-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=- Berserk -=- FAQ/General Walkthrough/Guide Version 1.00 BY Masamune167 Name of Game: Berserk: The Millennium Falcon (NTSC-JPN) Platform: PlayStation2 Entertainment System Began: 3rd May 2005 Last Update: 20th May 2005 Created With: MS Word, Metapad Specifics: Courier New, Font Size 10, 79 Characters/Line Encoding: Western European (ISO)/(American) Author: <{Masamune167[at]yahoo[dot]com}> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i. Table of Contents BXXXX ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 01. Version Updates --------------------------------------------------- B0001 02. Legal Disclaimer -------------------------------------------------- B0002 03. Introduction ------------------------------------------------------ B0003 04. Frequently Asked Questions ---------------------------------------- B0004 05. Controls/Manipulation --------------------------------------------- B1000 06. Characters/Game Prologue ------------------------------------------ B2000 07. Game Mechanics ---------------------------------------------------- B3000 07.a) Secondary Weapons ------------------------------------------- B3100 07.b) Spells ------------------------------------------------------ B3200 07.c) Gauges/Counters --------------------------------------------- B3300 07.d) Experience Gain --------------------------------------------- B3400 07.e) Skills ------------------------------------------------------ B3500 07.f) Spriggans --------------------------------------------------- B3600 08. Walkthrough ------------------------------------------------------- B4000 08.a) Chapter 1a: Winter's Journey -------------------------------- B4100 08.b) Chapter 1b: The Clashing of Minds --------------------------- B4200 08.c) Chapter 2: A Meeting in the Forest -------------------------- B4300 08.d) Chapter 3: Flora's Manor ------------------------------------ B4400 08.e) Chapter 4: Inoch Village ------------------------------------ B4500 08.f) Chapter 5a: Qliphoth ---------------------------------------- B4600 08.g) Chapter 5b: Near the Yellow Spring -------------------------- B4700 08.h) Chapter 6: The Ascension of Flame --------------------------- B4800 09. Unlockables/Secrets ----------------------------------------------- B5000 10. 100-Animal Murder Mode -------------------------------------------- B6000 11. Boss Rush Mode ---------------------------------------------------- B7000 12. The War Machine --------------------------------------------------- B8000 13. Credits ----------------------------------------------------------- B9999 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 01. Version Updates B0001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MM/DD/YY - /*Description*/ 05/20/05 - Walkthrough and guide complete. 05/12/05 - ~50% complete. 05/11/05 - Guide approximately half done, many sections complete. 05/03/05 - Guide started. Version 0.01 - Began guide and preliminary work for it. Version 0.45 - Walkthrough started. Version 0.50 - More work on extraneous sections. Version 1.00 - Guide completed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 02. Legal Disclaimer B0002 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This disclaimer is to be regarded as part of the Internet publication which you are currently viewing. If sections or individual terms of this statement are not legal or correct, the content or validity of the other parts remain uninfluenced by this fact. This game, Berserk: The Millennium Falcon, is copyrighted (c) by Sammy Studios. Licensed by Sony Corporation of Japan for use with the PlayStation2 game console. PlayStation2 is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Neither Sony nor Sammy Studios endorses this guide in any way or by any means. Liability claims regarding damage caused by the use of any information provided, including any kind of information which is incomplete or incorrect, will therefore be rejected. All offers are non-binding and without obligation. Parts of the pages or the complete publication including all offers and information might be extended, changed or partly or completely deleted by the author without separate announcement. The document before you is property of "Masamune167." This document aims to aid one in his or her understanding and general competency of the game Berserk: The Millennium Falcon. Reproduction of this document without my explicit consent is prohibited. Webmasters of a site that wishes to use this document may do so pending my authorization via email. If permission is granted, the document must be posted verbatim with no changes made to the document itself. Fan-based websites will also require similar authorization. The following websites have the authorization to post this document: - http://www.gameFAQs.com - http://www.gamespot.com - http://deepu.eroding.com - http://www.neoseeker.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 03. Introduction B0003 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ber·serk (b&r-s&rk', -z&rk', -b&); berserk, berserkly (adverb). 01: an ancient Scandinavian warrior frenzied in battle and held to be invulnerable; noun. 02: destructively or frenetically violent; adj. Firstly, I would like to mention that this guide will NOT provide a literal nor line-by-line translation of this game into any language. Please do not email me regarding this as I will not reply to any such requests. Until the game is formally localized into your language, your best source of information lies within the Berserk manga. The manga, while in Japanese, has some official English versions that are sold worldwide, likewise they are also sold in Japanese. Some translation groups, most notably The Hawks, have translated the manga in a professional but unofficial manner. These "scanlations" can be obtained relatively easily, but, again, do not email or contact me regarding the whereabouts of said "scanlations" as I will be unresponsive. Secondly, as of today (May 3rd, 2005) there has not been any localization attempt nor any information regarding any near-future attempts for this game. The result of this is that you must be able to play a Japanese-encoded game in order for it to work properly or function at all. Methods of achieving this include but are not limited to: purchase of Japanese Playstation2, purchase and installation of some form of circuit modification unit (modchip) that allows the usage of imported games, the usage of a disk swapping method to coax the Playstation2 into playing foreign DVDs that are normally unsupported, or the usage of a storage device (such as a hard drive) to circumvent region checks. All of those solutions assume ideal working conditions for all materials involved. Once again, please do not email me regarding the whereabouts or methods of obtaining these solutions as I will again be unresponsive. Thirdly, I will occasionally summarize the story elements to help readers understand what has happened in the game. Please note that these can be SPOILERS for the anime and the manga. No spoilers are present for anything after Volume 27 of the manga. The Playstation2 game adaptation of the manga series Berserk is a hack- and-slash action game of the highest regard. Fans of the manga, or the titular anime, will be amongst the most supportive tenants for this game. Therefore, I _strongly_ recommend at least a cursory knowledge of the manga or anime if you intend to enjoy this game. I assume that most readers are not well enough versed in Japanese such that they are able to understand what is happening. While I will NOT provide a translation, I will, at times, give a brief summary of events, but this is no more information than is provided in the manga. This document aims to provide aid to those who seek it. Questions and comments, with regard to the above conditions, can be emailed to the address at the top of the document. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 04. Frequently Asked Questions B0004 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Assembled below are questions either posed to me by email or questions I felt would be best if answered preemptively. 001) Does this game work with US Playstation2's? A: Yes, but if and only if you use a disk swapping method, modchip, or storage device. If these solutions really work, then yes it is possible for the game to work. I will not entertain questions regarding these methods. 002) Is this game in English/Spanish/French/Russian/Gaelic/Sanskrit/Latin/etc? A: As of [May 3rd, 2005] the game is only in Japanese and Korean. No localizations are said to be forthcoming. 003) How large is Gatsu's sword (Dragonslayer)? A: I approximate the sword, with handle, to be around seven feet tall, roughly 1.5 feet wide, and four inches thick at its thickest point. It is made of Iron (Fe), Atomic Number: 26, Atomic weight: 55.845 amu. Iron nuclei are said to be very stable, but is historically combined with carbon or alloyed with other metals. Pure iron is very susceptible to corrosion in humidity and has moderate magnetic properties. I would estimate the weight of Dragonslayer to be in the range of 210 - 295 pounds (95.2544 - 133.8097 kg). These are NOT official or to be taken at face value, they are simply my educated guesses. To put that into perspective, a typical Scottish claymore is about 50 inches long while weighing around 7 - 11 pounds. Even the largest swords ever made to be handled by one person never exceeded 20 pounds. 004) What are they saying in the introduction music for the game? A: I honestly have no idea, beyond that I believe "berserk" is chanted a few times, I'm not even sure what language, if it is an actual language, is sung. It is possible that the lyrics are in Japanese, but if this is the case then it is distorted beyond mortal recognition since I am unable to understand even five percent of it. 005) Why does Puck lack genitalia, and what is he/she/it anyway? A: Puck is a male elf from the island of Elfhelm. I don't understand what advantage is to be had by adorning him with visible genitals. I assume it was in the direction of unnecessary realism for fantasy characters. Also of note is that Elves in the Berserk world simply to not possess genitalia, since they are magical creatures, sexual reproduction is not a requirement. It should be said, then, that Puck possesses male qualities, and Evarella possesses female qualities. These qualities are obviously within a human's frame of reference. 006) Who is the author/illustrator/creator of Berserk? A: The artist, author, and writer is a man named Kentarou Miura. 007) How is Berserk serialized? A: Berserk was originally serialized in "Animal House" and then switched to its current position in "Young Animal," a publication depicting manga and spreads of nude and non-nude Japanese women. It is a semi-monthly serialization (roughly 2 times a month). About once or twice per year, a new volume of the manga is released containing less than a dozen episodes. Dark Horse Comics publishes the localized rendition of Berserk for English-speaking audiences. 008) Who composed the music in Berserk (the anime and the game)? A: Two of the game tracks, the opening and ending songs, "Sign" and "Sign 2" as well as the anime soundtrack was composed by a man known as Hirasawa Susumu. He also composed most of the music for "Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage," the Dreamcast game about Berserk. 009) Is there a New Game+ feature? (Do stats earned in one game carry to next?) A: Yes. A new game made after completing the game at least once will inherit the data from the previous game. However, data is only carried over if the new game is on the same difficulty setting as the old one. Data will not carry over to different difficulty settings. 010) Why are you not using the "normal" romaji for Berserk character names? A: I chose not to because there is no sense in using romaji when you are able to legitimately not use them, especially outside of Japan. Therefore, you will not see "Gattsu", "Pakku", "Kyasuka", et alia in this document. The spacing and pronunciation inherent in the romaji is pointless for English speakers. Unless you are attempting to sound Japanese outside of Japan, you will find it awkward to fit authentic Japanese pronunciations in with normal English since the flow of words is very dynamic and often contrasting. This is not to say that it cannot be done, but it is not something that I would assume is common for most bilingual people. Generally, either the English sounds Japanese or vice versa if the words are being mixed. 011) What is that odd hourglass-esque symbol that appears randomly and is on the back of Gatsu's neck? A: It is called the "Brand of the Sacrifice" or the "Sacrifice Brand." It marks him, and anyone with it for that matter, as a sacrifice in a ceremony that is explained in the manga and anime. The result of having the Brand is that otherworldly demons constantly seek his blood and flesh since they are drawn to him, hence his habitual and constant fighting. The Brand bleeds and/or causes pain when there are demons nearby, a sort of "sixth sense" that alerts Gatsu and others of danger. The bleeding and pain is directly proportional to the power of the evil force that is nearby, e.g. light pain for weak evil and severe pain for strong evil. If it appears on the health sphere, pressing Triangle at that time will execute a special attack or fatality. 012) Who are Gatsu's biological parents? A: As far as the manga and anime are concerned, this is not at all known nor are there any hints as to who they could be. There are wild speculations from everyone, from Zodd to the Skull Knight, all of which are purely speculative and have no basis in official canon. The answer is not known to the general reading public. His foster-parents were Siss and Gambino, both of which are in the manga, but they are NOT his biological parents. [Further entries will be added as necessary.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 05. Controls/Manipulation B1000 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Combat Controls 101 Since the game is originally in Japanese, a section explaining the controls for the game would be quite useful. This will cover battle and combat controls. [-------------------+---------------------------------------+-------] [ Control | Description of action | Code ] [-------------------+---------------------------------------+-------] [ Left Analog Stick | Movement in direction of stick | B1001 ] [ Square | Normal sword slash; can be comboed | B1002 ] [ X | Guard; counter; reversal strike | B1003 ] [ Triangle | Power slash; special attack; fatality | B1004 ] [ Circle | Dash | B1005 ] [ L1 | Secondary weapon menu | B1006 ] [ L2 | Allies' spells menu | B1007 ] [ R1 | Strafe; lock-on | B1008 ] [ R2 | Berserk Mode Trigger | B1009 ] [ Start | Skip scene; Pause | B1010 ] [-------------------+---------------------------------------+-------] _________________ /Left Analog Stick\___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B1001 The left analog stick controls Gatsu's movement. This functions just as it does in any other game where the left analog stick controls player movement in the indicated direction. The Analog option is available as well, but is not required to be turned on. Note that you are able to move Gatsu during special attacks and Berserk mode, so you will be able to better aim your attacks in this manner. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _________________ / Square \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B1002 Produces a sword slash. This is considered a "normal" sword slash dealing "normal" damage. The button can be pressed repeatedly to execute combo attacks. This is especially apparently if you are in a weapon-lock with a Boss. Mashing square repeatedly at that time will have you win the lock. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _________________ / X \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B1003 The X or "cross" button is the Guard function. The guard is not an omnidirectional block, meaning it will not work in any direction. Gatsu must be facing the enemy that he is meant to block against. If the button is pressed AS Gatsu receives damage, you will execute a "Reversal Strike." However, if the button is pressed JUST PRIOR to an attack (similar to Issen timing in the famous Onimusha series), you will produce a "Counter Attack." This can be performed on normal enemies and all boss enemies. If the button is pressed repeatedly while Gatsu is recovering or tumbling, the rate of recovery is increased. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _________________ / Triangle \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B1004 Performs a slow, but heavy-damage sword swing. The attack can be charged (hold the button and then release after t seconds). When the Sacrifice Brand appears on the health sphere, if triangle is pressed then Gatsu will perform a special attack or fatality move. This will generally cause heavy damage to bosses and fatally damage normal enemies (killing them instantly). These special attacks also charge the Rage meter much faster than normal kills. The charged move will cause Gatsu to have to recover from the angular momentum of spinning around with a huge slab of iron, so keep that in mind. The quick-release, or "normal pressed", version is a slower, stronger slash than the one produced by the square button. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _________________ / Circle \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B1005 Causes Gatsu to dash, left shoulder forward and dragging his weapon, in the direction of the left analog stick or in the direction he is currently facing. Gatsu can perform up to three consecutive dashes before tiring. You can, and ought to, sequence dashing with square or triangle attacks. These attacks will change as Gatsu's levels increase, specifically in Sword Proficiency. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _________________ / L1 \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B1006 If the button is tapped, it will show the current status of secondary weapons. If the button is held down, you can choose a secondary weapon to use by pressing, and sometimes holding, the appropriate button. This will require a combination of L1 and square, X, triangle, or circle. The regular functions of the combined buttons will not occur, but rather a secondary weapon will be used. L1 + Square = Automatic Crossbow L1 + Triangle = Left-arm Cannon L1 + Circle = Throwing Knives L1 + X = Throwable timed bombs (essentially crude grenades) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _________________ / L2 \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B1007 If the button is tapped, it will show the current status of ally summon magic. Like L1, if the button is held and combined with square, X, triangle, or circle, the appropriate spell will be cast. Often, certain spells will become unavailable, however Puck's "Fairy Dust" healing spell will always be present, except in "100-Animal Murder Mode." L2 + Square = Binds enemy movement; stops enemies L2 + Triangle = Defense increases temporarily L2 + Circle = Fire attack in a radius around Gatsu L2 + X = Healing; HP recovery ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _________________ / R1 \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B1008 During battles with normal enemies, this will allow you to strafe. With higher "Sword Mastery" Gatsu can perform strafing combos. During boss encounters, R1 will lock-on to the boss, allowing you to counterattack and also see your enemy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _________________ / R2 \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B1009 This launches Gatsu into his namesake "Berserker Mode" essentially a very powerful bloodlust, not unlike Devil Mode in the famous Devil May Cry series. Gatsu will attack with increased speed and deal increased damage while the screen turns red. He also develops a stagger-guard to small projectiles (but will still receive damage) and is more resistant to staggering and stunning from most attacks. The gauge for Berserker Mode is to the immediate right of the health sphere, and is refilled by killing enemies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _________________ / Start \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B1010 Pressing start during cutscenes will skip them. If it is pressed during the game, it will PAUSE the game and show some options and information. The map is displayed to the left. Notice the blinking orange square. It marks the ending destination for the current stage, going there will end the stage. Gatsu's total accrued experience is the number on the right. I believe the other options are quite self-explanatory and in English. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 06. Characters/Game Prologue B2000 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For the readers that are unfamiliar with the characters in the game, this section will provide brief overviews of characters and their roles in the game. Note there are incredibly HUGE SPOILERS if you do not know this material(anime and manga through Volume 27). Please understand that this is by no means a substitute for the manga or anime nor is it exhaustive, it is merely an overview to be used for those that need a refresher course or for those that do not intend to pursue the Berserk story formally and want a crash-course before the game proper. SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS [======================================] [ Gatsu ........................ B2001 ] [ Griffith ..................... B2002 ] [ Casca ........................ B2003 ] [ Puck ......................... B2004 ] [ Band of the Hawk ............. B2005 ] [ The Godhands ................. B2006 ] [ The Skull Knight ............. B2007 ] [ Apostles ..................... B2008 ] [ Nosferatu Zodd ............... B2009 ] [ Charles ...................... B2010 ] [ Isidro ....................... B2011 ] [ Farnese ...................... B2012 ] [ Serpico ...................... B2013 ] [ Flora ........................ B2014 ] [ Schierke ..................... B2015 ] [ Evarella ..................... B2016 ] [ Game Prologue ................ B2017 ] [======================================] SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS +----------------------+ | Gatsu | =============================================== B2001 +----------------------+ Gatsu is the protagonist of the game, and the protagonist of the anime and manga as well. Known as the "Black Swordsman" doomed with the Sacrifice Brand, he seeks to create a future for himself that is independent of his supposed destiny to be sacrificed for Griffith's aspirations. His life is a precarious one, constantly teetering between chaos and peace. After a difficult and trying childhood as a mercenary, he became a tremendously skilled fighter and able to wield weapons that most men could barely lift. Gatsu is dressed in thick, black armor and is armed with an array of weaponry. Adorned with a tattered black cape, he towers above most men with his exceptional height and muscular build. He wields by default the massive and powerful Dragonslayer. A sword made of solid iron and forged by the Master Blacksmith Godo. After having killed so many beings of the higher astral plane, the sword has become tainted and is a true demon-killing weapon. A potent cannon replaces his left arm beyond the elbow, with a metal hand to cover the nozzle, and he is blind in his right eye, both of which are constant reminders of his past. His left arm and right eye were both destroyed during the Eclipse in which Griffith became the fifth Godhand, Femto. Gatsu is in love with Casca, who is now in no position to remember anything about him. Under absolutely any circumstance he will protect Casca, who is also marked with the Sacrifice Brand. +----------------------+ | Griffith | =============================================== B2002 +----------------------+ As the antagonist of the story, Griffith plays a pivotal and important role. Griffith and Gatsu's first meeting together changed both of their lives drastically. His ultimate aspiration is to become a force of change in the world, one that has nearly insurmountable control and ability. To further his dream, he created the Band of the Hawk, a mercenary group that, with Gatsu's aid, rose to great fame. The acquisition of his desires seemed inevitable until Gatsu's decision to leave the troop which caused a great and permanent schism between the two. Griffith, while in his human form, is a handsome man of average height with a lean build. His flowing silver hair and brilliantly penetrating eyes are his most striking features aside from his general attractiveness. Sporting a hawk motif in his silver armor, he sometimes wears a helmet that somewhat resembles a hawk beak and uses a slim rapier/epee as his primary weapon. +----------------------+ | Casca | =============================================== B2003 +----------------------+ As the only female member of the Band of the Hawk, she never lets her weaknesses show. She is exceptionally strong-willed and driven to be by Griffith's side since he saved her at a young age. Gatsu and Casca's relationship began as one of hatred and turned into one of love later in the story. She initially hated Gatsu because he caused Griffith to change, but this changed later through the course of many events. However, their romantic relationship was short-lived. During the Eclipse, Casca was driven to insanity and afterwards only her physical shell remained. She had no ability to coherently understand complicated concepts, and is essentially mute after the Eclipse. Gatsu is still compelled to be there for her despite the fact that she does not indicate any knowledge of his identity. Casca, despite her aggressive nature, is a beautiful woman of average height with short black hair and a mocha-colored complexion. She, pre- Eclipse, wore light armor and wielded a small one-handed sword. Post-Eclipse, she mostly wears a brown robe and has long black hair. She is unable to fight intelligently or really understand what is going on around her. +----------------------+ | Puck | =============================================== B2004 +----------------------+ A male elf from the Elfin island of Elfhelm, he befriended Gatsu after he was saved by Gatsu and mistakenly thought it to be sincere. Upon seeing Gatsu's great power and presence, he decides to be his partner in all endeavors. He is a small fairy-like elf with blue-green hair and blue eyes. His role in the game is as a support character and most likely the most important one. His "Fairy Dust" ability heals Gatsu's wounds, allowing him to live longer. One can clearly see the uses of this skill. +----------------------+ | Band of the Hawk | =============================================== B2005 +----------------------+ A mercenary group assembled by Griffith and formed from a hodgepodge of people and cultures. Slowly, they rose to a position of great fame with Griffith as their leader and Gatsu as the Raider Captain. The notable characters within the group other than the major characters are: Pippin, Judeau, Rickert, and Corkus. Rickert is the youngest of the Hawks and is not present during the Eclipse in which all the Hawks are slain. Pippin is a very large and bulky man who wields a pick or ball-and-chain. Corkus is a sarcastic, cynical man of average height and black hair. He distrusts Gatsu and constantly mocks and prods him. Judeau is a young man of below-average height with blonde hair that specializes in knife throwing. He is partly responsible for Casca and Gatsu's romantic relationship and is generally a moderator and tactician for the Hawks. All of them are killed during the Eclipse except Gatsu, Casca, and Rickert. +----------------------+ | The Godhands | =============================================== B2006 +----------------------+ The Godhands are the vessels through which the god Idea is able to exercise manipulation of the physical realm. While the Godhands themselves rarely descend to the physical plane, they do so whenever a Beherit is awakened. Their role is very pivotal to the story, but it beyond the scope of this document. What is necessary to know is that there are 4 Godhands before the ascension of Griffith as the 5th Godhand, Femto: Conrad, Ubik, Slan, and Void. Slan is the only female of the group, and Void is the oldest and considered the leader. Void branded the Hawks including Gatsu and Casca during the Eclipse. For the purposes of this document, their description will end here as any further development will launch into a very complicated debacle that is best explained by the manga. Note that Godhands are NOT human, they can only reincarnate in a human form once every 1000 years. +----------------------+ | The Skull Knight | =============================================== B2007 +----------------------+ A character heavy in mystery and intrigue, he is an ancient being that opposes the Godhand for a yet undisclosed motive. He has aided Gatsu numerous times in the story and has fighting skills equal to or greater than those of Nosferatu Zodd. Feared by Apostles, he rides his ghastly steed and wields a powerful and cruel-looking bastard sword. Appearing to have no skin nor muscles, yet can wear heavy armor and speak human languages, he appears in the story to save Gatsu from otherwise fatal ends. It would seem that the bone warrior has a personal relationship with the aged witch, Flora. +----------------------+ | Apostles | =============================================== B2008 +----------------------+ Apostles are those who were chosen by the Beherit and thereafter sacrificed that which they held dearest to obtain their greatest desire. They are the servants of the Godhand who are the servants of the god Idea. Gatsu continually fights the often powerful Apostles during the course of the story. Due to their demonic nature, Apostles often have a somewhat normal appearance and also a transformed, demonic form that is considerably stronger. +----------------------+ | Nosferatu Zodd | =============================================== B2009 +----------------------+ Otherwise called "Zodd," he is an extremely powerful warrior and cunning swordsman on the battlefield. Resembling a hugely muscular orc in his normal form, and a huge, purple, horned, flying beast in his transformed state, he constantly strives to fight the strongest warriors in the world. While he is an Apostle, he is more honorable than the standard one and has clashed with the Skull Knight on numerous occasions. +----------------------+ | Charles | =============================================== B2010 +----------------------+ Charles is a character that is completely absent in the manga and anime, so an understanding of his character is necessary for most readers. The general idea is that he is an Apostle that gained the Beherit after his family was killed and his house burned to the ground. Gatsu enters Charles' house which disrupts his ideal illusionary world, and henceforth Charles has an urge to turn Gatsu's life into a ruinate one. Sporting a foppish, feathered hat and whimsically tailored pantaloons, Charles is about the height of a young boy. With blonde hair of moderate length, his only suspicious features are his piercing, polemic eyes. Charles' main power is the ability to make people's subconsciouses materialize in the physical realm. He can also extend his control over these beings that he creates from another's mind. In this way, he attempts to destroy Gatsu's life (as seen in the game). The rest will be explained in the main walkthrough portion of the guide. +----------------------+ | Isidro | =============================================== B2011 +----------------------+ Isidro is a young thief and is very confident in his abilities. With impeccable aim, his ability to throw objects accurately is unrivaled. He aspires to become the greatest swordsman ever and trains as Gatsu's makeshift disciple to that end. He wears a loose-fitting vest, white puffy undershirt, and has red hair. He is a supporting ally whose ability is the fire-based "Salamandar's Rage." +----------------------+ | Farnese | =============================================== B2012 +----------------------+ Farnese is the former leader of the Holy Iron Chain Knights, a troop deployed by the Holy See Order, that traditionally has a woman leader and a constituency populated by the sons of nobles. As such, they have little battle experience, intentionally, despite the fact that their generals are capable. The troop was highly regarded and racked tantamount fame and hype. Farnese has an almost insane obsession with the cleansing of heretics and mystics, but this was changed after her confrontations with Gatsu. Thereafter, she became his disciple and follows him despite her own insecurities. She is of average height with short blonde hair and blue eyes. She is said to be quite beautiful and is always seen with Serpico by her side. +----------------------+ | Serpico | =============================================== B2013 +----------------------+ Farnese's assistant and servant since she and he were children. Only Serpico knows of his blood-relation to Farnese, that she is his half-sister. As such, he is very loyal to Farnese and a skilled fencer and cunning fighter as well. Serpico is of average height, has blonde hair that covers some of his face, wears a green cloak and usually has his eyes barely open. He generally wields a rapier/epee but uses the magical Wind Shear Feather sword given to him by Schierke. He uses his "Sylph's Sword" spell to immobilize Gatsu's enemies. +----------------------+ | Flora | =============================================== B2014 +----------------------+ Residing in her treehouse manor in the borders of the Interstice hidden in the middle of a forest, this aged and sage-like witch lives with Schierke, her apprentice. She has personal connections to the Skull Knight, and is extremely knowledgeable about the spiritual world. She plays a hugely important role in the story and helps Gatsu in his journey. Flora is an aged woman of average height, and long white hair. She is actually far older than she appears and is very gentle and kind person. +----------------------+ | Schierke | =============================================== B2015 +----------------------+ Flora's apprentice and treated almost like a daughter, Schierke is a young witch with striking potential and vast knowledge. Though she is quite intelligent, she is still young and naive to the ways of the world. She aids Gatsu and his entourage with her keen spiritual sense, magical abilities, and knowledge of the spiritual realm. Schierke's spell, "Providence," will boost Gatsu's defense for a short amount of time, often this will be enough to keep him alive. She plays a significant role in the story. Standing at the height of a young child, she wears a black robe and hat whilst wielding her curled wizard staff. She has green hair and auburn eyes and is accompanied by her Elfin partner Evarella. +----------------------+ | Evarella | =============================================== B2016 +----------------------+ Although not a major character, Evarella acts as Schierke's guardian when she is away from the manor. Evarella is a female elf from Elfhelm and aids Schierke in her magical training and otherwise protects her as best she can. Both she and Puck, in the manga, use their Elfin powder to heal Gatsu. +----------------------+ | Game Prologue | =============================================== B2017 +----------------------+ The game takes place after the end of the anime, around the 13th Volume of the manga. During the anime, Gatsu aided a young man named Griffith raise his mercenary group, The Band of the Hawk, to extraordinary levels of prestige. During this time, Gatsu and Casca had an oscillatory love-hate relationship (though never full hatred). After the apex of their popularity, Gatsu decides that his fate is his alone and leaves Griffith's side and the Band of the Hawk but only after much resistance from Griffith. Gatsu and Griffith have a unique relationship, much like that of a master and a disciple, or so thought Griffith, and indeed this seemed the case for much of the time. Therefore, Gatsu's leaving caused Griffith to lose sense of himself and he was soon thereafter committed for high treason as a result of having had coitus with the King's daughter, and sentenced to a lifetime of horrendously painful torture and dismal insanity in the Tower of Rebirth. After one year of this torture, Gatsu returns from his adventure only to find the Band of the Hawk under Casca's leadership. Since Gatsu was away, he was unaware of everything related to Griffith and the Band of the Hawk. Soon thereafter, Casca and Gatsu finally express their love for each other and make love (this is important later, I'm not just being a pervert). A plan is formulated in order to rescue Griffith, they are unaware of his current condition, however. After one year of torture, Griffith's muscles have atrophied, and his tongue was cut off and he was otherwise made unable to move by walking (I will spare you the gory details, please consult the manga for those). Once the rescue group arrives, they find Griffith in his pathetic condition, and succeed in taking him out of the Tower, largely due to Gatsu killing everyone sent after them. A short time later, Griffith takes a horse coach that dives into a small pond, which is filled with corpses and body parts, where Griffith is reunited with his Beherit-- The Egg of the Emperor. His Beherit will allow him to become a Godhand, and this is exactly what he desired. At that instant, the four Godhands descended to Griffith's location, which included the entire Band of the Hawk, or what remained of them. After some soul-searching, Griffith deemed it necessary to sacrifice the Band of the Hawk so that he could ascend to become a Godhand. Remember, that a Godhand is just that: the hand of god, those that enact the will of god. God is the being that controls the fates of mankind, and that is essentially what Gatsu is fighting: his fate and god. Rapidly, the members of the Band of the Hawk are killed, in particularly perturbed and gory ways to boot, except for Gatsu and Casca. Gatsu, being the powerful force he is, fights all the demons that are around him with any weapon he can tear off of them. Casca, unable to contend with the demons, is molested and brought before the newly born Femto, the ascended Griffith. Meanwhile, Gatsu attempted to save Casca and cut his left arm off in the process. He was, however, unable to save her as the number of demons seemed countless. Eventually, Gatsu is held immobile as he watched Femto rape his love, Casca, before his own eye (he is now missing an eye). Sequentially, the Skull Knight made a very timely appearance and saved Gatsu and Casca from what would have been their demise in the Eclipse. Gatsu and Casca were deposited by the Skull Knight near the house of Godo the blacksmith, where they went to heal their wounds and prepare for the future. At that point, Gatsu received his signature black armor, cannon arm, crossbow, throwing knives, bombs, and the hulking Dragonslayer. Gatsu leaves Godo's abode for quite some time, approximately a year if memory serves, and comes back to find Casca with long hair, but still in her deranged state. This is the state of the premise for the game story, the rest will be told by the game itself. A space for SPOILERS to be hidden from those seeking the next section follows: Intentionally Left Blank ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 07. Game Mechanics B3000 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Henceforth is the game mechanics section, detailing how the game works and what certain things in menus mean (if the meaning is otherwise unclear). I suspect that many readers will find this the most useful section, especially those that are all ready familiar with the story albeit through the manga or animated series. ============================================================================== ============================= Secondary Weapons =========================B3100 ============================================================================== There exist four secondary weapons available to Gatsu in the game: throwable detonation bombs, an automatic crossbow gun, throwing knives, and his indispensably powerful left-arm cannon. It is important to know that all secondary weapons have ammunition and finite limit to their use, however they recharge after depletion. Therefore, after t seconds, Gatsu will be able to use any given weapon again. Upgrading the weapons will either increase the number used, the duration of their use, or decrease the recharge (recovery) time. This section will describe the secondary weapons and how to use them effectively. _________________ / Bombs \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B3101 Rating: 7/10 Usage: L1 + X The bombs used by Gatsu are rather useful for keeping larger enemies from approaching or dispersing a group of smaller ones. The number of bombs thrown will increase as the skill is upgraded. While the bombs are not tremendously useful, they do their job adequately and are generally to be used as a prelude to the Dragonslayer or cannon. As stated, the main purpose of the bombs is to damage a group of enemies in between the uses of Gatsu's main weapon. Therefore, it is most useful to toss the bombs at groups of enemies before they are very close to Gatsu. The time taken before the detonation is quite small, so one need not worry about timing too much in this regard. These are generally useless against bosses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _________________ / Throwing Knives \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B3102 Rating: 5/10 Usage: L1 + Circle For the purpose of stunning or delaying an enemy's advance, the knives prove quite useful. The damage caused by them, however, is sub par and hardly worth mentioning. One noteworthy mention is that, at higher levels, the knives will fan out from Gatsu in small arc, which is useful to stun larger enemies and groups. If Gatsu is in need of a change of pace or needs to delay enemy advance, throwing knives are a solid choice. Useful against larger normal enemies and groups of smaller ones. However, like bombs, these are useless against bosses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _________________ / Crossbow Gun \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B3103 Rating: 7/10 Usage: L1 + Square In most respects, the crossbow gun mounted on Gatsu's right arm is a glorified, faster version of the throwing knives. The difference being that the gun is much faster and usually less precise. Its strength is approximately equal to that of the knives, but since they propagate at a faster rate, the overall damage is higher. Due to the similarities inherent between the throwing knives and the crossbow gun, the uses for the latter are similar to the former. That is, the crossbow gun is useful in the same situations as for which the knives are useful. Use this against larger groups, larger enemies, and when being cornered, but never against bosses since it will prove ineffective. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _________________ / Arm Cannon \___________________________________________________________ =========================================================================B3104 Rating: 9/10 Usage: L1 + Triangle By far, this is the most powerful secondary weapon, however it is single- shot and requires some recovery time. By increasing the level of this weapon, Gatsu will be able to fire the cannon more frequently. In other words, the recharging time is reduced. When used, Gatsu will flip down his prosthetic left hand to reveal a cannon nozzle which will fire a huge round of metal and fire. The recoil from this shot is immense, as is the damage dealt to anything standing in the front area of Gatsu. The cannon is useful for any situation in which the Dragonslayer needs assistance. If Gatsu is cornered and needs to clear a path, one cannon round ought to take of that problem swimmingly. Furthermore, the cannon is the only secondary weapon that is distinctly effective against bosses. The major disadvantage to the cannon is that it can only be used once and then must recharge in order to be used again. Another bonus is that while Gatsu is flying backward from the recoil, pressing Square or Triangle will have him execute a spinning slash attack. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ============================================================================== ================================== Spells ===============================B3200 ============================================================================== The spells used in the game are not cast by Gatsu himself but rather by one of four of his allies. There are four and only four magical spells in the game and are obtained at a later time. Gatsu begins the game with "Fairy Dust" since Puck, the ally to whom the spell is credited, is present from the