Walkthrough#
This page maps the main line’s overall pacing so you don’t wander in the 14-chapter, dual-protagonist structure. Chapter counts, join points, and unlock timing all come from verified sources; per-chapter spoilers and recommended levels are not covered here.
Main Line Structure#
The main story runs 14 chapters (Chapters 1–13 plus the finale), every title an Elvis Presley song. Progression splits into three stages:
| Stage | Chapters | Viewpoint | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kasuga route | 1–7 | Kasuga Ichiban leads | Chapter 1 Yokohama, Hawaii from Chapter 2 |
| Dual routes | 8–13 | Kasuga and Kiryu parties alternate | Kasuga in Hawaii, Kiryu in Japan |
| Convergence | Finale | Both leads share the spotlight | Decisive battle in Japan |
The leader rule runs the whole way: if Kasuga falls, the battle is lost. Whichever route you’re on, his survival is priority one.
Chapter Name Reference#
All 14 chapter titles (identical to the story achievements; exophase.com, truetrophies.com):
| Chapter | Title |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | Back in Action |
| Chapter 2 | Fish Out of Water |
| Chapter 3 | Time Marches On |
| Chapter 4 | Down and Out |
| Chapter 5 | Misgivings |
| Chapter 6 | Hiding in Plain Sight |
| Chapter 7 | Separate Ways |
| Chapter 8 | Layered Lies |
| Chapter 9 | Found and Lost |
| Chapter 10 | Dying Breed |
| Chapter 11 | Reunion |
| Chapter 12 | Holding the Line |
| Chapter 13 | Turning the Tides |
| Finale | The Man Who Regained His Name |
Party Join Points#
All 10 playable characters’ join chapters are verified (gamerguides.com) — audit your roster growth against this as you go:
| Chapter | Characters Joining / Appearing |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | Kasuga Ichiban (starts as Hello Worker, reclasses to Hero), Koichi Adachi, Yu Nanba |
| Chapter 3 | Kiryu Kazuma, Eric Tomizawa |
| End of 4 / Chapter 5 | Chitose Fujinomiya |
| Chapter 8 | Seonhee, Saeko Mukoda |
| Chapter 10 | Zhao Tianyou, Han Joon-gi (first node) |
| Chapter 13 | Han Joon-gi (second node) |
Note: Adachi, Nanba, and Han Joon-gi each carry two listed chapters (as printed in gamerguides.com’s table) — post-split party assignments follow the game itself.
Key System Unlock Points#
| Chapter | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | Core combat and the job system (Hello Work); substory 1 unlocks the Playlist |
| Chapter 2 | Departure for Hawaii; substory 2 unlocks the Sujidex |
| Chapter 5 | The Honolulu dungeon Hawaiian Haunt (randomized layout, 3 zones × 10 floors) |
| Chapter 6 | Dondoko Island management mode |
| Chapter 8 | Kasuga and Kiryu parties split |
| Chapter 10 | The Yokohama Underground dungeon |
Early Game (Chapters 1–7): Finding Your Feet#
The early game rides Kasuga’s line; the job is absorbing systems and spreading growth:
- Don’t skip tutorials: positioning, QTEs, and guarding all debut here — defense is this game’s survival fundamental.
- Check weaknesses before attacking: weapons and skills carry fire / ice / lightning, inflicting burn / freeze / paralysis — countering weaknesses is the efficiency core.
- Use the environment: bicycles and other scene weapons deal bonus damage at zero MP cost.
- Clear substories in passing: all 52 substories spread across these 8 chapters; the first three unlock the Playlist / Sujidex / Miss Match phone features.
- Enter Hawaiian Haunt at Chapter 5: a randomized dungeon — go as deep as you can manage for double material and job XP rewards.
- Run Dondoko Island at Chapter 6: guests rotate every 3 days and resources split 5 types (wood/plastic/iron/glass/semiconductors) — start the rating grind early.
game8.co’s verified chapter levels: Chapter 3 (8-10) and Chapter 4 (10-17); other chapters follow game8.co’s pages.
Mid Game (Chapters 8–13): Splitting Resources#
From Chapter 8 the party splits — Kasuga stays in Hawaii, Kiryu works Japan. The classic trap is raising only one side:
- Maintain both parties: alternating routes mean alternating battles — never let gear or job levels skew one-sided.
- Finish Kiryu’s exclusive content: the Dragon of Dojima job’s Heat Actions, the Soul / Tech / Body upgrade trees (any one maxed earns the Funk Goes On achievement), the Memoirs of a Dragon, and the Bucket List — all in Yokohama and Kamurocho.
- Don’t hoard Drink Links: all 8 teammates have bar conversations; the split phase is the perfect time to advance bonds on both sides — Bond Bingo (the hotel minigame) helps too.
- Open Yokohama Underground at Chapter 10: the Japan-side deep dungeon and the Amon clan prerequisites both live here.
The Finale: Preparing for the Decisive Battle#
The two lines converge for a final battle in Japan (true final boss: Masataka Ebina; Bryce Fairchild closes the Hawaii line). Pre-finale self-check:
| Check | Standard |
|---|---|
| Party levels | Everyone tracks the current chapter’s difficulty (against game8.co’s per-chapter levels) |
| Job assignments | Core jobs leveled; roster covers damage / healing / front line |
| Element coverage | All of fire / ice / lightning covered by someone |
| Item stock | Healing and revival plentiful (a hard need under the leader rule) |
| Substory progress | Not urgent — Premium Adventure still allows cleanup |
Post-Game (Premium Adventure)#
Clearing the story unlocks Premium Adventure free exploration at no charge (gamepressure.com):
- Finish substories: whatever remains of the 52; the 40-count threshold earns Living Your Best Life;
- Push dungeon depths: both dungeons’ deep floors are the main grind for the job-level-30 achievement line (1 / 3 / 7 jobs), with the Amon clan (4 fighters, Lv 55, mixed weaknesses) at the bottom;
- Star up Dondoko Island: Resort Rank 1–5 stars; Platinum needs only 4 stars (Basking in Glory);
- Sujimon League: Rank 50 ends at King; knock out the 20 Raids (Break It Up!) in passing;
- NG+ (DLC required): the Ultimate Holiday bundle carries Normal / Hard / Legend difficulties plus the Big Swell dungeon — buy it for a second run.
Leveling and Supply Rhythm#
| Timing | Action |
|---|---|
| Chapter fights getting hard | Detour into substories and dungeons for job XP — better than grinding overworld mobs |
| Before a boss | Eat a meal buff, refill healing and revival stock |
| Short on cash | Substory rewards first; sell surplus at the pawn shop |
| Job unlocks stuck | Check personality stats (Kindness / Style / Confidence / Passion / Charisma) |
Scope Statement#
No per-chapter spoilers or unverified level numbers here — beyond the verified Chapter 3 (8-10) and Chapter 4 (10-17) from game8.co, per-chapter levels follow game8.co’s chapter pages. The old version’s claims — “15 chapters,” “random dungeons and Ultimate difficulty unlock post-game” — have been corrected per verification: 14 chapters, the two dungeons unlock at Chapters 5 / 10, and difficulty tiers belong to NG+ (DLC).