Episode 1
New Bodhum (003 AF)
Serah’s coastal home town is under attack from robotic, insect-like creatures. When Serah opens the door, this will activate a Live Trigger, an interactive sequence that involves making a choice out of four possible responses. Completing all Live Triggers in a particular location will give you an adornment reward, which is a costume piece that customizes the look of a monster companion. Since they don’t provide any stats or combat bonuses, they are more whimsical than practical.You can influence the type of adornment you receive by selecting a “funny” (or flippant) response to a certain number of questions (this number will be noted in the walkthrough). Otherwise, feel free to select any answer you want.
After navigating your way through the NORA house, another Live Trigger will play. You’ll then find yourself on the beach with Serah’s friends engaged in battle. Your objective is to help clear the beach of the Meonektons and Nektons by running up to them, which will trigger a fight sequence.
After you clear the beach, another cut-scene will play and you’ll receive an achievement “Dream” for 15 points. You’ll then need to investigate the impact site, which is found due north on your mini-map’s compass. Turn to the right and talk to Noel to activate a Live Trigger. Note: For a funny response, select “What’s your favorite food?”
After talking with Noel, continue north and you’ll activate a tutorial sequence about the Mog Clock, which allows you to get the jump on an enemy by quickly striking them when they materialize. You also have the option to run away from battles, as once you reach a certain distance from the enemy, the clock will disappear and you can continue onward.
After the Mog Clock primer, you’ll battle a Pulsework soldier, who is resistant to both physical and magical attacks. Switch the paradigm to “slash and burn,” which will allow you to quickly increase your chain gauge. Once the chain gauge is maxed out, the targeted enemy will be “staggered” and more vulnerable to attacks.
After the battle, proceed up the wooden bridge. Jump on the path leading to an elevated area. To your immediate right after you cross the bridge is a treasure sphere holding Potions x3. Speak with Noel again to activate another Live Trigger dialogue sequence.
Continue onward, and examine the sphere in front of a circular depression in the land, which contains a Map of New Bodhum. Continue following Noel, and you’ll run across Gadot, which triggers another Live Trigger. Answer “I thought you were the boss” for the funny response. Follow Noel and you’ll run across another sphere, this one containing Librascope.
Keep going until you encounter Yuj. Speak to him to initiate a Live Trigger. Answer “You want to try them on?” for a funny response. Just up ahead is Maqui. Speak to him to initiate another Live Trigger. Answer “Where did the Moogle come from?” for a funny response. Grab the Phoenix Down and follow Noel to the entrance to the meteor site, where you will engage in a boss battle against a creature named Gogmagog.
While the brief primer that begins the game recommends that you switch to the “twin shields” paradigm to defend against the boss’ swipe attack, it’s not necessary. Simply start the battle by switching to the slash & burn paradigm. Build up your chain gauge to stagger the boss, then quickly finish him off. Drink a potion if you are getting dangerously low on health, but you should be able to defeat him without any trouble.
Defeat the boss to earn the Gogmagog Fragment Alpha, one of 160 fragments in the game. Hop up the nearby ledge to collect 300 gil from a sphere. Then jump down to open up another sphere immediately to your left, which holds Gyashl Greens x2.
Head down toward the crash site to examine the rather large meteorite. This will trigger a cinematic. When the cinematic is over, you’ll begin in Serah’s house. You’ll also have access to both the Crystarium and Party Paradigms from the menu screen. The former lets you customize your characters, while the latter lets you adjust your battle strategies.
If you’ve talked to at least five characters for their Live Trigger events, a treasure box will pop up right next to Serah after the primers on the Crystarium and Party Paradigms. The standard reward is Lebreau’s Olive Tattoo, while the reward for answering three humorous responses out of five is a Golden Flower. Select Crystarium to advance your character, but you can skip the Party Paradigms for now.
As you head outside, talk to Lebreau for Live Trigger #1 and answer “Good morning, kupo!” for the funny option. As soon as you are outside, talk to Noel for Live Trigger #2, then head to the waypoint to examine and retrieve your first artefact, Lightning’s Knife, which will trigger a flashback cinematic and Live Trigger #3. After the cinematic, talk to Noel for Live Trigger #4, then walk over to the blonde-haired girl (Nell) sitting on the beach to pick up your first side quest: Heart Prism.
Nell needs a medical kit that has been lost somewhere in New Bodhum. Note: This quest cannot be completed until you possess the Giant’s Artefact. Once the Giant’s Artefact is acquired, you can retrieve the medical kit from a treasure box in the northwest part of the map (the northwest island closest to the Meteorite Impact Site).
After talking with Nell, your Moogle companion will notice a group of cats and start glowing. Walk over toward the cats and a chase will ensue, which involves finding Serah’s cat, Snow. Follow Moogle until you can examine the cat, which will trigger another flashback as well as a Live Trigger #5 conversation with Noel. To the southwest is a vegetable garden, which will initiate Live Trigger #6.
After the conversation, start walking and Moog will fixate on a group of children, talk to one of the boys for Live Trigger #7, and a Live Trigger #8 event will initiate with Noel. Keep walking and you’ll see Maqui yell out at one of the children, who starts running away. Chase after the boy (Rhett) across the environment -- a few random battles may trigger, but you can easily avoid them if you keep moving forward. Once you reach a certain spot, you’ll be able to talk to the boy twice (Live Trigger #9 and Live Trigger #10) to figure out why he ran away.
The boy will give you Snow’s Necklace, and you can talk to Noel for Live Trigger #11. Head back to the NORA house and return to Serah’s room, where she’ll notice a strange new mirror that wasn’t there before. Examine it to receive the Giant’s Artefact. After a cinematic, a treasure box will appear to the left. If you’ve answered all 11 Live Trigger events, you’ll receive either an Aqua Ribbon or a Summery Parasol (the latter for four or more funny answers).
Head outside. Your objective is to visit the meteorite site once again, but we’ll grab the remaining treasure spheres and quest item before going there. Head north again, up the bridge and ramp to the higher platform. Continue north and stay to the right side when the path forks. Jump to the far right stretch of land that was previously inaccessible (it should be dark blue on your map).
To the left is a sphere with an Iron Bangle. Keep going north and you’ll notice another sphere to the right, which contains a Phoenix Down. That’s the last of the spheres on this map. Now you’ll want to jump across to the left. Keep moving west and you’ll run across the treasure box with the medical kit quest item. Return it to Nell to receive a Heart Prism Fragment and 50 CP.
Now head back north to the meteorite site to confront Gogmagog again. He’s a bit stronger, but the same strategy used to defeat him the first time will work here as well. Switch to the slash and burn paradigm, build up the chain gauge, and stagger him to finish him off. You don’t have to use the Crystarium to strengthen your characters or equip anything to make quick work of this boss. Defeat him to receive the Gogmagog Fragment Beta and unlock a briefer on chocobos. Examine the gate to visit the Historia Crux, an intergalactic map of sorts, allowing you to visit different regions in different time periods. Head to Bresha Ruins (005 AF).
Episode 2
Bresha Ruins (005 AF)
As soon as you arrive, you’ll engage in a boss battle with Paradox Alpha. You can use the same technique you used to defeat Gogmagog, so switch to the slash and burn paradigm and lay on the damage. This boss battle is notable for introducing cinematic action sequences, which are quick-time events that are actually quite easy and forgiving compared to other games. The first sequence involves pushing the left analog stick right. The second sequence has you pushing the left analog stick right, then up, and tapping the A button. The third and final sequence involves rapidly tapping the Y button.After the boss battle, members of the “Academy” will view you as intruders and escort you to a prison. Talk to Noel while in prison to initiate Live Trigger #1. Speak with the sentry outside the cell for Live Trigger #2, and again for Live Trigger #3. A spunky woman named Alyssa Zaidelle will introduce herself and free you from captivity. Leaving the cell will initiate Live Trigger #4. View the primer on the “Paradox Effect.” Follow Alyssa and talk to her to access the “Change Leader” and “Gate Types” primers. She’ll also give you the Map of the Bresha Ruins.
After talking with Alyssa, your objective is to track down Atlas, indicated by the waypoint on the map. Yet before traveling up the stairs and heading to your goal, take a moment to walk around the Excavation Site to collect some treasure. You can also speak with a strange saleslady in a chocobo costume: Chocolina, who will appear throughout the rest of the game at various locations. Just behind Alyssa in the northwest corner is a hidden treasure sphere. Reveal it to receive a Librascope.
Two other treasure spheres (one containing a Black Belt, the other 350 gil) can be found on the eastern portion of the Excavation Site, with the quirky Chocolina located in the northeast corner. She offers some weapon upgrades that are worth purchasing, as well as potions and other items. South on your map is the gate. The long hallway adjacent to the gate, which forms the top of a “T”, has two items of interest. The west end of the hallway has a Leaving Gate Seal in a treasure box, while the east end of the hallway has a treasure sphere with 400 gil.
Once you’ve grabbed these items, head back toward Alyssa and up the stairs. Examine the nearby sphere to receive Potion x2, and then follow the route toward the waypoint. Your first monster encounter will be a Cait Sith and a Zwerg Scandroid. Since Cait Sith is a medic, target it first. Defeat the duo to unlock the Paradigm Pack feature and earn your first monster crystal. Now you have the chance to acquire the monsters you battle and have them fight alongside Serah and Noel.
Up to three monsters can be assigned to a Paradigm Pack, allowing you to complement your party with a medic, ravager, commando, sentinel, saboteur, or synergist, depending on the monster (monsters can’t switch roles, unfortunately). You can also develop monsters in the crystarium, but only if you have the right ingredients. Take the tutorial on feral link, which is a monster-specific charged attack that requires a cinematic event to pull off.
Continue moving north, a brief cut-scene will occur and you can talk to Noel. Keep moving and you’ll notice a large gate, which is currently locked, with an assortment of soldiers standing around it. Examine the gate for Live Trigger #5. You’ll also have another chance to buy things from Chocolina. Pick up two side quests by talking with the soldiers in the area. The Unio Mystica quest has you looking for two lost capsules. The Ghast Fragment quest has you hunting and slaying a large creature. Also available in the area is a new skill for Mog, a hunting ability that will allow him to reveal hidden treasure spheres (with your help) if he is nearby. Use this ability to reveal a sphere containing a Wild Artefact.
Keep following the route to the waypoint, and you’ll notice a tunnel entrance that you can jump up on next to the main path west. Head a few steps down the main path west and reveal the hidden treasure sphere containing a Capsule quest item, then go back and walk through the tunnel. This path will take you to the southern part of the map, but before you get there, look to your left to find a staircase that leads to a dead-end path. This is where you’ll find the other quest item, a treasure sphere holding the second Capsule. Turn in the capsules to complete the Unio Mystica side quest for the Unio Mystica Fragment and 100 CP.
Go back and take the western tunnel and follow it south, which will take you close to another gate. Examine the gate to initiate Live Trigger #6. Follow the docks to the east to grab a treasure sphere with Mana Droplet x8. Talk to Noel for a Live Event, and then go check out the gate. Once done, go west and use the Mog Hunt ability to reveal a hidden sphere containing a Rune Bracelet. Then keep going north and a cut-scene will occur that shows the mighty Atlas.
This will initiate Live Trigger #7, which asks you if you should tackle the massive beast head-on or to try to weaken it first. Hmm, I wonder what the best approach is? Right now, it’s to weaken it first, which will involve going to the square-shaped room to the northeast. Grab the nearby treasure sphere for the Gysahl Greens x2 and then head up the ramp leading to the north. Keep following it and you’ll run into Chocolina to stock up on supplies. To the left is the area where Ghast likes to frequent, while to the right you’ll notice another treasure sphere, which contains an Orange Newsboy Cap.
Head left and use the Mog Hunt ability to reveal a treasure sphere containing a Star Pendant. Then head south to a room where you can confront Ghast. He has a Fira attack that can decimate a party if you solely rely on the slash and burn paradigm, so periodically switch to a more defensive oriented paradigm or be judicious with potions. Once defeated, you’ll receive the Ghast Fragment and 600 CP. Walking into the northwest room initiates Live Trigger #8.
Make your way east to the square room. You’ll notice a machine up ahead. Yet before you can examine it, you will be transported to another dimension, where you’ll need to solve a temporal puzzle. This involves walking across tiles to collect a series of crystals and following the path toward the gate. There’s one little catch -- each time you cross over a tile, it disappears. Plan your route accordingly and solve all three puzzles to return to the Bresha Ruins. Once back, you can examine and activate the machine, which will cause Atlas to fall on one knee, apparently weakened. You can now move toward Atlas and get ready to battle.
Atlas can cause a lot of damage, so it’s recommended that this fight be defensive oriented. Medic monster Cait Sith can help, if you don’t mind extending the battle time, but your focus should be on staggering the boss. With a potion or two to supplement your medic, you won’t suffer any losses. You need to finish Atlas off by executing a cinematic event (left analog stick right, B button, left analog stick right, A button, left analog stick right, A button). Once done, Live Trigger #9 will occur. Defeating Atlas will earn you the Atlas Fragment and 2,500 CP.
Go east toward the waypoint, which will take you to an area called Lamentable Rest, and examine the pillar. After the cinematic and dialogue with Alyssa, you’ll notice a treasure box with your reward for the Live Trigger questions (Lucky Clover for completing five, or a Chocobo Figurine for four funny responses out of five). Mog will then alert you to an artefact toward the east. Reveal and acquire the Eclipse Artefact, which unlocks the gate in the Echoes of the Past area. Follow the waypoint marker to reveal and collect the Reunion Artefact (which is behind some bars). This unlocks the gate in the tunnels to the west. Head to the gate in the Echoes of the Past area to travel to Yaschas Massif (010 AF).
EPISODE 3, Part 1
Yaschas Massif (010 AF)
When you first arrive in Yaschas Massif, you’ll notice two treasure spheres on either side of you. Use Mog Hunt to reveal the sphere in the northwest, which contains a Metal Armband. The sphere to the southeast has 500 gil. After collecting your treasure, speak to the researcher to receive a map of the area. Talk to him again to activate a Live Trigger #1 conversation. Jump down to the area east and cross the bridge. Head north and follow the only path you can take until you get a primer on searchlights. Follow the path, staying in the light as much as possible if you want to avoid monster encounters, the most serious of which is the Feral Behemoth.The Feral Behemoth is tough but beatable at this stage in the game, particularly if you have a sentinel monster that can absorb some of the damage as you go to town on it. You’ll likely need a phoenix down or two to revive fallen party members. You don’t have to confront it at this time, but if you do and win, you’ll get a Behemoth Fang. This is a quest item, allowing you to receive a fragment when you speak to a woman named Brenda in the Pass of Paddra area (but only after you complete your main objectives). To the northwest is a treasure sphere with 960 gil. Head north and follow the western wall and you’ll run across another treasure sphere with Mana Sliver x8.
Head toward the southeast to grab a Tablet of Paddra in a treasure box, which is a side quest item for a later date. From this treasure box, Head northeast to grab a treasure sphere with Mana Bolt x8. Go north to talk to Chocolina, who has weapon upgrades for both Serah and Noel. Grab the treasure box to obtain the Gate Seal, then head toward the southeast to grab a treasure sphere with Gysahl Greens.
You can collect another treasure sphere with 540 gil by following the path toward the east. As you head toward the northeast path (the only one available at this time), talk to Noel for Live Trigger #2. Nearby is a hidden treasure sphere that can be viewed with the Mog Hunt ability. Hop up the small the ledge, examine the sphere, and retrieve a Pearl Necklace. Then head north.
Talk to Chocolina and get stocked up on supplies, because a boss battle is coming. You’ll square off against Aloeidai, who inflicts heavy damage to all party members with a Landshatter attack and uses status ailments to try to weaken your party. This fight can be difficult, lasting as long as five minutes, as your party gets smacked around a lot. A medic or sentinel is extremely helpful here, with a ravager and commando focused on racking up the combos to stagger it. Expect to supplement healing with potions, particularly if you get walloped by its big arm. Defeat it and you’ll earn the Aloeidei Fragment.
After the battle, you’ll encounter a friend from the past, Hope, who is a bit older than when we last saw him in Final Fantasy XIII. Speak to him twice for Live Trigger #3. Follow him down the ramps toward an area called the Paddraean Archaeopolis. He’ll stop, but before talking to him again, you can take a look around the area to get some items. In the northwest part of the map there are three treasure spheres, one containing a Serenity Satchel, one containing Remedy x3, and one (on a catwalk near the giant head) has a Carbuncle Figurine. Retrieve these if you want, and then go back to Hope for a walk-and-talk tour of the area.
When you reach an area with stone pillars, collect the treasure sphere with a Warding Talisman in the southeast corner. In the northeast corner is a hidden treasure sphere. Use Mog Hunt ability to reveal Gysahl Greens.
Talk to Hope again to initiate Live Trigger #4 and have him walk up the ramp. Follow him up and talk to him to trigger a lengthy cinematic and Live Trigger #5. Once it’s finished you’ll receive the Hollow Artefact. Go down the ramp and talk to a man named Cole who will offer you the Amur’s Sphere side quest. Head down and talk to the short-haired girl named Shannon, who is standing near the base of the stairs. She will give you the quest Innocence’s Sacred Sphere, which can be completed at a later time.
Head south past Chocolina. The gate is to the southeast, down a series of ledges. Examine the gate and talk to Noel for Live Trigger #6. Pick up the Live Trigger treasure box to receive either a Blue Butterfly for answering all six Live Trigger events, or a White Chocobo Chick for choosing four funny responses out of the six events. Make your way to Oerba (200 AF).
Oerba (200 AF)
Once in Oerba, you can obtain a fragment simply by doing a 180° and heading to the left of the gate you just zipped through. Use the Mog Hunt ability to reveal a Giant Egg Fragment. Head north toward the waypoint, then use the Mog Hunt ability to reveal a temporal shift. Examine it and you’ll be whisked away to a Crystal Bonds puzzle.The realm is similar to the place where you solved the puzzle to weaken Atlas, but instead of walking across tiles toward an exit, you have to make a match of two similar looking crystals by holding down the A button and walking toward a tile with the matching crystal. This will draw a line between the two crystals, and you must then look for other matches. Essentially you are connecting the dots that form the shape of a constellation. There’s a time limit, and the crystals will periodically change, so you have to be relatively quick. If you fail, just repeat it until you complete it.
Once finished, walk over to the gate and you’ll be transported back to Oerba. You’ll also receive Time’s Stardust Fragment for your efforts. To your right up ahead is a treasure sphere with a Gysahl Greens x2. Go a little bit north and head into the alley toward the west to find a sphere partially obscured by a tree branch. Examine it to receive a Power Wristband. Now head back to the main road and return to where you found the first sphere.
Jump down to the floor below and follow a narrow path that leads to the east and then the north. Nearby is a building that has a Map of Oerba on the first floor and a Visions Gate Seal on the second floor. Collect both and head over to Chocolina for some supplies, if needed, but she doesn’t have any new weapons.
Your path north is blocked by a temporal rift, so use the Mog Hunt ability, and get ready to do another puzzle. Complete both stages to receive Time’s Shell Fragment. Then head toward your left to follow the alley behind Chocolina to examine a treasure sphere, which contains Magician’s Mark. Head back and go up the ramp.
Continue west and you’ll spot a treasure sphere containing 550 gil to the left of a giant tree. Keep going west until you see a staircase facing north. Go down the stairs, and use the Mog Hunt ability to activate the final temporal rift. Solve the puzzle and you’ll receive Time’s Coral Fragment. Follow the revealed path toward the east.
Go down the stairs and collect the treasure sphere right in front of you to receive Cie’th Tear x3. There’s a gate nearby, but it can’t be accessed until you find the necessary artefact. To the right of the gate is a staircase leading up to a ledge with a hidden sphere on it. Use Mog Hunt to reveal the sphere and examine it to earn a Hypnocrown.
Go north, down the staircase, and you’ll notice a treasure sphere. Collect the Librascope and make your way toward the deserted schoolhouse. Head west along the beach until you reach a wooden staircase. Go up the stairs and examine the treasure sphere to receive 600 gil. Walk to the roof garden and examine the oracle drive. This will initiate a cinematic which culminates in a battle with Caius Ballad.
While the strategy will vary depending on your party’s level and strength, a medic, saboteur, and commando are highly recommended. The saboteur’s debuff and wound spells are especially helpful against Caius. A medic is a necessity, as Caius relentlessly focuses his attacks on one individual for considerable damage. Defeat Caius to reveal the Artefact of Origins. Collect it and watch the cinematic that follows to initiate Live Trigger #1.
Before you make your way toward the gate, drop down through the broken skylight to collect a treasure sphere containing Power Bolt x10. Return to the gate, which will activate Live Trigger #2. You’ll earn either the Whimsical Headdress or the Yellow Propeller (for two funny responses), depending on your answers. Get ready to return to Yaschas Massif, only at a different time.
Yaschas Massif (01X AF)
As you arrive, leap up the ledges and retrieve the Encounters Gate Seal from a treasure box. Talk to Noel to begin Live Trigger #1. Head north and a cinematic will play with Yeul. Talk to Noel for Live Trigger #2. Make your way back to Hope in the Paddraean Archeopolis (he’s at the top of the stairs with Alyssa, where you last talked with him in Yaschas Massif 010 AF).Talk to Hope to initiate a cinematic. After the cinematic, talk to hope to activate Live Trigger #3. Your Live Trigger reward, either an Academic’s Hat or Red Silk Hat (for two funny responses), is found in a treasure box behind where Hope and Alyssa are standing, in the northwest corner.
Your next goal is to go toward the waypoint, advancing across the newly unlocked path and heading up the stairs. Use the Mog Hunt ability to reveal a sphere with 600 gil. Walk over to the waypoint and you’ll notice a shimmering object. Use the Mog Hunt ability to reveal the Mysterious Artefact.
Head down and talk to Duncan, who is waiting at the bottom of the stairs, to receive the Gorgyna Fragment side quest. Also in this area (the northwest corner) is Marlow, who you can talk to receive the Sphere of Clotho side quest. Since you retrieved the Tablet of Paddra from your first time through Yaschas Massif, you can complete the quest to receive the Sphere of Clotho Fragment and 300 CP. Also wandering around the area is a third quest giver, a man by the name of Lester, who will initiate the Mirror of Atropos quest.
Hop on a chocobo and go south through the Pass of Paddra. Keep going south to find the gate. On the path directly opposite of the gate is a treasure box with an Ivory Crystal, one of the three items needed for the Mirror of Atropos quest (since completing this quest requires the Mog Throw ability, don’t worry about finishing it right now). Examine the gate and choose the Void Beyond (??? AF).
The Void Beyond (??? AF)
Once you arrive, you’ll soon realize there’s not much of anything to do here. Well, that’s not entirely true. Examine the treasure sphere in front of you to receive the Map of the Void Beyond. Click back on the gate to enter spacetime distortion.Your next destination is Sunleth Waterscape (300 AF). Since this locale is not yet in your Historia Crux, you’ll need to open a gate. Head back to Bresha Ruins (005 AF) and unlock the southwest gate with the Reunion Artefact.
Episode 3, Part 2
Sunleth Waterscape (300 AF)
After the cinematic upon your arrival to Sunleth Waterscape, you’ll confront a comical looking boss named Royal Ripeness. A ravager, medic, and commando can defeat Royal Ripeness with little difficulty, but it takes some time. Watch for a cinematic action sequence early in the fight, which involves pressing the X button. You’ll finish the boss with another cinematic action sequence (left analog up, X button, X button repeatedly, B button repeatedly, and left analog right).Speak to Snow for Live Trigger #1 and to get a Map of Sunleth Waterscape. Go south to collect the treasure sphere for 625 gil. Follow Mog to examine the vine and swing across. Head toward the waypoint, which is next to a massive creature that will certainly destroy your party. Examine “His Royal Ripeness” if you want, but select “no” when prompted to fight. He’s too powerful at this point, so you’ll need to weaken him.
Go south and then head southeast. Talk to Chocolina and pick up some supplies, if needed. Just beyond Chocolina, you can use the Mog Hunt ability to reveal some hidden Flan and then jump down on two nearby branches. The southeast branch has a treasure sphere with 960 gil. The northeast branch has a treasure sphere with Vitality Droplet x9. Return to the Forest Crossroads area and head down the southwest path, down a series of tree tops. A cinematic will play, and you’ll get to hitch a ride on a giant beast.
As you ride the massive beast, you’ll receive a primer on the Mog Throw, an important technique that will allow you to collect treasure items for your party that were previously inaccessible. Simply press LB, aim with the analog stick, and tap RB to throw.
Take the tutorial and you’ll be able to grab three nearby treasure orbs. On the east side you’ll be able to get a Mana Chip x8, while on the west side are treasure spheres containing a Librascope and Silver Bangle. As you head down the southern path, there’s a Wild Artefact on the eastern side that you can grab via Moogle Throw. After the ride ends, jump off the creature’s back and shop at Chocolina, if desired. Right behind Chocolina is a treasure sphere. Toss Moogle to receive Vitality Chip x7.
Use the Mog Hunt to reveal an out-of-phase vine, then swing to the southwest island. Nearby are two treasure spheres. Examine the one in front of you to receive a Frost Ring. Take a few steps south and use Mog Hunt to reveal a treasure sphere containing a Unicorn Horn. Head southwest to a region called Bow Isle. Examine the nearby treasure sphere to pick up a Zephyr Ring.
Walk up a large tree branch and follow it around to arrive at the southernmost part of the map. As you walk across the branch, look down for a floating treasure sphere that you can grab via Moogle Throw. This sphere contains an Ember Ring. Walk over to the group of Mini-flans to enter a battle. Defeat the weak creatures and a cinematic will play. You’ll receive the Combat Artefact, which unlocks the Bow Isle gate to the west. Examine gate and travel to Coliseum (??? AF).
Coliseum (??? AF)
Walk down the stairs and a cinematic will start playing. After it ends, you’ll receive the White Hole Gem Fragment. You’ll then be able to collect some treasure before leaving the area. Located just beyond the coliseum, floating in space, are five treasure spheres that offer some monster upgrades. The treasure sphere to the southwest contains Potent Chip x10. Two treasure spheres to the northwest contain Power Sliver x7 and Power Chip x6. A treasure sphere to the north contains Power Droplet x9, and a treasure sphere to the northeast includes Power Bolt x8.Use the Mog Throw to collect each one (if you are having trouble with Mog reaching them, make sure the aiming dots end just above each treasure sphere, or else Mog will plummet into space). Head back to the gate and use the Mog Hunt ability to reveal a treasure sphere. Examine it to receive the Map of Coliseum. Time to return to Sunleth Waterscape (300 AF).
Sunleth Waterscape (300 AF)
Head north and have Mog reveal a vine, and swing across area. Continue north and hitch a ride on the massive beast to go north through the Animal Trail. On the east side, keep an eye out for a treasure sphere that you can get with the Mog Throw, which contains a Spark Ring.As the ride ends, hop off and head down the path to the southeast. Before you swing across on the vine, look down and use the Mog Throw to grab the Wild Artefact. Then swing across. Battle the group of Mini-flan, which poses absolutely no threat whatsoever. Defeating them will initiate a cinematic.
After it ends, you’ll receive the Thundering Artefact. Live Trigger #2 will occur, with Noel asking Snow a question. Answer and a Live Trigger treasure box will appear, containing either a Blue Flower or a Pumpkin Head (for two funny answers). Head toward the gate to the far north (the Base of Crystal area) and examine it. Travel to Archylte Steppe (??? AF).
Archylte Steppe (??? AF)
As you follow Noel across the grasslands toward the waypoint, you’ll notice a treasure sphere just up ahead. Examine it to receive Remedy x2. Further up north is another treasure sphere, which contains Potions x3. Walk to the northwest toward the entrance to the Nomad Camp. To the right of the entrance, against the wall, is a treasure sphere with Mana Droplets x8. Head inside the Nomad Camp.Go up the stairs and collect the treasure sphere sitting on the edge of the platform to receive a Grimoire Hat. Turn around and walk straight toward another treasure sphere with 600 gil. Head up the stairs and speak to the man (Tipur) to receive a Map of Archylte Steppe. Speak to him again to receive a quest to retrieve the Goblin Fragment. After speaking with Tipur a second time, jump off the cliff and head toward the waypoint marker to confront the goblins. After defeating them, walk to the nearby red cactuar statue and examine it to receive the Crimson Crystal Fragment and an instant transport back to camp.
Talk to Tipur again and then speak with the woman at the base of the stairs (Myta), who is surrounded by some sheep-like creatures. She will give you the Woolly Stone quest, which involves collecting the wool from larger sheep in the adjacent field. Look for the large sheep with thought bubbles above their head, then track them down.
They will start running away from you, but if you keep following them, eventually you’ll get close enough to hit the A button to examine them, which will net you one of the three wool samples you need for your quest. Once you’ve collected the wool, head back to Myta and receive the Woolly Stone Fragment and 300 CP. Talk to Myta again, then follow the waypoint up the stairs.
Talk to the hunter, who will explain the weather machine. At the weather machine, examine each lever once to move them down and change the weather from rain to hot. Talk to Tipur to initiate Live Trigger #1. Go back to machine and flip the right lever up to clear the path for the next objective, which is to confront a boss creature: Faeryl.
Play it safe for the first part of the battle as medic, saboteur, and commando while building up a chain. Once Faeryl is staggered, switch your paradigm to relentless assault to finish the creature off quickly. Defeat Faeryl to receive the Black Hole Gem. A treasure box for Live Event will appear, giving you either a Dragon Hide Backpack or Mog’s Clock, depending on whether you answer the lone Live Trigger with a straight response or a silly one. Head back to Sunleth Waterscape (300 AF).
Sunleth Waterscape (300 AF)
Head toward the waypoint marker to engage in a boss fight, a significantly weakened His Royal Ripeness, who is now a lowly Mutantomato. It has a tendency to belch out poison and apply buffs, but you should be able to defeat it rather quickly with a relentless assault paradigm. Defeat Mutantomato to receive the Mutantomato Fragment and 3,500 CP. A cinematic will play. Use Mog Throw to retrieve the Mysterious Artefact. Head toward the waypoint and unlock the gate in the Forest Crossroads area near Chocolina. Examine the gate and return to the Void Beyond (??? AF).The Void Beyond (??? AF)
Search the nearby area for two treasure spheres and two treasure boxes. The treasure sphere to the southwest contains Potent Drops x6. A hidden treasure sphere is located north. Use Mog Hunt to reveal the sphere, which contains 800 gil. Use the Mog Throw to reach the southwest treasure box, which contains the Prediction Gate Seal. You’ll also need to toss Mog to get The Calm Gate Seal in a treasure box to the northwest. Interact with the spacetime distortion to the east, then head to Academia (400 AF), which begins Episode 4.Episode 4
Academia (400 AF)
Academia (400 AF) is a rather annoying destination, since you are constantly forced to fight ghouls that offer no challenge and even worse, earn you only three or four CPs for your troubles. Since the fights are frequent and unavoidable, you’ll want to complete this destination as quickly as possible.After a cinematic, head east and activate a ramp to go north. View the cut-scene in elevator. Activate panel to begin a primer on defense systems (you need to defeat the enemies standing in front of the gates). You’ll also earn a Map of Academia (400 AF) .
Nearby is Chocolina, who offers some new weapons for Serah and Noel, a treasure box with the Farewell Gate Seal, and a girl standing in front of a panel. Speak to the girl, Miss Horizon, to acquire the Paradox Professor side quest, which involves exploring each map of each area you encounter. Head east until you see a group of three Koboldroid Yin. Defeat them to pass through the barricade.
Go up the stairs leading south, then go east to battle Fencer. Pass through the barricade and collect the treasure sphere for the Mark of L’Cie adornment item. Go up the stairs to north, toward the waypoint, which will trigger a cinematic. Battle Taxim and Ghoul, and once defeated, another cinematic will play with Caius.
Fight the ghouls left by Caius, then examine the nearby panel. Follow the escalator down and then head west. Keep going until a cinematic triggers. Head down the escalator, then go north. Activate the control panel, walk up the escalator, and then go east. Head toward the waypoint, which is east. Before you head up an escalator, grab the treasure sphere for a Phoenix Down.
At the waypoint, you’ll engage in a boss fight with a creature called Zenobia. The strategy here is to focus your efforts on the tentacles with the relentless assault paradigm. Switch to a defensive or medic based paradigm to minimize damage, then switch back to relentless assault when Zenobia is staggered. At the end of the fight, you’ll need to complete a cinematic action sequence (left analog up, left analog left, B, left analog right, B, left analog right, and A repeatedly). Defeat her to earn the Zenobia Fragment, Tower Artefact, and 6,000 CP.
After battle with Zenobia, head up the stairs toward the waypoint/gate. Collect the nearby treasure sphere for 1,050 gil, and then activate the gate. While the gate leads you to Augusta Tower (200 AF), you can’t advance the storyline without a key from Augusta Tower (300 AF). Travel back to Yaschas Massif (01X AF) and use a Wild Artefact to unlock the gate to the west of the Pass of Paddra. Then travel to Augusta Tower (300 AF).
Augusta Tower (300 AF)
Examine panel to activate it. Receive primer on revolving rooms. Exit and follow waypoint to examine panel on catwalk. This will rotate the room toward the entrance. Enter the room and walk through it to reach the outer ring. Follow the path toward the waypoint, and access another terminal.Examine the panel to rotate the room so that it’s in the correct position. Go through the room and a brief cinematic will occur. Examine the panel to operate the elevator. As you head out of the elevator, your goal is to get to the top floor using a lift. Head toward the waypoint.
Activate a panel to reveal a walkway leading to a treasure sphere with Vitality Bolts x8. Collect the treasure and activate the panel once more. Head through and activate the panel twice, which will connect the room to the waypoint. Examine the terminal to reveal a “suspicious room.” Follow path toward waypoint. Use the terminal twice to rotate the room, step inside and examine the computer terminal.
Select answer 1237172 (or just hit the X button). You’ll receive the Entropy Board Fragment, 500 CP, and most importantly, Access Key 50. Watch the cinematic, then pause the game. Select Return to Historia Crux from the pause menu and travel to Augusta Tower (200 AF).
Augusta Tower (200 AF)
Examine all panels, and a cinematic will play. Move out the outer area. Nearby are a few treasures worth collecting. Head north to grab a treasure sphere with Remedy x2. Then toss Moogle over the northern gap to acquire the Librascope. Head south to grab 1500 gil, then toss Moogle to get the Twist Headband. Enter room in south. Examine panels. When prompted, answer “9261” (button A).Receive the Map of August Tower after the cinematic. Head toward waypoint. As you walk into the inner ring, head north to collect the Wild Artefact, then toss Moogle to get the Train Conductor Beret. Move toward waypoint to follow Caius. Examine terminal to activate the primer on Augusta Tower Key). Since we already obtained Access Key 50, examine the terminal again to activate the elevator.
Head toward the waypoint to speak with Alyssa. This will initiate a cinematic. Activate the nearby panel to the north and walk across the bridge to elevator. Talk to Alyssa for Live Trigger #1. Walk onto elevator and speak with Alyssa again. A cinematic will play and a series of three battles will ensue, none of which will cause you trouble. Reach the floor and another cinematic will start. Retrieve the treasure sphere to the north by throwing Moogle, which will give you Casino Ticket. Walk to inner ring, and examine treasure sphere to receive Bloodguard. Also nearby is a treasure box with a Silence Gate Seal.
Activate each panel surrounding the elevator to rotate the rooms so that you can create a direct path to the waypoint. Follow the path through the rooms to reach the waypoint, and then examine the terminal to receive Access Key 52 and a primer on Man vs. Machine. Head back to the elevator, examine the panel and head to the 52nd floor. This initiates Live Trigger #2.
On the 52nd floor are treasure spheres that you can snag by either throwing Mog or rotating the rooms to access them. Head around the ring to examine treasure spheres with Vitality, 1450 gil, Mana Engines x8, Platinum Casino Card, and Vitality Engines x8. Rotate the southwest room once. Go north and into the room to access the panel. Examine this panel twice, then head out to the catwalk to access another panel. Examine this panel twice, then return to the nearby room. Use the room’s panel twice, then head out to the outer ring and follow the path to the waypoint.
Examine the panel to earn the Top Floor Access Key and “Gates of Augusta” primer. Exit room and go right to see a treasure sphere in the distance. Toss Mog to get the Phoenix Blood. Head back towards the elevator. Use the terminal in the room closest to the elevator to create a path. Activate the panel on the elevator and get ready to fight a Greater Behemoth. Using the aggression paradigm, this battle is over rather quickly.
Exit elevator, collect the treasure sphere for Potion x3, and shop at Chocolina if desired. Head up the stairs and get ready to battle a boss: Proto Fal’Cie Adam. Focus your attacks on the left and right manipulators before Proto Fal’Cie Adam. Open with a damage dealing paradigm (aggression) and switch to a paradigm with a medic to heal up, if needed. This fight is over quickly once he’s staggered.
There’s a slight catch, though – he will revive himself, so repeat the same strategy as before, targeting the manipulators and then going for a swift stagger. A cinematic action sequence will occur at the end (left analog right, left analog up, left analog right, B button, A button repeatedly, left analog right, A button repeatedly). After the battle, Live Trigger #3 will initiate. Choose “Scream at Hope.”
After the battle, receive the Proto Fal’Cie Adam Fragment and 6,000 CP. Collect the Live Trigger treasure box to the left of the machine to receive a Sky Blue Newsboy Cap or Light Bulb (the latter for two funny responses out of three). Interact with the panel and then head toward the gate. Your next destination is a much improved, far less annoying Academia.
Academia (4XX AF)
Head north, talk to Chocolina if desired, then examine the panel to learn about the 13th Ark. Head north toward Academy. As you approach the building, examine the treasure sphere on the left to receive Gold Casino Ticket. Enter the building and follow the waypoint to speak with Hope. Just ahead, at the reception desk, is a treasure box with the Facts Gate Seal. Throw Mog to acquire it. Just beyond the entrance is a phased-out man that can be revealed with Mog Hunt.The man’s name is Captain Cryptic, who will offer you a question. Answer it correctly to receive 400 CP and a Quiz Rank: Private Fragment. From here on out, Captain Cryptic will appear at different parts on the map. Each time you reveal him, you’ll be able to answer a question and receive a fragment for correctly answering each one. Right behind Captain Cryptic is a Brain Blast panel. This is another opportunity to test your trivia knowledge. Answer ten questions correctly to receive a Stoic Virtue Fragment and 500 CP.
Other Brain Blast panels are located at various parts of the Academy and offer more questions. Each time you answer all ten correctly, you’ll receive a fragment. Walk around the receptionist’s area to locate a silver-haired man named Dr. M. Speak to him to initiate Academic Rank: Monster Professor, which involves gathering data on all the monsters in the game by defeating them at least once. Head north to enter the research facility. Talk to Hope, then talk to Alyssa twice.
Talk to Hope twice to initiate a Live Trigger. Answer it and a Live Trigger treasure box will appear to the right, containing a Crystal Star. Head south and talk to the receptionist to receive clues on your next objective: graviton deposits. Note that each primer has a picture of where the graviton is located as well as its destination. Pause the game and select Return to Historia Crux. Head to New Bodhum (003 AF) to retrieve the first Graviton Core.
New Bodhum (003 AF)
Head to the Tidal Swallows area to the southeast. Look on one of the metal platforms and use the Mog Hunt to reveal Graviton Core Alpha. Return to Historia Crux, then select Bresha Ruins 005 AF.Bresha Ruins (005 AF)
Grab a chocobo and head toward the east part of the map (you’re looking for the unexplored part near the Echoes of the Past area). Use the chocobo to leap over the northwest portion of the wall. You’ll be in a small courtyard, where you can collect a treasure sphere with Power Droplet x8. Use the Mog Hunt to reveal Graviton Core Beta. Return to Historia Crux and go to Oerba (200 AF).Oerba (200 AF)
Head toward Chocolina and hop on a chocobo. Graviton Core Gamma is located on the roof of the building directly behind Chocolina. Once collected, go back to the Historia Crux and head to Academy (400 AF).Academy (400 AF)
Head toward Chocolina. Next to her is a red escalator/ramp. At its base is Graviton Core Delta, so you’ll need to jump repeatedly to get there (since it’s moving in the opposite direction of where you’re trying to go). After you acquire the Graviton Core, head to the south to activate the gate there. This will open up your next destination: Yaschas Massif (100 AF).Yaschas Massif (100 AF)
While your primary storyline objective here is to retrieve the Graviton Core, there are some quests worth completing since they are so short and easy. Head down and use Mog Hunt to receive the Bulb of Hope quest item. Go down stairs and talk to the red orb (Ruby of Grief) in middle of area to receive Helmwige’s Nightshade quest.Go underneath ramps (under giant head) and use Mog Throw to retrieve the contents in a treasure box, which is the Sealed Tablet quest item. Head toward Chocolina. As you walk up the ramp leading to Chocolina, look over the railing on your right to spot a treasure box. Throw Mog to collect the Reminiscence Gate Seal.
Go a few steps south of Chocolina and use Mog Hunt to reveal a treasure box with the Comm Device quest item. When you see the chocobo, head east by jumping down the ledges. Retrieve the Picture Frame quest item from a hidden treasure box. Return to the red orb in Paddrean Archaepolis to complete the quest for Helmwige’s Nightshade Fragment and 500 CP. Head south and make your way to the chocobo in the Pass of Paddra. Talk to the red orb next to the chocobo and turn in the Bulb of Hope to receive Siegrune’s Spiritbloom Fragment and 500 CP.
Go southwest and retrieve the Blessed Blade weapon from a treasure box. Head south and talk to the red orb. Turn in the Comm Device to receive Schwertleite’s Flower Fragment and 300 CP. Use Mog Throw on a treasure sphere on top of the building to the south to receive Power Chip x10. Go around the bend and head northeast to retrieve Graviton Core Epsilon. Continue northeast until you see another red orb. Talk to it and turn in the Sealed Tablet to receive the Rossweisse Skyblossom Fragment and 500 CP. Pause the game, and select Return to Historia Crux. Go back to Academia (4XX).
Academia (4XX)
Enter the academy and make your way to Alyssa. Talk to Alyssa to hand in each Graviton Core individually. A cinematic will play. Receive the Vagabond Artefact. Head to the waypoint to unlock the gate. Answer “I’m Ready” to advance the storyline.Episode 5
The Void Beyond (??? AF)
Head down the only path you can take and talk to Yeul for Live Trigger #1. Head up stairs and talk to Yeul again for Live Trigger #2. Open the Live Trigger treasure box to receive Caius’s Sword (the adornment, unfortunately, not the actual weapon). Follow waypoint up the stairs and talk to Yeul. Head down stairs to talk to, you guessed it, Yeul.Behind her is a treasure sphere containing a Librascope. Head up the stairs to talk to Yeul again. Head up the stairs once more. A phased-out Chocolina is nearby. Use Mog Hunt on her if you need supplies, as a battle is coming. Talk to Yeul one last time and get ready to battle Caius. He’s actually not much of a threat at this point. Simply use the slash and burn paradigm and quickly finish him off.
New Bodhum (???)
Serah finds herself in a dreamlike state in a familiar place – her home. But something’s amiss. Talk to Lebeau to initiate Live Trigger #1. Talk to Yuj for Live Trigger #2, then walk up to speak with Maqui for Live Trigger #3. Finally, talk to Gadot near the NORA house for Live Trigger #4. Enter NORA house to start a cinematic.Head straight toward the pier to speak with Lightning. Answer “yes” to unlock one of the game’s nine paradox endings. Congratulations, you won! Okay, maybe not.
As the cinematic ends, you’ll be able to select Hollow Seclusion from the Historia Crux to replay your scene with Lightning. This time answer “no” to advance the storyline. Collect the Live Trigger box on the beach for either a NORA Symbol or an Afro adornment (the latter earned by making at least three funny responses out of four).
Head to the meteorite crash site to the east. Talk to Vanille (and Fang). Collect the treasure boxes to the north and southeast to get Vanille’s Fruit and Fang’s Crown fragments, respectively. Enter the spacetime distortion to continue. You’ll be transported to A Dying World (700 AF).
A Dying World (700 AF)
Head west to find Noel, which starts a cinematic. Then head east to find Noel again, and another cinematic will play. Talk to Caius, or at least attempt to, to initiate yet another cinematic. Follow Mog toward Noel, and use Mog Hunt to reveal the treasure sphere, which contains Map of A Dying World. From the sphere, walk south, past a series of out-of-phase villagers and use the Mog Hunt to reveal Noel, who is standing alone toward the south of the village. Talk to Yeul, and watch another cinematic.Noel will start running. Follow him to begin a cinematic and battle with Caius. Noel will face Caius in a one-on-one battle that’s easily won just using auto-attacks. Follow Noel north to an area called Farseers Relic, which will initiate a cinematic. Follow Noel, then go north to chase Noel (if you get disoriented, Noel is represented by a green dot on the map). Along the way pick up a treasure sphere with Vitality Essences x10.
When you finally catch up to Noel you’ll be instantly transported to another part of the world, the Sandy Highlands. Go west and meet up with Noel, which begins a cinematic. Noel and Serah are finally together again, and to celebrate, they get to battle Gogmagog. With an aggression paradigm can take this creature down extremely fast. After battle ends, a cinematic will play and initiate a Live Trigger. Earn the Gogmagog Fragment Gamma and a staggering 15,000 CP.
Examine the Live Trigger treasure box to receive the Crystal Rose, then follow the waypoint to the Farseers Relic zone to the southeast. It’s a long trek, but you can run away from most random monster encounters if you get tired of fighting. When you finally reach the waypoint, examine the relic to initiate a cinematic. Talk to Mog and then enter the spacetime distortion.
New Bodhum (700 AF)
Head west, down the tree trunk to gain control of your character. Then head back up where you started and use the Mog Hunt to reveal a treasure box (in the southern corner). Use Mog Toss to acquire the Cartesian Board Fragment and 600 CP.Head back down to the beach and interact with the spacetime distortion point (you’ll notice a phased-out treasure sphere with a weird glowing ring around it, but you can’t reveal it just yet). Once the cinematic ends, you’ll get a primer on Advanced Moogle Hunt, which will reveal glowing treasure items, like the one you just passed. Head back and use Mog Hunt to reveal the treasure sphere and acquire Map of New Bodum 700 AF.
Head north to reveal Artefact of Ark, which is against a cliff next to the NORA house. Go south to reveal a treasure box with Supply Sphere Access Code and Hope’s Message. Go to the southwest corner of map to reveal a hidden treasure box with the Laplacean Board Fragment and 600 CP. Head toward the gate and activate it.
Episode 6
NOTE: Although it’s not required, you can take a quick pit-stop to the casino world of Serendipity (reminiscent of the Golden Saucer from Final Fantasy VII) to speak with a mystic and unlock some perks.Perks are based on the number of fragments you’ve collected thus far, and one grants you the ability to float a bit while jumping. This can make your time spent in Academia (500 AF) slightly less frustrating, since you’ll have to leap over gaps and walk across rotating platforms that can send you plummeting to your death if you aren’t careful.
Academia (500 AF)
Once you arrive, open the treasure box in front of your character to receive the Determination Gate Seal. Jump over gap and head north, toward Chocolina and the cactuar checkpoint. Activate the cactuar and talk to Chocolina to acquire two powerful weapon upgrades for Noel and Serah (each costs 9,000 gil). Go north to proceed to the next waypoint.Watch the cinematic and then head west on the rotating platform. Walk to the circular platform, face north, and wait for a rotating walkway to appear. Go north and then west. Head up the stairs and activate the cactuar checkpoint.
Go up another flight of stairs and then head east toward the waypoint. As you get closer to the waypoint, a cinematic will play and a battle will ensue.
Two dragon-like creatures, Pacos Luvulite and Pacos Amethyst, will appear on either side of your party. The silver one is weak against fire, while the red one is weak against ice. Select the delta or variety paradigm to play it safe. Focus your attacks on one creature, trying to kill it as quickly as possible.
After one creature is dead, the other will attempt to revive its friend. Switch to the relentless assault paradigm to try and stop it. If you can’t kill it in time, don’t panic -- its revived partner won’t be at full health and will go down rather quickly.
Defeat both creatures to receive the Amethyst and Luvulite Fragment and 8,000 CP. A cinematic will play and you’ll receive a primer on Chaos Blocks.
Activate the nearby chaos block and go west, up a flight of stairs. Head south, and activate the cactuar checkpoint. Keep going south, down a flight of stairs and activate the block to make it red. Go up the stairs to the north. At the top of the stairs, wait for an L-shaped block to rotate into position so you can reach the platform to the west. Wait on this platform for the same L-shaped block to spin around again, so you can go west once more. Head up the stairs toward the waypoint.
Activate the block, then jump on a T-shaped platform. Wait as it spins around, then go toward the treasure box. Examine it to acquire the Sisters Gate Seal. Go up the stairs to the east. Follow path toward west, jumping across the rotating platforms until you reach waypoint. Activate cactuar waypoint, then activate the chaos block. Face north, and wait until an L-shaped block points east. Follow it across. Wait for a T-shaped block to swing around. Jump on it and move to northern platform. Follow stairs to west and keep traveling up the series of staircases, making sure to cross when it’s safe, until you reach the waypoint.
This top area is your last destination before the climactic battle, one that involves four separate confrontations. Chocolina is there for you to stock up on supplies, and it’s recommended that you grab as many potions (particularly wound potions) as you can afford to supplement healing. When you are finished, examine the green cactuar statue to set your waypoint. The giant red cactuar will take you back to the beginning of the maze, so don’t click on that. When you are ready, head up the stairs and get ready for some rousing cinematics and challenging boss battles.
Final Battle
The first battle is against Chaos Bahamut, who you’ll remember from the game’s opening sequence with Lightning. Watch out for its Megaflare attack, which will wound your party. Use delta attack for offense and variety or attrition paradigms for healing. Once staggered, Chaos Bahamut is extremely vulnerable to damage.The next battle is against Caius Ballad, who has this annoying tendency to wipe the chain gauge meter clean just when it looks like he’s about to be staggered. Watch out for when he casts Body and Soul, which will give him buffs to increase damage. Otherwise, the strategy is to alternate between delta attack and variety or attrition paradigms when needed.
The third battle is another encounter with Caius Ballad. This time you have to effectively beat him twice, as he rejuvenates the first time his hit points are zero. Follow the same strategy as before, only watch out for his Ultima attack. When this happens, you can switch to the all-sentinel tortoise paradigm to mitigate damage.
The fourth and final battle has you challenging three Bahamuts. One directly in the center, Jet Bahamut, is the main boss, while his two subordinates (Amber Bahamut and Garnet Bahamut) stand on either side of a circular platform high above the cosmos. You’ll want to use a medic, so the variety or diversity paradigms work well as your starting point. Target one of the underlings, building up the combo meter to stagger it. Once staggered, the creature dies relatively quickly. Focus your attacks on the other creature, and once it’s down, it’s time to confront the main bad guy: Jet Bahamut. Unfortunately, your time to hack away at the boss is brief.
The boss will raise his underlings after a certain amount of time, as well as throw down five Ebon Seeds (after casting a Seeds of Destruction spell) in front of him that should be quickly targeted since they act as bombs if left unchecked. Another notable attack is a giant sword (Judgment Blade) being lifted high in the air before being slammed down on your party. Since the animation for the Judgment Blade is rather long, you’ll have time to switch to an all-sentinel tortoise paradigm to mitigate damage. Jet also likes to curse and wound party members, so you’ll need to keep this in check with healing and/or potions.
By far the most critical spells that you have to worry about are the Gigaflare (one Bahamut), Teraflare (two Bahamuts), and Exaflare (three Bahamuts) attacks, which has one or more Bahamuts flying up high and unleashing a devastating blast of energy that land for as much as 5,000 points of damage (for the Exaflare). The good news is that you are warned when this about to happen. The bad news is that it’s not very long and easy to miss if you are watching health bars. A countdown will occur at the top of the screen, starting with the number 3 in red. Switch to a tortoise paradigm when it hits 2 or you’ll risk a wipe. Then quickly switch back to a healing or defensive paradigm and supplement with potions.
So the basic strategy is to focus everything on the left or right Bahamut, switch to the tortoise paradigm on stronger attacks to minimize damage, and repeat. Eventually you’ll be able to whittle Jet’s health down and win the game. Be careful, though, as Jet’s health bar gets smaller and smaller, you need to worry about a spell called “Dying Sun” that attacks all party members in a nasty blast. Be prepared for this as you get closer to finishing him off. Keep in mind that if you fail this battle, you can restart it as many times as you want. If you exit the game, however, you’ll have to replay all four battles in succession.
As you win your battle, you’ll have a brief cinematic action event where you get to make a decision by tapping a single button. Defeat the final bosses to earn 30,000 CP and the Paradox Scope Fragment. After the credits, you’ll be free to continue on your adventure to acquire any remaining fragments that you’ve missed.
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