Ninja Gaiden 2 - XB360/Walkthrough
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Chapter 1: Sky City Tokyo
Key Items
- Dragon Sword
- Lunar Staff
- Art of the Inferno Ninpo
- Crystal Skull #1
- Crystal Skull #2
After the first fight, walk left of the storefront to find the first Statue of the Earth Dragon. Heal and save your game here, then head over to the broken storefront and press the Right Shoulder Button. After speaking to the old man, you can exit to the right and down the stairs. You'll have to fight three more ninjas there. At the far end of the walkway, on the left side of the door, you'll come across a box that contains the Reverse Wind Technique. Before you open the door, try out this technique (hold the Left Trigger and move the Left Analog Stick). This will unlock the 5 point Achievement Mastered Reverse Wind (using a skill after you read its scroll always nets you a similar Achievement).
Go through the door and you'll have to face three more ninjas. The next hall has 4 ninjas. There is a hole in the floor in this hall; just jump down into it. You'll find a box with a scroll that teaches you the Shadowless Footsteps Technique in it. This technique allows you to run across walls. Head up the ladder and use this technique to run along the wall on the left side of the hall (you could have done this without jumping down to read the scroll if you had already known how). On the other side of the gap, you'll fight another group of ninjas, and you'll find another box. This one contains the Furious Wind Technique. The next room has a box with the Art of the Inferno in it. This is your first Ninpo, so equip it straight away.
If you look out across the balcony, you'll see a skull on the roof of the building across the way. Jump from the right side of the balcony (where the ledge is sticking out) to reach the rooftop and grab your first Crystal Skull (no relation to the ones Indy was looking for). Grab it, then drop off the ledge and ascend the stairs to face more ninjas; take out the two Ninpo ninjas first. Nearby you'll find a box with an item called Lives of the Thousand Gods in it. This will permanently increase and fill your health, so you can either use it immediately or save it for a boss battle.
Head forward through the small door and jump across the gap using the left wall. Head up the stairs and fight the ninjas you find there. Cross this next gap and you'll find a body. Before you examine it, take out the ninjas that are about to attack you. Go back to this body and you'll learn the Obliteration Technique. Move to the end of the walkway and you'll find a save statue. Use it! Also, be sure to check the nearby corpse to learn the Flying Bird Technique.
You'll see a broken ladder nearby, and you can use the Flying Bird Technique (tap A to jump from wall to wall) to get to the top of this shaft. Fight the ninjas here, then fight your way to the bridge. Instead of going down the path, jump into the stream and make your way to the right. At the waterfall, make a left and you'll find a box with a Life of the Gods stone; collect a total of nine and you'll get an increase to your maximum health. Head back under the bridge to a boat at the other end of the stream, then open the box on it for an Herb of Spiritual Life. To get out of the stream, use the stairs next to the bridge.
Around the corner you'll have to fight more ninjas, but you'll also have to deal with an archer on a walkway above you. Go back around the corner to take cover from the archers while you defeat the ninjas on the ground. When they're dead, run to the second tree on the right side of the path. Jump toward the far side of it and then jump again to perform a backflip up to a platform, then cross the platforms to reach the archers. Defeat them and grab the second Crystal Skull here before dropping back down.
Fight your way forward and you'll come across two pits that are too big to clear in a jump, but you can use the bars in the center of the gaps to swing across. On the other side of the second gap you'll find a dragon save statue. Nearby is a ladder. Climb it and go right to find a container with an Herb of Spiritual Life or a Devil Way Mushroom in it, then go left. You'll reach a corpse that gives you the scroll for the Flying Swallow Technique; this is one of, if not the most useful techniques in the game, so start practicing with it immediately.
After the next fight, a door will open and you'll see a statue. Go to it and you'll get the Lunar Staff. You'll also find a dragon save statue here. Go outside and make a right to find the way forward. At the bottom of the stairs you'll find a corpse that gives you the Ultimate Technique. Fight your way to the other side of the bridge and you'll find the Notebook: Obliteration on a corpse. Inside the building you'll find the Ultimate Guidance Technique. If you attack the art scroll hanging on the wall, you'll gain access to a room with some extra items. Don't forget the Grains of Spiritual Life in the container at the far end.
Head outside and take out the ninjas that attack you. From here you can access another room in the building you just left. When you open the chest in this room more ninjas will break through a wall and attack you. Deal with them, then go through the hole they created. In the next open area you'll reach Muramasa's Shop. You can buy items here and upgrade your weapons, if you have enough yellow essence; upgrade the Dragon Sword to level 2 if you have 10000 yellow essence. When you're done, jump down the well. Kill the bats here and go through the door; you'll find a Notebook: Shadowless Footsteps.
Further on, you'll come to a box down a ramp, and a walkway above that can only be reached by wall running. At the end of the walkway you'll find another box. To continue, backtrack to the broken section of the walkway and jump down. Here you'll find a corpse with the Notebook: Furious Wind. Fight your way down this walkway until you see a cut scene. After the scene you'll find yourself in a room with some enemies and a dragon save statue. Kill the enemies, use the save point, and be sure to cut open the plant pot in the corner for some yellow essence (if it didn't get destroyed in the brawl, that is).
Head out the door into the hall, where you'll find more enemies. If you don't like fighting in close quarters, you can head back into the previous room and fight in there. Move forward to the stairs and fight your way up two levels. Here you'll find a box with a Cracked Card Key inside. Go back down one level and go to the door next to the window, the one right of the two elevators. Use the Cracked Card Key to open the door. Inside this room you'll find a corpse with a Notebook: Flying Bird. Head up into the small shaft here, then use the Flying Bird technique to get to the top of the elevator shaft.
At the top you'll find some enemies and Muramasa's Shop. You should have enough yellow essence to upgrade the Dragon Sword if you didn't earlier. There is a dragon save statue on the other side of this room, but don't use it just yet. Head up the nearby stairs, kill the enemies you find there, then go back to heal and save. Head back up the stairs now and go through the door to watch a cut scene. You'll then have to fight the first boss, Rasetsu.
BOSS: Shadow Ninja Rasetsu
You can still beat Rasetsu if you didn't upgrade your Dragon Sword to level 2, but it will but more difficult since you'll be dealing less damage. The key to beating this boss is to stay close to him. If you get too far away, he uses a wind projectile attack that damages you even if you're blocking, replenishing part of his life by roaring as well. He can also stomp on you from a distance; hence, stay close! The Flying Swallow (and it's level 2 version, the Azure Swallow) will do you no favors here. Instead, use attacks like the Piercing Dragon's Fang (X,X,X,X,X) and follow it up with Furious Wind or Reverse Wind. Many of his attacks will still damage you even if you're blocking, so try to dodge instead. You'll be surprised how quickly you whittle his health down, though the same can be said of your own health bar, so use a healing item if necessary. When you've gotten Rasetsu down to less than a quarter of his health, Rasetsu will get down on one knee; quickly rush to him and hit the X button to perform an Obliteration to end the fight then and there.
Chapter 2: The Castle of the Dragon
Key Items
- Falcon's Talons
- Rod of Trials
- Crystal Skull #3
- Crystal Skull #4
Move forward and you'll find a corpse with a Notebook entry for the Flying Swallow. Head down the path and in front of the building you'll find Muramasa's Shop. If you want, you can open the doors to the left to find a box with a Life of the Gods in it, but you'll have to fight through several ninjas first. From the Shop, go all the way to the right in this area and you'll find a Notebook entry for Reverse Wind. Keep going through this area, fighting through the next group of ninjas (take out the Ninpo ninja at the far end first) and checking the corpse near the drop down to the river's edge for an Herb of Spiritual Life. When you get to the river, jump in, and under the bridge to your left you'll find the third Crystal Skull.
Keep going to the other side of the river and head up into the next courtyard. You'll find an explanation for the Counter Attack Technique (X or Y while blocking) and a dragon save statue. Head up the stairs and left around the building, then inside. In a small alcove you'll find your third weapon, the Falcon's Talons. Head back outside to the courtyard and get ready to fight off a lot of enemies. Kill all the enemies to light the candles here. Check the corpse for the Notebook: Ultimate Guidance, then examine the candles for the Rod of Trials.
Head up the stairs. Keep moving, because archers will be raining fire down on you at all times. At the top of the first set of stairs, jump between the towers to reach the archers, then kill them for their impertinence. Keep moving to the next level to find more archers, and dispatch them in the same fashion. At the top you'll reach a dragon save statue and Muramasa's Shop up the nearby stairs. Save at the statue, then head down the passage just behind it.
Follow this passage, and watch out for enemies coming up behind you. Jump up the shaft at the end, and fight the enemies you find here. Head up the next set of stairs and you'll find the Notebook: Counter Attack on a corpse. Keep moving forward, up the ramp. Open the box at the top for some blue essence, then go into the doorway. Continue ascending the stairs past the archers behind the walls, and check the nook just beyond them for a treasure box. Continue up the next set of stairs to a courtyard with more enemies to kill. Take out the Ninpo-casting ninja first, and check the corpse by the door for the Notebook: Ultimate Technique.
The courtyard has two exits: a door and a burning wooden ramp. If you head over the wooden ramp you'll face some enemies on a roof. If they knock you off the roof, you'll have to run back up and fight them again. The best thing to do is run past them and jump into the hole on the roof to bring the fight there. This takes you to a room with some archers and a dragon save statue. On the wall you'll find the Fiend's Bane Bow. Grab this bow and go up the stairs to the closed gate. You'll have to shoot the glowing sphere on the other side of the door with your Fiend's Bane Bow to get out. Note the quiver of arrows nearby you can use to restock your supply to its max of 30.
Head up the stairs and drop down to see a familiar face: it's Rasetsu, the boss from the first level. He's got backup this time! Use Flying Swallow to take out the lesser ninjas, then defeat Rasetsu as you did the first time, by staying close and Obliterating him when his health gets low. This is a tough, tough fight, and you'll probably have to use your healing items to stay alive through it. When you've killed everyone, go through the wooden gate and head right down the hallway. Open the box for an Herb of Spiritual Life. Head the other direction to face off against some ninjas, and check the corpse under the stairs for some Grains of Spiritual Life.
Climb the stairs to the top, then go right. Some ninjas will burst through the wall, so don't let them get the drop on you. There's an arrow quiver here if you need more. Slice through the wall next to it to find a save statue. A ninja will drop in, so kill him, then use the save point. Head up the stairs and examine the corpse at the top to learn Unrival Soaring, which allows you to run across multiple walls. Cut open the wall opposite the lamp here and fire some arrows at the archers on the walkways in the next room. Note the two small statues on this balcony here; they're empty, so you can best believe you'll be back here later.
Use Unrivaled Soaring to run along the walls to reach the left balcony. Kill the ninjas here, staying away from the balcony to avoid being knocked off. Fire arrows at the archers to take them out. When everyone but you is dead, inspect the glowing sphere in the room to find the Vermillion Jewel. Slice through the wall at the other end of the room now and head through the doorway to find a corpse that has an item on it.
Leap over the wooden floor panel (it's a trap door that drops you back to the last save statue) and look on the left shelf in the next room for the fourth Crystal Skull. Cut through the wall at the end of the room to find a band of ninjas just waiting to taste the cold steel of your blade. Take out the Ninpo ninjas first, then the ones throwing projectiles. Check the glowing sphere here for the Ultramarine Jewel, then use Unrivaled Soaring to reach the platform with the two statues on it. Place the two jewels you picked up on them to open a path through the large statue taking up most of the room. Fire an arrow at the glowing sphere to the right of the statue to lower a platform, then jump to it to reach the path through the dragon's mouth.
Go right to find a save statue. Use it, then open the treasure box on the other side of the hall. Head through the hole in the wall to reach the roof. Kill the ninjas here (once again, use Flying Swallow to make this easier), then head to left up the sloped roof to find a window. Go through it, then head around the balcony to take out the archers. Take out the other ninjas here, then open the box in the corner of the room for a Lives of a Thousand Gods item. Use it, then note the hole to the right. There's a save statue and a Muramasa's Shop down there, but you don't want to use the save point just yet.
Instead, head up the stairs from here take out all the ninjas. When they're all dead, go back downstairs, climb down the hole, heal up and save, buy any healing items you may want from Muramasa's Shop, then climb the stairs again. Check the corpse to the left of the top of the stairs for a Life of the Gods, then go back around the corner to find a door. Open it and watch the cut scene that precedes the second boss battle.
BOSS: Genshin
Once again, stick with the Dragon Sword for this boss (which you had better have leveled up to level 2 by now). Like the previous boss, you'll want to stay close to Genshin; keeping your distance means he can hit you with his long-range attack that's very hard to dodge. The Undefeatable Demon combo attack (Y,Y,Y) works well against him, although he'll often parry your attacks, so roll away if it looks like he's about to strike back. Genshin can also counter any aerial attack you throw at him, meaning that Flying Swallow is out. Don't try to Obliterate him when his health gets low; it won't work. Just keep pounding on him with the Undefeatable Demon combo until his health reaches zero.
Chapter 3: Thunderclap of Catastrophe
Key Items
- Incediary Shurikens
- Art of the Wind Blades Ninpo
- Crystal Skull #5
- Crystal Skull #6
When you regain control, go right to find a treasure box, then head back to kill the bats. Go right down the street to find a Muramasa Shop on the far right side. Keep going down the street and defeat the enemies you encounter. Kill the demons, then go right at the intersection to find a box with red essence in it. Kill the bats nearby, then go back past the intersection and enter the corridor on the right, past the burning car. Check the corpse to learn the Art of Wind Blades Ninpo.
Proceed down the hall to the left, kill the ninjas around the corner, then head toward the stairs. Some projectile-throwing ninjas are there, so rush to them to kill them quickly. Look right of the stairs at the end of the hall for a box with some blue essence in it. Now head back up the stairs to the top. You'll be ambushed by projectile ninjas ahead of you and other ninjas behind you. Kill the projectile ninjas first, then take out the rest. When they're all dead, go to the end of the path to trigger the appearance of more ninjas, including Ninpo ninjas. Kill them, then return to the stairs and take them to the top to find the fifth Crystal Skull.
Go back to the other end of the room and go right into the next hall, which has a save statue. Use it, then use Flying Bird to climb the shaft to the left. Kill the Ninpo Ninjas up here, then get ready to battle a new enemy: flying demons. Use the Fiend's Bane Bow to quickly decimate the flying demon population in this area. Fire only one arrow at a time, dodging the demons' fireballs in between shots. There's a corpse in the corner you can use repeatedly to replenish your arrows, if need be. Once the flying demons are all dead, projectile ninjas appear in the next building. Climb the ladder on the left and kill them with your bow and arrows. Refill your arrows at the corpse, then go left toward the cable that goes to the next building, but don't cross it just yet. Instead, descend the ladder to the right, then go right and wall run to the next platform to find a treasure box with yellow essence in it. If you want, you can drop to the street level for an optional fight with some enemies. There's also a box down there with some Grains of Spiritual Life in it.
In any case, to proceed, get back on the last platform and ascend the ladder to the roof. Shimmy across the cable to the next building and drop down. Defeat the ninjas there, then jump down to the next platform to fight more ninjas. There's a save statue in the corner, so use it, then go left to find a treasure box. Turn around now and jump off the platform through the opening in the railing, then get ready to kill some demons. Once they're dead, look left of the Police Dept. for a treasure box and right of the building down a side street for a corpse with Part 1 of the Four Greater Fiends story; just be ready to kill more demons as you near the corpse. Head down the street after they're dead to trigger a cut scene.
After the scene ends, you'll have to take out a half-dragon demon, as well as lesser demons. Kill them all with Flying Swallow, then jump down the hole from whence they came to find a save statue. Use it, then keep going to find more demons to slay. Go down the hallway and to the left to find a ladder, then climb it to find a corpse holding the Notebook: Shadowless Footsteps. Now go down the opposite way in the hall, killing the bats on the way, and check the corpse by the ladder for the Jewel of the Demon Seal. Ascend the ladder, then use Flying Swallow to get on the other side of the gap. Open the box for some red essence, then go down the path and make a left to reach a gate. Head through the opening and descend the ladder, then run across the platform to reach another treasure box.
Head down the next ladder and go right. Kill the demons, then drop into the water and swim left. Examine the corpse for the Notebook: Unrivaled Soaring, then climb the stairs and use Unrivaled Soaring and Shadowless Footsteps to make your way to the top. Open the treasure box here, then enter the opening on the left. Drop down to get back to where you were, then return to the ledge over looking the water. Wall run across the right wall to reach the bar, then swing from that to the right wall and jump off that to reach the other side. Kill the demons at the next gap, then wall run on the left wall to cross it. Jump down to fight more demons, then check the corpse in the corner if you need more arrows.
There's an opening in the wall leading on. Use Flying Sparrow to soar through it, avoiding a demon ambush on the other side in the process. Kill them, then go left to a corpse. When you reach it, turn right and fire an arrow at a projectile ninja who appears through the narrow gap. When he's dead, check the corpse to learn the Invisible Path Technique. Use this to wall run/jump through the narrow gap there and grab the sixth Crystal Skull off the platform. Jump down into the water here, dive, then look around for a box containing a Life of the Gods. Swim back to a small platform, then use Flying Bird to ascend the wall to the top of the area. Go forward to find another save statue, and use it.
Now use Flying Bird again to scale the right wall, then kill the demons at the top. Wall run over the right wall to the next platform, then jump to the pole above and jump from that to the platform on the left. Drop down, open the box, jump back to the pole, and shimmy to the next platform. Wall run across the right wall to head around to the area to the left. Some ninjas will attack, but you want to keep using Shadowless Footsteps to reach the projectile ninjas in the corner and up the stairs first. When all the ninjas are dead, wall run to reach Masamura's Shop at the top. Buy any healing items you may want, then go through the nearby door. There are ninjas on the other side of it, so be prepared for them. There are also fans here than can hurt you if you touch them, so shoot the blue center of each with an arrow to shut them down. When the ninjas are all dead, drop into the water.
Demons await you there, so slaughter them, then climb the ladder and check the corpse to find Incendiary Shurikens. Use the Flying Swallow technique to cross the gap, then go through the fan on the left to find more ninjas just itching to die. Appease them. When the room is cleared, drop to the bottom to fight more demons. Climb the ladder, then use Flying Swallow to get to the other side again. Check the corpse on the right for some Grains of Spiritual Life, then turn around and shoot the center of the fan there to shut it down. Continue through it and open the treasure box at the end. Return to the corpse to refill your Incendiary Shurikens, if necessary, then go through the fan on the other side. Drop down, kill the ninjas, then climb the ladder on the left. Kill any remaining ninjas, then go around the corner and use Flying Swallow to kill the projectile ninjas there.
Take out the fan now with arrows or Incendiary Shurikens, then wall run along the left wall to reach a pole. Swing from the pole through the fan, then drop down in the next room, which has some bats in it. Kill them, then dive down to find an underwater opening. Go through it, then surface to kill more bats. Head toward the save statue in the corner and more demons will attack. Make them wish they had never been spawned, then use the statue to heal up and save your game. With your Incendiary Shurikens equipped, use the Flying Bird technique to scale the shaft to the right of the statue. At the top, hurl your shurikens at the projectile ninjas, then wall run across the right wall to reach their platform. Open the box here for some red essence, then turn around and wall run on the left wall to reach the hallway leading onward.
Kill the demons in the corridor, then proceed to find more monsters to kill. Drop down when you can to fight more demons, then head down the hall to the steps going up. Jump to the top, then turn around and use Invisible Path on the right wall to reach some projectile ninjas. Kill them, as well as the other ninjas that appear, then go back to the first platform above the steps and check the corpse for the Notebook: Invisible Path. Return to the platform the projectile ninjas were on an head around the corner to find more ninjas. Kill them, then head back to where you landed. Use Masamura's Shop if you need any items, then proceed forward on the main path, being careful not to fall off!
At the end of the path is a save statue. Heal up and save, then turn around and wall run on the right wall to reach the first Test of Valor. Kill all the enemies in the test to win a Lives of the Thousand Gods item, which you should of course use immediately. Save your game again, then head to the left. Drop down, then go right. Head to the far end to kill the projectile ninjas, then kill the others; you can use the subway cars for cover from the ninjas' projectiles.
When you've killed everyone you can, wall run on the right subway car to reach the main car. Kill the ninjas here, then go back to the other end of the tunnel to fight more ninjas. Kill them all, then return to the subway car the projectile ninjas were on previously. Go left and drop down to fight some demons. When they're all dead, you'll watch a cut scene, signaling the start of the third boss fight.
BOSS: GigaDeath
GigaDeath is very different from the first two bosses you faced in Ninja Gaiden 2. For starters, you actually want to keep your distance from it. Also, you won't be using the Demon Sword for this fight. Instead, you'll want to use the Fiend's Bane Bow (don't worry, there are corpses at either end of the arena that can replenish your arrow supply). You'll take damage from GigaDeath if Ryu touches it, so that's why you want to avoid getting too close. GigaDeath moves from one end of this tunnel to the other, shooting fireballs forward as it moves. Since it can only hit you with a fireball if you're in front of it, always stay behind GigaDeath. As the battle starts, stay on the right wall and run about halfway across the tunnel. As GigaDeath passes you, swinging to the opposite side, run past it, then turn around and fire a fully charged arrow at its head after it turns around to knock off about a quarter of its health. Quickly run past it again so that it can't hit you with a fireball, then charge up another arrow and hit it again. You may even have time to get off a third arrow if you're quick enough. Around this time, GigaDeath will release some homing minions that explode when they touch Ryu, so use the Art of the Inferno Ninpo to take them out swiftly. Keep up this strategy of firing arrows and killing the minions with your Ninpo until GigaDeath falls down, then quickly run up to it and hit the Y button to perform an Obliteration to bring this boss to an end!
Chapter 4: A Captive Goddess
Key Items
- Dragon's Claw and Tiger's Fang
- Crystal Skull #7
- Crystal Skull #8
- Crystal Skull #9
There's a Muramasa Shop right at the start of the level if you need to restock on supplies; otherwise, proceed through the tunnel ahead. Ninjas will pop out of the hole at the end, so kill them, then proceed through the next tunnel by dropping down in the hole. More enemies will appear as you run between the two subway cars. Defeat them, then look left from the end of the second car to find a box with some red essence in it. Farther on down the tunnel, demons will attack. Lay waste to them, then go left to exit the tunnel. Head up the stairs to find a save statue.
Ascend the next flight of stairs, kill the ninjas there, then head through the turnstile to find a treasure box. Go back through the turnstile and open the door on the left wall to find another one, then go through the turnstile left of the stairs to find a corpse that replenishes your arrow supply. There's yet another treasure box at the other end of the hallway. Open it, then go back to the turnstile. More ninjas will attack, but you can take out most of them by firing an arrow at the explosive barrel to the left. Kill off the rest of them, then head up the stairs to the street level after firing a charged arrow at the explosive barrels on the other side of the gate.
Proceed to the intersection, and get ready to kill some dogs. Go right and you'll face off against more ninjas. Go right again and enter the alley next to the Coin Laundry building to find more ninjas waiting to die. Take them down and take the first left to find a corpse with an Herb of Spiritual Life on it. Leave this narrow alley and go right to the corner, then turn around and look up to see the seventh Crystal Skull on the catwalk above. Use your Unrivaled Soaring technique to get up the left wall to reach the catwalk and nab the Skull.
Head around the corner and go right when you get out of the alley, then turn right again to head down the next street. Defeat the ninjas that attack there, then check behind the red barrels at the end of the street for some red essence (you may have to destroy the barrels with an Incediary Shuriken first). Go back in the direction from whence you came and use the save statue to save your game. Now climb the ladder to the left. Check the corpse up there for a Jewel of the Demon Seal, then head down the street to the break in the right railing. Go through this opening and start chucking Incendiary Shurikens at the flying demons. More demons will show up for the fight, so be careful, and use Flying Swallow to get the job done, firing arrows at any remaining flying demons while airborne. When the coast is clear, check the corpse to replenish your Incendiary Shuriken supply.
Go to the end of the street to find a treasure box, take its contents, then turn around and head to the opening in the left fence. Jump across to grab the eighth Crystal Skull, then drop down and go around the corner to the left to find another treasure box, this one containing a Life of the Gods. There's also a Muramasa Shop behind you, if you need anything. Hopefully you've acquired enough yellow essence by now to upgrade the Dragon Sword to level 3; you'll want it for the upcoming boss fights.
Go back the way you came now, kill the demons that show up, then go right around the corner. Look to the right for a thin shaft formed in the side of the building, then use the Flying Bird technique to scale it to the top. If you missed the Crystal Skull earlier, you can take the ladder on the left here to grab it. For those who already have it, go through the opening on the left to fight even more demons. Kill them all, then go down the street to find another ladder on the far left side. Check the corpse next to it first to replenish your arrows, then climb the ladder to find a save statue. After you reach the top of the ladder, make an about face and jump to the next road/bridge; at the end of the road you can open a chest with a Talisman of Rebirth in it. NOTE: You will only receive yellow essence in the chest after you complete the upcoming Test of Valor if you take this item now and still have it in your inventory. Jump back to the other road now.
Equip your bow now and go left to the end of the bridge, taking out the flying demons with your arrows as you go. Open the treasure box at the end for some Grains of Spiritual Life, then go back the way you came and climb down the ladder. Check the corpse to refill your arrows, then return to the top of the bridge. Shoot down the flying demons to the right, then go back to replenish your arrows yet again. Go right to the end of the bridge now and watch the cut scene that unfolds.
Mid-Boss!
When the cut scene ends, you'll have to fight a huge fiend that likes to smack you around with its swinging arms and blow wind at you. Use Reverse Wind to dodge these attacks, but stay close to the beast to unload your strong Y button attacks into him. Try to stay near its rear leg, as it will have a harder time attacking you there. Watch out if it gets near the cars at the end of this area, because it will hurl them at Ryu; just Reverse Wind away from them if one comes your way. When you've gotten the beast's health below the quarter mark, get near its head and hit Y to perform an Obliteration.
After the next cut scene, you'll have several demons to contend with, including flying ones. Kill them all, then enter the building to find an arrow-replenishing corpse on the floor. Ninjas will attack here, so defeat them, then go through the opening on the left to find a save statue beyond the glass; just break the glass to reach it. More ninjas will attack on the other side of the room, including Ninpo ninjas, so take them out first. Break the glass between the suit of armor and the display of Incendiary Shurikens and inspect the swords to obtain the Dragon's Claw and Tiger's Fang weapon. You can also check the Incendiary Shurikens to the left to replenish your supply, and break the glass at the far end of the room to find the Vigoor Mythology book. To the left of the book is a breakable decorative wood panel, hidden behind the panel is a Silver Xbox Logo that will completely replenish your health, it makes the Xbox 360 sound effect when complete. Complete the Test of Valor for a Talisman of Rebirth. (Note: You will only receive yellow essence, if you already obtained the Talisman of Rebirth earlier in the chest on the bridge.)
Now head through the door in the right corner and head around the turn. Wall run along the right wall, then perform a Flying Swallow to nail the two projectile ninjas at the other end. Go through the next door, kill the ninjas, then climb the stairs and go right. Use the Unrivaled Soaring technique to get over the gap, then inspect the corpse there for an item. Drop back down to the first floor and climb the stairs again, going left this time. Go around the corner and wall run to clear the gap. A demon waits around the corner. Kill it then go through the broken window. Drop down to fight more demons, then face the window you came out of and go left to find a treasure box. Go to the other end of this ara and climb the stairs. Kill the demons there, then go up the stairs on the right, then the next set on the left to find more demons. Go left of the building to find a way inside.
Kill the ninjas inside the building, then go forward through the doorway. Look left for a box containing a Lives of the Thousand Gods item, and use it immediately. Climb the stairs now to find another save statue. Save, then jump over the railing on the stairs and land on the beams. Go to the right corner and jump down to the beam on the right wall to find the ninth Crystal Skull. Return to the lower floor now and use Flying Bird to scale the metal structure in the middle of the room. Kill the enemies at the top, then head up one flight of stairs and turn around. Use Unrivaled Soaring to reach the beams, kill the ninjas that attack, then go to the far right corner to find a treasure box. Climb the stairs to the next floor now, equip your bow, then go through the doorway. Shoot down the flying demons here, then open the box to the right for a Life of the Gods.
Go back inside now and keep climbing the stairs. Buy any items you may want from Masamura's Shop on the left, and if you haven't upgraded the Dragon Sword to level 3 yet, do so now! Keep going left to find a corpse with an item on it, then climb the next flight of stairs until you see a hole on the left side. Jump through it and use Flying Bird to get to the top of the wall. Enemies attack you there, so kill them, then check the corpse for Part 2 of the Four Greater Fiends book. Climb the stairs in the middle of the room for a cut scene, and this level's boss fight.
BOSS: Alexei
As soon as the preceding cut scene ends, get ready to dodge or block Alexei's first attack. Stick with the Dragon Sword (level 3, of course) and use the Flying Swallow attack over and over. Use it in conjunction with the Wind Run (X + A) to avoid getting hit with Alexei's projectiles by never standing still. It's possible to stun Alexei with enough attacks in succession; if you manage to do this, hit him with a series of strong Y button combos while the window is open. The Ultimate attack can override Alexei's attacks; hold Y as soon as you land after a Flying Swallow to instantly charge the attack. Just keep this pattern of Flying Swallows and Ultimate techniques up and Alexei will fall with relative ease.
Chapter 5: The Aqua Capital
Key Items
- Gatling Spear Gun
- Kusari-gama
- Art of the Flame Phoenix Ninpo
- Crystal Skull #10
- Crystal Skull #11
- Crystal Skull #12
Ninjas and Ninpo ninjas start off this level, so take care of the Ninpo-casting ones first, then go forward and right of the stairs to find Muramasa's Shop. Buy any items you need, then climb the stairs to get your first taste of the beastmen. These monsters launch projectiles at you and are best defeated with the Falcon's Talons. Kill them all, then go forward past the bridge (not on it, yet) and go left around the corner to find some stairs going down. Descend them and inspect the corpse to find the Kusari-gama weapon. Make an about-face and go left of the stairs to find more stairs going down. Take them down and cross the water to find a boat, on which sits the tenth Crystal Skull. Take it, it's yours!
Return to the pier and get ready to fight another new enemy: water demons. These guys can make mincemeat of Ryu if he's in the water, so make sure to always fight them on dry land. When they're dead, jump over the water to the walkway on the other side. Keep going right, then head left around the corner to find a box with red essence in it. Take it, then head back the way you came and ascend both flights of stairs. Cross the bridge on the left and take down the beastmen on the other side. Head down the street (which has barrels and crates you can break open for yellow essence) and go left at the end to find a save statue. Use it.
Climb the stairs to the left and go through the door to fight more Beastmen. Kill them, then grab the eleventh Crystal Skull off the table on the right. Keep going right over the next bridge, and look out for more Beastmen who attack. Proceed over the next bridge, then go right at the end of the street into the alley. Go through the opening and use Flying Bird to reach the upper balcony. Take out the ninjas and examine the corpse for a Talisman of Rebirth. Jump down behind the corpse and go left at the end of the alley to find a treasure box. Open it, then head back across the two bridges to fight more Beastmen. Keep going over the third bridge to the end of the street, then check the corpse for a Spirit of the Devils. Use it at once.
Turn around now and go right after the first bridge to reach a fountain. Kill the water demons here, then jump into the fountain and dive down. Swim to the far side to find a treasure box that contains the Gatling Spear Gun. Swim left through the tunnel to reach an area that's protected by mines. Use your new Gatling Spear Gun to take the mines out, then go left to face off against more water demons. Instead of fighting them in the water, dive down and swim left to find a boat. Get on the boat and fight from there to make survival much more likely!
When the water demons are dead, dive back in the water and go right to find more mines. Destroy them with the Gatling Spear Gun, then keep going until you see an area off to the left. The twelfth Crystal Skull is below the water here, so make sure you dive down to grab it. Return to the main waterway and go right to get back on the path forward. Take out the mines in your way, then keep going around to the left, where some water demons attack. Don't fight them now; run on the water to the boat on the right and fight them from there. When you've finished them off, go through the window behind the boat to find a save statue. Heal up and save your game.
Ascend the stairs here and go through the door to find some demons to fight. Kill them all, then go right and go through the next door. Check the corner of the room for a Bridge Gate Key and the desk for Hinomaru's Notebook, then go back outside and look right for Muramasa's Shop. Buy what you need, then go to the opposite end of the street. Head through the gate there and take on the beastmen that attack. Continue to the end of the bridge and go through the opening. You'll see a corpse on the left; check it to refill your arrows. Now go down the hall in the other direction, kill the beastmen there, and open the treasure box at the end.
Go through the nearby opening and fire an arrow at the two glowing objects to lower the drawbridge. Jump up the boxes on the left, then jump to the pole above to get over the water to the other platform. Open the box here for a Life of the Gods, then drop down into the water. Go left to find some water demons. Unfortunately, there's no dry land here for you to fight them on, so you'll have to do it in the water. Equip the Falcon's Talons and run across the water in small circles, attacking to avoid being slashed at by the demons. Just cut them to ribbons whenever you see one until you've killed them all.
Continue to the two watermills. The mines here respawn, so even if you shoot them with the Gatling Spear Gun, they'll come back shortly thereafter. With the Gatling Spear Gun equipped, destroy the mines directly ahead of you in the middle and quickly swim past their locations before they reappear, swimming to the platform behind the left waterwheel. Jump to one of the bars in the center of the waterwheel and use it to reach the top platform. Leap to the next watermill, then to the gear, then into the opening on your left. Ride the bar there on the upper gear to the other side of the room, then drop down onto the platform with a treasure box on it. Open it to claim another Lives of the Thousand Gods item, and use it at once. Drop down to the bottom of the room now and head through the doorway. Go left and ascend the stairs to fight more beastmen, then keep going up the stairs to find another save statue.
After you save your game, go through the opening on the left and kill the water demons there. Keep going through the next opening and go right at the intersection. Kill more demons there, then check the right corner for another treasure box. Return to the hallway now and enter the room on the other side to find Muramasa's Shop. Buy any supplies you need, then go left at the intersection. Take this corridor to more demons, following the hallway straight to the gate, where you should turn right. Climb the stairs, kill the demons that attack you, then enter the room at the top. Open the box here for the Copper Key, then go back to the gate and use the key to unlock it. Check the corpse inside for the Art of the Flame Phoenix Ninpo, then leave the room and make your first right. Kill the demons in this hallway, then head up the stairs to the top. Look left for a treasure box, take what's inside, then stand on the well cover nearby. Perform the Dragon Sword's Helmet Splitter (press Y after jumping straight up) to bust through the cover and drop down.
Complete the Test of Valor down here to win another Jewel of the Demon Seal, then proceed toward the large hallway. There's a save statue on the right, so use it, then head down the hall. Water demons will attack you, so stay on land to defeat them and the other demons that join them. When they're dead, proceed into the large room. Dive into the water in the middle of the room and swim through the tunnel to the next section of the level. Stay underwater (surfacing here causes legions of undead fish to attack) as you swim straight to the stairs at the end, then start climbing them. Open the box at the top, then turn around and use the Kusari-gama to take out the undead fish that attack.
With the open chest behind you, you'll see some columns arranged in a square to your right. Run on the water (ignoring the fish) through the opening in the columns to find a platform with a box on it. Open the box for the Skull Key to trigger the boss battle.
BOSS: Water Dragon
If you can manage to stay on the platform you start the battle on, this battle will be much easier, but don't worry if you get knocked off, because it takes a pretty capable player to stay on the platform. From this platform, equip your bow and charge up arrows to fire at the Water Dragon's head. This deals some good damage, so get off as many shots as you can. Undead fish will attack you on the platform, but you should focus on getting your arrow shots off, and slash up the fish between arrows. You can keep this up to destroy the Water Dragon fairly simply. If, on the other hand, you get knocked into the water, you'll have a very different fight on your hands. The Water Dragon will send undead fish at you if you're far away and attack you with its tentacles if you're close. A no-win situation, right? To beat the Water Dragon like this, swim underwater and attack its underbelly. When you see its tentacles coming at you, surface and run in circles on the water around the Water Dragon until it's finished using its tentacles. After that, dive back down and attack its underbelly again. Keep this up until you've gotten its health below the one-quarter mark, then get near its head and perform an Obliteration to end the fight.
Chapter 6: The Lycanthropes' Castle
Key Items
- Eclipse Scythe
- Crystal Skull #13
- Crystal Skull #14
- Crystal Skull #15
You'll begin this level where you fought the previous boss, with the way out marked by a broken rock between a pair of columns. Before you go jumping up there, though, there are a few items to be found down here. Run across the water to the left to the center of the ring of columns and look underwater for a treasure box. There's another circle of columns across the room, so check the center of those for another treasure box. Run right next to the end of the rectangular formation of columns and look in the water for a box containing a Life of the Gods. With these items in hand, return to where you started and use the Flying Bird technique to reach the upper area.
Go right on the outer edge of the roof and look for a hole in the roof on the left. Drop into it, then walk back in the direction you came from to find the thirteenth Crystal Skull. Return to the top of the roof and check the far left side for a treasure box in another hole that contains some yellow essence. Proceed now to the center of the room to find Muramasa's Shop. Continue through the opening to the right of it and jump across the columns to the next structure. There will be undead fish here, so be careful not to let them swarm you.
Cross the top of the next structure to reach more columns, and use these to get to the ledge on the outer rim of this area. Go left when you're on it to find a treasure box, then go back in the other direction and follow the ledge to a hole in the floor. Wall run on the left wall to avoid it, then kill the water demons on the other side. Keep going to the far side of the ledge for some red essence in a box. Go right and cross the next structure, taking out the undead fish in the process. Follow the structure shaped like half a circle to the right, then jump at the end to more columns. When you land on the second column, turn left and cross those columns to a treasure box. Jump back across the columns to the first path of columns, and cross those the rest of the way forward.
Enter the building to find a save statue, and use it. Proceed through the tunnel to the right of it, and kill the water demons inside. Keep going until you reach a room with a corpse in it. Check the corpse for a Jewel of the Demon Seal, then proceed through the next tunnel. Use the Skull Key you picked up in the last chapter to open the door, then go through and kill the new enemies in here, the bone scorpions.
Mid-Boss!
When they're all dead, a much, much larger undead beast appears and attacks. Quickly run left or right, then use the Wind Run skill to avoid getting kicked by its massive foot. Keep your distance and circle the beast until it raises its arms, then chuck some Incendiary Shurikens at it to knock it over. Quickly run up to it then and attack the glowing yellow sphere in its ribcage. If you're out of Incendiary Grenades, just attack its legs with strong Y button attacks until it falls over. After you defeat this mid-boss of sorts, continue forward through the opening in the far side of the room.
Use Flying Bird to get to the upper ledge, then follow the ledge to a gap. Wall run around it, then defeat the water demons on the other side. Open the nearby treasure box for an item, then keep following the ledge to another gap you must wall run around. Defeat another group of water demons, then go through the opening. There are more bone scorpions in here, so use the Flying Swallow to make quick work of them. Kill the water demons in the next room, then open the box here for some Grains of Spiritual Life. Continue down the corridor, kill the enemies in your way, then stop when you reach another pit. You can't wall run here, so jump from the edge of the ledge to the other side.
Bone scorpions await you in the next tunnel, so wipe them out and wall run around the next pit in the floor. Kill the next batch of bone scorpions and exit this tunnel. Use Flying Bird to scale the wall, then go right to find a guillotine. Attack it to find the fourteenth Crystal Skull.
After the cut scene, continue descending the stairs and kill the beastmen that attack you. When you get to the bottom, go right, save your game again if you want, then go through the doorway on the right of the save statue. Kill the beastmen there, then take the stairs to the bottom and go through the door there. More beastmen will attack, so vanquish them, then take the stairs on the right up to face off against some water demons. At the top, equip your bow and fire arrows at the flying fiends. There's a corpse here between the two cannons that replenishes your arrow supply. When you've killed everything here, go right and more baddies will appear, as will another Test of Valor; complete the test to obtain a Lives of the Thousand Gods item, which you should use at once.
Climb the stairs, kill more water demons, and go left to find some red essence in a box. Go to the opposite side to find some beastmen, kill them, then check the right corner for another save statue. Use it, then ascend the ladder to the right of it. Take this path to a corpse on the floor, then check it to refill your arrows. Equip your bow now and use the Flying Bird technique to scale the left wall to the top. There, shoot down the flying demons, then go back to the corpse to replenish your arrows. Take the stairs in the corner to the area on the right and take the path left to more beastmen. Keep going down the path to the end, then continue down the far left ledge to the second flagpole. Jump on the pole and climb out to the flag, then swing to the next pole, and from there into the open window. Kill the water demons here, then open the box for a Bronze Key.
Exit via the door and cross the courtyard to another corpse. Check it to find Inukoma's Notebook, then unlock the door ahead with the Bronze Key and enter. Kill the beastmen in there, then go through the opening the left corner. Smash the barrels here to find a box containing a Life of the Gods, then go through the door on the right to find a save statue. Save your game and heal up, then go to the other end of the hall. Pass through the door on the left, kill the beastmen, then climb the stairs. Go to the far left side of the balcony to find a treasure box, take what's inside, then return to the first floor and go through the door to the right of the one you came through. There are more beastmen here, but you should know how to handle them by now, right? Exit via the door on the right to find even more beastmen, and put them to the sword (or the claw, or the bow, or whichever weapon you prefer). Go through the door at the end, kill the water demons in the next room, then check the glowing object on the right for the Cast Iron Key.
Go through the next door to return to a room you were in before. Climb the stairs and go right. Use the Cast Iron Key to open the door on the left, then ascend the next flight of stairs to find another save statue. Save your game, heal up, and approach the door at the top of the stairs to trigger the appearance of some good ol' ninjas. You remember these guys, don't you? Slaughter these pathetic fools, then go through the door to kill more of them. When the room is clear, attack the leftmost bookcase to find the fifteenth Crystal Skull.
There's another fireplace here, so scale it to reach a save statue. Save your game, then use the nearby poles to swing to the other balcony. Don't worry if you fall; you'll just have to kill some beastmen, then climb up the ladder to get back to where you were. Go left past the stairs to another pair of poles. You can't reach them from here, so drop down and climb the ladder on the right to reach the far side of the balcony. Shop at the nearby Muramasa Shop if you want, then stop yourself before automatically opening the two boxes on the right. If you're carrying the maximum amount of each item you can have, then don't open these boxes, because undead fish will attack when you open the first box (and there will be yellow essence in the second box). If you don't have the max amount of all items, feel free to open the boxes for more items.
Return to the stairs and check the door at the top to discover that it's locked. Checking the door causes some beastmen to spawn, so kill them, and when you've slaughtered the last of them, check the glowing object it leaves behind for the Golden Key. Use it to unlock the door, then go through. Kill more beastmen inside, then check the chair in this room to reveal a trap door. Drop through the trap door, kill the water demons at the bottom, then open the nearby box for an item. There's a save statue at the end of the hall, so use it, then go through the door at the end to return to the courtyard. Go straight ahead, then turn right, kill more water demons, then descend the stairs on the right.
At the bottom, equip your bow and cross the bridge. Doing so spawns several flying demons, so shoot them down, and examine the corpse on the bridge for more arrows if you run low. Go through the door at the end of the bridge to trigger this chapter's boss fight.
BOSS: Volf
Your Dragon Sword is the weapon of choice for this battle since it enables you to pound Volf with Flying Swallows. Volf is always moving, and therefore so should you, and always stay close: Volf charges you if you get too far away, and this is hard to dodge. When you're on the ground and in close quarters with this beast, block the first couple strikes in Volf's combos, then use Furious Wind to back out of range. Use this moment to charge up the Ultimate technique to level 1, then unleash it on Volf. This should be the only time you're not moving! Keep moving, blocking Volf's first few attacks, dodging out of the way, leveling him with a trio of Flying Sparrows, quickly charging a level 1 Ultimate attack, then hitting him with it. This should put Volf down for good in little time.
After the battle, you'll receive the Eclipse Scythe. The Eclipse Scythe's LVL 2 ultimate technique is a ground tremor attack, similar to one use by Volf. Get some range, charge and unleash. The Beastmen attacking you won’t know what hit them; kill a lot of them to finish off the chapter.
Chapter 7: The Flying Fortress Daedalus
Key Items
- Tonfa
- Art of the Piercing Void Ninpo
- Crystal Skull #16
- Crystal Skull #17
At the top of the fortress, quickly duck behind one of the blast shields and check the box on the right to refill your arrow supply. The blast shields won't last long, though, so don't tarry here. Equip your bow, then run toward the hangar doors and take out the turrets with arrows. Return to the blast shields now and take out the rest of the turrets. When all the batteries are destroyed, run toward the hangar doors again for a cut scene. Afterward, you'll have to face off against several executors in the hangar; Flying Swallow works best to thin their ranks. Just watch out when you defeat them, because they explode and can damage you if you're nearby.
Enter the hangar now to find Muramasa's Shop at the end on the left. Buy what you need, then go through the door to the right. Head right around the corner and kill the gun-wielding ninjas there. Continue to the end of the hall to find a box with red essence in it. Go back in the direction you came from and go right when you can to reach the next hall, where you'll have to take down more gun ninjas. Proceed to the end of this hall to find a save statue. Use it.
Now go back to the door on the left and head through it. Kill the gun-wielding ninjas in there, then check the boxes in the corners for items. Exit via the door on the right and go left in the hall. Kill the ninjas there, then keep going down the corridor past the door until you find a treasure box. Take the Life of the Gods from it, then return to the door you passed and go through it. Kill the executors beyond it, then examine the console on the other side of the room to get the elevator moving. When you reach the bottom of the shaft, more enemies attack, including a mecha soldier. Kill them, then exit through the door. Kill the gun-wielding ninjas on the other side, then use the nearby save statue to heal up and save.
Check the console past the save statue, then slash it to bits. Take out the left side of the console to find the sixteenth Crystal Skull. Go back through the door, take down the mecha soldiers with the Eclipse Scythe, then take the door at the far side of the room to find more gun ninjas to kill. Open the box on the left side of the room for a Life of the Gods, then go right through the door in the corner. Take down the gun ninjas there, then go through the door on the right side of the room. Climb the stairs, kill the ninjas there, then head through the door at the end of the hall. More gun ninjas there, so kill them, then check the three boxes in here for some items and an endless arrow supply.
Equip your bow now and shoot the seven glass tubes around the power source in the right corner of the room, then destroy the two consoles in this same room before leaving. Dispatch the ninjas in the hall, then go through the door at the end. Go right to the door at the end of the next corridor, and go through to the next room. Head around the corner past the door, kill the ninjas there, then head around the next corner to get more ninjas to attack you (hide behind this corner and nail them as they come around). When you've killed all the ninjas here, return to the door you passed and go through. Use the save statue here, buy any items you may want at Muramasa's Shop, then go back around the two corners and go through the door on the left at the end of the corridor. Check the corpse in the corner for Yogenta's Notebook, then go through the door on the left.
When the elevator doors open, you'll have to kill many gun ninjas. When they're dead, attack and destroy the control panels on the far end of the room, then turn around and climb the ladder on the left side of the door. Open the boxes up here for some items, including a Life of the Gods, then open the door to the left. Gun ninjas and archers will fire at you from the other side, so use the Wind Run technique to enter the room without getting pelted. Kill them all, then save your game at the save statue in the corner. Go through the small door behind you to find a box containing the Art of the Piercing Void Ninpo, then go back through the door and go straight through the door ahead to find a Test of Valor circle. Complete it for a Jewel of the Demon Seal.
Examine the control panel in the left corner to the open a door in the floor. Drop down and check the treasure box to find an arrow supply, and check the two corpses here for some Incediary Shurikens and the Tonfa weapon. Go left, open the treasure box by the door for an item, then go through the door. Kill the gun ninjas on the other side, then go past the door to the pile of debris on the right. Check it to find the seventeenth Crystal Skull, then head to the end of the hall and go around the corner. Head through the door on the left to return to the hangar, and take down the mecha soldiers outside. Use the box by the blast shields to replenish your arrow supply, then enter the hangar again and use the control panel to activate the lift. Ride it down, taking out the executors as you descend.
At the bottom, go left of the reactor core toward the pillar, then open the box to the left of it to replenish your arrow supply. Open the nearby door. Turrets will blast at you as soon as you open it, so run to the opposite side of the room until the gunfire ceases, then use your bow to destroy the turrets. Refill your arrows from the box, then go through the door. Descend the ladder, then run to the ladder on the other side and climb that. Go through the door to find a save statue. Use it, then go through the door on the right. Check the corpse in the left corner for an item, then go the other way down the corridor and kill the ninjas there. Pay no mind to the countdown that starts, as there's nothing you can do about it!
Go through the door at the end of the hall, kill the ninjas there, then check the box in the middle of the room for more arrows. Go through the door on the right for a cut scene, and when it ends, go through the door ahead. Kill the ninjas on the other side of it, check the nearby box for an item, then go through the next door on the far side. Walk toward the door on the right for another cut scene, then go through the door. Run to the end of the hallway, go through the next door, kill the ninjas in that area, then leave via the door at the other end of the room. There will be more ninjas to kill on the other side. Slaughter them, then head to the end of the hall to find a treasure box. Take the item from it, then go through the door on the right to find Muramasa's Shop. Buy what you need and consider raising the level of the Eclipse Scythe (you're going to want to get it to level 3 eventually for the later levels).
Take the door to the right and turrets will open fire on you. Equip the bow, drop down onto the wing, and start jumping and firing arrows simultaneously to take out all the turrets. When they're toast, climb the ladder on the far end and save your game at the save statue there. Go through the nearby door for another cut scene and the first of two boss battles.
BOSS: Genshin, Round 2
This battle will be much like your first scuffle with Genshin, with the exception that Genshin has several ninjas along to back him up, all packing Incendiary Shurikens. Hey, no one ever said this game was easy. Use the Dragon Sword for this fight, and take down all of the ninjas first, as they can be an enormous nuisance in the battle. When you've stripped them all off the mortal coil, go after Genshin. Like before, stay close to him to avoid his long-range attacks, and circle him as you wait for an opening to attack, using Reverse Wind until he strikes out at you. When he does, block the attack, then hit back with your own combo. Genshin still blocks aerial attacks, so don't use the Flying Swallow or similar moves. Once you get Genshin's health below one quarter of its total, the battle is over.
A cut scene will play now, after which you'll have to fight a second boss, the infamous Flaming Armadillo.
BOSS: Flaming Armadillo
When the battle starts, run toward the Flaming Armadillo, veering off the right just slightly to avoid being hit by its flame breath. As it shoots its flames and you're safely off to one side, get your bow out and fire a charged shot at its head, its only weak point. Stay close to the Armadillo at all times and repeatedly pummel its head with the Flying Swallow. When you get its health down to the halfway mark, it will start incorporating more attacks into its repertoire, so step it up and keep attacking its head until the Armadillo lowers its head (in fatigue or shame, who can say). That's your cue to use an Obliteration to finish it off. IMPORTANT NOTE: Once the Obliteration on the Armadillo is complete, immediately hold the Left Trigger to go into a blocking stance and don't let go until the Armadillo explodes. You will die if you aren't blocking and have to do this fight all over again!
Chapter 8: Submit, or Die!
Key Items
- Crystal Skull #18
- Crystal Skull #19
- Crystal Skull #20
- Crystal Skull #21
If you need any items, buy them from the Muramasa Shop ahead, then check the box to the left of the shop to refill your arrows. Proceed down the street and chuck some Incendiary Shurikens at the red explosive barrels (they're always red, aren't they?) to take out the ninjas with rocket launchers, then finish the other ninjas off. Keep going down the street, then peer around the corner at the ninjas waiting there. Chuck an Incendiary Shuriken at the ninja packing artillery, then chuck another at the explosive barrel to the right to take out the one with the rocket launcher. Finish the rest off, then go forward down the street until you see another artillery ninja. Hit him with an arrow, then continue down the street.
More ninjas will attack as you pass the tank on the left, so hide from the ones with heavy artillery by getting behind the slab of concrete, then kill the ninjas that come around to your position. Once they're dead, use the Kusari-gama to kill the gun-wielding ones at a distance. When only the ones with rocket launchers remain, run toward them (don't worry, their rockets will miss) and hit them with the Kusari-gama when they're in range. Go around the corner and look right for a treasure box, take the item inside, then keep going right to fight more ninjas. You can destroy the red barrels here for some explosive fun.
At the end of the street, kill the rest of the ninjas and the gate to the right will open. Enter the right corridor to find a save statue, and use it. Keep going down the corridor to an open area, and open the box to the left for an item. Kill the dogs here beforehand to avoid getting a bite in the hindquarters. When you're ready to proceed, go through the opening on the left on the other side. Run through it toward the area beneath the rocket launcher ninjas' platform, and kill the ninjas on the ground. When only the artillery ninjas remain, run back to the corner by the opening you came through and use the Flying Bird technique to get to the balcony above. Rush the two rocket launcher ninjas and kill them quickly. Two more artillery ninjas will appear on the previous overpass, so run back there and take them out, too.
Turn around now and enter the open store on the right side. Go downstairs and buy any items you need from Muramasa's Shop. Exit the store and go left, then head through the opening at the end. There are land mines in the snow to the left, as well as some footprints. Slowly and carefully follow these footprints to avoid stepping on any of the mines, then get ready to whip out your bow and shoot the artillery ninjas that appear when you reach the end of the snow. Kill all the ninjas, including the ones in the windows, with charged shots, shooting any missiles launched at you with arrows as well. When the coast is clear, head to the first blockade and follow the footsteps to avoid stepping on a land mine. Check the corpse before the last blockade for an item.
Have your bow ready as you jump over the last blockade, because two turrets will open fire on you from the end of the street to the right. When they stop shooting at you, hit one with a charged arrow, then avoid the second one's gunfire until it stops shooting, and take it out as you did the first. It's now safe to look in the snow to the left to find the eighteenth Crystal Skull.
Jump to it to avoid stepping on the mines, grab it, then follow the footsteps toward the turrets. When you get to the platform the turrets were on, check the corpse in the corner for an item, then head through the gate to find a save statue. Heal up, save, and head through the door to the right.
Ascend the stairs, then use Unrivaled Soaring to get to the next bit of stairs, and so on and so forth to the top. Go through the opening, then go left of the round bar and use it to reach the opening to the left. Check the corpse for a Life of the Gods, then get back on the bar and head around to the opening leading onward. Before heading through the door on the right, jump through the window ahead to reach the balcony. Go left through the next window and examine the corpse to find the Bell Key. Go back through the first window, then use it to unlock the door on the left.
Check the corpse in the next compartment over for the Dignitary's ID Card, then return to the hallway and go right to the last compartment on the right. Open the treasure box here for some Grains of Spiritual Life, then exit the train and go right down the hall. Ascend the stairs at the end, then go through the door to find a save statue. Heal up and save your game, then keep climbing the stairs with your Incendiary Shurikens equipped.
Mid-Boss!
At the top, you'll have to face that large beast you fought previously in Chapter 4, except this time he's got plenty of ninja friends to help him out. Ignore them and focus only on the beast. As before, stay near the beast's back leg and attack it there. If you somehow end up by its head, chuck Incendiary Shurikens at it until you're able to get back to its leg. Finish it off with an Obliteration when it lowers its head.
Go through the opening in the side of the building now and drop through the hole in the corner. Check the book when you land for the Rule of the King of Darkness, then head down the corridor and kill the ninjas that attack. Check the corpse in the cell on the right to replenish your Incendiary Shurikens, then check the next open cell for another corpse holding a Life of the Gods. At the end of the hall, enter the cell on the right and throw an Incendiary Shuriken at the crack in the wall to blow it open. Jump down into the water, then go forward across the ledge on the other side. Defeat the water demons here from the ledge, then check the box by the far gate for a Lives of a Thousand Gods item. Use it immediately, then go in the other direction, following the water. Kill the undead fish from dry land, then take the stairs at the end. Go down the right corridor to the end and use Flying Bird to get to the area above. Chuck an Incendiary Grenade at the glowing wall and go through the hole. Check the box on the left for an item, then go downstairs to the bottom floor to find a save statue.
Head up the stairs behind the save statue and go through the opening. Kill the ninjas here, then go through the opening to the left to find Muramasa's Shop. Buy what you need, then jump down to the first floor and kill the ninjas there. Go through the door on the far side to find a Test of Valor. Complete it to win a Jewel of the Demon Seal. There's also a box in this area you can open to replenish your arrow supply.
Go back inside and climb the ladder to the right of the shop. Go right, jump on the gear, then kill the ninjas that attack you there. Move on to the next gear, then the one above and to the right. More ninjas will attack here, so defeat them, then jump on the vertical gear and ride it to the horizontal bars. Use them to reach the next gear, then the next, then get on another vertical gear. Be careful--you can be crushed if you get caught between the two gears. That goes for enemies, too! Kill the enemies, then perform a Flying Swallow to get to the next vertical gear. Do this again to the reach another horizontal gear, then go left to reach more bars.
Leap to the left platform now and keep going left to find a corpse; check it for Izo's Notebook. There's another notebook just past the corpse, so check it for Koshimaru's Notebook. Leap to the vertical gear at the end on the left, and ride that to the next horizontal one. Grab onto the rotating bar, then swing to the next vertical gear. Perform a Flying Swallow to get from this gear to another horizontal one on the right, open the box for some Grains of Spiritual Life, then leap to the next horizontal gear. Kill the ninjas there, the leap over the next batch of gears until you reach another vertical one. Ride the first one up and use the Flying Swallow to reach the save point. Use it, then go up the ramp to the left to the center of the platform. This triggers this chapter's boss fight.
BOSS: Zedonius
Like most of the bosses you've faced so far, Zedonius is best fought with the Dragon Sword and at close range; his long-range attacks are many and powerful. In many ways this boss is very much like the fights with Genshin have been. Use Furious Wind and Reverse Wind to circle around this boss, and wait for him to attack. Block the attack, then counter with a fierce combo. You can also dodge the attack, but make sure you avoid getting hit with the last two attacks in his combo, because they'll cause severe damage to your health meter if they hit. Water demons will join the fight not long after the battle commences, but you should try to ignore them, since they can respawn several times. At times Zedonius will try to fly, but a quick Flying Swallow will crush those ideas fast. When his health gets low, step out of range, hold Y to charge up an Ultimate attack, then hit him with it to end the fight.
Chapter 9: Heart of Darkness
Key Items
- Vigoorian Flail
- Crystal Skull #22
- Crystal Skull #23
- Crystal Skull #24
- Crystal Skull #25
Time for some jungle hijinks. Run forward down the path and you'll encounter some ninjas packing some heavy heat. Kill them all, then keep going forward to the river. There's a heavy artillery ninja on the other side, so dodge his shot, then jump over the river and hit him with the Flying Swallow. Go left to use Muramasa's Shop if you need to, then go a little farther left to see some mines in the water. Use the Gatling Spear Gun to take them out, then run across the water to where a couple more ninjas wait to attack. Kill them, then save your game at the save statue here.
Check the corpse in the structure to replenish your arrow supply, then exit. As you enter the water, more ninjas with artillery weapons attack. Get on the leftmost pier and take out the ninjas. More will spawn behind you, so kill them, too, then jump to the platform. Go around the corner to the right and check the corpse for an item. Kill any ninjas in the area, then check the structure to the right for some Grains of Spiritual Life. Go right from the corpse, then use the Flying Swallow when you get to the opening, then enter the structure on the left. If you need to replenish your Ninpo, check the container here for some red essence. Kill the ninjas that attack, then head to the pier on the right to fight more of them. There's also a box here with an item in it, and another in the structure behind you that replenishes your arrows. Check the next structure for a box with blue essence in it, then enter the structure after that to find more ninjas to put to the sword.
Get in the water and run to the ramp on the far end to reach the next structure, and kill all the bad guys there. There's a box behind this structure that holds an Herb of Spiritual Life; and the twenty-second Crystal Skull is nearby.
Pass beyond the gate, then go left to find a box with a Jade Mask in it. Remote Sentries will then appear over the water, so take them down as you did before, with arrows or Ninpo. Go past the knocked-over gate and examine the gold emblem. Set the Jade Mask on it. This opens an un