Part 79: Episode LIX: In Which We Attend the Rock Opera

Episode LIX: In Which We Attend the Rock Opera



New Music: Companthem - Abdiel

Now where were we...? Ah yes. That's right.



One had taken a trip to the Golem Store and picked herself up a set of top shelf lackeys. Meet the Abdiel trio. Abdiel is a biblical name that means servant of god. So ya know... it's the John Smith of Angel names. Makes sense for a class of monsters they probably roll off an assembly line sweatshop in Drakengard China.



And yet, here we are, fated to kill each other in the end.
Yeah, destiny's a real bitch sometimes.
Oh, Zero. Still trying to be the bad girl. I never did like that side of you.
Pfft.
And yet, for some reason... I felt like you and I might understand each other.
What would some offshoot creation know about understanding? Don't be an idiot.
A pity. Truly a pity.



Now about actually fighting these jerks. Like most all Drakengard 3 bosses, the Abdiel don't have a whole lot of attacks at their disposal. But despite being plus sized versions of the golems we've been dealing with for quite some time, this variety does have an entirely new moveset. Chiefly among their upgrades, Abdiel golems have jet boots and can dash across the arena at will. This attack is a pain mostly because it is a huge, awkward hitbox to avoid at close range and there is no wind up or tell for it. If an Abdiel wants to dash, an Abdiel is gonna dash! If a speed boosting golem so much as brushes against Mikhail while he's in flight, it'll immediately knock him out of the air. So that's always fun too.



At close range Abdiel has an overhead smash into the ground. There's nothing really to that. Just... don't hang out near an enraged golem and it won't bop Mikhail on the head.



Definitely the most dangerous and aggravating of the golem triplets' attacks are their new and improved rocket punches. Gone are the days of spotty orbital strikes with targeted warnings that can readily be evaded by keeping on the move. Abdiel version golems just possess straight forward rocket fists that zip from their limbless Rayman like arm position straight into Mikhail's jaw.



Abdiel are rude boys that care little of modern video games combat etiquette where off-screen enemies become semi-passive until engage or Z-targeting means fighting in a kung fu movie style of one man at a time. These golems will launch rocket fists and jet boost shoulder block Mikhail and Zero from any which direction, at any time with nothing resembling a pattern. Which is always great boss design.

That's what to defend against when dealing with the Abdiel triplets. Now to go on the offensive...



I don't know what that means, Zero!
It's probably hidden in their bodies. Try killing one of 'em!



It means this is a gimmick boss fight, Mikhail. Of the multiple clone enemies but only one actually matters variety. Of the three Abdiel, one of them possesses a power core that we must destroyed to end the battle. Revealing the core means we need to down one of these suckers. The Abdiel are all immune to Mikhail's fireballs.





But as usual, just ramming into the sonuvabitch repeatedly is another story. Two or three good dive bombs into a single Abdiel is enough to make it drop to its knees and enter a stunned state. The remaining two Abdiel usually don't take kindly to one of their buddies getting smacked about, so it's important to quickly follow up as its friends go ballistic with rocket ballistics.





A follow up ramming will shatter the stunned Abdiel and hopefully reveal the core. It's a crap shoot the first time around searching for the core. The one containing it has no tells or unique characteristics. It's just a matter of picking one, kicking its ass, and hoping for the best.



Don't worry though, if the wrong golem is assaulted the correct one will immediately reveal itself in a display of "haha wrong idiot" showboating. Though there is little to be done about it during that round. The core remains invincible until the fight resets.



No! Over there! That one's got it!





When the wrong golem is selected (or too much time elapses without destroying the core) the Abdiel trio will disassemble into a whirling tornado of golem parts alongside the core, eventually reforming into a fresh full health set once more. Unless you are very poor at tracking a bright red glowing object, observing which golem is the new core keeper is just a matter of keeping your eyes on the prize.



Uh... maybe it's the right one? No, wait! Left...?
Ah, fuck it! Just destroy 'em all!

Of course I forgot about the average competency level of our protagonists...





In any case, once the correct Abdiel is shattered and the golem core revealed, Mikhail and Zero have around thirty seconds to do as much damage as possible to it while exposed. It takes at minimum two rounds of exposing the core to bring this battle to an end.





And that's a wrap! Good job, everyone. Give yourselves a hand...





...On surviving Round 1. Now on to Round 2!



The Abdiel Three's bodies might be shattered, but their noggins still have some juice left in 'em. The remains of the golems form a tornado much like when it's reconstituting itself back to full strength in the first round.



You too, Zero! Don't let your hands get hot!
What?
Your hands usually feel nice and cool, Zero. But sometimes they get real hot, too. Usually that's when your heart is crying. It's when you're lost and in trouble and... crying. And right now, your hands are really hot.
Stop with the bullshit and kill that thing already!





Right. So this phase... It's a big swirling pile of garbage flinging garbage bits of itself at Mikhail. Mikhail needs to avoid the flung scrap chunks and retaliate with fireballs until Abdiel Form 2 is dead.

...

What...? That's all there is to this phase. It's a big spinning whirlwind of junked golem! I didn't make the game!

Music: None



Zero... I know you know this!





If you want to kill an Intoner...





...you need the power of a dragon!





Oh shit, right. Gabriel! You were a hazardous thing way back before One was getting ganked off-screen by rival siblings. Bad timing!



Fuck!



Zero!
Go!

Err... Mikhail I really hope you power leveled between scenes. You were max level last time we did this dance AND used your vague near death genie powers for a Limit Break and still Zero had to seal the deal.





Gabriel and Mikhail engage in a dragon kamehameha-off, no doubt telepathically exclaiming astonishment at each other's surprising power levels. The blast of energy sends Zero flying and...



...Oh. Huh. I'll be damned. You murdered the shit out of Gabriel. Damn, Mikhail. Post the video of that low-level run on Youtube ASAP. I'm impressed.



<breathes heavily> You did it! You actually--
Zero, I... I messed up.



Oh Christ!



No...

Welp. If the disciples all getting suicide bombed into oblivion all at once hadn't clued you in, I think you can now gather that this is another shitty timeline we find ourselves treading down.



Well, we're down to exactly two regular cast members. Not counting Accord who certainly isn't normal or regular. Nor Brone, who I am fairly certain One never informed of the evil Skeletor themed basement and is still up in a tower twiddling his thumbs none the wiser.





Tune in next time for the climactic finale of Branch C of Drakengard! 3!








Video: Abdiel Boss Battle and Aftermath
Click Here to Skip to Post-Battle Cutscene (You should at least watch this.)



Abdiel Concept Art - Is it racist to say all golems look alike...?