*****************************************************
*** ***
*** Savage Skies ***
*** For Playstation 2 ***
*** ***
*** Game Guide and Walkthrough - Version 1.00 ***
*** By A.L.T., Copyright October 2004 ***
*** ***
*****************************************************
Table Of Contents
=================
Part 1.0 - Introduction
Part 2.0 - Controls And Game Play
Part 2.1 - The HUD (Heads Up Display)
Part 2.2 - The Creatures
Part 2.3 - Tips For Success
Part 3.0 - Virtwyn Campaign
Part 3.1 - Canyons Of Peril
Part 3.2 - Bone Breaker
Part 3.3 - Power Lust
Part 3.4 - Deceit Affirmed
Part 3.5 - Frozen Labyrinth
Part 3.6 - Enemy At The Gates
Part 3.7 - Star Castle
Part 3.8 - Smashing The Hive
Part 3.9 - Necro Mash
Part 4.0 - Chrysalis Campaign
Part 4.1 - Ride The Lightning
Part 4.2 - Royal Flush
Part 4.3 - Incoming
Part 4.4 - Sabotage
Part 4.5 - Cradle Of Chaos
Part 4.6 - Hell Blazer
Part 4.7 - Winds Of War
Part 4.8 - Ashes To Ashes
Part 4.9 - Final Assault
Part 5.0 - Pariah Campaign
Part 5.1 - Soul Assassin
Part 5.2 - Road Rage
Part 5.3 - Blood Bowl
Part 5.4 - Death From Above
Part 5.5 - Evil Forest
Part 5.6 - All Out War
Part 5.7 - Soul Crystal
Part 5.8 - Army Of One
Part 5.9 - Cold Blooded
Part 6.0 - Secret Characters
Part 7.0 - Beastiary
Part 8.0 - Afterthoughts
Part 1.0 - Introduction
=======================
The skies are savage, bristling with danger. You're riding the back of your
best buddy, a mighty red dragon... Flying through a canyon minding your own
business... When an ugly, black monstrosity decides he wants to pick a fight.
He drops down behind you and starts breathing fireballs in your direction.
What do you do? For those who venture into the realms of Savage Skies, this
guide should provide just about everything you need to emerge victorious.
Part 2.0 - Controls And Game Play
=================================
Basic Controls
==============
The left analog stick moves your creature around. Right analog stick moves
the camera. X button speeds up. Square button slows down. These are
standard flight controls. Pushing down on the left analog stick will pitch
the creature upward. Pushing up on the left analog stick will pitch him
downward. Press and hold the accelerator to fly fast. Press and hold the
brake, and your creature will slow down and hover. He'll slowly lose altitude
while hovering.
Landing
=======
Hold down the square button, then double tap it, and your creature will land
on the ground. If he's too high, he'll take damage from the fall. Do this
while close to the ground to avoid taking damage. While on the ground, press
and hold the X button to walk forward. Use the left analog stick to direct
your movement. Double tap the X button to get airborne again.
Super Flap
==========
While in flight, double tap the X button to do a Super Flap. Your creature
will flap his wings and quickly gain altitude. This is the best way to go
after an enemy target or objective that is very close and above you, as it is
difficult to quickly gain altitude during normal flight. Try to direct
yourself straight upward while flying normally, and you'll see what I mean.
Power Dive
==========
While in flight, push the left analog stick up while pressing it (L3 button).
Your creature will perform a Power Dive and gain speed. To gain the speed
advantage without losing altitude, quickly adjust your heading in the
direction you want to travel right after doing the Power Dive.
Barrel Roll
===========
Push the left analog stick left or right while pressing it (L3 button). Not
all creatures can Barrel Roll.
Super Loop
==========
Push the left analog stick down while pressing it (L3 button). Your creature
will perform a 360 degree loop. Not all creatures can Super Loop.
Weapons
=======
Each creature has a primary weapon (R1 button) and secondary ability (R2
button). This is usually a long-range attack and a close-range/melee attack.
I'll cover each creature's attacks and abilities in the appropriate section
where you use that creature.
In addition, every creature has Crystal Seekers. Hold the triangle button
and rake your targeting crosshair over a target or group of targets. Release
the triangle button to fire the Crystal Seekers, which will home in on the
targets you raked the crosshair over. As you collect Crystals, you will have
more Crystal Seekers available.
In addition, you have a Crystal Power. The Virtwyn have an attack that must
be aimed with the targeting crosshair. The Chrysalis have a healing ability.
And the Pariah have a defensive shield. Press the circle button to use this
ability. If you have picked up any mines or a Decimator, press the L2 button
to cycle through your inventory. A display right under the Waypoint Arrow
shows which item is currently selected for use. As far as I can tell, you
can only use your Crystal Power once per mission. The manual says it takes
a while to recharge after use. It must take a long time to recharge, as I've
never been able to use it twice during a single mission.
(Update: The Crystal Power doesn't always work. I've had a few occasions
where it refused to work at all. Perhaps it takes a while to charge up when
you start a mission, and can only be used later on. Perhaps frequently using
Crystal Seekers drains your Crystal Power.)
You can also pick up mines and then drop them for a pursuer to ram into.
Spiked Mines, Ice Mines, and Shock Mines. For the most part, they aren't
all that useful; still, there were a couple times I was being closely
pursued, dropped a mine, and lost (or killed) the pursuer.
Some levels have a Decimator you can pick up. To use it, press the circle
button to activate it. You'll go into "sniper mode". Use the left analog
stick to aim with the targeting crosshair, and press R1 to fire the Decimator.
Press the circle button to exit "sniper mode".
The Highlight
=============
To help you find the nearest enemy creature, he'll get highlighted with a
circle while on-screen and an arrow at the edge of the screen points you in
his direction when he's off-screen. The highlight is green for a healthy
enemy, yellow for someone who's taken damage, and red for someone who's near
death. This highlight will also lock on to enemy sail barges, airships,
balloons, and turrets.
If the closest creature moves out of the highlight's range, the highlight will
lock on to another creature if one is present. If no one is nearby you, there
will be no highlight.
To change the highlight to a different target, press and hold the L1 button.
Power-Ups
=========
To grab a power-up, just fly into it. Health power-ups are red crystals, and
they give you some more health. Armor power-ups are blue shields, and they
give you some armor. These are the most prevalant, and the ones you'll be
needing the most. You can also get 4x damage, Invisibility, Invulnerability,
Vampirism (damage you do to enemy combatants adds to your health), Rapid
Fire, Elemental Protection (from fire, electricity, poison, and ice),
High Voltage (electricity zaps anyone nearby you), Energy Boost (equivalent
of very high stamina), and Hard Core (invulnerability plus 2x damage). A
voice-over will tell you which power-up it is when you pick up one of these.
Power-ups are also left behind when enemy flyers get killed, and sometimes
when airships and sail barges get destroyed. Usually it's a small health or
small shield, but they sometimes drop Rapid Fire or Energy Boost.
Elemental Damage
================
If your creature is set on fire, he'll take continuous damage. If he's
poisoned, he'll lose energy. If he's frozen, he'll become very sluggish.
Each condition has a colored graphical effect that appears over your creature
(red, green, and blue, respectively). To heal yourself of the condition,
dive into some water. If there isn't any water, the condition will eventually
wear off.
Part 2.1 - The HUD (Heads Up Display)
=====================================
Radar Map
=========
Located at the upper left corner of the screen is a small radar map. You're
in the center, and an arrow points north. Enemy objects are red blips.
Friendly objects are green blips. This is useful for finding out whether or
not you've cleared out an area.
Energy, Health, and Armor
=========================
Directly underneath the radar map is your creature's energy, health, and
armor (if he has any). The blue bar is his energy. The red bar is his
health. Armor will be displayed by shields next to the red bar when you
collect armor power-ups. Your creature always starts out with half of his
health full, signified by a full red health bar. Collect health power-ups to
get more health, and you'll see a gold bar over the red one. A fully healthy
creature has a full gold bar. Collect blue shields to get armor. You can
have up to five large shields' worth of armor at a time. Armor lessens the
damage you take from hits. The armor will get whittled down as you take hits.
Flying around, firing your creature's weapons, and doing just about anything
else uses up energy. If your creature runs out of energy, he'll get tired
out. To get back your energy, don't do anything for a while (you can still
glide around, moving about with the left analog stick). Landing on the
ground will also help your creature recover energy. Depending on your
creature's Stamina rating, he may get tired out quickly (low stamina) or
never (exceptionally high stamina). Some creatures can continuously fire off
projectiles without losing energy, while others tend to get tired out
quickly. Using your secondary ability usually drains energy quickly.
Waypoint Arrow
==============
At the upper right corner of the screen is the Waypoint Arrow, which directs
you to mission objectives. To follow the arrow, move so that it is pointing
away from you. That's the direction you need to go.
Inventory
=========
Underneath the Waypoint Arrow is your inventory. If you don't have any mines
or the Decimator, your Crystal Power is selected by default. If you pick up
some mines, they'll be selected and this indicator will show how many mines
you have. Same for when you pick up the Decimator. It shows how many shots
are remaining. Press L2 to cycle through your inventory.
Damage Indicator
================
When your objective is to defend something (and it will be frequently
throughout the game), a damage indicator for the thing you're defending
appears in the lower right corner of the screen. If the red bar is almost
fully depleted, you're not doing a great job of defending the object. A
damage indicator will also appear when your objective is to destroy an enemy
structure.
Part 2.2 - The Creatures
========================
Each creature has his own Size, Speed, Agility, Stamina, and Health. The
Size rating is probably supposed to represent how easy he is to hit (small
creatures harder to hit than larger ones), but forget about it. Regardless
of who you're playing, the enemy combatants will do a great job of damaging
you. Speed should be self-explanatory. Agility is how fast the guy can
turn. You'll find some of these creatures can turn on a dime while others
are very sluggish. Stamina is how much your guy can do before getting tired
out. And Health should be self-explanatory.
For starters, you have to beat each mission with the creature they give you
for that mission. After you've completed the mission, you can replay it with
another creature (provided that you've unlocked him). New playable creatures
are unlocked by completing secondary and secret mission objectives.
Let's examine the character traits that our creatures have.
Size
====
Some are small. Others are pretty large. If you ask me, there's not much
going on here. Regardless of how big your guy is, the enemy combatants will
do a great job of hurting him.
Speed
=====
A fast character can quickly get around. He can easily escape bad situations,
and he can outrun slower opponents while running for health. Unless you are
ridiculously good at this game, you'll have to frequently disengage the fight
and grab some health power-ups to survive (especially during the more nasty
encounters in the Chrysalis and Pariah segments). Speed is a great asset to
have. You'll miss it while playing those lumbering beasts who travel at a
snail's pace.
Agility
=======
An agile character turns quickly. Your enemies will not just sit there
waiting for you to hit them. They're flying around. Most of them will come
at you with weapons blazing and then fly past and circle around for another
run. An agile character can easily dodge when his opponents charge at him,
then quickly turn and target them while they're circling around. Agile
characters also have an easy time of it while navigating through tunnels.
Stamina
=======
The more, the better. Characters with high stamina can do more before getting
tired out. A tired character becomes sluggish, he fires off his attacks at a
very slow pace, and he may not be able to perform special maneuvers like the
Power Dive and Super Flap.
Health
======
I find this to be less important than Speed, Agility, and Stamina. Some of
these guys are very weak, while others are loaded with health and can take a
pounding before going down. But a fast and agile character can avoid taking
damage in the first place, and a creature with high stamina won't have to
pace himself while going after his enemies. Some of the weaker creatures
perform exceptionally well because they have great speed, agility, and
stamina. There are a few who are very well rounded (average stats). While
they're not as healthy as the stronger beasts, they perform better on the
whole. Strong health usually comes at the expense of speed, agility, or
stamina (or all three). While the guy can take a pounding, he may be harder
to play because he's so sluggish or easily gets tired out.
Part 2.3 - Tips For Success
===========================
Your creature always starts out with half his health and no armor. Before
you begin the carnage, grab some health and armor power-ups. A completely
healthy and fully armored creature has a full gold health bar and five
shields.
Lead the enemy. Aim where it looks like he's going, not where he is. Many
of these creatures fire off slow-moving projectiles. It'll take a lot of
successful leading in order to complete the game.
When running away from a threat, move around a lot. They can easily hit
someone who's flying in a straight line (they'll just get behind you and
pound you into dust). Move back and forth, up and down. Try to be hard to
hit. Doesn't hurt to use the Power Dive as well (you're running away from
someone; that'll give you more speed).
Speaking of running away, do this before you're almost dead. When you're
literally "in the red" (less than a full red health bar), break off and look
for more health. If you were in the thick of the action, you might bring
someone with you when you turn tail and run away. He'll follow you and pound
you into dust while you're looking for health. It helps to not be almost
dead while your pursuer is firing at you. When I'm "in the red", I'm
usually off grabbing more health and armor. If I'm confident that I can
quickly make a lot of kills and get the health and shields left by defeated
opponents, I'll stick around. If you're trapped in a cave, you'll have to
stick around and duke it out.
If you engage an enemy flyer by scoring a hit on him, he'll usually return
the favor and engage you. He'll go after you, and he'll stick to you like
glue until one of you is dead. You can lead enemy flyers away from a
structure you're defending by engaging them to get their attention and flying
away from the structure that's under assault.
Just because the enemy is laying siege to a structure doesn't mean they won't
also come after you. Sometimes you won't have to score a hit on someone to
get his attention.
To get rid of balloons and ground turrets, use the Crystal Seekers on them.
Hold down the triangle button, rake your target crosshair over the turret,
let go of the button, and then move somewhere else (because the turret is
firing at you). It's not going to help if you get slammed in the nose
a good number of times while advancing to attack a turret.
To get rid of airships and sail barges, use the Crystal Seekers while aiming
your primary weapon at them. Hold down the R1 button and tap the triangle
repeatedly while approaching. Airships and sail barges can easily cut
any creature down with their cannons. Be aggressive or be dead.
Crystal Seekers move slowly. For best effect, use them on someone who's far
away. If you use them on someone who's coming right at you, he'll fly right
past you and the Crystal Seeker may hit you while it follows him.
Your creature takes damage if he rams into a piece of terrain at high speed.
If you absolutely must ram into something, slow down (square button). At
gliding speed, your creature doesn't take damage from running into things.
Speaking of speed, engage enemy flyers at gliding speed (regular speed without
the X button held down). Many of these guys will come right at you with the
fire breath blazing and then circle around for another attack. It's not
going to help if you're also moving fast. You'll fly right past him while
trying to hit him. Keep at gliding speed, let him come after you, dodge, then
hit him while he's circling around (lead him with your shots when you have
to).
Here's a great tactic if you feel you can take the damage. When you see an
enemy flyer coming after you, charge right at him with weapons blazing.
You'll ram right into him, and both of you will be pushed back (but still
facing each other). The camera will probably get jolted in the process.
It'll take the other guy a short time to recover and get back to full speed.
Let him have it before he gets away. This tactic works great when you're
using a close-ranged breath attack.
Go after enemy flyers whenever you're not doing something else. Look around
for them, seek them out. Get rid of them. More often than not, enemy flyers
are doing something they're not supposed to be doing (like attacking your
wingmen or damaging a structure you need to defend). When the situation calls
for it, they will come after you and stick to you like glue until you're
history. I say again: Be aggressive or be dead.
Walkthrough
===========
Each mission has a primary set of objectives, a secondary objective, a secret
objective, and a secret Crystal you have to find. The focus of the
walkthrough will be on completing all of the objectives. Sometimes it's not
possible to do all of the objectives in one run. You'll have to replay the
mission. Also, you can only get the Crystal once. Even if you get killed or
fail the mission thereafter, you'll still have the crystal.
A final note before we get started: I'm playing this game on the Easy
difficulty setting. If you're playing on Normal, Hard, or Savage, you're on
your own. The game is difficult enough on Easy.
Part 3.0 - Virtwyn Campaign
===========================
The Virtwyn campaign gets an "Easy" billing, and I suppose it lives up to it
for the most part. There are a couple of tricky spots and difficult
secondary objectives; but once you know what to do it becomes easier.
Sometimes knowing what to do and where to go is half the battle.
Part 3.1 - Canyons Of Peril
===========================
+ Primary Objective: Protect the caravan from ambush until it reaches its
destination.
+ Secondary Objective: Allow no airships to be destroyed.
+ Secret Objective: Kill all Pariah enemies.
+ Crystal: Behind the waterfall.
Roc
===
First of the large birds, Roc is also one of this game's wimps. He's small
and has great speed and agility (can easily maneuver), but not a whole lot of
anything else. His primary attack is a fairly close-ranged sonic breath
weapon that has a decent area-affect. This guy has no lead ability. Place
the crosshair nearby what you want to hit and fire away. You have to be
reasonably close for the sonic breath to connect with a target. Don't use it
on far away targets. Roc's secondary ability is a defensive shield. This
doesn't make him invulnerable. It absorbs some of the damage when he takes a
hit. Because Roc doesn't have a long-range attack, he's a wimpy combatant.
The Canyons
===========
Probably as easy as it gets. Be pro-active here. Don't escort the airships.
Get ahead of them and start clearing out turrets and balloons. Use the
Crystal Seekers at range, and your sonic breath up close. Use the defensive
shield as you approach a turret. Watch the radar map for red blips as you
progress.
If you get directly above a ground turret, you can't fly straight down. You
can't fly straight up either. That's why I said the Super Flap is the best
way to engage enemies above you. If you're too low and there's a balloon
nearby, Super Flap to get up there and blast him with sonic breath.
This is a great place to practice using the Crystal Seekers. Hold the
triangle button, rake your target crosshair over a turret or balloon, then
release the button while moving away to dodge enemy fire.
Follow the river, grabbing plenty of health and shields along the way. The
river will split in two, with turrets and balloons on both sides.
When voice-over guy says "They've unleashed Gormags!", look around for the
enemy flyer. He fires a red beam and sometimes protects himself with a red
defensive shield. Roc doesn't need to lead his targets. Place the crosshair
nearby the Gormag to hit him. When voice-over guy says "Another wave
approaches...", look for two more Gormags. They'll go after your airships.
Use the Waypoint Arrow to find them.
At the end of the river is a waterfall. The first Crystal is behind the
waterfall.
Head back the way you came and finish up by taking out some balloons and
turrets you passed up on your way to the waterfall. The mission will end
with all objectives completed when you destroy the last enemy presence. If
you take too long, the airships will eventually reach their destination.
New Skin Unlocked
2-Player Map Unlocked
Part 3.2 - Bone Breaker
=======================
+ Primary Objective: Eliminate all the Pariah sail barges. Don't let any
reach their volcanic lair.
+ Secondary Objective: Destroy all Pariah flyers and airships.
+ Secret Objective: Complete the mission in less than 2 minutes.
+ Crystal: In bone yard, inside bone cage.
Yomar
=====
Another wimp. Roc was fine by me, but Yomar is awful. Good thing we only
have to play him once. This large flying cat has great speed and agility
but comes up short in other areas. Most notable is his low stamina. His
primary weapon is a pair of long-range, slow-moving projectiles. His rate
of fire is also slow. You'll have to lead enemy flyers in order to hit them.
His secondary ability is a charge move that you can use to quickly move
around. You can also use it to damage an enemy by charging right into him.
This guy is probably the most wimpy creature in the game.
The Wasteland
=============
Grab the health and shields, and advance. The first sail barge is directly
ahead, being escorted by two airships and a Gormag. As you approach, hit
the lead airship with Crystal Seekers while firing your primary weapon.
Break off and head to the left, circle around, and take out the second
airship and sail barge. Dust the Gormag if you haven't aleady. Pick up the
power-ups the airships and sail barge left behind, and follow the Waypoint
Arrow.
The second sail barge is being escorted by two airships, a Gormag, and a large
bat. The Gormag is pretty easy to take down, but the bat is more evasive.
Use the Crystal Seekers if you're having difficulty hitting him. Go after the
airships and sail barge, and get rid of them.
Look for a bone yard nearby. There are dinosaur rib cages sprouting up from
the ground. Follow a line of health power-ups into one of the rib cages to
find the second Crystal.
Follow the Waypoint Arrow to find the last sail barge. It's being escorted
by two airships, a Gormag, and another bat. Deal with the escorts first.
The sail brage is in the middle of the procession. Try not to hit it until
you've destroyed the two airships and flyers.
This level is a great place to practice leading with a slow rate of fire.
You'll also notice that Yomar gets tired out rather quickly. If you hold
down the fire button, he'll quickly run through his energy. Pace yourself.
Keep the Gormags and bats in sight as often as possible, try to lead for a
bit, then rest to get back your energy.
If you're having difficulty keeping Yomar alive (as I did when I first played
this level), there are plenty of power-ups in extraneous areas, including
some invisibility.
To get the Secret Objective: Not much to say. Be fast. You only have to
destroy the three sail barges to win.
New Skin Unlocked
2-Player Map Unlocked
Part 3.3 - Power Lust
=====================
+ Primary Objective: Breach the refinery's defenses and destroy the Central
Collector.
+ Secondary Objective: Complete your mission before the Pariah finish
harvesting the corpse gas.
+ Secret Objective: Destroy all 5 Pariah vats.
+ Crystal: In small structure atop mountain side, in outer ring.
Barg
====
Now this is more like it. Barg the dragon is reasonably tough and has some
great attacks. He can't take a pounding, but he's a decent combatant. Like
his buddies Roc and Yomar, he has great agility but suffers in the health
department. His primary attack is a slow fireball, but he has a fast rate of
fire. He also has decent stamina. He can toss out quite a bit of fireballs
before getting tired. Frequently using the Crystal Seekers will also tire him
out. His secondary ability is a close-range napalm breath. Very cool.
The Swamp
=========
This level has an outer ring that circles around the entire circumference of
the area. Two avenues go through the middle of the swamp. Then there's an
area with the Central Collector.
To start out with, grab the shield; then turn to your right and destroy the
large vat that is spewing out green gas. Use the fireballs on it, or napalm
breath at close range. Turn back to your left, and keep left, proceeding
along the outer ring. You have two wingmen for this mission. They're
probably going after a Gormag right now. They might get killed later.
Doesn't matter. The next vat is up ahead. Use the Crystal Seekers on
balloons and ground turrets while advancing.
Follow a line of health power-ups under a pipe and a tree, then turn to your
right. Atop a mountain nearby is a small structure with the third Crystal
in it. Head back into the outer ring and keep left. Don't enter any of the
avenues that branch off to your right. Follow a line of health power-ups
to the next vat. Keep going to find the next vat, right up ahead.
Follow a line of shields and pass by the Central Collector to find the fifth
vat. With all five vats destroyed, turn around and head back to the
Central Collector.
Gormags, large bats, and vomit-spewing rats will come after you. Get rid of
these guys. You can easily dust them by getting up close with your napalm
breath. Use fireballs and Crystal Seekers at range. As you approach the
Collector, voice-over guy says that it's protected by the outer pumping
stations. These are the large towers connected by lightning. As you get
close, they'll hit you with lightning. Destroy them one at a time. Use
fireballs and Crystal Seekers, and target the glowing red part of the tower.
Watch your health. Barg can easily find himself cut down by repeated
lightning strikes. Retreat to grab more health as needed. There should be
plenty of it scattered about. Wouldn't hurt to get some more shields as well.
If you missed one of the flyers, lead him away from the Collector and deal
with him. Those vomit-spewing rats can easily cut you down if you leave them
alone. After you destroy all of the lightning towers, the Central Collector
becomes vulnerable. It's in the middle. Pelt it with fireballs. It should
fall just as voice-over guy is saying that it's heavily damaged.
To complete the Secondary Objective: Play it again and follow the Waypoint
Arrow directly to the Central Collector. Now that we don't have to destroy
those vats, there should be plenty of time to dust the flyers and take care
of the Collector.
It's possible to complete all of the objectives here in one go. Follow the
walkthrough, ignoring flyers, turrets, and balloons. Use the Power Dive
technique to boost your speed as you tour the outer ring. You should grab
enough health and shields along the way to survive the assault on the
Collector if you get rid of those lightning towers fast.
New Skin Unlocked
Game Variant Unlocked
Part 3.4 - Deceit Affirmed
==========================
+ Primary Objective: Protect the capitol from any attacks.
+ Secondary Objective: Ensure that none of the bridges are destroyed.
+ Secret Objective: Finish the mission using Yomar.
+ Crystal: Under third bridge.
Pegasus
=======
This guy is robust, but he leaves a lot to be desired. For starters, he's
got low agility and stamina. He doesn't turn very quickly, and he gets
easily tired. His primary attack is also less than thrilling. He fires off
a very slow moving ring of energy orbs or... something. His rate of fire is
also rather slow. Be prepared to do some leading here. His secondary ability
is a trail of white dust that he leaves in his wake. Only useful if you're
being pursued.
The Capitol
===========
Follow the bridge, grabbing blue shields that blend in with the color of the
sky. Move up a bit to see them. Proceed onto the second bridge, grabbing a
health power-up, rapid fire, and spiked mines. Towns are to the left and
right. Look under the third bridge for the fourth Crystal.
Follow the bridge to the Capitol. There's not much to say here. Two
airships are already laying siege. Get over there and dust 'em. Then start
looking for enemy flyers. There are shields and health around the central
tower. More health can be found inside (enter at ground level). Use the
Super Flap to get to the top. Flap flap flap! At the top of the middle
tower are health and invulnerability. Yet more health can be found in the
smaller towers that surround the capitol and in ravines that circle around the
area.
Oculus and Kedle will be attacking. Oculus is a flying eyeball with
tentacles. He'll get up close, hover above or below you, and set off a wide
area-affect poison wave while you're trying to find him. He'll try to stay
close to you while firing a yellow laser beam. Get some distance on him,
turn around, find him, and let him have it. Kedle is a high-end, powerful
unit. Most often seen setting off wide area-affect poison spheres (except
they don't seem to poison you like Oculus's poison wave does). He can do
a lot of damage with the poison sphere or rapid-fire poison orbs. This
guy can take a lot of hits before going down.
If you get poisoned, there's plenty of water nearby; but it's perhaps a
better idea to just ride it out and keep attacking. The enemies here seemed
more interested in going after the bridges and my wingmen than they were in
going after me. Occasionally, I'd attract someone's attention.
It was here that I noticed that you can take damage from your wingmens'
attacks. I ran into some dust trails left by another Pegasus and took
damage.
You'll know the mission's almost over when two more airships move in to
attack. Dust them and any remaining enemy flyers for a win.
To complete the Secret Objective: Remember when I said it was a good thing
we only have to play Yomar once? I spoke too soon. This guy is really
wimpy here. Concentrate on staying alive. Do a lot of leading for those
Kedles. If you get a Rapid Fire or Energy Boost, take advantage of it!
Move in fast and kill someone. Don't dilly dally around. Yomar can quickly
move around with his secondary ability and use it to escape bad situations.
Unfortunately, that's the most of what he can do here. Don't worry about
the bridges. Worry about staying alive.
New Skin Unlocked
Team Battle Unlocked
Part 3.5 - Frozen Labyrinth
===========================
+ Primary Objective: Find the prince and rescue him before he is killed by
the Chrysalis.
+ Secondary Objective: Destroy 10 enemy flyers.
+ Secret Objective: Collect 50 or more kills while completing the mission.
+ Crystal: In cave nearby starting area.
Rohn
====
Another cool dragon (no pun intended). Rohn the ice dragon has average
speed, agility, stamina, and health. He's not as agile as Barg is, but he's
more healthy. A more agile character would have an easier time of it
navigating the tunnels here at top speed, but Rohn does fine. His primary
attack is a slow ice shard (much like Barg's fireball). His rate of fire is
slower than Barg's, though. Where Rohn shines is with his secondary ability.
Close-range frost breath, much like Barg's napalm. Get up close and let 'em
have it!
The Ice Labyrinth
=================
Pitch up a bit and grab the four shields ahead of you, then dust the two
turrets with Crystal Seekers. It may take more than one Crystal Seeker to
destroy a turret. A bug will be coming after you. He fires off rapid-fire
lightning bolts and green poison balls. Let him come right at you, and blast
him with frost breath. Dust the nearby balloon with Crystal Seekers. The
Waypoint Arrow will point you toward the first cave. Head to the right of
the cave entrance. There are two other caves here. Most of the cave
entrances in this level are covered with ice. Use your ice shards to break
the ice as you approach. Enter the cave on the far right. The tunnel leads
to a cavern with three wall-mounted turrets, some spiked mines, and the fifth
Crystal. Take the right-hand cave back out, dusting a turret on the way.
Back outside, follow the Waypoint Arrow to find the tunnel you need to enter
in order to continue. Both forks lead to the same place. You'll grab a
Rapid Fire (and blast through another ice covering) to get outside in a new
area. Use your Rapid Fire on the turret and balloon here, then deal with
another bug. Use the frost breath! It works. There are more turrets and
balloons in this area. Use Crystal Seekers on them. At the end of this
area, you can head to the right for a line of health power-ups that leads to
a cave you can't enter. Many of the health power-ups in this level may be
hard to see against the white background. Adjust your pitch while looking
for them. Turn around and head back the other way (follow the Waypoint
Arrow). Get rid of the balloon here and follow a line of shields into the
next cave.
Inside the tunnel, take the right fork. It leads to a cavern with three
wall-mounted turrets. Get rid of them and follow the Waypoint Arrow into
another tunnel.
Back outside again, there are more turrets, balloons, another bug, and an
Oculus. Slow down, let Oculus get close (he likes to get close and stay
just outside your field of view). Find him and nail him with frost breath.
Get rid of the bug and turrets, and grab the shields along the mountain side.
Target the turrets and balloons in this area with Crystal Seekers. There's a
line of health power-ups in the middle of the area. Follow the Waypoint
Arrow into yet another cave. Both forks lead to the same place.
As you emerge outside again, be aggressive with the Crystal Seekers on the
turrets and balloons in this area. Get rid of the bug who's attacking you.
Follow a line of shields into the next area. A line of health power-ups
leads to a cave you can't enter. Another line of health leads into the final
cave (follow the Waypoint Arrow).
Inside again, keep left. When you grab the mines, there's fork to the right
that requires a hard turn. Don't take this fork. Take the next fork to the
right. If you get lost, follow the Waypoint Arrow. Inside a large cavern,
the prince is dangling from a tentacle underneath the huge lung sac in the
ceiling. Bugs, Oculus, and Kedle will all be coming after you. Get over
there and grab the prince fast, then start dealing with the attackers. Look
around the cavern for health and shields. There should be enough to help
you stay alive. Destroy all of the turrets in the cavern. Be patient and
clear out the whole area. The time limit's beaten. All we have to worry
about is staying alive. Follow the Waypoint Arrow into a tunnel that leads
outside into the final area.
Outside, several creatures will come after you, and there are more turrets
to get rid of. Nearby is a group of airships. Those are friendly airships.
They're waiting for your arrival. As you head in that direction, some of the
enemy flyers will break off and go after the airships, who will in turn fire
their cannons at them. Deal with these last flyers and land on top of the
largest airship to end the mission.
I realize that voice-over guy has a rather annoying sense of urgency about
him during this mission (like he does during all of the Virtwyn missions, in
fact); but haste actually makes waste here. The "haste" is you flying past
enemy threats while trying in vain to quickly rescue the prince. The "waste"
is you getting killed. Voice-over guy will repeatedly tell you how desperate
the situation is. My advice: ignore the loser. Take your time. Don't
glide, but don't rush either. Get rid of enemy flyers whenever they show
up. If you leave them alone, they will follow you and KILL you while you're
trying to get to where you have to go. Take out as many turrets as you can.
Travel at normal top speed as you traverse the tunnels (with X button held
down). Don't use the Power Dive to gain speed. Rohn doesn't turn well while
going very fast, and he may ram into a wall (which will slow him down). Of
course, if you take WAY too long, you'll be told when you're almost out of
time.
Working toward completing all of the objectives in one go actually makes this
mission easier. The bugs won't be on your back if you get rid of them, and
the turret and balloon kills will add up. Pace yourself, work on one threat
at a time, get rid of as many threats as possible (but don't take forever to
do it), and ignore voice-over dork to fly away from this mission with 50 or
more kills total and 10 flyer kills.
New Skin Unlocked
Game Variant Unlocked
Part 3.6 - Enemy At The Gates
=============================
+ Primary Objective: Protect the outpost's gates and the Wizard's Tower.
+ Secondary Objective: Do not let more than 5 of the villages be destroyed
by roving attackers.
+ Secret Objective: Activate the secret portal and enter it.
+ Crystal: Next to a lighthouse to the right of starting area.
Freband
=======
Another large bird, Freband the giant owl has low stamina and average of
everything else. He seems kind of slow, but maybe that's just me. You'll
find him getting tired out quickly, so pace yourself when attacking. By way
of a primary attack, he fires off exploding energy orbs. They'll explode
in the air a short distance away from him, making this a fairly close-ranged
attack. You'll need to do some leading at a moderate distance from enemy
creatures. Freband's attack won't hit them when they're far away. His
secondary ability is a wide area-affect magical sphere, like Kedle's poison
sphere except it's yellow. It heals allies while damaging enemies. Not too
shabby.
The Wizard's Tower
==================
Voice-over guy is again very annoying with that air of urgency. He sounds
like he's afraid the sky could fall at any moment. Somebody give this loser
a Valium or something.
Head out, grabbing the shields. The gates and the Wizard's Tower are just
ahead. You'll pass over some of the farms on your way there. Two other
Frebands are in the area, and they're going after the Pariah attackers.
Basically, what we have to do here is defend the front gate from ground
assault, defend the Wizard's Tower from airborne attackers, and defend the
farms from vomit-spewing rats.
Destroy the ground assault vehicles that are advancing on the front gate.
There are two more units to your left. Head over to the Wizard's Tower and
go after the Gormags and Wraithslicers who are attacking. Gormag attacks
with a red laser beam, and he also has a defensive shield bubble.
Wraithslicer is a bone dragon who attacks with rapid fireballs and a ring of
fireballs. Needless to say, get rid of these guys.
Voice-over guy will probably inform you that "the farms are under attack!
Save them if you can!" Head back to the mainland, where some vomit-spewing
rats are... well, spewing vomit on the farms. Deal with these guys now, or
they'll eventually destroy the farms and villages.
When "Enemies approaching" appears on-screen, that means more ground assault
units are on the way. Voice-over guy will alert you to the presence of
airborne attackers. He'll say something like "More unholy reinforcements are
approaching." Look around for them.
When voice-over guy says "The enemy is at the gates!", ground assault units
are attacking the front gate. When he says "The Wizard's Tower must be
defended!", that means there are Gormags and Wraithslicers going after the
tower. If you have to choose between the two, defend the tower first. If
it falls, we're done here.
Ignore voice-over dork when he says "The front gate can't take much more!"
Yes, it can. I can see how damaged it is on my damage indicator display.
It can take a bit more punishment, ya wimp. "Situation critical!" will also
appear on-screen when the Wizard's Tower is half-way toward destruction.
If you hang out in the area nearby the front gate, you may be able to
intercept incoming flyers before they get to the tower. Look for them.
They'll come in a straight line, a procession of enemy flyers heading toward
the tower. Pelt 'em with Crystal Seekers while they fly overhead, then
follow them and blast them with Freband's primary attack. After a while,
they'll come from a different direction. You'll see enemy flyers heading
over the water toward the tower. There will also be vomit-spewing rats
amongst the attackers.
To deal with the ground assault vehicles, fly toward them while firing off
Freband's primary weapon, then use his secondary ability as you get close.
For each ground assault, there will be a large number of units advancing
along the road toward the front gate while two others hang out nearby.
Freband is pretty robust. You should be able to get enough health power-ups
and shields from defeated opponents to stay in the game. I found that the
attackers were usually more interested in going after the tower than they
were in me. But occasionally I attracted someone's attention and he got a
little hostile.
New Skin Unlocked
Secret Objective
================
At the beginning, turn right and head out over the water. You'll see a bridge
to your left. Keep going, passing over the forest and a town. Pick up a
lone health power-up. Soon, you'll see two lighthouses. The sixth Crystal
is next to the right-hand lighthouse. Grab it. There's also a Wraithslicer
flying around in this area. He leaves a sparkly trail behind him. As you
grab the Crystal, he'll head toward the Wizard's Tower. Go after this guy
and kill him. He'll leave behind some sort of power-up thingie. Grab it,
and voice-over guy will inform you that you've opened a portal. Go to the
Wizard's Tower and enter the large swirly portal floating in the air. You'll
be taken directly to the secret level Star Castle, covered in the next section
of this guide.
If you do this first, you'll get an automatic win for the "Enemy At The Gates"
Primary Objective. Complete the Star Castle level, then come back and play
"Enemy At The Gates" again to get the Secondary Objective.
Part 3.7 - Star Castle
======================
+ Primary Objective: Our sky fortress is being assaulted. Fend off the
Pariah attackers long enough for our weapon to charge
up and destroy them all.
+ Secondary Objective: Complete the mission in under 6 minutes.
+ Secret Objective: None.
+ Crystal: In building on floating island.
Follow the line of shields under the bridge between the two towers, then turn
left. There's a building on a floating island off in the distance. Go
around to the back and grab the line of health power-ups, passing underneath
the building. When you're out in the open again, turn around and Super Flap
a bit. Enter the building for some shock mines and the seventh Crystal.
The remainder of this level is just a matter of defending the middle tower.
A damage indicator will show if it's taken damage. Large bats, flying pigs,
and Wraithslicers will fly in from different directions and attack. Go
after these guys with Freband's primary attack, and use his secondary ability
if you get real close to someone. When you score a hit on someone, he'll
break off from attacking the tower and go after you.
Eventually, the central tower will finish charging up and set off a
spectacular fireworks display.
Completing the Secondary Objective: Not much to say. Be fast with your
carnage. You'll have to wait a while for the weapon to finish charging after
you've dispatched all the attackers.
New Skin Unlocked (Secret Character Griffon)
Part 3.8 - Smashing The Hive
============================
+ Primary Objective: Destroy the anchors that hold down the hive, then
attack its heart to end Kalavin and the Chrysalis
once and for all.
+ Secondary Objective: Eliminate both Chrysalis attack ships.
+ Secret Objective: Kill at least 20 Chrysalis flyers.
+ Crystal: West from the Hive, hidden in a small tree grove.
Zelit
=====
Largest of the Virtwyn dragons, this is their high-end creature. He doesn't
thrill me. For starters, he's as slow as a snail. He also suffers badly in
the agility and stamina departments. Maneuvering this guy around is like
maneuvering a tank with wings. His primary attack is a long-range firestorm.
A group of fireballs that leave a red, dusty trail in their wake. The
fireballs travel slowly, and Zelit's rate of fire is equally slow. Be
prepared for some hefty leading here. Zelit's secondary ability is
regeneration. He recovers a bit of health at the cost of some energy. This
is probably the only thing that saves him from being incredibly wimpy.
Note: Zelit cannot self-heal past a full red health bar. To get in the
gold, he'll need health power-ups.
The Hive
========
The Crystal here is hard to find, so let's get that out of the way first.
Follow the line of shields under the trees. As you grab the shock mines,
head right a bit. Grab a health power-up between two trees (it's ahead of
you; it'll take a while to get there with this lumbering beast). After you
clear the two trees, head left a bit to find the first Chrysalis attack ship.
Go after it and destroy it. Follow a nearby line of shields under some
foliage. As you emerge from under the foliage, grab some health power-ups
that arc up and to the right. Now go to the Hive. It's south from you
(the "N" on the radar points down). On the other side of the Hive is the
second attack ship. Head west from the Hive (the "N" on the radar points to
your right). You'll see a shield under a three-legged structure, then a line
of power-ups. Rapid Fire and health. Grab these, then turn a bit to your
right. The Crystal is hidden in a small grove of trees nearby.
Just about the whole gamut of Chrysalis flyers will engage you here. Oculus,
manta rays, lightning breathing lizards, and some other guys. Oculus is the
most annoying. He'll get close to you, stay close, and keep zapping you with
his yellow laser (or set off a poison wave). He usually tries to stay just
outside your field of view. Hover and look around for him if you're having
trouble finding him. The manta rays are very evasive (like the Pariah bats,
except moreso). They're hard to kill with Zelit's slow-moving fireballs.
Use the Crystal Seekers if you're having difficulty hitting them. The other
guys are very damaging but shouldn't be hard to get rid of.
You have two wingmen here, but they'll more than likely get killed early on.
Go after the enemy flyers and work on that Secret Objective. Remember that
your guy is a snail with wings. Retreat to grab more health BEFORE you're
almost dead. Use your regenerative ability to stay alive while en route to
health power-ups. There's a Mega Health under some low foliage over a river
south of the Hive. I also saw some Invulnerability, Elemental Protection,
and other stuff. Look around for it.
Go after the flyers and balloons. Clear out the area. Eventually, the enemy
resistance will grow thin. To destroy the Hive, you have to destroy the
vines that hold it together. Target the place where the vine connects to the
top of the Hive. If you get too close, the Hive will send out some sort of
poisonous thing that will poison you. Each time you destroy a vine, more
enemy flyers will come on the scene. Look around for them and rack up some
more kills. After you destroy the final vine, the Chrysalis champion will
show up (rather late if you ask me; what was he doing until now, having a tea
party?). He's a Kedle, and he'll come right after you while some other
creatures try to keep you occupied. Engage him, deal with him, dust more
flyers. You'll be told when you've got the Secret Objective. Finish it up
by destroying the Hive.
New Movie Unlocked
New Movie Unlocked
Part 3.9 - Necro Mash
=====================
+ Primary Objective: The Pariah must be eliminated! Penetrate their volcanic
lair and bring it down upon them!
+ Secondary Objective: Find and destroy all 3 Gormag Nests.
+ Secret Objective: None.
+ Crystal: In a small cave inside the lair.
Zelit
=====
We've already met the Snail-Meister. See "Smashing The Hive" for more info
about him.
The Volcano
===========
You have one wingman for this mission, and he will get killed. The Pariah
defenses are thick (they've had the entire campaign to prepare while we were
screwing around defending this, defending that, and rescuing the prince).
Flying pigs and winged demons will attack while the floating towers pepper
you with fireballs. Target the glowing red sphere atop a tower to destroy
it. Use Crystal Seekers while aiming your firestorm. Deal with enemy flyers
whenever they come after you. The pigs will fire off area-affect mud balls
and leave a trail of damaging fog in their wake as they fly by. The demons
will come at you with rapid-fire energy orbs.
Remember that your guy is Snail-O-Rama! Don't wait until you're almost dead
to go looking for health. There are lines of health and shields over the
lava flows, and health is scattered about the front of the Pariah stronghold.
After you deal with the first wave of airborne attackers, more will emerge
from one of the stronghold's gates. When the second wave is defeated, a third
wave will emerge from another gate. And finally, a fourth wave will come out
of the middle gate (which remains open after they fly out). Get rid of all
of these guys, and destroy all of the floating towers (they'll cut you down
if you don't).
When the coast is clear, look for the first Gormag Nest. It's a dark mound
with spires on the surface above the Pariah stronghold, on the right-hand
side. The highlight will target the Gormag Nest as you get close. When you
fire on the nest, Gormags will come out. Destroy the nest and get rid
of the Gormags. You'll see "Two more to go..." on screen when the nest is
destroyed.
The second Gormag Nest is on a large stalagmite in front of the stronghold.
A line of health power-ups will lead you to it (if you didn't already pick
them up). There's also a large shield nearby the nest. Destroy the nest and
get rid of the Gormags who come after you.
Stoke up on health and armor, and enter the stronghold through the middle
gate. You'll find that Snail-asaurus doesn't turn very well at his top
speed (with X button held down). Try to maneuver through the tunnels as
best you can.
Inside, get past a flame spout and enter a tunnel to your left. You'll grab
a health power-up as you enter the tunnel. Get past some more flame spouts
and dust a wall-mounted turret ahead. Keep going to enter a large cavern with
some turrets. To your right is a tunnel with a red health power-up. To your
left are two tunnels with blue shields. The higher shield tunnel is a dead
end. The lower shield tunnel leads to a small lava cave that houses the final
Crystal and a Mega Health. Ignore voice-over guy when he whines that you're
going the wrong way (this guy is such a moron).
Go back into the large cavern and enter the health tunnel. It leads to a
cavern with a bridge. Follow the Waypoint Arrow into a tunnel with health
and some flame spouts. You'll emerge in another cavern with some buildings,
walkways, and a flame spout. Follow the Waypoint Arrow, entering a tunnel
with some turrets, health, and a shield. You'll emerge from this tunnel in
a cavern with wooden support beams and a large skull on the wall. The
skull's glowing eyes will toss fireballs at you. Destroy the eyes, grab some
health, and fly into the skull's mouth to enter a large lava cave. Head
right, grabbing a large shield, and keep right along the circumference of the
room. You should see the third Gormag Nest ahead. It's that dark mound
with spires. Destroy it. And by all means, get rid of the Gormags who
emerge from the nest.
Voice-over guy is telling you to destroy the three pillars. He'll also
inform you that your weapons can't hurt the middle pillar. When you destroy
the first pillar, the Pariah champion will come on the scene. He's a large,
ugly black dragon. He attacks with a gout of very damaging napalm breath and
a wide area-affect fire wave. What voice-over guy doesn't tell us is that the
Pariah champion is invulnerable until you finish destroying the pillars.
Ignore him for now, go after the pillars, and blast them. Then the Pariah
champion will use his power to stabilize the middle pillar as the cavern
begins to collapse. Now we can go after him.
Use your healing ability if you get in trouble, and look for health and
power-ups. The first time I played this, I just kept using the healing to
get a full red health bar when I got in trouble, and I tried to lead the
enemy as much as possible. When you kill the bad guy, the cavern will start
to collapse. Follow the Waypoint Arrow to escape. You'll enter a tunnel
near the ceiling, emerge in another cave, and enter another tunnel to escape
from the volcano. As you emerge from the first tunnel, head downward to
enter the second one.
If you travel at normal top speed (X button held down), you should be able to
get out before time's up. You shouldn't need to use the Power Dive technique
to gain speed. If you do, Snail-O-Matic will just ram into a wall and get
slowed down.
Congratulations! The Virtwyn and Snail-asaurus have emerged victorious over
their foes! The first thing I'm gonna do when I get home is smack voice-over
guy upside the head for being such a dork.
New Skin Unlocked
Part 4.0 - Chrysalis Campaign
=============================
The Chrysalis campaign gets a "Hard" billing, and it does live up to it.
Still, I found this segment of the game to be somewhat easier than the
Virtwyn segment. Secret Objectives and Crystals are easy to come by. The
Chrysalis have some fun creatures.
Part 4.1 - Ride The Lightning
=============================
+ Primary Objective: Destroy the large barges before they reach the southern
pass.
+ Secondary Objective: Find five crypts and fly in close for a good look at
them.
+ Secret Objective: Destroy 15 of the Pariah balloon turrets.
+ Crystal: Atop mountain with power-ups.
Oculus
======
I love this little guy! He's fast, and he can turn on a dime. He's got all
the traits that make for a great combatant. Exceptionally high speed,
agility, and stamina. As one might guess, this is at the expense of health.
But even when Oculus gets in trouble, he can quickly get away and grab some
health. His primary attack is a yellow laser beam. His rate of fire is slow,
but he has no lead ability. Place the target crosshair directly over what
you want to hit, and fire away. His secondary ability is a wide area-affect
poison wave. It will cause the poison condition in enemies.
The Badlands
============
The first crypt is just ahead. It's to the right of the shield. Fly over
there and get close to the crypt. "Four more to go..." will appear on-screen
when you're close enough. Turn around, and get the shield under the archway.
Follow a line of shields to find the first sail barge. It's being escorted
by an airship, a Gormag, and a Wraithslicer. Gormag attacks with a red laser
beam, and he has a defensive shield bubble. Wraithslicer is a bone dragon
who attacks with rapid fireballs and a ring of fireballs. I find it easier
to get rid of the airship and sail barge first. With them out of the way,
their cannons won't be firing as you go after the flyers. There are also
balloons all over the place in this level. Get rid of them whenever you see
them. Use Crystal Seekers, or just use Oculus's yellow laser.
Follow the Waypoint Arrow toward the next sail barge. Detour to the top of
the nearby mesa for a Mega Health, then go after the sail barge and airship.
They're being escorted by a Gormag, Wraithslicer, and a vomit-spewing rat.
Oculus can make quick work of all these guys with his precision shooting.
Head around the mesa until you see the remains of a sunken ship in the sand
below. Fly into the ship to get a health and 4x damage. The third sail barge
is nearby, escorted by an airship, Wraithslicer, and vomit-spewing rat. With
the 4x damage, one hit each will destroy the airship and sail barge. Same
goes for enemy flyers.
Go back to the sunken ship and head north (the "N" on the radar points up).
Dust the balloon here and turn right. The second crypt is in a gully between
two large rocks.
Head east (the "N" on the radar points to your left). There's a shield over
a structure nearby. The third crypt is also nearby. There's an Energy Boost
above it. Follow the Waypoint Arrow to the next sail barge, which is being
escorted by an airship, Gormag, and Wraithslicer. Look for a large mountain
in this area. It has power-ups all around it, and a few balloons. Atop the
mountain is the first Crystal. The fourth crypt is nearby, on the mountain
side.
From here, head south until you see a large group of balloons in the distance.
The final crypt is to the right of the balloons, next to a mountain. Destroy
balloons until you get the Secret Objective. Follow the Waypoint Arrow to
the final sail barge, which is being escorted by a familiar crew. An airship,
Wraithslicer, and vomit-spewing rat.
New Skin Unlocked
2-Player Map Unlocked
Part 4.2 - Royal Flush
======================
+ Primary Objective: Destroy the gates and defend the excavator. When the
prince is captured by the excavator, pick him up, then
escape.
+ Secondary Objective: Destroy all 12 of the outlying farms.
+ Secret Objective: After the prince is captured, destroy the tower.
+ Crystal: In a grove of trees, southeast of starting position.
Mantou
======
Another cool creature, this flying manta ray makes this a fun level to play.
You'll notice right off that he's not as agile as Oculus. He's also slower,
but he makes up for it with some cool abilities. Mantou's primary attack is
a long-range lightning ball, similar to Barg's fireball. His rate of fire is
similar as well. You'll have to lead with it. His secondary ability is a
close-range lightning strike. Mantou's primary attack is more damaging, but
the lightning strike is easier to use. Just place the target crosshair near
an enemy you want to hit, and the lightning will hit him if you're close
enough. Mantou is lacking in stamina, but I didn't have any problems with
him getting tired out.
The Wizard's Tower
==================
This level should be familiar. It's the Wizard's Tower at night, with the
same farms from the "Enemy At The Gates" mission.
Follow the line of shields. You'll pass over your ground assault force.
Head forward and over some farms. There's a balloon above a building to your
right. Get rid of it (Crystal Seekers). Advance and get rid of some more
balloons that are above the front gate. Gold dragons and giant owls will come
after your ground forces. Get rid of these guys. The owls toss out energy
orbs and use a yellow magical sphere attack (the owl hoots while doing this).
The dragons will belch napalm and toss out fireballs. If you get behind an
enemy, stick to him like glue while using your secondary ability. Try to
keep the target crosshair nearby him while staying close and zapping him with
lightning. To use your lightning balls, you have to lead pretty far ahead in
order to hit an enemy.
Keep an eye on your ground forces as they progress toward the tower. Get rid
of all the balloons above the tower before letting your forces in. When
you're ready to let them in, destroy both of the gates with lightning balls.
The ground forces will take up defensive positions while the excavator moves
in to drill at the base of the tower. There's health, a shield, and Vampirism
behind the tower, and Hard Core atop the tower. Use the Vampirism to get some
health from enemy flyers. You gain health every time you score a hit.
Voice-over girl will tell you to distract the enemy flyers by attacking the
farms, but stick around and defend your ground forces. Owls and dragons will
go after the ground units. Keep an eye on the Wizard's Tower. If you see an
enemy circling around there, he's attacking the excavator. A damage indicator
at the lower right corner of the screen will show you if the excavator has
taken damage. Defend the excavator first. When the coast is clear, go back
and help your ground units defend the area.
Eventually, voice-over girl will announce that the prince has been captured.
You'll see the excavator out front of the tower, setting off fireworks to let
you know they have him. Fly over to the drilling vehicle and pick up the
prince. Voice-over girl will tell you to "fly west, along the river."
The Secret Objective here was a foregone conclusion. I figured it out on my
first try. Destroy the Wizard's Tower.
There's a rainbow of health that arcs out over the water. You've probably
seen it numerous times by now. Follow this line of health, then turn left
and head toward a lighthouse. The first farm is out here. There's an
Invulnerability above it, but you probably won't need it. The enemy flyers
are most likely going after your ground units as they retreat from the tower.
Head west from here (the "N" on the radar points to your right). You'll find
a large building and some more farms. There are three farms in this area.
The second Crystal is in a grove of trees nearby.
Head north. There's an Invulnerability under a bridge that crosses the
water. Head north across the water for more farms. There are four farms in
this area. Across the road are four more. Follow the Waypoint Arrow to end
the mission.
New Skin Unlocked
2-Player Map Unlocked
Part 4.3 - Incoming
===================
+ Primary Objective: Do not let the Hive be destroyed. All Virtwyn must be
eliminated.
+ Secondary Objective: Place all six stun cannons.
+ Secret Objective: Destroy all 3 siege ships within 4 minutes.
+ Crystal: Southwest of the Hive.
Krum
====
This poor guy leaves a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, we have to put up
with him here and once later on. He is severely lacking in stamina. You'll
find him growing easily tired. Everything else is decent. His primary
weapon is a rapid-fire cannon, which he carries with him. His rate of fire
is very fast, and the frost projectiles travel at a pretty good speed as well.
His secondary ability is a long-range missile. Using Krum effectively
requires a good deal of leading.
The Hive
========
We've been here before, when Snail-O-Matic attacked the Hive. Now the Virtwyn
are at it again.
Let's do the Secret Objective and get the Crystal first. Grab the nearby
shield, shock mines, and health. Dive under the Hive for another shield.
Follow a line of health out from under the Hive and around a tree. You
shouldn't need all of the health. Save some for later. The Hive is already
under attack by Rocs and Yomars. If you're lucky, you won't attract anyone's
attention. If you're not so lucky, someone will follow you as you head west
(the "N" on the radar points to your right). Voice-over girl has recently
announced that "heavy fire is coming from the west. Investigate." Use the
Power Dive technique to gain speed as you head west. Three airships are up
ahead. Two small ones flanking a huge one in the middle. The big one is a
siege ship. Hit this thing with everything you've got. Fire off the long
range missile, then let loose with frost balls and Crystal Seekers. Break off
to the right to get a health power-up near the mountain, then try to quickly
get rid of the siege ship. Dust the two airships as well. If an airship
leaves a shield behind, pick that puppy up. You'll probably be needing it, as
you've no doubt taken damage from the Rocs and Yomars in the area. Head
back to the Hive. If someone is following you, be evasive. Don't waste time
engaging him. Grab a shield under a three-legged structure on your way back.
Stoke up on health as much as possible. Voice-over girl will announce that
heavy fire is now coming from the north. Head in that direction (the "N" on
the radar points up). There's a shield atop a tower, and some mines under a
three-legged structure. Health is to the right, between two trees. As you
near the enemy airships, there's another health between two floating trees.
Go after the airships and get rid of them. Try not to get too close. They'll
cut you to pieces if you do. Hit the siege ship with everything you've got.
When it blows up, dust the two airships if you haven't already, and hot foot
it back to the Hive.
Get more health if you can find some. Voice-over girl is probably announcing
that they're attacking from the east now. Get over there (the "N" on the
radar points to your left) and dust the last siege ship. If you're fast
enough, you'll be told that you've got the Secret Objective. If you're not
fast enough, the Hive is probably badly damaged by now, and it might be
missing a couple anchors.
Completing the Secret Objective actually makes this level easier. With the
heavy fire out of the way, the only thing that can damage the anchors is enemy
flyers.
Let your wingmen and balloon turrets deal with the flyers while you get the
Crystal. At the Hive, head south. Follow the river until it ends, then turn
right, heading west. The third Crystal is under a three-legged structure out
here. There's also a Mega Health nearby.
Finish up by returning to the Hive and getting rid of the enemy flyers.
To get the Secondary Objective: The place where the cannons are is right
ahead of your starting position. This structure is just east of the Hive.
Grab the first cannon by flying low over the cannons (you should see them
sitting on the platform). Head west. Use the Power Dive technique
throughout the mission to gain speed. Before you find the siege ship, you'll
see a tower with a blue pyre. Place the cannon next to the blue pyre (just
fly low next to the pyre). You'll hear a "click" when the cannon is placed
(and Krum will no longer be carrying it, obviously). Hot foot it back to
where the cannons are. Pick up another cannon. Head west. Place this
cannon next to another blue pyre further out. Engage the siege ship and get
rid of it, or it will destroy the Hive.
There are two towers with blue pyres north of the Hive, and two east of the
Hive. Get the two north cannons placed, take out siege ship. Place two
east cannons, destroy last siege ship, get rid of remaining flyers. If the
Hive is taking too much damage, get rid of the siege ships fast, then try to
get the remaining cannons placed.
It might be beneficial to place the two east cannons first, as the spots where
you need to place them are close to where the cannons are.
Believe it or not, I had problems getting all of the cannons placed before the
mission ended on its own (my wingmen and the balloons killed the last flyers).
Be very fast. If you get rid of the siege ships too quickly, there might not
be enough time to place all of the cannons before the mission ends. If you
leave too many threats unchecked, the Hive will get badly damaged (and might
get destroyed). Strike a balance between eliminating threats and placing
cannons. Do not go after the flyers (even if someone's following you) until
that last cannon is placed.
New Skin Unlocked
Game Variant Unlocked
Part 4.4 - Sabotage
===================
+ Primary Objective: Recover bombs and open a buried entrance. Create a
diversion in the treasure room. Find the war room then
escape.
+ Secondary Objcetive: Find the secret plans a fallen comrade was carrying.
+ Secret Objective: Kill all 3 map room guards.
+ Crystal: Over lava in treasure room.
Sidd
====
This flying swamp bug is a wimp-meister. He's reasonably quick and agile,
but that's about all he has going for him. His primary attack is a rapid-
fire lightning bolt. It's not very damaging, and it's also hard to lead with
it. I suggest using his secondary ability, which sends out three poison
balls. They explode a short ditsance away from Sidd, making this a fairly
close-ranged attack. Sidd gets tired out quickly, so pace yourself when
going after the enemy.
The Volcano
===========
We've been here before, when the Snail-asaurus launched a final assault on
the Pariah stronghold. The Chrysalis appear to be getting a head start on
their assaults (a good sign). Whereas the wimpy Virtwyn waited until the
final moment to attack their enemies, the Chrysalis are pro-active, getting
things done and working toward making progress in the war. This is a
reconnaissance mission, though. It's not a full scale assault.
This mission is just strange. It's convoluted and kind of confusing. I'll
try to be as coherent as I can, but consider the source material I have to
work with here.
As you start out, flying pigs and demons are defending the Pariah fortress
from your approach, and small turrets are scattered about in front of the
fortress. The first odd thing you'll notice is that the prevalent lines of
shields and health seen in other levels aren't here. Defeated opponents also
leave power-ups such as Vampirism and High Voltage instead of health and
armor (which would be more useful to poor Sidd). Health and armor are both
scarce here. Be efficient at getting rid of your opponents, or be dead.
I suggest using Sidd's secondary ability (the three poison balls). The
demons can easily cut Sidd down with rapid fireballs. Try to hit them with
the left or right poison ball (don't head straight at them while firing).
Watch out for the damaging fog that the pigs leave in their wake. After
you've defeated the fortress's defenders, you'll need to pick up some bombs,
which are on a platform at the right-hand side of the fortress. They're
marked by a sparkly pyre of energy to help you find them.
Let's work on the fallen comrade first. There are three of them scattered
about the mountain, and the secret plans could be on any of them. Each
fallen comrade is guarded by a Gormag who is flying around nearby. The first
guy is to the left of the fortress, near a barred window. Defeat the Gormag
and fly down close to the fallen comrade to inspect him. The guy is marked
by a sparkly pyre of energy to help you find him. If he doesn't have the
plans, you'll be told so. The second guy is to the right of the fortress,
near a stalagmite that has a shield above it. Go around the mountain, to
the other side. There's a building in the side of the mountain, next to a
lava flow. The third fallen comrade is a good ways north from the building,
near a large stalagmite. When you find the guy who has the plans, you'll be
told so.
Get rid of all the Gormags in the area, then head into the building. You'll
automatically place the first bomb and be told to distance yourself from it.
Head back out. A pig, a demon, and more Gormags will come after you. Get
rid of these guys. After the bomb goes off, follow the lava flow next to the
building upward to find a large shield. Head left from the building and
follow another lava flow into a tunnel high atop the mountain for a Mega
Health. You'll be needing it.
Go back and enter the building. The bomb blasted an entrance to a tunnel.
Hang a left as soon as you can. When you see a large swinging axe nearby,
head right. Watch out for the flame spout. If you get set on fire, you'll
lose health. Follow the tunnel until you see three flame spouts in the
ceiling. Try to get past when the fire isn't there. You'll emerge in a
large cavern with a bridge and two doors. There is a dragon head sculpture
in the wall that is pouring out lava, and another one with three flame
spouts (you came through that entrance to get here). Voice-over girl says
that the way to the treasure room is blocked. Defeat the flying pig in this
room, and one of the doors will open.
Follow the Waypoint Arrow, proceeding through a corridor and into the treasure
room. There are two Gormags here. The fourth Crystal is over the lava.
Look for it under the bridge, close to the lava.
Now here's where things get tricky. In the treasure room, you can do one of
two things. If you kill the two Gormags before placing the bomb, you can do
the mission as it was apparently meant to be done. If you place the bomb
before killing the Gormags, the door will shut and you'll be trapped in the
treasure room. To place the bomb, fly close to the mound of gold in the
middle of the room.
When I kill the Gormags first, I can't seem to find the map room guards later
on. When I place the bomb first, the map room guards are waiting for me
when the door opens.
If you kill the Gormags first: Place the bomb. Head back out the way you
came. Kill a pig and a bat in the bridge room. Enter the dragon head
sculpture with the three flame spouts (the one that isn't pouring out lava).
Follow the tunnel, mindful of another flame spout, and head past the swinging
axes. Avoid another flame spout and go down into a very small round room with
some health. When the bomb goes off, voice-over girl will say that the guards
have left to investigate the explosion. Go down through the hole in the
floor to enter the war room. Objective complete. Now we just have to get
out alive. Head out through the hole in the ceiling, and head back up to
the tunnel with the swinging axes. Hang a right into another tunnel, then
hang another right as soon as you can to get back out. Keep going straight
while some enemies fire at you from behind, and the mission will end. When
I do it this way, I can't seem to find the three map room guards, even when
I look around.
(Update: Okay, I figured it out. Wait in the bridge room. When the bomb
goes off, the door to the war room will open, and two bats and a pig will
come out. They're the map room guards.)
If you place the bomb first: You're trapped in the treasure room. Try to
kill the two Gormags if you can. Voice-over girl will alert you when the
bomb is about to go off. Hide in the corridor. If both Gormags are inside
the treasure room, they'll get killed when the bomb goes off. If one of
them is in the corridor with you, you'll have to get rid of him. Head back
out into the bridge room, and be prepared for a tough fight. There are
three bats and two pigs here. Be aggressive, and be accurate with your
shots... or be dead. Kill 'em all before they kill you. Three of these
guys were the map room guards. You'll be told when you've got the Secret
Objective. Enter the war room (take one of the doorways; if you end up in
the treasure room, it was the other door). Go through hole in ceiling.
Grab health. Go up, into swinging axe corridor. Hang a right, then another
right. Go straight out and keep going to bring an end to a very odd mission.
(Note: You will have to use the L1 button to get the highlight to focus on
targets throughout this mission. Hold down the L1 button until you see the
highlight. Trying to find enemy flyers without it is next to impossible.)
New Skin Unlocked
Game Variant Unlocked
Part 4.5 - Cradle Of Chaos
==========================
+ Primary Objective: The Pariah and Virtwyn advancements must be stopped.
Clear the area of our enemies.
+ Secondary Objective: Kill at least 14 enemy flyers yourself.
+ Secret Objective: Enter the warp portal which Pytt escapes into.
+ Crystal: Left from starting point.
Ulamander
=========
Another Snail-fest. This guy is slow! His agility and health are okay, but
his stamina could be better. Don't push him too hard, and he won't get tired
out. Snail-amander--er, I mean, Ulamander fires off lightning balls for a
primary attack. In terms of speed and rate of fire, they're similar to
Mantou's lightning balls. His secondary ability is a close-range lightning
breath with a good area-affect (think Roc's sonic breath, but with
lightning).
The Arena
=========
You have a wingman for this mission, and you'll have to compete with him for
kills to get the Secondary Objective. But first, the Crystal.
Turn left and head out. You should be heading east (the "N" on the radar
points left). The fifth Crystal is out here. Sneaky, eh.
Head back to the place where you started (over a river) and follow the line
of shields over the river. When you approach the large arena structure,
follow a line of health to the left of it. The health power-ups may be hard
to make out against the sun in the background. Adjust your pitch and look
for them. Head right, into the arena, and destroy the balloons here. Then
start looking for flyers.
Remember, your guy is a slug with wings. Keep an eye on the Slug-meister's
health. Retreat for more health before he's almost dead. Get more shields
as needed. There are plenty of shields and health scattered about along the
rivers and in nearby structures. There's also plenty to be found in the
arena itself. Look around. Search low for some stuff concealed underneath
low structures.
Use your lightning balls at range. Lead with them. Use Crystal Seekers.
The lightning breath works great up close. Pegasus and frost dragons will
be on the scene. Pegasus is annoying with his trail of dust that he leaves
behind. He'll charge at you, then fly past, leaving the trail of dust while
he circles around. Get away from the dust. Hit him with lightning breath
when you can. Frost dragons like to get up close and hit you with frost
breath, which causes the freeze condition. The Slug-meister will get even
slower. By the time you dive close to the water, the condition will likely
wear off anyway. Hover and find the nearby frost dragon. Nail him while he's
hovering nearby. The lightning balls yield better results here.
After a while, the Virtwyn champion will come on the scene. He's a Zelit.
He'll come right at you with his firestorm. Hit him with lightning breath
when he gets close, then lead him with lightning balls while he's circling
around. When he's sufficiently damaged, he'll retreat.
Pariah balloons will advance from the south side of the area (the bright sun
will be right behind them). This is also where Pytt's portal will appear
later on. Look for the balloons and get rid of them at range with Crystal
Seekers. Demons and Wraithslicers will come on the scene. You should be
familiar with both of these guys by now. The demons can be mean when they
charge with that rapid fire. Get out of there and come at him from another
angle. Don't let these guys whittle your health down. The big bad guy is on
the way. Be ready for him when he approaches. Get yourself some health
and armor.
Eventually, Pytt will show up. He's the Pariah champion, and he attacks
with a rather devastating napalm breath. He'll also set off a wide
area-affect fire wave. If you get set on fire, you'll lose health. Be
aggressive on Pytt. Slam him with lightning balls and Crystal Seekers. The
lightning breath doesn't really pay off here because Pytt's napalm has a
larger area-affect, and it'll set you on fire. When Pytt has taken enough
damage, he'll retreat. Keep him in sight and follow him. Use the Power
Dive technique to gain speed. If you had to retreat a distance from the
arena for health while Pytt was attacking, you may have to travel a good
distance to get to the portal (Slug-amander's lumbering speed doesn't help).
If you finished off Pytt at the arena, there should be plenty of time to get
to the portal before it disappears. When you enter the portal, you'll be
taken directly to the secret level Hell Blazer, which is covered in the next
section of this guide.
New Skin Unlocked
Part 4.6 - Hell Blazer
======================
+ Primary Objective: We can't afford to lose you. Fight your way back to
our world.
+ Secondary Objective: Complete the mission in under 13 minutes.
+ Secret Objective: None.
+ Crystal: In final cave, head right as you enter.
Get airborne and grab some shields and health. Avoid the large spout of
gas. It'll set you on fire. Also, running into the lava will set you on
fire. Two Gormags will come after you, then two Wraithslicers. You'll be
told when the current wave is defeated. Follow the Waypoint Arrow into a
tunnel with wall-mounted turrets. You'll emerge in a room with ghosts.
A Gormag, more Wraithslicers, and a demon are here. The ghosts don't appear
to be harmful. When this wave is defeated, follow the Waypoint Arrow into
another tunnel with turrets. You'll emerge in a lava cave with more
Gormags, Wraithslicers, and a demon. Kill 'em all, then follow the Waypoint
Arrow into another lava cave. Same guys as before. Get rid of 'em. The
Waypoint Arrow will direct you into the final tunnel, and the final cave.
As you emerge from the tunnel, head right for some health and a Crystal near
the wall. More Gormags, Wraithslicers, and demons. This is a long wave.
Finally, the Pariah champion will come after you. Pytt, same guy as before.
When he's taken enough damage, he'll retreat, and a portal will appear in the
middle of the room. Fly into it to escape.
There are power-ups and stuff amongst the buildings in the second lava cave
and final cave, but it may be time consuming to go after them.
To get the Secondary Objective: Be fast with your carnage. Gormag and
Wraithslicer are both push-overs. Go after them with lightning breath for
quick kills. Might be a good idea to charge at the demons as well if you
can recover the damage they'll do. Be aggressive on Pytt. Don't let him
push you around. He's a big bully with that napalm breath. Dodge when he
comes after you and pelt him with lightning balls while he circles around
for another attack. If you get in trouble, use your Crystal Power (circle
button). It heals you.
New Skin Unlocked (Secret Character Miraur)
Part 4.7 - Winds Of War
=======================
+ Primary Objective: Clear a path through the mines and destroy the Pariah
minelayers. Do not let the lead Skytree be destroyed.
+ Secondary Objective: None of the Skytrees can be destroyed.
+ Secret Objective: Destroy all 3 minelayers before any makes their suicide
run turn.
+ Crystal: Under lead Skytree.
Thao
====
I love this guy! Thao the eastern dragon is a powerhouse. His stats look
only average in the manual, but don't let that fool you. He's tough! He can
take a pounding, and he can lay down the hurt like no other. This guy is a
wrecking machine! The only thing he seems to be lacking is stamina. Pace
yourself when attacking with his devastating primary weapon. He fires off
multi-colored energy orbs. Red, green, and yellow. They zig-zag along,
making it easy to aim. Just plaster the sky with energy orbs to make quick
work of your opponents. His secondary ability is a trail of poisonous gas
that he leaves in his wake. It'll cause the poison condition in unlucky
opponents who fly through it.
The Skytrees
============
I found this level to be pretty easy. Maybe it's just me, or maybe it's
because Thao is so powerful.
Grab the health and shield up ahead, and dive under the Skytree ahead of you.
Keep right as you head around the Skytree's roots. The seventh Crystal is
down here.
Up ahead, the Pariah minelayers have already started dropping mines for the
Skytrees to ram into. There are also pigs and Wraithslicers flying around.
Start clearing out the mines. Target them with Crystal Seekers and Thao's
primary attack. When a mine explodes, it sets off a wide area-affect sphere.
Try to take them out at range. There are three lines of mines, and a few
other mines scattered about in odd positions. Follow the left line of mines,
blasting them as you go. Turn and target the nearby mines to your right as
you progress. Ignore the pigs and Wraithslicers unless they become too
troublesome. Speed up when you can, but keep destroying those mines. If one
gets away, it'll ram into the lead Skytree behind you.
When you've traveled a distance from the lead Skytree, you'll see the Pariah
minelayers ahead. Go after the one on the left and destroy it, then turn
and go after the other two. A pig or Wraithslicer (or both) probably
followed you out here. I got set on fire (I think it was from Wraithslicer's
attack). If you're low on health, don't panic. Thao took a pounding on
his way out here. He can make it back to the Skytrees in one piece. If
you do happen to be almost dead, use your Crystal Power (circle button).
It'll heal you.
(Note: If you take too long to clear out the mines, the minelayers will
eventually turn around and head toward the Skytrees. To get the Secret
Objective, you have destroy them before they turn around.)
Get rid of the enemy flyers nearby you, then head back toward the Skytrees
(follow the Waypoint Arrow). Grab any shields and health you see on your way
back. Look around for mines you may have missed. When all of the mines are
gone, here's where the fun begins. Carnage, old fashioned style! Hang out
in front of the lead Skytree and kill pigs, Wraithslicers, and demons as they
come in to attack. Thao can make quick work of all these guys. Keep an eye
on the trees, as a few opponents may slip past you and attack them while
you're busy going after someone else. Watch the damage indicator at the lower
right corner of the screen. If any of the three Skytrees is taking damage,
someone got past you. The Skytrees will defend themselves with green energy
orbs and lightning, but they may not be able to kill the attackers on their
own. Look around for those Pariah wimps and get rid of them. Then get out
front on the vanguard again.
You'll be told when there are three attackers left. I've often had problems
finding the last guy. Look around for him. Check the Skytrees first to
make sure they're safe, then head out in front of them and look for that last
guy.
(Note: You may have to press the L1 button to help the highlight find nearby
enemies when flying over the Skytrees. If you see green energy orbs shooting
up from the Skytrees, they're trying to defend themselves from attackers.
Get over there, press and hold the L1 button until the highlight appears.)
New Skin Unlocked
New Savage Difficulty
Part 4.8 - Ashes To Ashes
=========================
+ Primary Objective: Destroy the crystals that protect the Pyre. Eliminate
the Pyre and defeat the Pariah ace.
+ Secondary Objective: Destroy the Pyre before 6 wraiths are released.
+ Secret Objective: Destroy both of the crystals before the portal opens.
+ Crystal: At end of a lava flow, north from the Pyre.
Krum
====
We already met the Krum-meister when we defended the Hive from the Virtwyn.
See "Incoming" for info about him.
The Pyre
========
Why they gave us poor Krum for this difficult mission is beyond me. The
magnificent Thao just put his brawn on display for us, and the best the
wise, all-knowing Hive can come up with is to send a wimp against the Pariah
army? Be ready for a tough fight.
Grab the shield next to the tree, and then grab an Energy Boost up ahead to
get around a nearby turret without being hit. Follow the Waypoint Arrow to
get to the Pyre. Grab a health under a pipe along the way. Head into a cave
at the base of the structure. As you grab a large shield in here, slow down.
The first crystal you need to destroy is around a bend. Hover and pelt it
with frost balls. Voice-over girl will tell you to destroy the other crystal
at the top of the tower. Head out of the cave and Super Flap. Flap, flap,
flap! Get up to the top quick. Blast a stained glass window up there and
destroy the second crystal.
If you're fast enough in doing this, you've already got both the Secondary
and Secret Objectives. If you're not fast enough, you've already seen the
first wraith released from the portal.
Your final objective here is to destroy the Pyre in the middle of the
building. There are four openings on the side of the tower. The Pyre is
that object with spires in the middle. Unfortunately, you're probably under
attack by balloons, turrets on the ground, large bats, demons, and vomit-
spewing rats. Thao could easily take all of these guys. Krum is a different
story. To make matters worse, the Pariah champion is on the way. We already
met him twice with Snail-amander. This big bully is literally going to tear
poor Krum to shreds (what was the Hive thinking?!).
Here's how I handle this situation. You probably have a better idea, but
this is how I do it. Run! Run like the coward you are! Yes, you're a wimp!
You're not brawny Thao. You're wimpy Krum! Run, run, run! There are
health power-ups over the lava flow that encircles the tower. Get down there
and start collecting health. There's a place where the lava flow branches
away from the tower. Find this area and follow the lava flow, grabbing
shields and health. Watch for stalagmites that stick out of the lava, and
use the Power Dive technique to gain speed. The entire Pariah army is
probably right on your tail, including that big bully Pytt. Run, run, run!
Follow the lava flow, grabbing everything you can. There's a High Voltage
along the way that'll help. When you reach a fork in the lava flow, head
right. Fly up over a bridge and keep going. When the lava flow forks again,
head right again. The eighth Crystal is right here, at the end of the lava
flow.
You should have enough health and armor by now to make a stand. If you can
find Pytt amongst the myriad attackers, go after him. He leaves behind a
Mega Health when he's defeated. If you can't find him, concentrate on the
guy the highlight has currently selected. If you get in bad trouble, follow
the lava flow for more health and shields. There's an Invulnerability near
the end of the lava flow, where it leads up to a large crater with a volcano.
Speaking of the volcano, there's some nice stuff around it. A shield and
High Voltage near the lava, and Hard Core above the volcano.
All I can say is, get your claws on that Invulnerability as soon as possible
and take advantage of it. Thin out the crowd as much as possible. Pytt
likes to fly in with the napalm blazing and then circle around in a wide arc,
flying a good distance away before coming back for another run at you. Those
vomit-spewing rats are mean! They can easily cut you down. Krum has to do
some hefty leading in order to hit his targets. Use Crystal Seekers on
anyone and everyone. When Pytt drops, he leaves behind a Mega Health. Grab
that puppy up! Poor Krum needs all the help he can get.
After Pytt and his minions are dust, head back to the tower (follow the
Waypoint Arrow). Get rid of the balloons with Crystal Seekers and attack the
Pyre with Krum's long-range missile. Pelt it with frost balls, but don't
get too close. The Pyre reacts with a red energy field if you get close.
More of those vomit-spewing rats, demons, and bats will come on the scene.
Get rid of them. Destroy the Pyre for a win.
(Note: I tried it with my buddy Thao, and he does perform better than Krum.
He's not as healthy, but he's faster, and his energy orbs make quick work of
the opposition. Thao managed to kill a rat before he had to do the health
run. Against Pytt, his performance was admirable. Easy victory.)
Game Variant Unlocked
New Movie Unlocked
Part 4.9 - Final Assault
========================
+ Primary Objective: Guard the War Beast, as well as the creatures towing
it. Eradicate the Virtwyn champion.
+ Secondary Objective: Destroy all four of the Virtwyn capitol's bridges.
+ Secret Objective: None.
+ Crystal: On the War Beast's back.
Kedle
=====
Yet another Snail-fest! This guy gives a whole new meaning to the word
"slow"! He's an Uber-Snail! Completing this mission at all makes the
Virtwyn look very wimpy. If they can't hit this lumbering beast who moves
about as fast as a turtle with crutches, they deserve a mercy killing. Kedle
is also severely lacking in agility. He turns very, very slowly. His
attacks are quite good, though. Rapid-fire poison orbs for a primary attack,
and a large area-affect poison sphere by way of a secondary ability.
The Virtwyn Capitol
===================
Kedle starts out on a platform on the right side of the War Beast. Get
airborne, turn around, and head upward. Use the Super Flap. Flap, flap,
flap! Grab a health on your way up. The final Crystal is on the War Beast's
back. Look for it at the top. It's over a platform near the rear.
Head out to the front of the War Beast. There's some health and a large
shield on a platform with two turrets in front. Pegasus and owls are
attacking. You have a wingman who is already engaging them. It's difficult
to make out what's going on with that ever-present cloud layer here. The
highlight tends to get lost in the cloud layer, especially when it's yellow.
Try your best to make a few kills here. Use the rapid-fire orbs at range,
and let 'em have it with the poison sphere when they get close. Your
objective here is to defend the four creatures who are towing the War Beast,
but first we have to get to the capitol and destroy those bridges.
Head toward the castle in the distance and dive into the cloud bank. Look
for some large airships. There are four airships, and they will all
eventually launch and go after the War Beast. You should be able to destroy
at least two of them right now. If you can't find the other two, don't waste
time looking around for them. Start hitting the bridges. Use Kedle's poison
sphere when the ever-present Pegasus and owls get close. I looked around
this area for power-ups and didn't find many. There's a Hard Core inside
the castle (enter at ground level). The airships leave behind shields when
they get destroyed. You'll have to make kills on enemy flyers for more
health and armor.
Head back toward the War Beast (follow the Waypoint Arrow). You should see
those other two airships moving in to attack. Good thing they're as slow as
Kedle is. Get rid of 'em and go after more flyers when you see them.
Voice-over girl will announce that the Virtwyn champion is moving in to
attack. Then you'll find yourself trapped in some sort of underwater area,
or... something. It's strange. Voice-over girl says that she can't feel
your presence anymore. The Virtwyn champion is inside the magical sphere
with you. He's a Zelit. He'll come at you with his firestorm. Fire away
with Kedle's rapid-fire orbs, and use the area-affect poison sphere when you
get close. Use your Crystal Power if you get in trouble (circle button).
When the Virtwyn champion is defeated, you'll find yourself back at the
castle again. Get back to the War Beast and help defend it from Pegasus and
owl assaults. When the War Beast is in range, he'll fire his super weapon
and demolish the castle.
Congratulations! The Chrysalis and Uber-Snail have emerged victorious! When
I get home, I'm gonna talk to Kalavin about outfitting Kedle with some rocket
boosters or something.
New Skin Unlocked
Part 5.0 - Pariah Campaign
==========================
The Pariah segment of our game gets a "Savage" billing, and it definitely
lives up to it. There are a couple of easy missions, but there are also
some ridiculously hard ones. The final three are mind-numbing.
Part 5.1 - Soul Assassin
========================
+ Primary Objective: Protect the siege ships. They help you get the key
from the destroyer. With key in hand, enter the
fortress to steal the Soul Crystal.
+ Secondary Objective: Extinguish all the lighthouse lights.
+ Secret Objective: Destroy 15 of the Virtwyn ships.
+ Crystal: In lighthouse behind fortress.
Warloth
=======
First of the Pariah wimp-meisters, this large bat has excellent speed and
agility but finds himself lacking in the stamina and health departments.
Fortunately, he has a good primary weapon. A sonic breath weapon similar to
Roc's. The red graphic of his sonic breath goes downward for some reason.
Don't aim where it looks like the breath is going. Aim where the crosshair
is. Warloth has no lead ability with this attack. Point and shoot. Just
like Roc, he has to be pretty close for the breath to hit. His secondary
ability is a "vampiric bite" that behaves like the Vampirism power-up. He
sends out a pair of slow-moving projectiles reminiscent of Yomar's attack.
His rate of fire is slow with both the sonic breath and vampiric bite.
The Arctic
==========
Head out and grab the shields. Rocs and gold dragons will move in to attack
your siege ships, and enemy boats will move in from the shoreline to your
left. I get better results when I use Warloth's breath on the flyers. Watch
out for dragon breath. Getting caught in a gout of napalm can be costly.
The Virtwyn boats can be defeated with two Crystal Seekers each. In fact,
be aggressive with your Crystal Seekers and sonic breath on flyers and boats
throughout this mission, and you should be fine.
There are more boats ahead. Don't escort your siege ships. Get out there
and nail the Virtwyn boats. Head out to a snowy island with Freeze Mines
and Rapid Fire. There are more boats here. Get rid of 'em. The first
lighthouse is nearby (it's kind of hard to miss). Aim your vampiric bite
at the top of the lighthouse to destroy the light (it can hit it at range;
the sonic breath can't). Use Crystal Seekers as well. Now every time you
approach a lighthouse during this level, a Roc and dragon will spawn from
the base of the lighthouse and come after you. So grab the health nearby
the lighthouse and hot foot it back to your siege ships. They'll help you
fight the Roc and dragon.
Defeat the airborne attackers and follow a line of health, taking up the
vanguard ahead of your siege ships again. More boats are ahead. Get over
there and dust 'em. The second and third lighthouses are nearby. This time,
owls will join the enemy ranks. Put out the lighthouses and hot foot it
back to your siege ships. Warloth and the siege ships work very well as a
team. When the coast is clear, take up the vanguard again.
Keep going after Virtwyn boats when you see them and rack up boat kills for
that Secret Objective. Eventually, you'll arrive at the floating fortress.
There's a large Virtwyn airship nearby. Go after any flyers in the area
while your siege ships attack the airship. When the airship is destroyed,
the key is left behind. Look for it.
There are lines of health and shields in this area. Should be enough to get
full health and armor. The fourth lighthouse is also here. Put out the
light and get rid of the Roc and dragon who come after you. Head behind the
fortress (your siege ships are hanging out in front of it). The fifth
lighthouse is back there. Dust it and head west (the "N" on the radar points
right). The last lighthouse is nearby. When you destroy the light atop the
lighthouse, the first Crystal will be revealed. It's atop the lighthouse,
where the light used to be.
Head back to the floating fortress and look for a line of power-ups that
leads into it. Inside, the Soul Crystal is atop the pillar. Enter one of
the nearby corridors to get to an open area in the middle of the fortress.
Go up and out. Voice-over guy will tell you to head west, back to the
mainland. Follow the Waypoint Arrow, ignoring enemy flyers who give chase.
Use the Power Dive to boost your speed.
New Skin Unlocked
Game Variant Unlocked
Part 5.2 - Road Rage
====================
+ Primary Objective: Win the race, then await further instructions.
+ Secondary Objective: Collect 300 points during the race by flying through
point rings.
+ Secret Objective: Hit every point gate during the race.
+ Crystal: Next to building just west of the stadium.
Gormag
======
Another wimp. This flying insect has exceptional agility, but that's about
all he has going for him. His primary attack is a red laser beam with a slow
rate of fire. He has no lead ability. Place the crosshair directly over
what you want to hit and fire away. His secondary ability is a red shield
bubble. This doesn't make him invulnerable. It absorbs some of the damage
when he gets hit. Gormag is lacking in stamina. If you use the shield
continuously, he'll get tired out.
The Race
========
During the race, you have to fly under waypoint banners. If you miss one,
you'll have to go back and fly under it. Voice-over guy will remark on your
progress when you fly under a waypoint banner (intentionally get in last
place for some amusing dialogue). At the lower right corner of the screen is
a number that tells you what place you're currently in.
There are a total of 500 points you can get from point rings. Our objective
here is to get all 500 points while winning the race. Use the Power Dive
technique throughout the race to gain speed. You'll notice that it gives
you a short burst of speed, then you'll slow back down to your normal top
speed. There are blue speed portals on the course that give you a burst of
speed, but we'll only be using one of them.
Let's get started. When the voice-over counts down to one, take off. Use
the Power Dive to gain speed, and try not to run into anyone (you'll get
slowed down). Head right a bit for the first waypoint. There are three point
rings nearby, to the left. Fly through them. As you fly through the third
ring, you'll see the second waypoint banner up ahead. Get under it quickly
and fly through four more rings. As you fly through the fourth ring here,
head downard for the third waypoint, then head up for three more rings. Don't
Power Dive as you head up (you'll fly upward too fast and miss the first
ring). You should get a shield as you pass through the first ring.
The fourth waypoint is up ahead. Get through it and hang a hard left for
another ring. As you pass through the ring, hang a hard right for another
ring, then hang a hard left again to get to another ring and a line of health.
What we're doing here is zig-zagging through this area while the other racers
just fly straight through. Avoid the blue speed portal here. If you hit it,
you'll be catapulted past the rings.
As you grab the line of health, you should see the fifth waypoint ahead. Get
through it. There's a line of shields arcing downward toward the next
waypoint, but we have to head straight out to get through two rings in the
distance. The higher one is moving. As you pass through the second ring,
head down for the sixth waypoint.
To the right of the speed portal ahead are some more rings. You'll grab some
shields and a health as you make your way through them. Power Dive as you
head through the rings, but don't go too fast as you head back downward (you
might miss the second to the last ring). As you pass through the final ring
in this area, you'll see the seventh waypoint ahead. Get through it, and
then get through a moving ring up ahead. Hang a hard right to detour to
another ring, then turn around for the eighth waypoint. Head into the cave.
Use the Power Dive in the cave to gain speed. Gormag does a good job of
navigating at high speeds with his high agility. Try not to ram into the
walls (you may lose speed). You'll hit the ninth waypoint in the cave.
As you emerge from the cave, fly into the blue speed portal. You'll be
catapulted toward the next cave. Grab some health power-ups as you enter the
cave, passing under the tenth waypoint. You should be in the lead now. If
you're not, the home stretch is going to be difficult. You'll pass through
the eleventh waypoint inside the cave, and you'll hit the twelfth as you
emerge into the open once more.
Head left a bit to get through a ring, then head down and under the thirteenth
waypoint banner. There are three moving rings ahead. Get through them,
collecting a shield and health along the way. The fourteenth waypoint is just
ahead.
We're almost done. Head left from the waypoint (if you go forawrd, you'll hit
a speed portal and jump past some rings). Fly through the rings here and
head down to the fifteenth waypoint. Ahead are four moving rings. Super Flap
a bit to gain altitude and get through the rings. As you fly through the
last ring here, head down to the sixteenth waypoint. As you emerge from
under the banner, Super Flap to get up to the last two rings. If you're
going too fast here, you'll miss them. Let go of the X button for half a
second to lose a bit of speed, then flap, flap, flap to get up there. As you
clear the final ring, dive, dive, dive to get under the final waypoint
banner. Enter the stadium and wait for your opponents to finish the race.
Voice-over guy will tell you to attack the other racers. You have a wingman
here, and he's already engaging them. Your opponents are a Roc, Yomar,
Oculus, and manta ray. Use the shield to defend yourself, but pace yourself
with it. Oculus will get close to you and set off a poison wave, then he'll
hang out nearby and fire off his yellow laser. If you get poisoned, don't
sweat it. Go after the currently selected enemy with Gormag's red laser.
Much like Oculus, he's a precision shooter. Line up the crosshair over your
target and fire. Yomar might be troublesome with his charge move. Actually,
all of these guys are wimps (just like Gormag). This is a Battle Of The
Wimps Royale.
After the four opponents are defeated, head out through the west gate (the
"N" on the radar points right). The second Crystal is next to a building just
beyond the race's final waypoint banner.
Voice-over guy told you to hit the winches that hold the gates up. Hit the
winch next to the gate, then go around to the other side of the stadium and
hit the winch next to the gate there. Fly up and shoot the large pig head
balloon over the stadium to finish up.
New Skin Unlocked
New Movie Unlocked
Part 5.3 - Blood Bowl
=====================
+ Primary Objective: Protect the tomb raiding units until they have collected
the Soul Crystal, then return with it in hand.
+ Secondary Objective: Kill all enemy flyers.
+ Secret Objective: Kill every Virtwyn unit.
+ Crystal: Atop mountain nearby waterfall.
(Note: The following walkthrough is not for the weak of stomach.)
Gnaw
====
This guy is the vomit-spewing rat we've seen numerous times during the
Chrysalis and Virtwyn segments. He's an average combatant. Everything about
him is pretty average. For a primary attack, Gnaw spews out streaks of
vomit. They travel pretty slowly, and his rate of fire is pretty slow as
well. His secondary ability is where things get good. A poisonous barf
breath. It causes the poison condition in enemies, and it's also efficient
at getting rid of them.
The Cnayons
===========
We've been here before. The first Virtwyn mission took place here, when Roc
escorted the airships to the village at the waterfall. The tomb we'll be
robbing is south of the waterfall. Gnaw makes this a fun mission because
he's great at aerial carnage.
Launch a Crystal Seeker at a nearby balloon and follow the line of health.
Launch another Crystal Seeker at another balloon and drop down a bit,
following a line of shields. Your raiding party is up ahead, in an airship.
There's a dragon nearby. Engage him and get rid of him. Forget about the
vomit spew. It travels too slowly. Use your barf breath! It's a fairly
close ranged attack, but it'll make quick work of all the enemy flyers here.
Don't escort the airship. Instead, get ahead of it (head east). Your
ground units are over there, heading up the vanguard of the assault. They're
engaging some Virtwyn ground units, dragons, and Yomars. Use Crystal Seekers
and vomit spew on the enemy ground units, and use your barf breath on the
flyers. Clear out the area. You have a wingman here. He's a bat.
The airship will dock next to the tomb, and the tomb raiders will go inside.
Defend the area. Dragons and Yomars will come from various directions. Use
your barf breath. It makes quick work of 'em. Just fly around, barfing on
everything in sight.
After a while, voice-over guy will announce that the Virtwyn are trying to
destroy the tomb. Just keep doing what you've been doing. Spread the barf
breath around. Be aggressive. If you're fast enough in getting rid of the
flyers, you'll have some spare time before the tomb raiders emerge from the
tomb. Land on the ground and wait.
Voice-over guy will announce that the tomb raiders have found the Soul
Crystal. Wait a short while longer, and they'll emerge from the tomb. The
airship will depart, leaving the Soul Crystal for you. Get over there and
grab the Soul Crystal. Voice-over guy is telling you to head south, where
Pariah forces are waiting for you. Head out from the tomb and hang a right,
following a line of shields. Turn right and follow a line of health. There
are some balloons here, nearby a village and the waterfall. More dragons
and Yomars are probably coming after you. Clear out the area. You'll be
told when you've got the Secondary Objective.
Get above the building that's above the waterfall and head south. The third
Crystal is nearby.
Finish up by looking around for any turrets or balloons you may've missed
earlier. Use the radar, keeping an eye out for red blips while you look
around. When the area is cleared out, follow the Waypoint Arrow to find
three friendly airships that are waiting for you. The final two turrets are
nearby, atop a hill. You'll be told when you have the Secret Objective.
Fly over the three airships to end the mission.
New Skin Unlocked
2-Player Map Unlocked
Part 5.4 - Death From Above
===========================
+ Primary Objective: Destroy the four creatures that are towing the War
Beast into attack position. Fly into the beast, find
its heart, and destroy it.
+ Secondary Objective: Destroy the War Beast in one pass through its
interior.
+ Secret Objective: Find the hidden portal and enter it.
+ Crystal: Under a tree, left of the War Beast.
Portl
=====
Another Snail-O-Rama. It had to happen sooner or later. Portl the flying pig
leaves a lot to be desired. For starters, he's rather slow. He also doesn't
turn very fast. Low speed and agility. His health and stamina are both just
average, making him a pretty poor combatant. His primary attack is a slow-
moving mud ball. It explodes into an area-affect a short distance away from
him, making this a fairly close-ranged attack. His secondary ability is a
trail of fog he leaves in his wake. Only useful if you're being pursued.
The War Beast
=============
You have two wingmen for this mission, and they will get killed. Our flying
pigs are somewhat outmatched by the opposition. Be aggressive here, or be
dead.
Grab the health and shields, and head to the left of the War Beast. The
fourth Crystal is under a floating tree out here. There's a floating tree,
another one beneath it, and the Crystal between them.
There are two airships in the area, and Oculus and Ulamander will come after
you (after they're finished killing your wingmen). Oculus is annoying. He
likes to hang out just outside your field of view, and Portl doesn't turn
very fast. Do your best to find him and get rid of him. Ulamander is the
more viable threat. He'll come at you with lightning balls and then blast
you with lightning breath. Use Crystal Seekers on these guys whenever you
see them, and pelt them with mud balls.
You have to get pretty close to the creatures that tow the War Beast. They'll
defend themselves with lightning. Hit 'em with mud balls, as the Crystal
Seekers don't seem to lock on to them. Health, shields, and some other
power-ups are over platforms on the left and right sides of the War Beast.
There are also turrets on some of the platforms. Get rid of the turrets with
Crystal Seekers and stoke up on health and armor as much as you can.
When all four of the towing creatures are destroyed, voice-over guy will
tell you to get inside the War Beast. You have to enter through one of his
upper nostrils, but he won't let you in as long as he can see you. Go after
his eyes. He'll shut his eyelids to protect his eyes, but keep firing away.
Voice-over guy will inform you when you're able to get inside. Enter one of
the nostrils and blast the wall to open it. Head down and blast another
wall, then head down and blast a third wall. If you hang out too long, the
War Beast will flush you out the back, and you'll have to go around to the
front again to get inside for another run.
It's difficult to go downward at Portl's lumbering speed, but it's possible
to get through on the first try. Don't use the Power Dive, as you'll gain
speed and ram into a wall. Head down at normal top speed (with X button held
down), and angle yourself toward the opening. Follow an inner tunnel to find
the War Beast's heart. Destroy it and head out through an opening for a win.
New Skin Unlocked
To get the Secret Objective: The portal is inside a structure on the right
side of the War Beast, near the rear. A small opening leads to it. When you
enter this portal, you'll be taken directly to the secret level Evil Forest,
which is covered in the next section of this guide.
Part 5.5 - Evil Forest
======================
+ Primary Objective: Destroy the Containers that hold foul Chrysalis
mutagenic goo to slow down their production of mutant
warriors.
+ Secondary Objective: Eliminate all enemy flyers and ground targets.
+ Secret Objective: None.
+ Crystal: Under a large root south of the main area.
Grab the shields, and kill the Ulamander who comes after you. Advance, grab
more shields, and kill another Ulamander. Look for turrets nearby and get
rid of them. At the fork in the river, head left for some health and
Elemental Protection. Look for more turrets, and an Ulamander. Head east
(the "N" on the radar points left). Look for three shields above a large
root. Head northeast from here. The fifth Crystal is under a large root.
As you near the main area where the Chrysalis production facility is, Kedle
and Krum will come after you. Watch out for Krum's rapid-fire frost balls.
Kedle fires off rapid-fire energy orbs and a wide area-affect poison sphere.
There are also turrets on towers, and balloons above the facility.
Work on clearing out the area, but remember that Portl is a Snail-meister.
Retreat for health and armor as needed. There are lines of health and shields
in the swamp surrounding the facility. There's an Ulamander and a turret
southwest from the main area. You'll have to travel a distance to find them.
You'll be told when you have the Secondary Objective.
Finish up by attacking the large vats near the center of the facility.
New Skin Unlocked (Secret Character Unikrom)
Part 5.6 - All Out War
======================
+ Primary Objective: Eliminate all opposition that you encounter.
+ Secondary Objective: Shoot down all 6 of the Virtwyn airships.
+ Secret Objective: Ensure that at least two of our airships survive this
mission.
+ Crystal: Northwest from starting position.
Wraithslicer
============
The Wimp-fest continues. This skeletal bone dragon has less than average of
everything, making him an even worse choice for a combatant than Portl. He
is slow, he turns incredibly slowly, and he gets tired out rather quickly
(especially when using Crystal Seekers). Wimp-slicer's primary attack is
a slow fireball, but he has a fast rate of fire. He has to lead well ahead
of fast moving targets to hit them, though. His secondary ability is a ring
of fireballs. It travels about as slow as the normal fireballs do, but it's
more damaging. This weapon can't be fired full auto (with the fire button
held down).
The Arena
=========
We've already been here, when Snail-amander confronted the Virtwyn and Pariah
armies. The scenario here is about the same.
The fun is over. Big Bat was cool. The race was fine. Gnaw was loads of
fun. And the flying pig was alright, I suppose. But here is where the
Pariah campaign earns its "Savage" difficulty rating. From here on out, the
going is rough.
To start out with, don't head forward to grab the goodies ahead of you.
Instead, turn right and head out over the dune. Follow a line of shields
next to some ruins, then turn right a bit. Follow a line of health under
some archways. At the end of the line of health is the sixth Crystal.
Up ahead are the Virtwyn airships. Hit them with Crystal Seekers and
fireballs, but be prepared to get tired out. Might be a better idea to just
use fireballs, or perhaps the ring of fire. There are two processions of
three airships each. Some of the airships leave shields or health behind.
There's not much to say about the remainder of this level. With the enemy
airships destroyed, go after the Krums and Ulamanders in the area. Watch out
for Krum's rapid-fire frost balls. They can cause the freeze condition and
slow you down (not to mention, they can also easily cut you down). Ulamander
can also make quick work of the Wimp-meister with his lightning balls and
up-close lightning breath. You'll see what I mean when your wingman gets
killed early on.
Wimp-slicer doesn't have all that much health. Stoke up on health and armor.
Especially armor. If you notice your armor getting whittled down, go and get
some more. This poor guy needs all the help he can get. With full armor,
he'll take less damage from enemy attacks.
Keep an eye on your airships. There are four to start out with, and for some
stupid reason they'll split up as the mission progresses. Two will head out
over the arena while the other two go around it. Try to stay near a group
of airships. They'll help you fight the enemy.
After a while, the Chrysalis champion will arrive on the scene. He's a Kedle,
and he can easily make mince meat out of your guy. When he charges at you
with his rapid-fire energy orbs, don't be in his line of fire. Get out of
there fast, find him, and pelt him with fireballs as he circles around. If
you get in trouble, run! Don't stay and face him. Run like the wimp you are
and get more health.
When the Chrysalis champion has taken sufficient damage, he'll retreat.
Pegasus and frost dragons will come on the scene. Pegasus is annoying with
that trail of dust he leaves behind him. He'll come at you and leave an arc
of dust in the air while he circles around. Frost dragons like to get up
close and slam you with frost breath, which will cause the freeze condition
and slow you down. Find the nearby frost dragon and return the favor with
a ring of fire or two.
When he's ready, the Virtwyn champion will come after you. He's a Zelit,
and he'll tear Wimp-O-Matic to shreds with his firestorm. Just like when
we fought Kedle, don't be in his line of fire. Get out of there, find him,
and lead him with fireballs while he circles around. When he's taken enough
damage, he'll retreat. Look for any remaining flyers and kill them to bring
an end to a difficult mission.
New Skin Unlocked
2-Player Map Unlocked
Part 5.7 - Soul Crystal
=======================
+ Primary Objective: Collect both Soul Crystals and protect the Pyre as it
charges. Return the Crystals when the Pyre has charged
to unleash the wraiths.
+ Secondary Objective: Defile the Chrysalis by bringing down 30 or more of
their flyers.
+ Secret Objective: Kill at least 4 Chrysalis attack ships.
+ Crystal: Northwest from the Pyre.
Krushkor
========
Our Wimp-fest continues. With so many wimps on his team, I have to wonder
why Mortalvis thought he had a chance. Krushkor has great health and stamina,
but he has the agility of a rock. It takes this loser forever to turn around.
He's also slow, slow, slow! Another Snail-asaurus. If he didn't have a great
primary attack, I'd lock him in a dungeon somewhere and throw away the key.
He fires off rapid-fire energy orbs reminiscent of Thao's attack. Unlike
the magnificent Thao, Krushkor's energy orbs travel in a straight line. His
secondary ability is a charge move, just like Yomar's charge. You know, I'd
still lock this wimp away. Thao is a much more competent fighter.
The Pyre
========
We've been here before, when the Chrysalis attacked and destroyed the Pyre.
Now Krushkor has to keep it in one piece long enough for it to charge up and
send out the wraiths. No easy task for Wimp-O-Rama.
Grab the health and mines, and head into the cave under the structure. Grab
some shields and the first Soul Crystal. Get outside, turn around, and
Super Flap. Flap, flap, flap! Get up to the top, blast a window there, and
get inside, grabbing a shield and the second Soul Crystal.
Now we have to stay alive, make 30 flyer kills, and take down four airships
while the Pyre charges up. But first, the Crystal. Head northwest from the
Pyre (turn so that the "N" on the radar points up and to the right). The
Crystal is hidden a long ways away from the Pyre. Keep going until you reach
swampland. The seventh Crystal is under a pipe out there. Look for it.
Kedles, Ulamanders, and Thaos are attacking the Pyre. Remember how easily
Thao killed those demons during his mission? The situation is reversed here.
You're the wimpy demon, and Thao is the enemy. You should be familiar with
Kedle and Ulamander by now. Thao fires off rapid-fire energy orbs, just like
Krushkor does. This makes him a deadly opponent. Come to think of it,
Ulamander and Kedle are deadly as well.
I have to say, whoever designed this Pyre is an idiot. I'd say that to his
face. He is a total loser. The structure the Pyre is in has four gaping
openings through which flyers can come in. It's also tall. Flyers can easily
hide above or below you while you try in vain to engage them. And whose idea
was it to put those Soul Crystals in vulnerable positions anyway? Didn't
anyone have the presence of mind to seal up that cave or block off the upper
window so that no one can get to the crystals?
I digress. Mortalvis is a complete idiot, and then some. Let's acknowledge
and move on. Try your best to get rid of as many flyers as possible.
Krushkor's primary attack can make quick work of them while outside, but
navigating inside the structure is almost impossible. If you stay outside,
some of the flyers will just hang out inside and keep pounding on the Pyre.
Those Ulamanders and Thaos move fast while inside, zipping around and getting
around your fire. Some of the flyers are more interested in going after the
Pyre than you, which makes this rather difficult. You have to chase them
around, in and out and around the structure. Retreat for health if you get
in trouble. There's health over the lava flow that encircles the structure.
Keep moving and looking for flyers, and try to circle around the structure
when you can. Eventually, some airships will show up, one at a time. Get
rid of them fast when they come on the scene, or they will line up right
outside the Pyre and pound on it.
The countdown will probably end before you've accomplished the Secondary and
Secret Objectives. If the Pyre can take a bit more damage, ignore voice-over
guy when he complains that the ritual can't be completed without the Soul
Crystals. Whine, whine whine. I know you need the Soul Crystals. Now shut
up and let me complete these objectives. Oh, and by all means keep yourself
healthy. If you take too much damage, you might lose one of the Soul
Crystals. It'll be floating in the air nearby, but you'll likely get killed
if you take enough damage to lose it in the first place. Keep nailing flyers.
Engage them outside in the open if you can. Eventually, the fourth airship
will make an appearance. The moment you have both the Secondary and Secret
Objectives, get up to the top and put the second Soul Crystal back where you
found it. Quickly drop down into the cave to replace the first Soul Crystal.
I suggest hiding in the cave until the mission ends. It's a cowardly thing
to do, but it's better than going back out there and getting killed.
New Skin Unlocked
Game Variant Unlocked
Part 5.8 - Army Of One
======================
+ Primary Objective: Move in slowly while picking off the Hive's guards with
your Decimator. Defeat the Chrysalis champion and
destroy the Hive.
+ Secondary Objective: Destroy at least 20 Chrysalis ground turrets.
+ Secret Objective: Complete the mission in under 8 minutes.
+ Crystal: Atop a tall tree east of the Hive.
Gormag
======
We've aleady met this Wimp-meister. See "Road Rage" for info about him.
The Hive
========
This is just rude. No, it's beyond rude. It's downright insane. At the
beginning of this campaign, we were told that "Mortalvis has no tolerance
for failure." Well, he apparently has no tolerance for success either.
C'mon, Morty, what's it gonna be? You can't have your cake and eat it too.
Would you rather that I'd let you down during all those previous missions?
You know what? Screw Mortalvis. That's it, I'm joining up with the
Chrysalis. If they won't have me, I'll join up with the Virtwyn. Too bad
this game doesn't offer such an option.
I'm serious. If this story had an iota of realism to it, our hero and his
Gormag would unfurl the white flag and turn traitor on the Pariah. No one
in his right mind would put up with this kind of treatment. We have captured
both Soul Crystals for Mortalvis, we won his race, we stopped the Chrysalis
war beast, we dealt with enemy advancements, and we defended his badly
constructed Pyre. And now he wants us dead? Enough is enough. Mortalvis is
a total loser, and then some. In fact, this idiot gives losers a bad name.
I'd take my Gormag right into his volcanic lair and kill him before I'd
accept this mission.
Anyway... Sigh... Okay, let's deal with this idiotic situation.
You will have to use the Decimator throughout this level. To use it, press
the circle button to enter "sniper mode". The target crosshair will turn
red when a target is properly lined up. Use the L1 button to fire. Your
Decimator ammo is displayed under the Waypoint Arrow. Press the circle
button to exit "sniper mode" and get back to flying mode.
Grab the power-ups and the Decimator atop the tower, and land on top of the
nearby tree. Three waves of enemies will soon be coming after you. Look for
the sparkly trails left by the flyers as they approach. Use the Decimator
to zoom in for precision shooting. One hit will kill a flyer. There are
three Oculuses approaching from the west. Deal with them and turn right a
bit. Look for three Ulamanders. Then turn to look behind you, where two
Oculuses and an Ulamander are coming in.
If you can't nail them before they get to striking distance, the mission is
pretty much over. Gormag is an Uber-wimp. There's no way he can compete
with a bunch of guys who are coming after him all at once. Practice your
sniping until you can nail all nine guys at range.
Voice-over guy will tell you to move on. Follow the Waypoint Arrow, grabbing
health and shields as you head toward a tower with another Decimator. When
you're at full health, don't grab any more health power-ups. Save 'em for
later. You'll be needing them.
At the tower with the Decimator, head north and land on top of a tree.
Voice-over guy is telling you to stand your ground here. Two manta rays and
an Ulamander will come in from the north. Turn to your right and look to the
left of some roots for two Ulamanders and a manta ray. There are some more
circling around the Hive. Only hit those who are coming after you. If you
attract the attention of those who are circling the Hive, they'll come after
you as well. Turn right a bit. Two more Ulamanders and a manta ray are
coming out to greet you.
When the coast is clear, voice-over guy will tell you to move on. Follow
the Waypoint Arrow to another tower with a Decimator. Quickly land on a
nearby tree and look east. There's much less time to prepare between waves
of enemies here. There are three coming in from the east. Try to get them
from a good distance away if you can. Look to your right. Three more are
coming in. Look back left for two more. I always get overwhelmed here.
I'm not sure where the last two manta rays come from. Get back to flying
mode, take off, and use your red laser on them before they kill you. Use
Crystal Seekers as well.
When the coast is clear, voice-over guy will tell you that it's time to press
an attack. Follow the Waypoint Arrow to another tower with a Decimator.
There's another one nearby. There are a couple turrets in firing range. Get
rid of them with your laser. Now turn and face the Hive. There are four or
five Ulamanders circling around it. When you use the Decimator to kill one
of them, the others will immediately come after you. Kill as many as you
can with the Decimator. When they get close, get back to flying mode
quickly. You'll have to take them on with Crystal Seekers and your laser.
When the coast is clear, target the Hive's anchors where they connect to the
top of the Hive. One hit from the Decimator will take out an anchor. There
is an airship above a river that will take off to engage you. Three hits
from the Decimator will destroy it. Get fully healthy, and get full armor
if you can.
When you take out the last vine, the Chrysalis champion will come on the
scene. Use the Waypoint Arrow to find him, target him with the Decimator,
and get rid of him. It should take about three hits. If he gets close
enough to fire on you, it's probably over. If you already scored a couple
hits with the Decimator, you may be able to finish him with Crystal Seekers
and your laser. But he's also firing Crystal Seekers, and his other weapons
are far more powerful.
Look for the eighth Crystal atop a high tree to the east of the Hive, then
hit the Hive with the Decimator to bring this loser-fest to an end.
To get the Secondary and Secret Objectives: Play the mission with Unikrom.
He's tough and can hold his own in a fight if need be. Follow the
walkthrough and get rid of each wave fast. Unikrom can engage the Ulamanders
who are circling around the Hive and easily get rid of them. Ignore the
turrets and get rid of the anchors fast. Then dispatch the champion and Hive
with the Decimator for a quick win in under 8 minutes. For the Secondary
Objective, just take your time destroying turrets before you take out the
anchors.
Game Variant Unlocked
New Movie Unlocked
Part 5.9 - Cold Blooded
=======================
+ Primary Objective: Destroy the Defense Towers that protect the Virtwyn
from the wraiths. Eliminate all the Virtwyn warriors!
+ Secondary Objective: Destroy the Virtwyn villages.
+ Secret Objective: None.
+ Crystal: Atop the castle's highest tower.
Pytt
====
And so, our Wimp-fest comes to a disappointing end. One would think that this
guy would be awesome. Every time we've seen him until now, he's been a big
bully. Well, only when the computer plays him. Pytt the big black dragon is
our final Snail-meister. Yep, he's pretty slow. He's also lacking in
agility and stamina. He doesn't turn very fast, and you'll find him quickly
growing tired. His primary weapon is a close-range napalm breath. It can
make quick work of enemies, but first Pytt has to get close. His secondary
ability is a wide area-affect fire wave. Useful for covering your tracks
while you run for health. Pytt's most glaring weakness is that he doesn't
have a long-range attack.
The Virtwyn Capitol
===================
The capitol is defended by Pegasus and frost dragons, the latter of which
will slam our guy with frost breath to slow him down even further. You have
a wingman here. He'll defend the Pariah portal from attacks.
Turn right and head out. The first village is in a valley up ahead. There
are also two frost dragons here. To destroy the village, you have to set
every building on fire with your napalm. Head over the nearby bridge for
some health and the second village. Spread the napalm around. When both
villages are sufficiently demolished, you'll be told that you have the
Secondary Objective.
Surrounding the castle are defense towers that have turrets on them. Between
the Pegasus, frost dragons, and turrets, I found Pytt taking a lot of
damage. Sometimes it was a challenge just to stay alive. I really missed
the benefit of a long-range attack here. Any creature with a long-range
attack could make quick work of the defense towers from a safe distance. As
it stands, wimpy Pytt has to advance through a hail of turret fire before he
can start damaging them.
To safely destroy a tower, get under the platform while pelting it with
napalm. The turrets can't hit you while you're under the platform. When you
destroy the first tower, the rest will start moving to seal up the gap in
their defenses that you just created.
There is a large shield, Mega Health, and the final Crystal atop the castle's
highest tower. There's also a large shield inside at ground level. More
health and shields are scattered about at the smaller towers around the
castle (follow the bridges to find them).
Get rid of more towers, and use your secondary ability when surrounded by
enemy flyers. When there are a couple towers left, the Virtwyn champion will
come out and assault the Pariah portal. Follow the Waypoint Arrow to find
him, and go after him. There's not much to say here. Pelt him with napalm.
When he's dust, go back and finish off the last of the towers, then finish
off any remaining flyers for a win.
Congratulations! The wimpy Pariah have demolished their enemies and emerged
the victors! Now, to find that idiot Mortalvis and put him out of my
misery....
New Skin Unlocked
Part 6.0 - Secret Characters
============================
Griffon
=======
This guy is a Snail-meister, but he has some great attacks. His primary
attack is rapid-fire energy orbs (just like Thao's). His secondary ability
is a wide area-affect light wave.
Miraur
======
This guy is a six-legged horse with green wings. He's another Snail, and he
also has low stamina. To add insult to injury, his attacks aren't very
thrilling. For a primary attack, he fires off a trio of slow moving energy
orbs. He also has a slow rate of fire. His secondary ability is a charge
move (just like Yomar's charge).
Unikrom
=======
This blue dragon is kind of slow, and he's also lacking in stamina. His
primary attack is a rapid fireball with a fast rate of fire (when you get the
Rapid Fire power-up, he really tosses out the fireballs!). His secondary
ability is a slow-moving firestorm, just like Zelit's.
Part 7.0 - Beastiary
====================
Here are all of the creatures. Each is ranked for Speed, Agility, Stamina,
Health, weapons, and abilities.
(B): Creature can Barrel Roll
(L): Creature can Super Loop
Name Speed Agility Stamina Health Attacks Rating
==============================================================================
Roc (BL) Very Fast Awesome Low Very Low Decent Wimp
Yomar (BL) Very Fast Awesome Low Low Awful Wimp
Barg (BL) Good Awesome Good Decent Great Cool Dude
Pegasus (L) Good Awful Awful Great Bad Dork
Rohn (L) Good Good Good Good Great Cool Dude
Freband (L) Good Good Low Good Good Cool Dude
Zelit (B) Snail Good Good Awesome Bad Dork
Griffon (L) Slow Great Good Awesome Awesome Cool Dude
Rohn's Frost Breath causes the Freeze condition.
Rohn is immune to Freeze.
Freband's area-affect sphere heals allies.
Zelit's Firestorm sets targets on fire.
Zelit cannot be set on fire.
Name Speed Agility Stamina Health Attacks Rating
==============================================================================
Oculus (BL) Very Fast Awesome Awesome Very Low Great Cool Dude
Mantou (BL) Fast Great Low Low Awesome Cool Dude
Krum (BL) Fast Great Low Good Bad Wimp
Sidd (BL) Fast Awesome Low Low Bad Wimp
Ulamander (L) Snail Great Good Great Decent Dork
Thao (BL) Good Good Decent Good Awesome Cool Dude
Kedle Snail Awful Great Awesome Awesome Nerd
Miraur (L) Slow Good Low Awesome Bad Dork
Oculus's Poison Ring poisons enemies.
Oculus cannot be poisoned.
Krum's rapid-fire Frost Balls freeze enemies.
Thao's poison fog poisons enemies.
Thao cannot be poisoned.
Name Speed Agility Stamina Health Attacks Rating
==============================================================================
Gormag (BL) Slow Awesome Low Very Low Decent Loser
Warloth (BL) Fast Awesome Low Low Good Wimp
Gnaw (BL) Good Good Good Good Awesome Cool Dude
Portl Snail Awful Great Great Awful Moron
Wraithslicer(BL) Snail Awful Awful Low Decent Wimp
Krushkor Snail Terrible Great Great Awesome Dork
Pytt (BL) Snail Awful Low Awesome Bad Loser
Unikrom (L) Slow Great Low Awesome Decent Moron
Warloth's Vampiric Bite heals him the damage done.
Gnaw's Barf Breath poisons enemies.
Gnaw cannot be poisoned.
Wraithslicer's fireballs set enemies on fire.
Wraithslicer cannot be set on fire.
Pytt's napalm breath sets enemies on fire.
Pytt cannot be set on fire.
Part 8.0 - Afterthoughts
========================
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