How does this fine day find you? Good? Good. Part 5 of Paramina's Final Fantasy XIII Walkthrough. Good? Good.
This is like a flashback...[]
World's biggest snowglobe.
...this is like a dream... We open in the Seaside City of Bodhum, where we get to learn just how much of a stud and all-round cool guy Snow Villiers is. Everyone wants to be his friend, just look as he confidently strolls along the beach and everyone clamors after him. He strolls into Lebreau's bar and even random NPCs can't get enough of him. But this studly HERO!s heart only beats for one lucky lady. I still can't work out why Square decided to make Serah's character model the same size as a twelve year old. Every time she's on screen with Snow makes him look like a massive child molester with a creeper bandanna.
So Snow proposes to his ill-fated girlfriend in a beautifully rendered FMV. I've got to say, Serah looks even younger, if that's possible, with the full effects of CGI on her child-like face. To everyone's relief (...), Serah says "yes", before Snow drives his motorbike into the fireworks sphere. I'm not even kidding, this kid is so boneheaded you've got to adore him. He has very creepy stubble in FMVs though, flesh-beardy. Bad things happen to Fang's face, too, but we'll see that later. Save when prompted, unless you want to watch that insanely sweet scene again.
Lake Bresha[]
Mission: Find out our Focus.
I do love the artwork...
In reality, we've been cast down into the crystallized depths of Lake Bresha, having been branded fugitive l'Cie, enemy's of Cocoon (thank you, angry Hope). Snow actually says "is this for real?", like every dishevelled, disbelieving righteous surfer dude that has ever lived has uttered in our wildest stereotypes. So now we're l'Cie, what's new? Paradigm Tutorial - that's what! No more only Attack-Stacking! Channel your inner Snow and pump that fist in jubilation.
Our party still haven't quite gotten over the concept of being l'Cie yet, so we have to show everyone our brands just to make sure someone hasn't mistakenly arrived at a horribly outlandish conclusion somewhere along the line. Let's start with Vanille showing us her brand, literally on her ass. Like, if she had on proper pants, it would be covered.
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So you now have access to the Paradigm System. I set up Tri-Disaster (all RAV), Aggression (COM COM RAV) Solidarity (MED SEN COM), which is all you'll need just now. Set Tri-Disaster as your Default, as it is swift in pushing up that Stagger gauge. |
Follow the path along until a Crystarium Tutorial pops up; it's just like the Sphere Grid from FFX, and as always, you should always be funneling CP (EXP, basically) into it to keep up with the difficulty slope.
I die.
Okay, so follow the path until you reach your first fork. On the left hand side is a little dead-end with a Pearlwing Staff inside the Treasure Chest. It's guarded by a group of Cie'th, but they're easy to take out with Tri-Disastro. Put yourself back on the straight and Save Up at the Station. You've pretty much got a straight road until the out here, but be sure to pick up the Chipped Fang x7 in the Treasure Chest on the little raised platform to the right just ahead. Keep going until you get another little alcove to the right: be sure to plunder this because it's got 200 gil inside.
Run ahead for hardcore guitar theme to accompany Snow's new hero speech! Snow says they've got to save Cocoon, which goes against all logic, it's funny. When Vanille questions you, you know you're wrong. Sadly, we don't have time to muse on his ramblings, as PSICOM have caught up with us. Watch this awkwardly transparent attempt of Square's to try and make Lightning seem really cool. She never fights as awesome as this when you've got control of her, sadly: wipe out the troops and pay attention to the Command Execution Tutorial. Sometimes you have to send a sole attack out there to keep the Stagger gauge up, or to save those precious seconds when it comes to later battle ratings.
After that interruption, we're back on the (straight) run. You'll first come across an encounter with some Ghasts and some Wights - take them out then check out the little dead-end to the right to pick up Cie'th Tear x5.
Go down into the clearing to face some Breshan Bass. Snow and Vanille run off to the right - head down the left fork to fight some more fish, with a Silver Bangle at the end for your troubles. Head back to catch up with Snow and Vanille, and Save Up when you pass the Station on your way down. Everyone's making introductions around the corner: Snow says his name is a really funny, affected French accent way I do not remember him doing in past playthroughs. Ha.
In plain view just beyond the group of Pantherons is a Treasure Chest with a Phoenix Down inside just to the left. Before you go through the fence, head up the incline on the right to fight another Treasure Chest tucked away, with 50 gil inside. Just walk through the area, and be sure to pick up the Treasure Chest with Strange Fluid x8 on the way. Fight the PSICOM guys before you head up the broken bridge for a Magician's Mark. At the top of the ice bridge, Save Up...
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There's a boss battle around the corner, set up Mystic Tower (RAV SEN RAV) as your default Paradigm. You'll also want Solidarity (COM SEN MED) and Aggression (COM RAV COM), which is all you'll need just now. |
then head on down to meet...
SERAAAAH. Seraaaah (slightly subdued). Everyone - except Hope, because he doesn't help anyone, ever - band together to help break her out. The moment's too much for Light, who storms off. Sadly, this cues another Snow Hero Speech. I can't even remember what it is, but I presume it has a fist-pump and a 'come on!' kind of morale about it. Lightning punches him so hard his bandana almost falls off, I kid you not. Sazh is too awesome for this nonsense and tries to stroll away... except... uh-oh. War-Mech's back.
| Boss Battle: Manasvin Warmech - Round 2 | ||
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Level: 60 | |
| HP: 32,400 | ||
| Common Drop: N/A | ||
| CP: 0 | ||
| Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Strategy | ||
| Your default Paradigm should be Mystic Tower; Snow will assume Sentinel duties as Lightning and Vanille focus on driving up the Stagger Gauge in Ravager mode. Manasvin has a new attack called Crystal Rain, which will kill you if you do not have a Sentinel active when it hits (hence the Mystic Tower default). Use Mystic Tower to raise the Stagger - heal with Solidarity when required - and then switch to Aggression to deal optimum damage once you hit Stagger. | ||
"So... like... yeah..."
So we're leaving Snow behind. Pansy still can't bring himself to say anything. Pathetic. Not even "Snow, fuck you." It's sweet, it's simple. Seriously. Just do it. Snow's already prepped with the "We'll meet again" +sideways grin. Then Hope pretends to be all bad-ass all of a sudden with "yeah, count on it" in this pseudo-threatening way. As threatening as a Jonas Brother at a swingers party, Hope.
We're Down One Hero[]
Battle Team Change...
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We won't see Snow for a bit, so let's rearrange our Battle Team. We've got Sazh in instead of Snow, now, so we have to reset our Paradigms. Technically we can only have four:
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Follow the path around, leaving Snow behind - on the bridge are some Breshan Bass(es?) you can easily pre-empt if you time your run-up correctly. At the end of the bridge circular area: head around the right bend first to find a Treasure Chest with Vial of Strange Fluids x6. Jump down to take on the Pantherons waiting at the bottom. Plough on and take the bridge down to the left when it splits: it leads to two Treasure Chests, with 240 gil and a pair of Deneb Duellers for Sazh (to look at what weapon your time is best invested in developing for each character, check out the walkthrough's Weapon Analysis Guide). Now go run down the main slippery tube for Sazh awesomeness. He even flexes when he lands. Deity.
Prepare for a massive Bloodfang Bass ambush (Bloodfang Bambush? That's a difficult one to amalgamate) - I used Deceptisol purely out of laziness because Lake Bresha is a lot longer than I remember it being and I'm getting a little bored, knowing how much more is ahead.
Okay, so round to your right is another slippery tube - take this one down if you want to grab Vial of Enigmatic Fluid x6. It's guarded by a squabble of Breshan and Bloodfangs, but Tri-Disaster takes care of them nicely.
Head back onto the main path to Vanille and Hope being broody. Just ahead are some Pantherons guarding a Treasure Chest with Wicked Fang x7, plunder it if you so wish. Examine the old airship to shoot us an exit out of the dead-end. There's another bunch of Bass(es?) on the bridge, just chilling, they're easy enough to pre-empt and then follow with a few rounds of Blitz for crowd control.
...why not.
Follow the new path up until the Save Station, do the usual por favor. Just around the corner is an Alpha Behemoth and a Battle Technique Tutorial on Libra. Libra costs TP to use in this game and is entirely useless since you're using this walkthrough, but if you use it to collect full data on 100 enemies, you earn the Trophy/Achievement, Loremaster. Thanks to that little baby, I now have Sazh giving me a thumbs-up every time I load up my PS3. Yes. For the Behemoth, just alternate between Tri-Disaster and Relentless Assault accordingly.
Up to the right is a Treasure Chest with a Librascope inside. Run back down and head to the peak to see some sort of... very... flat ship appear below. PSICOM are hunting down Purge surivivors. Our crew rather naively hope that everyone on the train made it out alright, apparently completely oblivious to the fact that Snow and his band of beach mongrels definitely got them all killed.
Continue on down into the Frozen Falls - we're nearly at the Ruins, don't worry (that's more a reassurance to myself than to you guys). It's a straight forward path ahead with some PSICOM troops dotted around, but they shouldn't be any trouble. Just before you reach the bridge, there's a group of Watchdrones to dispatch. Once you're done, there's a little path to the right with Digital Circuit x2 for you. Now go back and head across the bridge for another battle.
Climb up the mountain face (casual front-flips) until the path splits. Head up to the right to grab Paraffin Oil x2, and then follow the path on to find a 50 gil just a little ahead of you. There's a Watchdrone and an aggro Motorcycle just chilling at the top, waiting for you to get there. Take care of them, then Save Up.
Follow the tunnel through, take out the Watchdrones, pick up the 30 gil and Begrimed Claw x6 on your way, and I'll meet you in the Gates of Antiquity. Nearly done... nearly done...