and a cutscene.
    2. There's also a shop in the top left corner of this room. Stock up on supplies.
    3. Finally, drop by the save point and check the counters to the right, through the archway. You'll find curry there that will restore your HP and TP.
    4. Exit by the door to the left. You'll now have to deal with knights. Go down and then to the right. Continue through all the way to the right to the jail.
    5. Down here, go into the last cell and check for some items. Then backtrack up to the room with the stairs.
    6. Take the stairs back up, then head upscreen in the next room. Look for a door right beside the entrance to the hallway that leads left. Go through.
    7. Go through the hallway leading up. It'll lead you to the base of the Sword Stair.
    8. Save here and start ascending. Go to the right first. You'll eventually come to a statue with two chests.
    9. Grab the chests and check the statue - it should say something about the first door opening. Blast it with the Sorcerer's Ring.
    10. Backtrack out. Head downscreen until you're in the room with the fountain again. Turn left to enter the long upward-heading hall, then go downscreen again. You'll enter the room with the goddess statue.
    11. From here, take a left. You'll find another statue. Blast it with the ring.
    12. Run all the way back to the room where the Sword Steps start. Go up and take the hallway to the left.
    13. Go up and hit the statue, then grab the chests. Return to the step room and go back downscreen again. Turn right at the fountain, then head down.
    14. Go right again. You're back in the room with the many staircases. Take the central path halfway through the room, which leads upscreen.
    15. Blast this last statue. Backtrack all the way to the room with the steps and climb to the door at the top.
    16. You're now entering the Audience Chamber. Clean out the chests and continue up the stairs. Check the glowing green orb there. Hit it with the Sorcerer's Ring to open the door.
    17. You're outside the castle now, heading up the Sword Stair. Save at the save point and start ascending. At the top, you'll hit a boss fight.

  • Boss Fight: Estelle

    1. Estelle is fast and powerful. She'll do some big damage with combos, but she's not as fast or as strong as some of the other enemies you've dealt with, like Zagi.
    2. The key at first is to pummel Estelle with your full force. Bring melee fighters and gang-beat Estelle into submission.
    3. Keep your team well-healed and put your full strength into taking Estelle down. She'll struggle against the might of constant combo attacks, especially if you hit her with an Over Limit.
    4. Before too long, you'll take her out. A cutscene will ensue, and things will get worse.
    5. You'll now have to fight Estelle one-on-one. This is a tough battle, as Estelle is quick and has strong combos.
    6. Try to attack Estelle from far away if you have the artes for it, and avoid her altogether when she goes into Over Limit.
    7. Adopt a hit-and-run strategy. Get close and hit her with a set of combos, then try to get out of there as quickly as possible. Throw up your guard to minimize the damage, as Estelle will combo with attacks and then artes.
    8. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! You should have gotten the Mother's Memento from Mantiac. Use it on Estelle during the second part of the battle to unlock the Secret Mission 16 achievement.
    9. Keeping yourself alive is key here. Otherwise, keep pummeling Estelle with your combos and eventually.

  • Zaphias Castle, Crisis Averted

    1. Leave Flynn's room and head upscreen to the stairs that lead right. Head down and left to the fountain room.
    2. Talk to Judith. Then backtrack to the right and head up. Take a right at the door to the Dining Hall.
    3. Karol and Repede are here. Talk with them.
    4. Go out and head down. Then go right toward the jail.
    5. Descend the stairs to the right and go through the door into the jail. You'll find Raven there. Speak with him.
    6. Leave the jail and head up the steps to the upward-heading hallway. Go through to find Rita and Estelle. Speak with them, too.
    7. When you're finally done, climb the stairs and speak to the man in orange. Rest. In the morning, you'll have another cutscene with Flynn.
    8. Leave by heading down and going right. You'll enter the public quarter.
    9. Stop to the left at the shop to resupply. Then keep going right to rejoin the party.
    10. TIP: When you leave Zaphias, you'll have some freedom and Ba'ul again. You can use this time to complete some sidequests.
    11. TIP: Fly to Phaeroh's Crag on the Desier continent, in the middle of the Sands of Kogorh. When you get there, you'll get a skit, plus you can enter a portal there that takes you to the old Yormgen. Once there, go to the furthest house upscreen and speak with the sage. When he offers to let you stay, sleep there. This will help open up the EX Dungeon once you've finished the game, which is tied to the Ah, Memories... achievement.
    12. When you're ready, fly south of the northern continent and search the waters for an island with a big arch over it. That's Zaude.

  • Zaude

    1. You can't go in through the front door because of a slew of knights. Instead, head down to the right to find a save point. Use it.
    2. Go to the grate up ahead and check it to get into the structure. Once inside, head down the stairs and take the path to the left.
    3. You'll come into a room filled with chests. Open them all to find a Zaude Orb, which will open the path back in the first room you came into. The rest have items and Gald, so load up.
    4. When you're finished, go back the way you came. When you reach the room with the red and blue statues, go upscreen on the middle path to the broken statue.
    5. Check the statue and you'll replace the orb in it. Zap it with the sorcerer's ring and the room fills with water. Leave the area with the statue and head to the left to find a path that will allow you onto the walkways. Clear the area for a chest that's downscreen to the left.
    6. Take the walkway upscreen. Head straight up to find another chest with a weapon for Judith. Then head all the way right and back down to find another chest.
    7. Return to the first room you flooded and take the broken staircase in the bottom left corner, near the blue statue.
    8. Take the stairs up first to find chests at the top two corners of the room. You'll find armor for Yuri and Estelle there.
    9. Head back down and go upscreen to the top of the room, where you'll find a door. On the other side, you'll have to fight through three sets of assassins. When you're done, hit the save point at the end. There's a boss fight on just the other side of the door.
    10. Note: Add Raven to your party ahead of time to make things simpler if you want the Secret Mission Achievement available while fighting the next boss.

  • Boss Fight: Yeager

    1. Yeager is tough because he's fast and has a mix of ranged and melee attacks. What's worse, he isn't knocked back by your attacks the way most enemies are.
    2. Keep an eye out for when Yeager's scythe turns into a pistol or crossbow, and run sideways from him to avoid taking the shots. They're painful and fast.
    3. Meantime, pummel him with melee attacks, keeping yourself and your other fighters healthy. Steer clear of his Over Limit and keep yours handy for the second half of the fight.
    4. After he takes enough damage, Yeager will reveal a blastia he's brought with him that ups his power level. The same strategy holds true to beating him, however. The key to the battle is keeping clear of him when he's in Over Limit and trying to stay to the sides of his attacks.
    5. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! You can nab the Secret Mission 17 Achievement with some careful planning in this fight, but this is one of the hardest to get in the game. First, it's recommended to set the game's difficulty to easy. What you need to do is break Yeager's guard so that he's woozy and clutching his chest, then use Raven's Rain Arte to break the blastia. You'll need Raven in your party, obviously. Go into the Artes Menu and turn off all of Raven's artes except Rain. Using Yuri, set Destruction Field as one of your useable battle artes. You may also want to set your other teammates' battle strategies to Defend while you attempt this. When you're ready, hit Yeager with an Over Limit. Get him to guard, then blast him with Destruction Field over and over again until his guard breaks. Quickly hit your artes menu and use Raven to nail him with Rain while he's staggered. Be careful not to accidentally hit him when he's broken yourself. You'll know his guard is broken by the shattering sound.
    6. Finally, if Yeager goes into Over Limit, heal immediately. He's packing a Mystic Arte that has some real power, and can actually hit two or three of your characters if they're unlucky enough to stand in a line. What's more, it's unavoidable.
    7. Keep bashing Yeager to finish him. If you set him to easy difficulty, you shouldn't have an issue.
    8. When the battle's done, take the door you came through and save again. Go through the door on the other side of the arena where you beat Yeager. Get ready for another big fight.

  • Boss Fight: Poseidon

    1. This isn't really a boss, because the monster is optional. It's actually a Giganto Monster, and you want to tangle with it now because you should be at full strength, plus it's a good time to get it out of the way.
    2. The creature is reminiscent of the Guardian you fought way back toward the beginning of the game, with a similar reach and similar blind spots on its sides and back.
    3. Attack from the back and side as much as possible and avoid facing Poseidon head-on. Its strongest attack is a set of multiple punches that are easier to deal with from the side, as not all will hit you.
    4. As always, do well to keep very clear of the Poseidon's Over Limits. Its power increases and you can't knock it back or down while it's charged up.
    5. Attacks from overhead, such as the ones Judith employs and Yuri's Severing Fang arte, are highly effective against this enemy. Hitting him in the head seems to knock him down to his knees or to a prone position, giving you a few seconds of relief or allowing you to mount an attack when the monster is defenseless.
    6. Keep up the damage and heal up a lot to win the battle. Afterward, empty the treasure chests behind the Poseidon for some new weapons.
    7. Head back to the save before you fought Yeager to heal up. Then continue through the Poseidon and take the door left for a couple more chests at the end of the hall.
    8. Backtrack and go down the hallway to the right. You'll be in a room with two big staircases on the far right, along with a red statue and a blue statue along the way.
    9. Go to the landing where the blue statue waits, but don't shoot it yet. Instead, go downscreen to a gray pedestal-shaped rock, which you can move.
    10. Push the rock off the landing so it falls. Go down and move it all the way to the bottom of the screen, then all the way to the right. You should see another gray pedestal rock off the edge of the area on the bottom right. Line up your rock with that one so that they are in a line going from left to right.
    11. Now climb the stairs to the blue statue. Shoot it to flood the room. Swim to the stairs on the bottom half of the screen and fight your way through to a red statue. Don't shoot it yet.
    12. Step to the left of the red statue, to the edge of the area. The rocks beneath you should be jagged and cracked. You want to be as far to the left as you can go, so that you're standing on what could be independent pieces of the platform. Shoot the red statue when you're in position.
    13. As the room drains, you'll wind up next to a door going left. Go through and you'll enter the room where Poseidon was. A statue is in the center, but you need a red orb to activate it. Continue left through the hallway.
    14. At the end of the hall is another big room full of staircases. Head around the outside until you get to the stairs and go down.
    15. You'll see a blue statue down here. Don't shoot it yet. Instead, use A to push it all the way to the bottom left corner of the area it can move in.
    16. Now head down the path to the left where a pedestal waits. Push it all the way to the right, then up and into the water. Stand on it and shoot the blue statue from your spot on the pedestal.
    17. That raises the water, putting you on a path to the center of the room. Kill the monster, open the chests to get a Red Orb, and shoot the statue to clear the way out.
    18. Backtrack out of the room into the central area. Put the Red Orb on the statue and then shoot it with the Sorcerer's Ring to open the path.
    19. Head back to the left. Descend the stairs and go to the right to find a pedestal. Push it into the water downscreen to create a bridge, then go to the door and head through.
    20. That takes you back to the Poseidon room. Take the stairs up at the front of the room and go to the door.
    21. Fight through the room to the two chests at the top corners. Then head down the stairs and take the door.
    22. You'll face some more knights up ahead. Fight through them (they're pretty standard) and use the save point. A boss fight with Alexei is just ahead.

  • Boss Fight: Alexei

    1. Alexei isn't as hard as some bosses you've fought, because while he has very powerful arte attacks, he's not as fast as many others. If you hit him hard enough and stay away from his frontal attacks, you can do a lot of damage without taking much.
    2. Pummel Alexei as much as possible, avoiding specifically his ice attacks. One is a line attack that shoots out in front of him, which is easy to dodge. The other, Guardian Ice, is an area attack around Alexei that damages you four times and actually heals your enemy. Steer clear so he doesn't get a double-dose of good fortune by using it.
    3. Alexei will slap you around with several different artes if you let him, but it's fairly easy to knock him out of his charging stances between them. Because of this and the fact that he doesn't run around much or use melee attacks, he shouldn't be too tough. Keep an eye on your health and TP and use items accordingly.
    4. When Alexei goes into Over Limit, get away from him and heal up as best you can, as fast as you can. He often unleashes his Mystic Arte, which is devastating, hits for a ton of damage, and effects your entire party. If you prepare properly, you should be able to weather it.
    5. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! After Alexei uses his Mystic Arte, he'll be dazed for a couple seconds. If you can hit him while he's recovering, you'll earn the Secret Mission 18 Achievement at the end of the fight. This can be tough, especially the first couple times he uses the attack. If that Mystic Arte is too much for you, try lowering the difficulty and adjusting strategy to keep Alexei alive -- and using the arte on you -- until you can get a clear shot at the achievement.
    6. More than anything, hit Alexei enough to counteract his healing ice arte and you'll do okay. Before long, you'll bring him down and end the act, as well as earn the Ended Alexei's Ambitions Achievement.

  • Zaphias, Public Quarter again

    1. Leave Yuri's bedroom and head downstairs to save. Go toward the stairs again to pick up Repede and Estelle.
    2. Head up the stairs to the fountain for another cutscene. Judith will rejoin the party and you'll return to the World Map.
    3. Make for Aspio to the northeast. When you get there, make for the center of the city. Then go to Rita's hut to the right. After a cutscene, you'll be sent to Dahngrest.
    4. Fly northwest to Dahngrest. In the center of town, you'll meet up with the rest of your party. Then go upscreen to the union for yet another cutscene. Next you'll go back east to the ice floes you crossed to return to Zaphias: the Zopheir Rift. Enter from the eastern side to access the aer krene.

  • Zopheir, Revisited

    1. Enter the Blade Drifts and take the lower, western path. Head left and fight through the enemies as you go.
    2. TIP: The ice cones you see along the path can be zapped with the Sorcerer's Ring. Doing so knocks treasure chests free of the ice along the path.
    3. Before long, you'll come to the aer krene. Run up and save at the top of the ramp to the left, then check the crystal to activate another cutscene.
    4. You'll next play a sort of rhythm mini-game. An icon representing a face button on the controller will move from right to left across the screen, crossing a blue circle at the left side. When it reaches the blue part, press the corresponding button.
    5. When you've finished the game, you'll see another cutscene. Afterward, leave the Blade Drifts the way you came in and make for Nordopolica.

  • Hermit Drill

    1. Location: Weasand of Cados
    2. Suggested Level: 34
    3. Hermit Drill is the first Giganto Monster you'll come across, and it will beat you down if you go after it when you're too weak - specifically, your first time through the Weasand.
    4. Do your best to stay at the back of the Hermit Drill. It has some big, far-reaching attacks that can hit you almost anywhere in the 180 degrees in front of it.
    5. Staying behind also helps you to dodge it's strong charging attack that can cost you quite a bit of health.
    6. You're looking at an enemy that carries about 70,000 hit points, so bring your heaviest hitters. A good suggested team is made up of Yuri, Judith, Estelle and Rita. Keep your front-runners pummeling the big crab and try to keep well-healed.
    7. Hermit Drill doesn't have anything scary or unexpected in its repertoire. It doesn't heal, it rarely hits more than two or three of your characters, and you shouldn't have to worry about it killing everyone.
    8. Your strategy, therefore, is to smash the hermit as much as possible until it dies. Keep yourself alive and put the hurt on the Drill until you win.

  • Medusa Butterfly

    1. Location: Sands of Kogorh, just north of the oasis in the center of the dungeon.
    2. Suggested Level: 40-45
    3. The Medusa Butterfly is huge and has a big reach. It will pummel you from the front with several strong attacks, which often will leave your party stunned.
    4. Use ranged attacks instead, if you can. Let Rita, Raven and Estelle put the real hurt on this enemy while you distract it.
    5. Do your best to attack from the side as well, and use attacks that will knock the monster down to force it to struggle to do battle with you.
    6. Keep yourself alive and try to draw as much of the butterfly's fire as possible while your ranged characters wail on it.

  • Brucis

    1. Location: Egothor Forest
    2. Suggested Level: 55 or higher
    3. Brucis is one of the hardest Giganto Monsters to take on. It moves fast and dishes out tons of punishment, plus he takes plenty to bring down. He's best attacked late in the game.
    4. The worst part about dealing with this monster is its ability to combo you. It'll attack with a double slash from its horns, followed by a fast charge that powers through anything in its path. What's worse, it'll link sets of these moves, and can stun your characters in doing so. Take care to keep yourself well healed throughout the fight.
    5. If you can, avoid Brucis at all costs while it is in Over Limit. For that matter, if it is doing its aerial or charging attacks, free run out of there to avoid the pain. Attack from the sides and back whenever possible and in force.
    6. Rely heavily on Rita and Estelle for ranged attacks that do a lot of damage. Estelle can also keep your front-liners in good shape. That'll help you deal with the constant comboing Brucis puts on you.
    7. With enough attention paid to keeping moving, you may be able to avoid the brunt of Brucis's constant attacks. That's good. Meanwhile, hit him with everything you've got. Hourglass items work well here, as they'll stop him (especially in Over Limit) and allow you a number of free hits and item usage.
    8. Use your healing items freely and beat Brucis into submission. After a prolonged, draining fight, you should emerge victorious.

  • Poseidon

    1. Location: Zaude
    2. Suggested Level: 35-40
    3. You'll come across the Poseidon while following the main quest through Zaude. Fight it then if you're in good shape.
    4. The creature is reminiscent of the Guardian you fought way back toward the beginning of the game, with a similar reach and similar blind spots on its sides and back.
    5. Attack from the back and side as much as possible and avoid facing Poseidon head-on. Its strongest attack is a set of multiple punches that are easier to deal with from the side, as not all will hit you.
    6. As always, do well to keep very clear of the Poseidon's Over Limits. Its power increases and you can't knock it back or down while it's charged up.
    7. Attacks from overhead, such as the ones Judith employs and Yuri's Severing Fang arte, are highly effective against this enemy. Hitting him in the head seems to knock him down to his knees or to a prone position, giving you a few seconds of relief or allowing you to mount an attack when the monster is defenseless.
    8. Keep up the damage and heal up a lot to win the battle.

  • Fenrir

    1. Location: Erealumean Crystallands
    2. Suggested Level: 50
    3. Fenrir is fast and occasionally executes attacks with a big reach, but mostly it's susceptible to constant attacks. Pummel it with your strongest attacks and artes as much as possible.
    4. The most important thing to keep track of is Fenrir's ability to poison you. It has the ability to put some hurt on you, and being poisoned at the same time can take your characters out.
    5. Focus more than anything on keeping your party healed and free of poison. You shouldn't have too much difficulty when you reach Fenrir so long as you keep track of keeping your characters alive.

  • Chimera Butterfly

    1. Location: Quoi Woods
    2. Suggested Level: 55
    3. Note: Level Four Sorcerer's Ring required
    4. The Chimera Butterfly is a pushover in comparison to some of the other Giganto Monsters you've faced. It's big and slow, and while it has a long reach, its attacks are fairly limited to the 30 degrees directly in front of its face.
    5. In addition, the Chimera stuns easily, meaning if you use a steady barrage of powerful melee attacks, you should keep it more or less incapacitated. Chain lots of hits together and make serious use of Judith and Yuri in this fight.
    6. The monster isn't a real threat until it goes into Over Limit, when it becomes harder to stun or knock down. Steer clear of its tail attack and the dust it drops as it flies, should it take to the air. Use free run to get clear, then mount your attack again from the side.
    7. It ought to take only a small amount of serious effort to bring this monster down. After the fight, check the clearing thoroughly for two chests. The one behind where the butterfly was contains a Fell Arm.
    8. TIP: You can use the Sorcerer's Ring to shake the trees in this clearing. They'll drop fruit you can use in cooking.

  • Brutal

    1. Location: World map, just north of Deidon Hold
    2. Suggested Level: At least 60
    3. Brutal appears with several Rhinossus minions. They're pretty weak and the big monster will constantly call more to his aid, so they can be largely ignored.
    4. Brutal itself isn't much to worry about until it starts throwing around its kicking attack. Avoid the monster in Over Limit and try to smash it at a constant rate otherwise in order to keep it stunned (and from summoning more minions).
    5. Most of Brutal's attacks are like those of Brucis, but the monster doesn't quite have that enemy's speed or comboing ability. Steer clear of the area more or less directly in front of Brutal to avoid its major attacks, which include a sort of laser, a charging attack, and swinging horns.
    6. Dodge Brutal during his Over Limit and lay into him steadily any other time. Despite his high level (58), he's not as strong as some of the other monsters you've fought because he's slower (except in Over Limit). Therefore, with quick feet, you should be able to hurt him substantially while dodging the worst of his retribution.

  • Pterobanc

    1. Location: Mount Temza
    2. Suggested Level: 50-55
    3. Pterobanc doesn't have nearly the hit points that most of the other Gigantos carry, but it makes up for it with many powerful attacks that can hit you almost anywhere.
    4. First off, keep well healed and instruct any characters that can to keep their distance. Most of Pterobanc's big hitters are either line attacks straight in front of it, or close-range attacks around its body. Sadly, there's no safe place behind or to the sides of him, as he can spin and hit you anywhere.
    5. Dodge, Pterobanc's line attacks, which look like lasers, and its flying attack, which is like an aerial bombardment.
    6. Steer clear of taking too much damage and lean on your aerial and upward-motion attacks. Because of its relatively low number of hit points, the battle shouldn't be too difficult.

  • Griffin

    1. Location: Hypionia
    2. Suggested Level: 60
    3. While Griffin is a tough enemy, it's slow. Use that to your advantage during this battle, which is less difficult than actually finding the monster.
    4. You can locate Griffin by wandering around the world map on the western continent of Yoregura. The monster appears near the Yumanju hotspring. Wander around the map near the northern section of the continent and eventually Griffin will show up.
    5. This monster is very susceptible to combos and is slow to attack you. Its hits do pack a wallop, though, so try to stay clear. Get in close, lay down some pain, and get out of the way before Griffin can return fire.
    6. Health management shouldn't be such a big deal in this fight, so don't panic about keeping your flow of health items going.
    7. Meanwhile, use your strongest attacks against Griffin to knock him around, stun him, knock him down, and generally make a fool of this last Giganto.

  • The Fell Arms

    1. The Fell Arms are the game's strongest weapons, though they don't look it when you first get them. You need to gather them all to unlock their potential, but two aren't even available until you enter the last dungeon of the game, Tarqaron.
    2. You also need to upgrade the Sorcerer's Ring beyond the strength given it by the events of the main quest.
    3. You can start this quest once you've been to Myorzo the first time. Return to the town and speak with the village elder. He'll give you Yuri's Fell Arm, a sword called the Abyssion.
    4. With the sword in your inventory, fly to the Sands of Kogohr, then turn south to the Four Islands. Land near the structure that looks like a pile of rocks - it's an aer krene. There are four of these krenes in total.
    5. Approach the structure and the sword will cause the rocks blocking the way to break apart, revealing Judith's fell arm, the Zarich.
    6. Continue into the structure. Head in and left to cross a bridge, then head for a large green crystal. The krene will power up the Sorcerer's Ring to level four. You need to powered-up ring to find the other Fell Arms.
    7. Exit the location and reboard Ba'ul. Fly to the Quoi Woods and enter the dungeon and follow the path until you come to a path that's blocked by a bush, leading upscreen. Blast the bush with your ring.
    8. In the next clearing are several enemies, including the Chimera Butterfly, a Giganto Monster. Kill the butterfly or dodge around it to find a chest. Inside is Glasya Labolas, Karol's fell arm.
    9. Next, fly to the forest at Keiv Moc. Go inside and follow the tree branches that you can walk on sort of left and downscreen. You should soon come to a clearing.
    10. Heading upscreen, you'll pass a save point (you were here before). Climb the tree branches with the green splatters.
    11. Soon you'll see an intersection. Head upscreen to where there's a bush. Burn it down and head to the right to find a chest and the Nebilim, Raven's fell arm.
    12. TIP: Check around in the dungeon to find some other goodies accessible only with the level four ring.
    13. Now make for Relewiese Hollow. Go into the dungeon and descend until you hit the healing save point in a clearing about halfway down.
    14. Take the path to the left and downscreen of the clearing. Follow the path to the end, where you can burn down some logs. Inside the chest there is the Mercurious, Estelle's fell arm.
    15. Just before you head to Tarqaron, stop by any aer krene and you'll charge the ring up to level five. The other krenes are located in eastern Yurozea to the north, near the northern tip of the eastern peninsula; north of Dahngrest; and south of Zaphias.
    16. Inside Tarqaron,

  • The Monster Book

    1. When you meet Karol, you'll get the Monster Book, which catalogues all the enemies you've met.
    2. Add entries to the book by scanning each one you fight with a Magic Lens. In order to fill the entire book, which is good for the Monster Nerd Achievement and titles for Karol, you need to make sure to get scans of bosses and other one-time monsters. You only get one shot at many enemies, so make sure to stock up on Magic Lenses every time you stop at a town.
    3. There are several bosses that have two stages. If a boss fight ever stops in the middle or is interrupted, check to make sure the boss doesn't need to be scanned again.
    4. You can tell if a monster has been scanned already by holding the Right Bumper to change targets. Scanned monsters' HP count will be shown under its name.
    5. When you get the book half-filled, you'll get a skit. Travel to Capua Nor and head north for a scene.
    6. When you fill the book completely, go to Capua Nor to meet Nan. Karol will receive a title that goes toward the My Name Is... Achievement.

  • The Wonder Chef

    1. You'll find the Wonder Chef in several towns throughout the world. He usually is disguised as some sort of inanimate object that is bouncing around and seems out of place. Check this object and it transforms into the Wonder Chef. He will reward you with a recipe.
    2. If you master all the game's recipes, all the characters receive a title.
    3. You'll find him the first time in Aspio. You can do this any time before the Tower of Tarqaron appears. The Wonder Chef is to the far left.
    4. In Capua Nor, Wonder Chef is to the right near the boat service window.
    5. When you're left alone in the interrogation room in Heliord, look for something swaying near the window.
    6. The Chef is in the Union at Dahngrest next.
    7. Look for a pinwheel at Ghasfarost when you arrive. It'll be really out of place.
    8. Once you have the ship, return to Capua Nor. Talk to the woman in front of the inn for another recipe.
    9. Wonder Chef is in Nordopolica next. Look for another pinwheel.
    10. In Mantaic, head northeast to find Wonder Chef in disguise again.
    11. He's in the inn at Yormgen next.
    12. When you get to Myorzo, head to the right and downscreen to find Wonder Chef.
    13. The last time you'll find him is in Aurnion, to the right and downscreen.
    14. In order to proceed with the cooking quest, pick one character and have that person cook everything. The quickest way is to keep a lot of ingredients on-hand and cook after every single battle.
    15. In the cooking menu, when you select a recipe, each character if they've cooked it will have a number of stars over their photo. Three stars means the recipe is mastered. Keep cooking each recipe until one character has mastered them all.
    16. When you've got all the recipes, make for Nordopolica and go to the docks. You'll find the Wonder Chef there, without a disguise. Speak with him.
    17. Now head to Dahngrest. To the far left is a man standing in front of a door. Talk to him and you can take part in a cooking competition. Use your top chef to win the competition and you'll unlock all seven cooking titles.

  • Collector's Book

    1. Like the Monster Book, the Collector's Book catalogues all the items in the game. Filling it gets you a title and the Item Nerd Achievement.
    2. In order to fill the book, you need to save all the weapons you receive throughout the game. You can't sell any of them because you can use each weapon in Synthesis to create new weapons. These are often the weapon Plus 1, which is slightly stronger, or the weapon's Alpha or Beta alternative. Synthesizing all of them is necessary to fill the book.
    3. You'll find the Collector's Book in Rita's house when you meet her for the first time in Aspio. Re-enter her house and climb to the second floor. A thorough investigation will give you a spot to check, where you'll find the book. Everything you pick up will be entered into the guide.
    4. When you have half the book filled, after you get the four spirits, head to Aspio and go to the library. You'll find a person there interested in the Collector's Book. You must do this before returning to Capua Nor, after gathering the four spirits.
    5. When you've filled the book, go to the fountain at Halure to complete the test.

  • The EX Dungeon

    1. The EX Dungeon is a big extra dungeon you can open by completing certain requirements throughout the game. Playing through it can earn you the Ahhh, Memories... Achievement.
    2. In order to open the dungeon, head to Phaeroh's Crag after getting Ba'ul. Head into the center of the crag to find a weird portal.
    3. Check the portal and you'll be transported into the Yormgen of 1,000 years ago. Go to the elder's house at the upscreen end of town and speak to the sage there. Speak to him until you don't get any more scenes.
    4. When you've cleared the game, return to Phaeroh's Crag again and take the portal to Yormgen. Speak to the sage again and then leave.
    5. Head to Dahngrest. After a scene, fly to the west to Yurozea. The EX Dungeon will be where some mountains were formerly.
    6. In order to complete the dungeon, you'll need to collect Fake Gald from boss fights and chests throughout the dungeon. This is awarded at random and will take you some time to collect. When you have 15 pieces of Fake Gald, you can use it to open the portal to face the dungeon's last boss and unlock the achievement.

  • Hot Springs

    1. Go to Yurozea when you get Ba'ul, which is the western continent. Go to the northern edge of the continent and look for a building set in a forest. Land and enter the building. This is Yumanju. Speak to the receptionist.
    2. You'll need to let some time pass to let the hot springs be cleaned. Return to Yumanju toward the end of the game. You'll need to pay 300,000 Gald the first time you enter the town, leave, then return and pay another 600,000.
    3. Return to Yumanju after Aurnion has been constructed. All the characters except Repede will get a title.

  • Finding Drake

    1. You'll meet Estelle's teacher Drake at Heliord when she rejoins the team there. Go back to the center of town at the blastia and speak to him.
    2. As you head north to the coliseum in Nordopolica, you'll see Drake again for a scene.
    3. In Dahngrest after the Don dies, go to the left side of town and enter the tavern there. Drake will be there.
    4. After the start of Part 3 when you reunite with the rest of the party, go to Capua Torim. You'll see Gauche and Droite, Yeager's minions. After the scene with them, speak with the lady they were with and donate 500,000 Gald.
    5. Head out of Torim by going to the exit to the left and Drake will meet you. Estelle will get a title.
    6. When you get to Aurnion, you'll see Drake in the upper left corner of town. Yuri will get a title.
    7. Leave and re-enter the town and Drake will have moved to the upper right corner. Speak to him again to get a title for Estelle.
    8. Once Aurnion is fully built, go to the left side of the city and find Ioder. Talk to him to get a weapon for Estelle.

  • Warehouses

    1. After you have the ship, you can start going around to the various shop warehouses in several towns. If you clean them up, you can earn a title for Karol.
    2. Start at Capua Torim. There are two warehouses here. When you clean them up, you'll receive several items as a reward.
    3. Next, head to Myorzo. You'll probably need to wait until later in the game, when you have the ability to fly. Clean up the warehouse there.
    4. After you've rescued Estelle from Alexei, fly to Nordopolica and clean up the warehouse near Belius' room.
    5. After Aurnion is built, clean up the warehouse there to receive Karol's title.

  • Professor

    1. When you have thes hip, return to Halure and speak with a man called Sicily. He's in front of the inn. Raven will learn a new arte.
    2. Go to the bridge at Capua Nor and speak to Sicily again. Raven will learn a new skill and receive a title.
    3. When you get Estelle back from Alexei, go to Torim Harbor. Sicily is at the dock. He'll modify your ship so you can search for treasure at sea.
    4. When you rejoin the party after defeating Alexei, go to Heliord. Take the elevator to the lower section of the city. Sicily will be there and you'll get a scene. Follow Sicily's robot and Karol will get some new artes.
    5. When Aurnion has been constructed, raise Repede's level to 50. Return to Heliord to find Sicily. He'll give you a new weapon for Repede.

  • Toys

    1. Stop by the tavern to the right of Dahngrest. Speak to the guard there to start this quest. You can do this after finishing reuniting the party after beating Alexei.
    2. Head to Yumanju and speak to a man there. He's looking for limited edition toys.
    3. You can get three of these toys from the machine in Yumanju.
    4. The rest are in Nam Cobanda. Head there and play the 500-chip capsule dispenser for one of the toys. Two more are available from the 100-chip dispenser; two from the 50-chip machine; and one from the 10-chip machine.
    5. Now go to Zaphias. Speak with Hanks in the Lower Quarter for the last toy.
    6. Return to Yumanju and speak with the man who wants the toys to get a title for Yuri.

  • 100-Man Melee

    1. Go to Aurnion and you'll get a scene in which a guard gives you a letter from Flynn. It's the first of three invitations to take part in the 100-man melee at the Nordopolica coliseum.
    2. Go to Keiv Moc. You'll get a scene with the Hunting Blades and you'll get a title for Karol. You'll also receive a second invitation.
    3. For the third invitation, head to Ehmead Hill. Go to the leftmost entrance to the dungeon and look for a clearing. After a scene, you'll receive an item called the Fire Lily.
    4. Head to Mt. Temza next. You'll get another scene and trade the Fire Lily for a Compact.
    5. Finally, head for Torim Harbor. You'll catch a scene with Gauche and Droite, Yeager's little minions. You may have already triggered this scene just by wandering through and working on other titles.
    6. Return to Zaude and go to where you fought Yeager. You'll battle Gauche and Droite there.
    7. Win the battle and you'll receive a weapon for Raven and the third 100-man melee invite.
    8. Take them to the coliseum. You can go through the 100-man melee to earn titles for several of your characters. Beating it with three characters is a requirement to open up the 200-man melee once you've completed the EX Dungeon.

  • Secret Missions

    1. There are 23 Secret Mission achievements available in the game. Read more about how to execute each one in the Secret Achievements section.
    2. Complete all of the Secret Missions in a single playthrough.
    3. After completing the game (the final Secret Mission is unlocked while fighting the final boss), return to Aurnion on a clear file and speak with Flynn. He'll award Yuri the True Knight title.

  • Estelle the Explorer

    1. At the end of the game, you'll have visited every location in the story except seven: Yumanju, Nam Cobanda, the EX Dungeon, and the four aer krenes.
    2. Visit each of these locations in addition to all the others in the game. Yumanju is located on Yurozea -- it looks like a building set in a forest; Nam Cobanda is in the northwest corner of the map; the EX Dungeon can be opened on Yurozea if you complete the requirements, detailed in The EX Dungeon section; and the aer krenes are located south of Zaphias, south of Nordopolica, the eastern peninsula of Yurozea; and east of Dahngrest.
    3. After you've been to every location, sleep at the Traveler's Inn. It's located near Halure and looks like a small caravan on the field map. Estelle will receive a title.

  • Dahngrest side quests

    1. Waiting Tables Minigame
    2. Head to the Sagittarius Tavern on the left side of Dahngrest sometime late in Act II, after you've got Ba'ul back for the second time.
    3. Speak with the barmaid at the top of the room. You'll be offered a part-time job waiting tables in the tavern.
    4. If you accept the job, you can pick a character to play the minigame. You can do it with every character but Yuri and Repede, and completing the game with each earns you a new costume and a new title for each character.
    5. You'll also open up a new skit for every character who goes through the entire minigame.
    6. Waiting the tables is easy, but each character will have to go through three levels, each more difficult than the last. Depending on the character, the levels will be more or less challenging.
    7. You wait tables by waiting for customers to call you over. When they do, head over and speak with the customer and he or she will give you a list of items.
    8. Go to the counter and speak with the barmaid. She'll give you a menu, on which you can select which food items and how much you need. You can only place one person's order at a time. Trying to do more than one cancels out the first order you placed.
    9. Hit A when you've finished the order and you'll get the food. Return to the customer as quickly as you can to give them their food. If it's right, the customer will be happy.
    10. Your goal is to place all the orders in the room as quickly as possible.
    11. The time you take to bring food back once you've taken an order determines your success rate, but most important is accuracy. Messing up orders and returning them too slowly lowers the amount of Gald you earn and effects whether you move on to the game's next level.
    12. TIP: While the game says you need to take each order as soon as possible, that's not entirely true. You're actually only on the clock once you've taken an order, so that's when speed is essential. Put off the other orders in the room and just fill one at a time; take the order, go to the counter, get the food and return it to the customer before moving on to the next customer.
    13. TIP: As things get more difficult, customers will add more and more items to their orders with higher quantities. The best solution is to write down the orders as you take it. As things get more difficult, you'll also see customers canceling items right after giving them to you. Be wary, because bringing out cancelled items counts as an inaccurate order.
    14. ACHIEVEMENT ALERT! It takes a while, but you need to complete the game with all the characters to earn all the titles. This goes toward the My Name Is... achievement. You'll also receive new costumes for each character and skits that go with each new costume.
    15. Raven, Ladies Man
    16. Return to Dahngrest toward the end of Act II, after getting Ba'ul but before heading to Zaude.
    17. Wander around the city talking to female characters. There will be several who aren't usually around. Start in the Sagittarius Tavern on the left side of the city.
    18. After cleaning out the tavern, head to the right and speak with the girls in the center of town. Go right and speak to another girl, then backtrack toward the Union Headquarters upscreen.
    19. When you've finished talking to female characters, Raven will earn a new title and you'll get a skit.
    20. False Dein Nomos
    21. Talk to the bartender on the right side of the bar at Sagittarius to receive the key to the lower level of Ghasfarost.
    22. Head to Ghasfarost and go in the front door. Head left to a staircase, near the green light. Use the key on the machine there to lower the stairs. You'll need to blast it with the Sorcerer's Ring to get it moving.
    23. Descend into the basement. After a cutscene, you'll receive the False Dein Nomos. Grab a limit bottle from the nearby chest and leave at your leisure.
    24. The Bunny Guild
    25. At the back of the Union building, just beside the prison, is a man who stands in the back left corner of the room.
    26. Speak with the man after you've got a fair number of titles and he'll suggest you promote his Bunny Guild. In order to do so, he'll give you attachments to put on your characters.
    27. You don't need all of the game's titles, but you do need quite a few of them to get all the attachments. You'll get bunny ears for Judith, Yuri, Rita and Estelle.
    28. Equip the bunny guild ears on all four people and put them in your party. You need to leave them as members of the party with the items equipped for five hours, without changing your party members.
    29. Revisit the bunny guild man at the Union for various rewards.
    30. You'll unlock the Bunny Guild Member Achievement after five hours.
    31. The Union
    32. Once you have Ba'ul, return to the Union. You'll get a scene.
    33. Now go to Torim Harbor's Fortune's Market HQ. Talk to Kaufman.
    34. When you get the party back together after beating Alexei, return to the Public Quarter of Zaphias. Speak to LeBlanc for a title for Raven.
    35. After Aurnion has been constructed, make Raven the party leader so he is the character you see on screen. Go to Aurnion and you'll see Drake in the center of town. Speak with him for an arte for Raven.

  • Nor Harbor side quests

    1. Dice mini game
    2. At the back of the market in Capua Nor is a window set in the wall. Speak to the man there and he'll let you play a dice game. Read the tutorial and play the game until he declares Rita the new dice master.
    3. You'll receive a title for Rita for the trouble.

  • Torim Harbor side quests

    1. The Dog Map
    2. Anytime after getting the ship, head to Torim Harbor's pier.
    3. You'll run into a dog that Repede knows from Zaphias. The dog will challenge Repede to a contest involving marking territory throughout the world map. He'll also gain a title.
    4. The Dog Map, which shows the state of the contest, can be accessed at any time by hitting Y on the map screen.
    5. It's best to wait to attempt this side quest near the end of the game, when you won't be distracted by story requirements. Otherwise, the rival dog will recapture territory while you're off dealing with whatever's threatening the world today.
    6. You can gather territory by walking around the world map and using items such as tents, barriers, or mats to sleep. When you sleep in an area that's not your color, you'll take it over.
    7. At any point, you can also return to Zaphias's Public Quarter. Head to the stairs that lead up to the Royal Quarter and Repede will have a scene with another dog. He'll receive the Friendly Furball item, which shows the location of the rival dog when you're gathering territory.
    8. You'll get a cutscene when you've taken about half the map. When you've got around 80 percent of the map under control, go to Aurnion for another cutscene with the rival dog.
    9. When you've got almost the entire map under your control, go to the Lower Quarter in Zaphias. Outside the tavern there you'll meet a dog and Repede will gain a title. That effectively ends the quest.
    10. Karol and Nan
    11. Return to Torim after Aurnion. You'll get a scene with Karol and Nan.
    12. Karol will earn a new arte after the scenes conclude.

  • Halure side quests

    1. Estelle the Story Teller
    2. Any time after you've healed the tree at Halure, you can return with Estelle in your party and head up to the tree. The village's mayor will be there. Speak with him.
    3. After the cutscene, leave the town and re-enter it. Return to the tree and there will be some kids there. Speak to them for another scene. You'll also get the Veil attachment for Estelle. Equip it.
    4. Leave and re-enter. Speak with the kids again at the tree and Estelle will tell a story. Afterward, you'll unlock a title for Estelle.
    5. Rita the Seeker
    6. After Aurnion, head to Halure if you've dealt 60 million points of damage or more.
    7. Speak with the mages in town. Rita will earn the Seeker title and a costume.

  • Zaphias side quests

    1. Vigilante
    2. Go to the Royal Quarter after you have the ship. You'll see a scene involving a man, Shel, asking for Yuri's help to find his brother.
    3. Head to the left and speak with Shel again. He's the guy with red hair and a dark suit, standing to the left of the street.
    4. Return to the Public Quarter and go to the bottom of the screen. You'll see a woman surrounded by children. Speak with her. She'll teach Yuri a new arte and gain the Kingdom Celeb title.
    5. When you get Ba'ul, return to Mantaic. Speak with Clay there and stay at the inn. Then exit the town by going west for a scene.
    6. After defeating Alexei and rejoining the party, go back to the Royal Quarter for another scene.
    7. Return to the Royal Quarter again after gathering the four spirits to earn a title for Yuri.
    8. Old Friends
    9. Return to the Lower Quarter after you've completed the events at Nordopolica. Speak with Ted to get a scene and a key item, Bread. It's necessary to complete the Collector's Book.

  • Heliord side quests

    1. Repede the Nanny
    2. Return any time after finishing the story portion in Heliord. Talk to the little kid standing near the center of town to trigger a scene.
    3. Afterward, head out the city to the right. You'll trigger a boss fight with a really weak tortoise.
    4. When the fight's concluded, Repede will gain his Mystic Arte and gain the Nanny title.
    5. Sexy Costumes
    6. Talk to the shop keeper in Heliord that you got the costume to distract the soldier with earlier in the game. You can do this after defeating Alexei.
    7. You can get the costumes and titles for Judith, Estelle and Karol that were available the first time in Heliord.

  • Myorzo side quests

    1. Once you've got Ba'ul, fly over Mt. Temza before heading to Myorzo for a scene.
    2. Enter the city proper and head along the bottom of the screen to the right. You'll see a kid there.
    3. Speak with him and he'll ask you to compete in dragon races. There are five levels, with rewards after completing the first three and the last two.
    4. The races consist of flying around the world map with Ba'ul, collecting colored rings. You need to collect all 10 rings on each level before the time expires.
    5. Yellow rings do nothing, but red rings reduce your time. The reduction is even more significant if you collect red rings in succession, so if you can make it feasible, it pays to try to grab red rings first and in order.
    6. The levels become increasingly more difficult by spreading out the rings over a greater area. The best way to navigate the races, if you can't see all the rings at the outset, is to open your world map with X. The rings appear on your map as slightly brighter spots that look like city or dungeon locations. Yellow rings are orange, and red rings are a slightly brighter red than dungeons.
    7. Use the map to plan your route and snag the rings, especially in the higher levels. None of the races is that difficult.
    8. Completing all the races earns you an Ultimate Red Cape item and Judith's Super Dragon Rider title. Return after you've done 1,000 Fatal Strikes to get another title for Judith.

  • Nordopolica side quests

    Coliseum
    1. Toward the end of the game, you can head to Nordopolica at any time to compete in the coliseum. Do so to earn some money in the 30-, 50- and 80-man melees.

  • Aurnion side quests

    1. Estelle the Healer
    2. Go to the inn and speak with the doctor inside. A scene will ensue.
    3. Sleep at the inn or leave town and return. Go back to the inn and speak with the doctor again for another scene.
    4. Leave and re-enter the town. Speak with the man standing near the inn, sort of in the middle of the area. Another scene will take place.
    5. Return to the doctor when you've healed around four million HP. Estelle will receive the Paramedic title and costume.
    6. Raven the Shining Star
    7. You should have helped Raven to learn 100 skills by now. If you haven't, go do some battling until you're ready.
    8. Return to town for a scene when you enter Aurnion. Raven will earn a new title and costume.
    9. Tough Hound
    10. Enter the town with Repede at level 60. Go to the left section of the town and you'll run into Flynn.
    11. You'll get a scene that will give Repede the Tough Hound title.
    12. Finishing the Town
    13. Speak with the knight near the HQ on the left side of the town. He'll ask you to bring him supplies to help complete Aurnion.
    14. Return when you have them and look for the knight. He doesn't always appear, so try entering and re-entering to get him to appear.
    15. The first time you talk to him, you'll need three Desier Gold Dust, three Hypionia Tree Bark and three Yurzo Fruit.
    16. Second: Three Might Orb, three Treat Flower, three Crystal, three Mystic Orb and three Great Leo Fang. The Leo Fang is only available at Tarqaron.
    17. Third: One Green Light Stone, one Pitch-Black Ink, one Rare Metal and 500,000 Gald. The Rare Metal is only available from treasure points in the sea surrounding Zaude, or from the Giganto Monster Poseidon.
    18. Return to the knight and turn in all the junk.

  • Nam Cobanda side quests

    1. Poker
    2. Nam Cobanda is an island in the northwest corner of the map. The town there is accessible after Tarqaron has appeared.
    3. Land and enter the town. Go to the first building on the left, before you enter the square, to access the gymnasium.
    4. Inside downscreen is a poker table. Occasionally when you enter, someone will be doing well at the game. Judith will challenge him to a game. Play it and you'll earn her a title.
    5. The game follows standard video poker rules, which is to say that payouts are based on what hand you can create from the five cards given to you. You can also trade any number of cards in your hand for new cards as in five card draw.
    6. You earn chips by creating hands, regardless of the value of the cards you're holding. One pair earns you your bet back, and the values for additional hands climbs from there.
    7. After each hand that's better than one pair, you'll be given a chance at playing High-Low to double your bet. You get as many as 10 chances to double your bet in a row.
    8. The best way to win the game is to earn a few thousand chips, then bet the maximum of 500 chips per hand.
    9. It also is a good idea to play the double game as much as you can, when the odds are in your favor. That is, choose the first double option and make a guess. If the card is high, like a Jack, guess that the next will be low. If you're right, your bet will be doubled.
    10. The choice of whether you should double again is based on the second card pulled during the double game. If you had a king and guessed low, and a queen appeared, you should play again, because the next card will be that same queen. A safe bet, then, is to guess low again.
    11. You can stop playing the double game any time. If you lose, you lose everything you earned on that hand, but winning earns you a large amount of chips at one time.
    12. Earning 100,000 chips in the game nets you the Jackpot Achievement. Turn in 250,000 chips to the Premium counter near the door to earn another title for Judith.
    13. Talk to the Ant Lion Man just inside Nam Cobanda after finishing the poker portion if you've opened about 90 percent of the chests in the game. You'll get a title for Yuri.
    14. A Play
    15. After the major events at Aurnion, return to the gymnasium and head to the left. The characters will join a play and you'll get a scene.
    16. When the play is finished, Karol, Yuri, Rita and Estelle will earn new titles.
    17. Testing
    18. Also after Aurnion is built, go to the gymnasium and talk to the cow behind the desk across from the poker table.
    19. You'll need to collect five books from various points around the world. They are located in:
    20. Heliord, Chevaliers HQ interrogation room bookshelf.
    21. Mantaic, inn bookshelf.
    22. Halure, elder's house bookshelf in the lower section.
    23. Torim Harbor, Fortune's Market HQ bookshelf, behind the guard.
    24. Aurnion, HQ bookshelf.
    25. Return with all five books and you'll be allowed to take a quiz about other Tales games. The answers are:
    26. Sept. 30, 1998
    27. Raine Sage
    28. Bubbles
    29. Presea Combatir
    30. Ishtar turned to stone
    31. Answer them all correctly to unlock the Smarty-Pants Achievement. You'll also get new titles for Karol and Rita.

  • Normal Achievements

    1. Grand Battles
    2. Points: 10
    3. Kill 1,000 enemies in battle.
    4. This achievement will most likely be unlocked earlier than two-thirds of the way through the game.
    5. If you need more battles, wander the world map to do some fighting until the achievement is unlocked.
    6. They Call Me...
    7. Points: 30
    8. Unlocked by collecting all the game's titles for all the characters. This is done essentially by completing the main quest, side quests and all achievements. Details for particular side quests and titles are available in the Side Quests section of this guide.
    9. Character Study
    10. Points: 10
    11. Unlocked by viewing every skit. This is difficult to do during playing the game, because there are around 500 skits and many are available for only a limited time. Others are triggered under very specific conditions.
    12. View skits by pressing Back when prompted. Additional skits can be viewed after beating the game by selecting the option to unlock all skits at the Grade Shop, which becomes available when start a new EX game after completing the game. After doing so, you can view all the skits in the Nam Combanda gymnasium, which will unlock the achievement.
    13. Piggy Bank
    14. Points: 10
    15. Unlocked by accumulating 10 million Gald at one time.
    16. This one isn't cumulative, meaning you have to have 10 million Gald in your hand at a given time. It doesn't include Gald you've used to buy items.
    17. A good way to gather money is to complete the EX Dungeon, which you can make available by completing the game.
    18. No More Grinding
    19. Points: 10
    20. Unlocked by raising any character's level to the maximum available, 200.
    21. A good way to get this is to fight through the EX Dungeon with the 10x Experience upgrade from the Grade Shop.
    22. Too Much Free Time
    23. Points: 20
    24. Unlocked by accumulating 100 hours of play time.
    25. The best way to do this is to carry over your play clock to a second playthrough at the Grade Shop, or to just leave your Xbox on with the game running to earn the achievement.
    26. To Points Unknown
    27. Points 10
    28. Unlocked by traveling 100,000 km inside the game.
    29. This is a bit of a pain because 100,000 km is a ridiculous distance. Probably you won't unlock this during the course of the game.
    30. This achievement is best earned after obtaining the airship. On the world map, set a controller against something so that the Left Analog Stick is pushed to one side, so that the airship is endlessly circling the globe.
    31. Jackpot
    32. Points: 10
    33. Unlocked by winning 100,000 chips at the poker game on Nam Cobandia Isle.
    34. You can play poker in the gymnasium. The game follows standard video poker rules, which is to say that payouts are based on what hand you can create from the five cards given to you. You can also trade any number of cards in your hand for new cards as in five card draw.
    35. You earn chips by creating hands, regardless of the value of the cards you're holding. One pair earns you your bet back, and the values for additional hands climbs from there.
    36. After each hand that's better than one pair, you'll be given a chance at playing High-Low to double your bet. You get as many as 10 chances to double your bet in a row.
    37. The best way to win the game is to earn a few thousand chips, then bet the maximum of 500 chips per hand.
    38. It also is a good idea to play the double game as much as you can, when the odds are in your favor. That is, choose the first double option and make a guess. If the card is high, like a Jack, guess that the next will be low. If you're right, your bet will be doubled.
    39. The choice of whether you should double again is based on the second card pulled during the double game. If you had a king and guessed low, and a queen appeared, you should play again, because the next card will be that same queen. A safe bet, then, is to guess low again.
    40. You can stop playing the double game any time. If you lose, you lose everything you earned on that hand, but winning earns you a large amount of chips at one time.
    41. Map Nerd
    42. Points: 50
    43. Unlocked by revealing the entire world map.
    44. When you start the game, the world map is largely grayed out. New territory can be revealed by traveling to an area. The area visible to your characters is then revealed on the map.
    45. The achievement is earned by revealing the map in its entirety. The best way to do this is to wait until you have the airship, because you have an easier time of revealing the map and getting to where you need to go more quickly.
    46. This achievement can be difficult, so try to do it carefully and meticulously. Look at the map for gray patches, then fly to them to reveal them. Even a small speck of gray is enough to keep you from the achievement. Take your time and work at the map with a system, revealing one whole line, then coming back over it in the other direction, but a little further south, and so on.
    47. Monster Nerd
    48. Points: 30
    49. Unlocked by filling the Monster Book by scanning every enemy in the game with a Magic Lens.
    50. This achievement is difficult because it's extremely widespread. Not only do you need to find and fight every monster in the game, but you also MUST have a Magic Lenses in your inventory at all times.
    51. This starts from the beginning of the game, so get Magic Lenses as soon as you can and be sure to scan every enemy you come across. This is especially important for bosses, as they are only available one time.
    52. The best way to go about this achievement is to scan every monster you can at each new location. If you have the ability to leave a dungeon before completing it to gather more Magic Lenses, do so.
    53. You can check if a monster has been scanned by pressing and holding the Right Bumper, which allows you to choose new targets. If the enemies have an HP count over their names, you've scanned them already.
    54. Also, any time a boss battle is stopped in the middle by anything other than a Secret Mission achievement, go ahead and check to see if the boss needs to be scanned again. Several bosses have more than one "form," and each form counts as a single scan. Most notably of these is the first fight with Zagi.
    55. Item Nerd
    56. Points: 30
    57. Unlocked by gathering every item in the game.
    58. This achievement is a massive pain, because it goes against the rules of other RPGs. Basically, you should never EVER sell any weapon, regardless of how useless it may be.
    59. This is because you can use the game's Synthesis option to create new weapons from every single weapon in the game, often two or three times. If you sell even one of these weapons, you lose the opportunity and will have to attempt the achievement on another playthrough.
    60. Little Mad Scientist
    61. Points: 10
    62. Unlocked by using Synthesis 20 times. You'll earn this achievement naturally through the course of buying new weapons and items throughout the game.
    63. Back Up Plan
    64. Points: 10
    65. Unlocked by using every save point in the game.
    66. The best way to do this is to touch or save at every save point you see, every time you see it.
    67. The reason for this is that you'll travel to several towns and dungeons more than once, often with those locations having changed somehow. Some places, such as Aurnion, which is town that's built late in the game, has a save point that counts three separate times toward this achievement.
    68. The Hit that Keeps on Hitting
    69. Points: 20
    70. Unlocked by completing a 100-hit combo against an enemy.
    71. This is a little bit difficult until the end of the game. You need to execute a high-level Over Limit against a strong enemy, like a Giganto monster or a boss.
    72. To use a three- or four-level Over Limit, you can synthesize the special items Over Limit Trio and Over Limit Quartet. You can also use Limit Bottles to up your Over Limits to higher levels.
    73. Execute your combo by chaining multi-hit artes such as Shining Dragon Fang over and over again, then holding A before the end of the Over Limit to activate a Burst Arte, then holding B to activate a Mystic Arte. Doing so should hit give you a ton of hits and your achievement.

  • Warning! Spoilers!

    Eureka
    Points: 10
    1. Awarded for your first Synthesis.
    First Strike
    1. Unlocked by executing your first Fatal Strike.
    2. You'll get a tutorial on this during the game, and will likely unlock it during the course of normal play.
    Big Game Greenhorn
    Points: 20
    1. Unlocked by killing your first Giganto Monster. See the Giganto Monsters Side Quest for more information.
    Big Game Hunter
    Points: 50
    1. Unlocked for killing all nine Giganto Monsters. See the Giganto Monsters Side Quest for more information.
    Smarty-Pants
    Points: 10
    1. Unlocked by answering correctly all the trivia questions at Nam Cobanda Isle. See the Nam Cobanda Isle Side Quest for more information.
    Speedster
    Points: 15
    1. Unlocked by completing the game in under 15 hours.
    2. The best way to do this is to gather the 10x EXP upgrade from the Nam Cobanda Grade Shop. You should also carry over all your items.
    3. Set the game to Easy difficulty in the Config menu. Also make liberal use of Holy Bottles, which will minimize your enemy encounters throughout the game. That way you'll only be fighting bosses.
    4. You can also speed through dialogue by holding X and A together.
    Low Level Challenger
    Points: 10
    1. Unlocked by completing Part 1 under Level 15.
    2. Use the 1/2 EXP Grade Shop perk to minimize your EXP gain and Holy Bottles to avoid as many battles as possible, with the difficulty set to Easy. You need to defeat Barbos at any level less than 15.
    Bunny Guild Member
    Points: 10
    1. Unlocked by completing the Bunny Guild side quest. See the Bunny Guild Side Quest for more information.
    Ahhh, Memories
    Points: 30
    1. Unlocked by completing the EX Dungeon after playing through the game the first time. See the EX Dungeon Side Quest for more information.
    Recovered the Aque Blastia
    Points: 100
    1. Unlocked by completing Part 1 of the main quest.
    Ended Alexei's Ambitions
    Points: 150
    1. Unlocked by completing Part 2 of the main quest.
    Defeated the Adephagos
    Points: 200
    1. Unlocked by finishing the main quest.
    Secret Mission 1
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by preventing Zagi from dealing Estellise serious damage.
    2. You can earn the first Secret Mission Achievement by protecting Estellise during this battle. Do so basically by beating on Zagi any time he gets near Estellise.
    Secret Mission 2'
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by attacking Goliath's Achilles Heel while it charges its X-Buster attack.
    2. The Goliath has a glowing blue spot on the back of its right foot -- its Achilles Heel. If you hit this spot while the Goliath is charging its laser-based X-Buster attack, you'll unlock the Secret Mission 2 achievement.
    Secret Mission 3
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by stunning Gattuso with the plants on the battlefield.
    2. Surrounding the arena are four billybally plants that will stun enemies and allies if they're attacked when an enemy is nearby.
    3. Get the plants to do so by luring Gattuso to the plant, then hitting him and it with Yuri's Azure Edge arte. It won't do much to the boss, but it should cause the plant to stun him with its spores. The achievement will be unlocked at the end of the battle. Note that if you're stunned by the plant along with Gattuso, the achievement won't unlock, so try again.
    Secret Mission 4
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by knocking Zagi over the side of the boat.
    2. This can be extremely difficult to do and might take you the length of the battle to pull off. You can try to knock him off with an Over Limit, but this seems nearly impossible because of the timing involved (and the writer of this guide never managed it). Another strategy: Raise Rita's level to 24 and she'll unlock an arte called Stalagmite. This move makes huge stone spikes explode beneath a target, sending it flying. If it's timed right (which is still difficult), you can use it just as Zagi reaches the edge of the boat to send him flying.
    Secret Mission 5
    Points: 5
    1. Knock down the Dread Giant when it rears up on its back legs.
    2. This is easy to accomplish. When the boss rears back, get in close and pummel it with whatever you can. A multi-hit arte will be most effective.
    Secret Mission 6
    Points: 5
    1. Use Raven's Serpent arte to stop Gigalarva from healing.
    2. You'll need to have synthesized the Moon Selector before this battle, which allows you to change the characters you control during battle. If you don't have it, set Raven to the leader of the party before you start.
    3. Raven's Serpent arte is a pain. It plants an arrow in the ground that the enemy then has to move over. Gigalarva will start attempting to heal after it sustains enough damage, which will involve it planting its tail in the ground.
    4. Try to watch where Gigalarva goes when it heals, then plant a Serpent arrow there. It may take some time and more than one attempt.
    Secret Mission 7
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by breaking the bridge supports to stop Barbos from calling reinforcements.
    2. This is easy to do. Target the bridge supports the way you would any other enemy, using the Right Bumper. Then attack them as you would another enemy.
    Secret Mission 8
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by overloading Zagi's blastia with magic.
    2. Zagi uses the blastia on his arm to absorb magic attacks. In order to unlock the achievement, simply allow Rita and Estelle to blast him with magic until the blastia explodes.
    Secret Mission 9
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by killing the leader bat before Pteropus reforms.
    2. The Pteropus boss will split into many smaller bats midway through the fight. Find and lock on to the leader bat with the Right Bumper and destroy it.
    Secret Mission 10
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by destroying Outbreaker's core.
    2. To get the Secret Mission 10 achievement from this battle, and to actually win it, you need to destroy Outbreaker's core. It's the round thing the monster spits out every once in a while to turn day to night and back again. When it spits it out, jump up and attack the core as relentlessly as possible. It'll take quite a few hits and probably a few rounds of day-to-night transitions before you can do it, but once the core is destroyed, the time of day stays set and Outbreaker can't heal.
    Secret Mission 11
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by lighting the candles in the arena where you fight Belius.
    2. If you want to survive the battle, you'll have to uncover this achievement. It's simple enough in theory. You have to relight the torches around the arena to dispel the illusionary Belius, which doubles an already tough battle by adding a second boss.
    3. You need to use a fire-based attacks to light each torch. You can do so by targeting a torch and using a fire-based arte on it, such as Yuri's Destruction Field arte.
    4. The lamps won't stay lit forever, though. If you have Rita, you can use her Fireball arte to assist with lamp-lighting. You can also use other characters' fire artes. When all four torches are lit, the second Belius will disappear.
    Secret Mission 12
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by knocking down Tison and Nan after they've gotten stuck.
    2. Nan and Tison each have an arte that causes them to slam their weapons into the ground. Nan's Rending Slash move will get her blade stuck in the ground for a short time. Hit her when she's stuck to unlock the first half of this achievement.
    3. The second half has you hitting Tison after his Dragon Blade: Advent move. Hit him when he's stuck in the ground and the achievement will unlock at the end of the battle.
    Secret Mission 13
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by attacking Schwann after he executes his Mystic Arte.
    2. Schwann's Mystic Arte attack causes him to be vulnerable right after the execution of the attack. He'll clutch his heart and sway back and forth. Hit him during this time and you'll unlock the achievement.
    3. In order to make that hit, you'll need to be ready when the Mystic Arte goes off. That means using the Recover skill, which will allow you to hit X while you're in the air. Rush in and hit him with a strong arte.
    Secret Mission 14
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by using Karol's Nice Recover Smash to remove Zagi's poison.
    2. Midway through the battle, Zagi will create a poison cloud around himself, which damages you whenever you attack him. It's a pain, but it's easily dealt with if you brought Karol.
    3. Get close to Zagi and order Karol to use his Nice Recovery Smash on you, or whatever character is near Zagi. The area effect will knock the poison off Zagi.
    Secret Mission 15
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by attacking Baitojoh's fin when it's in the ice.
    2. When Baitojoh dives beneath the ice, his fin will stick up. Hit the fin with a several-hit combo to bring Baitojoh out of the ice. It takes more than one hit, so blast him with an arte or get a combo going. This will also cancel his mean area attack.
    Secret Mission 16
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by using the Mother's Memento on Estelle's second form.
    2. When you arrive in Mantaic, sleep in the inn to get a scene and an item called the Mother's Memento. Do this before arriving in Myorzo.
    3. Toward the end of Act 2, you'll face Estelle after she's been captured by Alexei. During the second portion of the fight, Yuri will go it alone. Use the Mother's Memento to unlock the achievement.
    Secret Mission 17
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by breaking Yeager's heart blastia.
    2. You can get this achievement with some careful planning in this fight, but this is one of the hardest to get in the game. First, it's recommended to set the game's difficulty to easy. What you need to do is break Yeager's guard so that he's woozy and clutching his chest, then use Raven's Rain Arte to break the blastia.
    3. You'll need Raven in your party, obviously. Go into the Artes Menu and turn off all of Raven's artes except Rain. Using Yuri, set Destruction Field as one of your useable battle artes. You may also want to set your other teammates' battle strategies to Defend while you attempt this.
    4. When you're ready, hit Yeager with an Over Limit. Get him to guard, then blast him with Destruction Field over and over again until his guard breaks. Quickly hit your artes menu and use Raven to nail him with Rain while he's staggered. Be careful not to accidentally hit him when he's broken yourself. You'll know his guard is broken by the shattering sound.
    Secret Mission 18
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by hitting Alexei after he uses his Mystic Arte.
    2. After Alexei uses his Mystic Arte, he'll be dazed for a couple seconds and you can hit him.
    3. This can be tough, especially the first couple times he uses the attack. If that Mystic Arte is too much for you, try lowering the difficulty and adjusting strategy to keep Alexei alive -- and using the arte on you -- until you can get a clear shot at the achievement.
    Secret Mission 19
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by knocking down Gusios when it rears up.
    2. To get Gusios to rear up on its back legs, you need to damage Gusios' tail. That'll cause the monster to rear up, giving you an opening to hit it in its belly and knock it down.
    3. To get it to rear up, use artes or free run to get around behind Gusios and pummel the tail. Once it is rearing, get in close and use a few artes combos to knock it over.
    Secret Mission 20
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by hitting Khroma when she executes one of her earthquake attacks.
    2. You'll know when to get ready when Khroma rises into the air on her hind legs. If you keep Rita and Estelle in TP, they'll probably earn this achievement for you just by continuing to use artes against Khroma at a near-constant rate.
    Secret Mission 21
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by allowing Flynn to use all of his artes.
    2. It takes a little coaxing to get Flynn to use all his artes, especially his Mystic Arte. It also means allowing Flynn to plaster you with attacks for the duration. If you're having trouble meeting that requirement, try switching the game difficulty to Easy in the options menu.
    3. First, you'll need to hit Flynn with your own Mystic Arte. Use Limit Bottles or synthesize the Limit Trio and Limit Quartet items ahead of time. You need a higher Over Limit level to access Yuri's Mystic Arte.
    4. You also need to equip the Special skill or use an item that includes the Special skill, which allows you to use Mystic Artes.
    5. Attack Flynn with an Arcane Arte, then hold B to activate the Mystic Arte. That will cause Flynn to use his own Mystic Arte, which is the hardest one to get him to use.
    6. After that, fight Flynn as normal. He'll start rolling out his artes regularly. Allow him to use his healing artes. When he seems to be using the same artes over and over, knock him down a few more HP to about a quarter of his total and he'll use the rest of them. You'll see the Great! screen when he's used them all.
    Secret Mission 22
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by hitting Zagi when he's vulnerable after his Blastia Bane arte.
    2. This one's fairly simple. Zagi will do Blastia Bane, which looks like he's absorbing power into his blastia arm. Allow him to finish the move, then hit him when he's vulnerable just after it.
    3. The timing is a little tough and it may help to place your team members on Defend during the fight to get them out of the way. Hitting Zagi before the end of Blastia Bane will knock him out of the move and you'll have to wait for him to use it again to try for the achievement.
    Secret Mission 23
    Points: 5
    1. Unlocked by defeating Duke by using a Mystic Arte.
    2. This sounds harder than it is. You need to use the attack on Duke's second form in order to unlock the achievement. He can be a tough fighter, but all you need to do is knock him down to a substantially low HP count -- say 15,000 -- and activate the Mystic Arte.
    3. Start by getting your Over Limit up to level three or four and using a Magic Lens on Duke. Keep track of his HP so you'll know when to activate the Over Limit. Blast him with the Mystic Arte when the time is right.

 


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