Shadow Hearts: Covenant Part #135

Part 135: Inside the Vessel

So, here we are, the final dungeon of the game. It's pretty simple, especially compared to the final dungeon from the first game. There are only four floors, and they're really small. You can fit almost the entire layout of each floor into the mini-map at once.

There are three enemies running around the first floor: Takaokami (Arc Barrier, Bright Banish), Hinogakutsuchi (Red Cradle) and Lion Dog (Petrify, Energy Charge).

Anyway, we follow the path to the center to trigger a scene.

It looks like some kind of altar. Or a weird machine?

I bet it's the mechanism that controls the vessel.

But it looks like it's locked somehow by this huge crystal.

Hmm... Where to next, then?

I don't know... I can't see any way to get higher up...

For once, Yuri having the attention span of a four-year-old pays off when he looks away and notices something shiny in the distance.

He he! How about this?!

You can only enter and leave the center from the north and south points; the sides are blocked off.

First, we're going to grab this chest. We don't actually need it; it's Spiderweb, Gepetto's 2nd best weapon.

Now, we'll check out the thing Yuri saw, marked by a red dot on the mini-map.

It looks like some kind of switch...

Try operating it?

He swipes his hand through it...

...and breaks it.

Okay, he actually just started the elevator. (Is anyone else getting Star Ocean III vibes from this dungeon, or is it just me?)

Okay, lets, do that now.

It's a light elevator...

Go to another floor?

And now we've unlocked Floor 2.

We've also unlocked a new enemy, Yatonokami (Instant Death).

We're going to head over here first to pick up a Seal of Strength.

The contraption in the center section of this floor isn't blocked off, but we'll come back to it later.

The chest over here has Lucia's Ultimate Armor.

It...looks more like a wedding dress than the costume Lawrence gave her.

There's a Pure Extract on the other side of the floor.

Now we'll go back to the middle.

Turning the ring at the altar so the colors line up makes a light elevator appear in the vessel.

You can go to higher or lower levels on this elevator. But you can only turn the ring on the floor you're on now.

They missed an opportunity to put in a Simon Says mini-game here. I'm not sure if I should be disappointed or relieved.

Anyway, we match the second ring to the first ring, with green in front. The walkways around the center spin to match the new configuration. It's actually really simple to get through the dungeon (just match all four rings with green in the front). The trick is to figure out how to move the rings so you can get all the treasure chests.

The paths stop spinning.

Here's the next elevator.

The mini-map now shows the blue elevator to the first floor and the red elevator to the third floor.

Floor 3 is diamond-shaped instead of circular.

New enemies introduced here are Takemikazuchi (Random Ring), Ashra and Kukunochi (Paralysis).

We pick up another Ultra Belt here.

This chest has Evasion Down 4.

Now we go to change the rotation.

We put yellow in front this time.

This lets us access a new chest in the same spot as the last one. This chest has a new accessory, Monk Earrings.

Okay, now we can match the ring with green in front.

Elevator to the fourth floor is now open.

Huh. We seem to be on a completely disconnected set of walkways.

At least we can pick up Kurando's Ultimate Armor while we're here.

Oh. Oh my.

Neat attention to detail: you can't have the Devil Loincloth and the Loin Guard equipped at the same time.

Back down to Floor 3 and then over to the green elevator, which has also opened up to Floor 4.

There we go.

Arahabaki on this floor is last new enemy in this dungeon.

The Death Tarot Card is in this chest, completing the set.

We spin the top ring from yellow to blue.

Then we can grab Getitup! from this chest for Joachim.

Now we can set the top ring with green in the front.

There's a flash of light.

Is this Floor 1?

There's another flash of light.

You can tell?

Yeah. I can feel it.

We're not going to take the endgame expressway just yet. First, we're taking the red elevator to Floor 2.

Then we run over to the yellow elevator and go back down to Floor 1.

This gets us a Seventh Key.

Then we go up the yellow elevator, back down the red elevator, and run over to the blue elevator.

We keep taking the blue elevator up until we get to Floor 4.

This chest has another Crucifix. Now we can go back down to Floor 1 and check out the new light elevator.

To Kato!

...With a brief detour in the Graveyard. This is going to be depressing, isn't it?

No.

Are you sure, now?

I've never been one to reflect on myself much. I just lived fast and hard, and that was about all I could manage. I want to thank you Jeanne. You taught me the meaning of living, the meaning of happiness.

Yeah. To me, happiness is...

So, in Shadow Hearts, you had to go through an easily missed and long sidequest in order to unlock the good ending. In Covenant, whether you get the good or bad ending depends on a single question during an automatic cutscene that occurs right before the final battle. The top choice gives you the good ending, and the bottom choice gives you the bad ending. The dialog after this choice is identical no matter which one you pick.

Happiness is something you feel for yourself. Other people can't tell you what it is. You have to decide. Just like you were happy, Yuri, Alice was happy too.