The Let's Play Archive

Shadow Hearts

by The Dark Id

Part 71: Episode LXXI: Spread Eagle

Episode LXXI: Spread Eagle


Music: Graveyard Moon



Remember back in the Dollhouse I said the enemies in the area had the Soul Energy juice to level up the rest of our elemental affinities to Level Max? Well, that was mostly true. Indeed, we hit the maximum level for both Water and Fire back during our initial visit.



With that in mind, we're going to mosey on over to the Graveyard and sort out those two Level 3 Fusions. Obtaining all top tier Fusions (plus Amon) might be a prerequisite for the last sidequest we'll be embarking on. But that's still a number of updates out. Also, there's the matter of the Earth Element. But... let me worry about that one...



As usual, the appropriate gravestones have grown up to big beefy boys now that they're full of Soul Energy. You know how this routine goes by now. It's time to beat Fusions into submission in Yuri's mind palace.




Music: NDE - Near Death Experience



Yuri is confronted by the beefiest incarnation of Hellfire Goro yet -- Forron. As always, the Fusion battles are leveled to be on par with Yuri. As such, they're barely threats.





Especially, since we can just nuke them from orbit with Amon's Demon Rays. It's impressive the Demonic Ion Cannon can still maintain pinpoint accuracy from geosynchronous orbit into a metaphysical space residing in Yuri's soul. Demon tech ain't nothing to be trifled with, son.



In any event, Yuri has obtained the Soul of Forron. That sounds like a boss soul that'd give you some rapier with shitty stats and a weirdly high Faith requirement in a Souls game.


Music: Graveyard Moon



Every time I drink a soda for the first time in like eight to ten months. My stomach does NOT want anything to do with that carbonated bullshit anymore since I kicked it and will go into outright rebellion ever since.



Forron has now joined the Fusion stable... just a wee bit too late... Sorry to break it to you, bub. I know your predecessors, Ifrit and Inferno, those glorious punch-boys were our main Yuri strat for a decent chunk of the game. But, we've moved onto demonic orbital lasers and top-level spells straight from the Necronomicon. There's just not a whole lot of demand for simply punching things a bunch too much anymore... Which is a shame because Battle Cry, which gives the 30% physical damage boost of Inferno to ally characters, would have been pretty useful for like... well, I suppose just Nemeton Monastery Underground after we swapped out Halley for Margarete. Oh well.

Forron stats wise has:
Which ain't too shabby. Except, you know, Amon is making the donuts here on out. Well... up to a point, at least. But that's a story for another day.




Music: NDE - Near Death Experience



Moving right along, we've got an even more visually messy Xenomorph knock-off for the Water Elemental Level 3 Fusion -- Egil.





It doesn't go well for him either. Even less so than it did for Forron, frankly. As they say, you've got to nuke it from orbit to be sure. Did the Alien universe just never get into giant space lasers? Seems a real misstep.


Music: Graveyard Moon



A new year is before us. Don't worry, that emptiness will be filled with hate and annoyance soon enough. If it hasn't been already!



There is no pain to be found in raining needles made of ice upon an enemy. No sir. Completely humane! I cannot recall the last time any of the Water elemental series of Fusions was busted out and of any vague use. I'm going spoil it right now: we ain't bucking that trend. But hey, let's at least look at its stats before we shove it in the closet forever.

Well... it's real lucky, for whatever that is worth. At least you won't trip on your way to the bench, champ.



So the plan was to go grind out Wind and Earth elements and just knock out all the Fusions in one update. I'm playing Red Dead Redemption 2 on the side and I've got an unreasonable amount of time to kill traveling on horseback fucking everywhere for five to ten minutes to do bloody anything. GODDAMMIT Rockstar, get off your bullshit and look up modern game design someday you backward fucks!



Wind Element? No problem! The Dollhouse and those Spanky specters that show up for nearly every random battle sorted that out in about ten minutes. The Earth Element, however... Well, the only areas we've visited with Earth Elemental enemies are the Calios Mental Hospital and the Doom enemies (the handstanding leprosy afflicted ladies with the brain through a spike) there or the Inverse (upside-down guys with a revolver from Koudelka) in the Nemeton Underground.

Doom only shows up in one of four possible mob configurations. I encountered exactly two battles with them in the hour I tried grinding there. Inverse I saw ONE of in nearly forty minutes of trying. The RNG Gods were not smiling upon me this session. I'd still need to get eight more encounters with either of these enemies to fill up the Earth Soul Energy



So screw it! One of the upcoming bonus dungeons has some Earth Elemental enemies in its random encounter tables. Maybe we can sort it out there. Let's just knock out the Level 3 Wind Element Fusion and call it a day!




Music: NDE - Near Death Experience



...

......

...Well then. That's a heck of a way to greet a person.





Let's just pretend that never happened and move on with our lives, eh?


Music: Graveyard Moon



That's the way it is.



Great. I hate it. Note: Roc is not a misspelling of rock, as funny as that might be. A roc is a middle eastern mythological creature which is... just a giant ass bird. Like, can pick up an elephant and split type huge. Which is decidedly not a harpy with a giant beak for a head and a texture that makes it look like it has pubic hair on its crotch. But that's Shadow Hearts!

Stat wise we've got:
That's a pretty decent spread for someone's nearing NSFW bird-lady OC. But find a spot on the far end of the bench. Well, at least after we sort out one final issue.



Those are all Level 3 Fusions and they do have that pesky [????] ability. While it isn't necessary for any sidequest material to unlock all the ultimate attacks for these Fusions. For completion's sake, well...


Music: SSC - Special Short Cuts



I guess we just have to drive all these newly unlocked Fusions mental as a test run before they are all shoved into Yuri's mental closet.



Forron, staying on brand of fire and fire-related accessories of the hellish nature, gains access to the inventively named Hellfire.







As the name suggests, this opens just a straight up gate to hell and the backdraft from its opening incinerates all foes for massive amounts of Fire elemental damage. Funny how that works.





I invoke the power of the glacial blade!



Finishing strike!



ICICLE DISAAAAASTER!!!





I wonder how poor Alice feels about Yuri turning into a nine foot tall, big tittied bird lady.



Especially after he just presents himself to the room like this. C'mon, Yuri. I thought you were better than that!





This just kind of causes a shockwave that might look like it ought to be Fire elemental damage but no. I assure you, the wind is the culprit here. Somehow... Don't worry about it, we'll never see that attack or Fusion again.



Now, that's all we can do with the Fusions for now while the Earth Element is being uncooperative. Next time we'll be moving onto the two bonus dungeons and hopefully get that sorted out along the way.



But first, there is one final bit we can do that is completely unrelated to grinding out the final Fusions. We don't necessarily have to go back to Prague for this. But it's the closest area which possesses the person we need to speak to in order to recover the item in question.


Music: City



Since Alice has been a mainstay for the party now that she isn't regularly getting kidnapped, fainting or getting debilitating (just mildly) cursed and doesn't really benefit from any offensive accessories, I've had the Pedometer equipped on her for most of the game. If not her, then some other party member. The point is, we've had the Pedometer on for the bulk of the adventure and recently we topped 10,000 steps in the proper (read random battle encounter filled) areas. Which means if we talk to a Silent Peddler, then this occurs...



......
You've really walked a lot.
...
...I'll give you this.



And so we gain the ultimate armor for Margarete. Before you ask, yes the boob window was essential and was specifically requested by Margarete. This number provides +81 Physical and +79 Special Defense along with the aforementioned halved damage against Fire and Water elements. I wasn't aware leather sexy spy catsuits provided such protection. But then again I've never worn one, so what do I know?



That concludes our outstanding, non-bonus dungeon or combat trial portion of the sidequests in Europe. Tune in next time as we take a deep dive into actual endgame content with a trek to the Ancient Ruins and all that entails as Shadow Hearts continues.






Video: Episode 71 Highlight Reel (You should watch this!)





Egil Fusion Render - Legally distinct Xenocreature.



Seravi Fusion Render - What is going on with your claws? How do you stand on that? Is that why you're hovering all the time?



Forron Fusion Render - C'mon! Don't leave me hanging! (Narrator Voice: He was left hangin'.)