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Jul 12, 2010
The Caverns
The Chain of Balance
The Chain of Balance is a very untypical stage. Most of the time you will be flying up, while dodging several obstacles.
The first objects you should dodge are wooden platform [LS]. There aren’t many and dodging them is quite easy. Beams [RS] are a little tougher to avoid. There will be quite a bit of them scattered in different locations, so there’s quite a bit of manoeuvring waiting for you.
After the first phase of the flight, you’ll get to a Titan. A QTE will start, during which you’ll have to press one of the basic buttons.
If you react fast enough and throw the colossus into a pit, you’ll land on a wooden platform. Some platforming for a change. Jump from one ledge to another, bearing in mind that they will start crumbling after you land on them.
A few jumps later, you’ll arrive at a net. Climb it, while dodging the falling rocks.
Yet another platform. This time the jumps will be a little more complicated. During them you’ll have to grab the metal bars (you can swing on them just for a little while, as the bar will eventually break and).
Another climbing section awaits you, together with falling rocks (there’s quite a bit of them, but you can avoid them by hiding behind rocks). After getting onto the ledge, shine with the Head [RS] to uncover a chest with a Phoenix Feather [!!!].
Eventually another flying section will start. There’s a new obstacle – concrete vaults [RS], which will get destroyed by falling rocks. They will create holes through which you can fly through without losing health. The end on the flight brings a new level.
Path of Eos
At the beginning of the Path, there’s a save point and some chests, with one of them (hidden from the camera) containing a Gorgon Eye [!!!].
After saving the game, go deeper into the cave, following the path up. This way you’ll arrive at a completely dark place.
Pass through a room with a green chest and you’ll arrive at a passage with a few enemies – nothing too demanding.
Several meters later you’ll get attacked by Harpies. Kill them by jumping and pressing L1 + Circle. At the end of the narrow road there’s a wall – point the Head at it to unveil a secret passage.
At its end there’s a rope hanging over a gap. However before you use it, jump down onto a hidden ledge. You’ll find an experience chest and a Gorgon Eye [!!!] there. Undeads will keep attacking you as you go along the line.
Once on the other side, jump on the higher ledge and enter the dark tunnel. Watch your steps, as at some point you’ll arrive at a gap [RS].
On the other side you will have to cross another gap, this time using a Harpy. Call it with the bow and „hop aboard”.
On the other side you’ll have to face a new type of enemy. The Wraiths are a very dangerous enemy. Take care of them and head to the experience chest. You will get to it by grabbing the ledge [RS], and going down the vine wall.
Wraith
A Wraith is very dangerous, especially on higher difficulties. Fighting it requires constant focus (counters are often required) and speed. The enemy moves very fast and most of the time while staying underground. One of his abilities is to hide underground and quickly jumping out and attacking. In order to get the opponent back to the surface (you can’t damage him while he’s hidden), press L1 + Circle.
Wraiths, apart from the underground attack, will also use their blades – at short distances (combo) as well as on long (blade throw). You have to constantly attack them and quickly get them out once they hide underground.
A little further on, you’ll come across two chests with health and mana. What’s more important, there’s also a third chest [!!!], hidden to the right from the other two, behind a wall (you have to point the Head at it do unveil it). This way you will get a Gorgon Eye.
A little further on there will be another fight. Apart from the new enemy, you’ll also have to face archers. Get rid of them by blowing up the exploding pots.
A path will then lead left. Follow it until you get to The Chain of Balance. Before you jump at it and fly up, collect experience from the nearby chests.
The first can be seen to the right [LS]. The second one is hidden behind a wall [RS], behind the Chain (you’ll unveil it with the Head). Look out not to get too close to the Chain as you will fly p.
The City of Olympia
After regaining control, you will find yourself at the outskirts of the city (some of you might already know this place, as it has been used in the demo version). Don’t waste time and head forward.
Right behind the corner (a surprise for those of you who have played the demo), Gaia will ask you for help. However you will treat her just as she treated you. Begin attacking the damaged hand, and once the QTE mark appears, activate it. Repeatedly press L1 and R1 and afterwards throw away the hand and move on.
Armoured undeads
This way you will arrive at a closed door. For it to open, you will have to face a new type of enemy – undead armoured soldiers.
The tactic is similar to the one used against normal undeads. Block from time to time, but mainly focus on attacking constantly, without any more complicated strategies.
The only difference is their armour, which prevents you from grabbing them at any given moment (only after a QTE symbol appears). They also have the ability to attack from a distance – from time to time they will hit the ground with their swords and create a shock wave. Jump over it to avoid losing health.
After dealing with the enemies (including undead dogs that will appear), go through the opened door.
This way you’ll arrive at a cave. You’ll have to move from one ledge to another. Nothing new for the people who’ve played the demo, but a little explanation is required for the others. Firstly, shoot the harpy for it to approach you. Afterwards grab it by pressing L1 + Circle. Now all that’s left is to fly over the gap and press X at the end to do a jump.
In case of the second gap (if you jump down into it [RS], you will find an experience chest), the method will be the same, but you will have to grab onto a second harpy (it will be highlighted once it’s close enough, press X to change carrier).
On the other side there’s a save point and chests with health and mana.
There will be no more enemies until the end of the cave.
After getting outside, fly over the gap and get ready for a fight. Armoured undeads will be the first to arrive. After you deal with them, a Centaur will join the fun (you’ve already dealt with one at the beginning of the game). That’s not all, as Helios is flying around the place and occasionally firing missiles at the arena.
Despite that the fight won’t be too hard, neither of the enemies is too tough. After you’ve dealt with them, head left.
As you go up, you will have to face a new, more demanding enemy – the Chimera. Try to fire the ballista and it will appear.
After the fight’s over, operate the ballista once more and release as Helios shows up. This way you will destroy his divine chariot.
Chimera
The Chimera fight has three phases and during each one the enemy will not only use different attack, but also behave differently. At first, you will be attacked by the snake. He uses normal attacks (medium range) and spits acid from time to time (also medium range). If he does hit you with his acid, you will be stunned for a while and will need to move the left stick to quickly regain control. The first phase ends with cutting of the tail during a QTE (one basic button).
During the second phase you will have to fight the lion part. This time you will be mainly attacked with the tail. The Chimera also three-burst attack (if it does, quickly dodge). You can also get attacked by a two-hit combo with his paws. Eventually you will get the chance to activate a QTE during which you’ll need to quickly press Circle.
This time you will have to face the goat, it’s very agile and also uses fire attacks. He can jump at you from a distance (jump or use the right stick to dodge) and breath fire (jumping works well here). During the QTE you’ll have to press one of the basic buttons and then mash Circle.
Afterwards return to the place where you fought the Centaur a minute ago and approach the destroyed part of the wall.
You’ll have to cross the gap to the other side. Wake up the Harpy (with the bow) and fly to the other side, changing the carrier several times during the flight.
One the other side you’ll be attacked by a group of armoured undeads – kill them and enter the building (after the first straight, you’ll find an experience chest on the left [RS].
Move on to face another group of enemies. There’s quite a bit of them, so consider using heavier attacks or incinerate them with the bow. After another straight corridor, before you go right, check out the left side to find an experience chest.
After getting outside go through the bridge and go up the ladder on the other side. It’s time for some platforming action. After going up the ladder, you’ll fight yourself on a narrow ledge. Go right until you reach some burning windows (there won’t be any explosions, so don’t worry). Throw down the mortal standing by them, grab the ledge (R1) and avoid the flame.
Afterwards jump onto the construction on the right and go up.
You will find Helios there, but before you have the chance to fight him, you’ll have to face a new type of enemies – undeads with shields.
Unfortunately none of the weapons you have at the moment will damage them. Hit them a couple of times and a Cyclops will appear. Take control over him and destroy the enemies which are defending the god.
The Cyclops is a surprisingly easy enemy, especially considering his size. During the fight, he’ll use his hand, mace and feet to damage you. Each attack (apart from the one with the mace, which has a longer range) is close range. Once you deal enough damage, a QTE symbol will appear above his head. Activate it and press two basic buttons.
This way you will jump onto his back and take control over him. You will have two attacks available, with the Square and Triangle buttons. The Triangle one is a bit slower and more powerful, but even the Square one is strong enough, considering the Cyclops’ size, so you should focus on using it. After about a minute the ride will be over, and Kratos will automatically proceed to killing the enemy. In order do to that, you’ll have to mash Circle.
Approach Helios and a conversation will begin. Afterwards the god will try to attack you with a blinding light [RS]. A mini-game will begin, during which you’ll have to block the light source with your right hand, using the right stick. If you do it properly, Kratos will approach the enemy and attack him – mash Circle.
That’s still not all. After a short talk Kratos will attack him again. Mash Circle and then quickly tap L1 and R1 to rip off his head. This way you will gain Helios’ Head.
Helios’ Head
It has several functions. Basically, you can use it as a flashlight. It comes in handy in dark places (one of them in just a moment). You can also blind enemies and irate them with it after charging up the head (both attack also damage the enemies a bit). They also lighten up the area for a short period of time.
The head can also be used to expose hidden items and passages. Gold dust can be found near those places, which makes finding them easier. Point the Head at it to unveil what’s hidden there.
Helios’ Shield
Before you move on, approach the dead body to find another item – Helios’ Shield.
Now you can approach the big wall and point the Head at it. This way you will unveil a secret passage. Behind it there’s a dark tunnel with a couple basic enemies – a good place to check out your new gadget. Move forward to arrive at a vast cave.
Hades
The destroyed statue will lead you to Hades’ throne room. As soon as you get there a conversation will start, and afterwards a very demanding fight will begin. At the very beginning Hades will try to rip out your soul. Fight back by quickly pressing L1 and R1. Later on the Underworld god can use some similar attacks, but the process of saving Kratos will be the same.
After you defend against the first attack, the main battle will begin. It consists of 5 phases, with the beginning 3 being very similar to each other, apart from the increased aggression and some of the enemy attack.
At first be ready for Hades to attack with his claws (the purple weapon). He’ll be sing short and long range attacks. Additionally if you get too close, he can damage you with a foot stamp.
Long range attacks can be divided into two types: horizontal and vertical. Dodge the vertical ones with the right stick (roll sideways). As for the horizontal, you can jump over them, however Hades sometimes hits higher, so look out not to jump then.
From time to time Hades will grab the ceiling and create a shock wave. You can get damaged by the wave itself and not by staying on the ground as he hits – remember that and jump in the right moment (a second after he lands).
As you deal enough damage to the enemy, the first phase of the fight will end. You will have to launch a QTE, which consists of pressing the Circle rapidly and afterwards an intermediate phase will begin.
The intermediate phase is the key to victory in this battle, especially on higher difficulty settings. It’s when you’ll be getting ready for the next fight. As the QTE ends, Kratos will rip out a fragment of Hades’ flesh and throw it to the opposite side of the room. You task will be to destroy it before it manages to get back to its „owner” (the flesh will be alive). Attack it with knocking back combos and be ready for your target jumping sideways to avoid getting hit.
That’s not all, as demonic hands will also appear. They’re very important, as you’ll receive health for killing them. If you’re playing on a higher difficulty setting, you should firstly take care of them, while knocking the flesh part back.
Don’t worry too much if the flesh manages to return to Hades. He’ll get weakened much faster. To sum up, it’s more important to recover your health, taking care of the enemy comes second.
By destroying the flesh fragment you will enrage Hades, who will launch a special attack. The camera will zoom out and show the room from the top. This way you will see the floor and be able to dodge the attack more easily (on higher difficulty setting, getting hit by this attack can make surviving the next phase very difficult).
Hades will cover the whole floor with black sludge. After a couple seconds a part of the ground will cleaned up and that’s where you should quickly go to. The other part of the arena will be pierced with chains. If you don’t save yourself from it (use the right stick), you’ll lose a lot of health.
The second phase of the fight will begin. It’s pretty much the same as the first one, but Hades will be much more aggressive.
The third phase (after you go through another intermediate phase and fill up on health) bring some new attack. Hades will try to hit you with chains coming out of the ground [LS]. Keep running until he stops.
He can also summon Cerberus ghosts, always more than one. If he does, quickly jump to avoid their rush – they disappear after this attack.
After the third phase there will be no intermediate stage, the fourth one will immediately begin. During it you will be playing tug-of-war with Hades. To help yourself, hit him using either of the buttons responsible for attacks.
There’s a chance you will be thrown into the Styx [RS]. Keep pressing Circle to not fall into the water.
Once a QTE mark appears above Hades’ head, press Circle and then keep mashing it.
This way you will obtain the Claws of Hades. It’s an alternative to the original chains. It’s very fast and has a long range. I’d recommend using them on big groups of weaker enemies.
As a special attack, you can summon a monster’s ghost. You’ll have a wide range to choose from, you can choose one by pressing triangle in the weapon change menu.
Unfortunately it turns out that Hades is still alive. Without his armour he will undergo a mutation and his appearance will begin the fifth and last phase of the battle (fortunately it’s also the easiest one).
The arena will be divided into two parts, you can move through them by doing a jump with a swing. Unfortunately you won’t be able to jump constantly, as after you jump and hit the enemy in his back [RS], he will turn around and put the hooks into motion. For a moment you will have to focus on dodging the enemy attack (punches and sometimes a wave of purple energy).
By dealing enough damage, you will be able perform the last QTE (no interaction needed).This way you will rip Hades’ soul, allowing you to freely travel through the Styx and the Hyperion Gate.
Hades’ Helm
After the cutscene, you will have the chance to save your game. Afterwards dive into the Styx. At its bottom (before you swim with the current) you will find a Godly Possession Hades’ Helm.
Swim forward, pass the god’s dead body and you will reach a spot where a couple of enemies will attack you (it’s a good opportunity to test out your new weapon and its special attack).Afterwards dive into the water.
At some point a locked gate will block your way. Don’t worry, the lever opening it is right above the water. Pull it and unlock the path leading to the Forge.
Once there, talk to Hephaestus and head to the well-known place where you began your adventure in Hades. On your way there you will go through the round room. This time the stone statues will come to live and attack you (accompanied by undead dogs) once you try to turn the lever.
Once on open space, head to the Hyperion gate, which time will be working and will offer you its teleporting services. Jump in and head to the surface.
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