Beginner’s Guide#
Starting Class Choice#
Class Comparison Table#
| Class | Stat focus | Starting weapon | Starting Legion Arm | Recommended playstyle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced | Even spread | Saber + police baton | Puppet String | Good for newcomers, no obvious weakness |
| Technique | Technique 7 | Rapier | Flamethrower | Fast attacks, dodge-focused play |
| Motivity | Motivity 7 | Greatsword | Pulverize | Heavy breaking, oppressive play |
Stat Notes#
| Stat | Effect | Recommended starting value |
|---|---|---|
| Vitality | HP cap | 20 or more |
| Vigor | Stamina cap | 15-20 |
| Capacity | Weight cap | 15-20 |
| Motivity | Boosts Motivity weapons | Depends on build |
| Technique | Boosts Technique weapons | Depends on build |
| Advance | Elemental damage and status buildup | Depends on loadout |
Basic Combat System#
Core Controls#
| Action | PS5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Light attack | R1 | RB | Left mouse button |
| Heavy attack | R2 | RT | Right mouse button |
| Guard | L1 | ||
| Dodge | Circle | B | Space |
| Interact | Triangle | Y | F |
| Use Pulse Cell | D-pad up | D-pad up | R |
| Legion Arm | L2 | LT | Q |
| Fable Art skill | L1+R1 | LB+RB | Shift + Left click |
| Sprint | Hold Circle | Hold B | Hold Space |
| Lock on | R3 | RS | Middle mouse button |
The Perfect Guard Mechanic#
Perfect Guard is the heart of this game’s combat. It triggers when you press guard the instant an enemy attack is about to land.
| Guard type | Effect |
|---|---|
| Normal guard | Reduces damage but costs stamina; weapon durability drops |
| Perfect Guard | Fully negates damage, costs no stamina, can riposte enemies |
| Perfect Guard counterattack | After a Perfect Guard, press attack for a quick counter |
Early Survival Tips#
| Tip | Details |
|---|---|
| Prioritize Vitality | Raising Vitality to 15-20 early dramatically improves survival and gives you more room for error in boss fights |
| Practice Perfect Guard | The training puppet at Krat Central Station lets you practice Perfect Guard endlessly; once you internalize the rhythm, most fights get easy |
| Use charged attacks well | The charged heavy (R2 + pushing the stick forward) breaks enemy guard quickly and is the best answer to shield-wielding enemies |
| Explore and gather Quartz | Quartz is the key material for P-Organ upgrades; early exploration turns up 3-5 Quartz fragments — spend them on the base P-Organ nodes first |
| Don’t ignore throwables | Throwables like sawblades and fire bottles are very effective against elites and bosses |
| Manage weapon durability | When weapon durability runs out, damage drops sharply; remember that resting at a Stargazer repairs automatically |
| Use Grindstones | Grindstones temporarily boost a weapon’s element; using a flame or electric Grindstone before a boss adds extra damage |
Advanced Early Tips#
| Tip | Notes |
|---|---|
| Learn enemy rhythms | Every enemy has a fixed attack rhythm; the most common rookie problem is greed |
| Use terrain | Funnel enemies through narrow corridors or staircases to avoid being swarmed |
| Unlock shortcuts first | Every area has multiple shortcuts; opening them cuts running time massively |
| Balance healing resources | Don’t burn all Pulse Cells on small fights; keep some for emergencies |
Resource System#
| Resource | Use | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse Cell | Healing item | Auto-refills when resting at a Stargazer; Star Fragments increase its uses |
| Star Fragment | Adds Pulse Cell uses | Exploration pickups, boss drops |
| Fable slot | Fuel for Fable Arts | Charges in combat; refill with Fable Catalysts |
| Legion | Fuel for Legion Arms | Charges in combat; refill with Legion Calibers |
| Ergo | Universal currency, upgrade material | Killing enemies, selling items |
| Quartz | P-Organ upgrades | Exploration pickups, boss drops, NPC gifts |
Resource Usage Strategy#
| Strategy | Notes |
|---|---|
| Don’t hoard Ergo | Death drops your Ergo; once you carry past a certain amount, spend it or level up |
| Spend Star Fragments carefully | Save them mainly for summoning specters in boss fights; don’t waste them casually |
| Use Fable Arts proactively | The Fable slot auto-charges in combat — it’s free value, so use it |
| Throwables are consumables | Throwable damage is respectable; don’t be stingy in boss fights |
Difficulty Levers#
| Lever | Effect | Recommended scenario |
|---|---|---|
| Summon specters | Call NPCs to share aggro in boss fights | Stuck on a boss |
| Level up | Raise stats to boost combat power | All stages |
| Reinforce weapons | Use Moonstones to raise a weapon’s base attack | Mid-game onward |
| Use throwables | Chip enemy HP from range | Boss fights and elites |
| Swap Legion Arms | Switch arms based on enemy weakness | Specific bosses |
| Equip Defense Parts | Raise elemental resistance | Against elemental-damage enemies |
| Upgrade the P-Organ | Unlock powerful passives | Steady gains after mid-game |
Recommended Early Route#
| Step | Area | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Krat Central Station | Finish the tutorial and get your starting weapon |
| 2 | Elysion Boulevard | Push through the first stage area |
| 3 | Krat City Hall | Defeat the first major boss: the Parade Master |
| 4 | Krat Streets | Unlock the Hotel Krat safe house |
| 5 | Venigni Works | Explore the factory area and defeat the Watchman |
| 6 | St. Frangelico Cathedral | Explore the cathedral area and defeat the archbishop boss |
Common Rookie Mistakes#
| Mistake | Consequence | How to correct it |
|---|---|---|
| Ignoring stamina management | Can’t dodge or guard at the key moment | Always watch the stamina bar; keep at least 30% for emergencies |
| Over-relying on dodging | Enemy attacks track hard in this game | Practice Perfect Guard — it’s more reliable than dodging |
| Not exploring the map | Missing important upgrade materials | Fully explore each area before pushing the main story |
| Not understanding weapon assembly | Weapon potential wasted | Experiment with different combinations to find what feels best |
UI Notes#
| UI element | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HP bar | Top left | Green bar; hitting zero means death |
| Stamina bar | Below the HP bar | Yellow bar; every action costs it |
| Pulse Cell count | Above the HP bar | Current number of healing charges |
| Fable slot | Bottom left | Blue diamond icon, used for Fable Arts |
| Legion bar | Below the Fable slot | Green bar, used for Legion Arms |
| Weapon durability bar | Bottom right | The small white bar under the weapon |
| Stargazer menu | Opens on interaction | Level up, warp, repair, and more |
Detailed Starting Class Stat Comparison#
| Stat | Balanced | Technique | Motivity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitality | 10 | 8 | 12 | Motivity is the tankiest early |
| Vigor | 10 | 12 | 8 | Technique has the most stamina |
| Capacity | 10 | 8 | 12 | Motivity carries the most weight |
| Motivity | 7 | 5 | 7 | Motivity and Balanced tie |
| Technique | 7 | 7 | 5 | Technique is highest |
| Advance | 5 | 5 | 5 | Identical across all three |
| Starting weapon | Saber + baton handle | Rapier | Greatsword | Recommend Balanced for newcomers |
| Starting Legion Arm | Puppet String | Flamethrower | Pulverize | Puppet String is the most versatile |
Basic Combat Combo Setups#
| Combo | Input | Effect | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light x3 + heavy | R1/RB x3 + R2/RT | Standard string ending in a heavy; great guard damage | Opening on elites |
| Charged heavy | Hold R2/RT | High damage + high guard damage, can lead into a fatal attack | Fatal attacks after breaking guard |
| Running heavy | R2/RT while sprinting | Close distance fast + high guard damage | Against ranged enemies |
| Perfect Guard → counter | Precise L1/LB guard then R1/RB | Costless counter | Answering any melee attack |
| Dodge → light attack | R1/RB after Circle/B | Fast post-dodge counter | Punishing after dodging a combo |