WARNING: READ BEFORE USING YOUR PLAYSTATION® GAME CONSOLE. A very small percentage of individuals may experience epileptic seizures when exposed to certain light patterns or flashing lights. Exposure to certain patterns or backgrounds on a television screen or while playing video games, including games played on the PlayStation game console, may induce an epileptic seizure in these individuals. Certain conditions may induce previously undetected epileptic symptoms even in persons who have no history of prior seizures or epilepsy. If you, or anyone in your family, has an epileptic condition, consult your physician prior to playing. If you experience any of the following symptoms while playing a video game ­ dizziness, altered vision, eye or muscle twitches, loss of awareness, disorientation, any involuntary movement, or convulsions ­ IMMEDIATELY discontinue use and consult your physician before resuming play. WARNING TO OWNERS OF PROJECTION TELEVISIONS: Do not connect your PlayStation game console to a projection TV without first consulting the user manual for your projection TV, unless it is of the LCD type. Otherwise, it may permanently damage your TV screen. USE OF UNOFFICIAL PRODUCT: The use of unofficial products and peripherals may damage your PlayStation game console and invalidate your console warranty. HANDLING YOUR PLAYSTATION DISC: · This compact disc is intended for use only with the PlayStation game console. · Do not bend it, crush it, or submerge it in liquids. · Do not leave it in direct sunlight or near a radiator or other source of heat. · Be sure to take an occasional rest break during extended play. · Keep this compact disc clean. Always hold the disc by the edges and keep it in its protective case when not in use. Clean the disc with a lint-free, soft, dry cloth, wiping in straight lines from center to outer edge. Never use solvents or abrasive cleaners. Vagrant Story-the story of a hero who must lose all he cherishes to find the truth. CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Basic Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Game Screen/Commands . . . . 8 Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Features of Leá Monde . . . . . 13 Battle System . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Items, Weapons, & Armor . . . 20 Battle Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Magic List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Demo Disc Instructions . . . . 24 Limited Warranty/Game Tips . 29 1 INTRODUCTION n a most heinous crime, the manor of Duke Bardorba of Valendia Kingdom was seized by a cult of religious fanatics known as Müllenkamp. Although several innocents were murdered, news of the incident was suppressed, and Sydney Losstarot, the leader of Müllenkamp, has not been seen since. Duke Bardorba was away during the seizure of the manor and escaped the atrocities. Yet one week later, an unknown assailant took the duke's life. Riskbreaker Ashley Riot, a member of the Valendia Knights of the Peace (VKP) entrusted with breaking the cultists' hold on the manor, was named as a suspect at a meeting of Parliament. He disappeared shortly after the accusation. During the week between the incident and the duke's assassination, suspected assassin Ashley made a peculiar trip to a city lost to memory... The deserted city of Lea Monde. GETTING STARTED I Lea Monde, now a shell of its former glory, housed more than 5,000 people during the Golden Age. Its prosperity ended 25 years ago when a powerful earthquake struck the city. High tidal waters rushed in to fill the rift in the earth left by the earthquake, cutting the city off from the outside world. Above the waters, the land shifted and twisted, losing much of its former shape. Beneath the city, where monks had once worked the stone into chambers and passageways, the vast, labyrinthine tomb became a home for the souls of the dead. The player will experience the crucial week during Ashley's visit to Lea Monde. What happened in the haunted city? Did Ashley really assassinate the duke? Only the player, as Ashley, will be able to uncover the truth. disc cover RESET button POWER button POWER indicator Controller port 1 MEMORY CARD slot OPEN button RESET ® POWER OPEN Set up the PlayStation® game console according to the instructions in its manual. Make sure the power is off before inserting or removing a compact disc. Insert the Vagrant StoryTM disc and close the disc cover. When the power is turned on, the opening movie will begin. Press the button or START button during the opening movie to advance to the Title Screen. Select one of the following commands and press the button. NEW GAME CONTINUE VIBRATION SOUND Start the game from the beginning. Continue the game from a previous save. For details, see "Loading the Game," listed below. Turn ON/OFF the vibration function of the DUALSHOCKTM analog controller. Set the sound output to STEREO/MONO. SAVING THE GAME Save the game at Circles of Magic (Save Points) like the one shown on the right or at storage containers. Save the game by selecting from the Menu Screen, then selecting with the button. Next, select MEMORY CARD slot 1 or 2 and press the button. Select the file in which to save the game. If the file contains previously saved game data, the game will confirm whether to overwrite this file. Select and press the button to proceed. LOADING THE GAME Select the correct MEMORY CARD slot and press the button. Next, press up/down on the directional buttons to select the file to load, and press the button to load the file. 2 3 BASIC CONTROLS L2 button L1 button directional button left stick SELECT button R2 button R1 button button button button button right stick START button ANALOG mode switch/ LED L R BASIC CONTROLS Battle Mode (weapon drawn) NOTE: You may have a controller that looks like this, if so please follow the digital instructions below. SELECT START directional buttons or left stick right stick START button SELECT button button button button ç button The left stick can be used when the LED is lit. The DUALSHOCKTM analog controller's vibration function can be turned ON/OFF at the Title Screen or by selecting from the Menu Screen. Switching between analog and digital mode will not disable the vibration function. In analog mode, the left stick can be used for the same functions as the directional buttons described throughout this manual. To restart the game without turning the power off, press the L1, L2, R1, R2, SELECT, and START buttons at the same time to execute the Soft Reset function. Messages may be advanced with the ,,ç,, L1, L2, R1, or R2 button. L1 button L2 button R1 button R2 button Move, select target in targeting sphere, change perspective in Free-look mode Free-look Free-look, skip demo Zoom in / Zoom out Execute command, open and close target sphere, use battle ability (when attacking or defending) Cancel, close target sphere, end Free-look, switch to Normal Mode Jump, use battle ability (when attacking or defending) Display Menu Screen, battle ability (when attacking or defending) Rotate map counterclockwise Display abbreviated commands, switch targets during target selection Rotate map clockwise Walk, when used with directional buttons or left stick Menu Screen Normal Mode (unarmed) directional buttons or left stick right stick START button SELECT button button button button ç button L1 button L2 button R1 button R2 button Free-look 4 Move, grip, climb up (press in the direction in which to climb, and Ashley will grab a ledge and pull himself up to a new level), change perspective in Free-look mode Free-look Free-look, skip demo Zoom in / Zoom out Execute command, draw weapon (to switch to Battle Mode) Cancel, open doors and treasure boxes, move cubes (push, carry, place, etc.), end Free-look mode Jump Display Menu Screen Rotate map counterclockwise Display abbreviated commands Rotate map clockwise Walk, when used with directional buttons or left stick directional buttons or left stick right stick START button SELECT button button button button ç button L1 button L2 button R1 button R2 button Move cursor, switch menus while the window is open Not used Not used Not used Execute command Cancel Not used Close menu Switch menus, switch between Ashley and opponents in the window Not used Switch menus, switch between Ashley and opponents in the window Not used When abbreviated commands are displayed, press the appropriate button to view the selected menu. 5 CHARACTERS Name: Romeo Guildenstern Name: Ashley Riot CHARACTERS Age: 34 Height: 5'11'' Association: Knights of the Cross Leader of the "Crimson Blades" -- Knights of the Cross, a military order under the direct control of the cardinal. Although every bit a knight of elegance and breeding, Romeo can be utterly cold-blooded, never hesitating in the name of justice for the kingdom. He led the Knights of the Cross during the incident at Duke Bardorba's manor and led the effort to suppress the riots that ensued. Why the cardinal's Knights of the Cross became involved despite having received no orders to do so remains a mystery. Age: late 20s Height: 6'0'' Association: VKP (Valendia Knights of the Peace) Riskbreaker Militia After graduating as valedictorian from the VKP Academy, Ashley worked as an elite soldier. Following the tragic death of his wife and child at the hands of a ruffian, he transferred to the Dangerous Criminal Task Force, a.k.a. "Riskbreaker," the most danger-ridden post in the VKP, where he remains today. Riskbreakers conduct their investigations alone, infiltrating into and investigating foreign crime syndicates. Many lose their lives during their assignments; the survival rate stands at less than 30 percent. Ashley, maintaining his calm in all situations, has succeeded in mission after mission. When Müllenkamp cultists entered the Graylands and seized Bardorba's manor, a chain of events was set into motion, ending with the assassination of Duke Bardorba. Ashley's involvement in the intrigues at the manor makes him a prime suspect in the duke's assassination. A Riskbreaker with a tragic past, Ashley must now face an uncertain future. Only his efforts can reveal the truth and clear his name. Name: Sydney Losstarot Age: Unknown (late 20s?) Height: 5'10'' Association: Müllenkamp Leader of a cult that worships the ancient priestess Müllenkamp. Sydney is a selfprofessed prophet who preaches about human weaknesses and the end of the world. Sydney can precisely describe the past of those he meets, and it is rumored that he can manipulate others at his will. His charisma has attracted a zealous following prompting Parliament to declare the Müllenkamp cult a threat to state security. After masterminding the seizure of the Bardorba Manor in the Graylands, Sydney held the duke's family and servants hostage in exchange for the release of his followers, but it seems that his true intent lay elsewhere. Riskbreaker Ashley Riot encounters Sydney seemingly by chance during his mission, but their meeting was ordained by fate. 6 7 GAME SCREEN/COMMANDS Reading the game screens during Normal Mode (See page 17 for information on reading screens during Battle Mode). Current Hit Points / Maximum Hit Points. HP slowly regenerate over time. When Ashley's HP reach zero, the game is over. MP Current Magic Points / Maximum Magic Points. MP are used to cast magic spells. MP slowly regenerate over time. RISK Increases as Ashley attacks enemies, and decreases over time. When RISK is high, Ashley's hit rate decreases, but his chance of landing a critical hit increases. Simple Map A limited map of Ashley's current location. The red dot denotes point where Ashley entered the room, and the white dots show the room's other exits. Limb Gauge Displays the condition of Ashley's body parts using different colors. The meaning of each color is explained on page 11. HP COMMANDS ITEMS Equip Setup Display currently equipped weapons and armor. Select a body part to view the list of weapons and armor that can be equipped to that body part. Select the weapon or armor to equip, then press the button to equip the item. To customize weapons and armor options, select and choose among the following options (See page 20 & 21 for full description): - Assemble Weapons The options to the left are only available within - Repair the workshops throughout Leá Monde - Combine (See page 20 & 21 for details). - Attach Gems - Disassemble - Rename Set gems in weapons and shields. Disassemble weapons and shields into their individual components. Change weapon names. Select the weapon name to change with the directional buttons/left stick. Enter a new name, then select or press the START button to accept the name. Next, select to complete inventory. HP RISK MP Limb Gauge Simple Map In the window, pressing the L1/R1 buttons or the left/right directional buttons allows the player to scroll through the following categories: Weapons Blades Grips Shields Armor Gems Misc View all weapons in inventory. A maximum of eight weapons can be stored in inventory. View all blades in inventory. Weapon blades are used in workshops as assembly materials. A maximum of sixteen blades can be stored in inventory. View all grips in inventory. Weapon grips are used in workshops as assembly materials. A maximum of sixteen grips can be stored in inventory. View all shields in inventory. A maximum of eight shields can be stored in inventory. View all types of armor in inventory. A maximum of sixteen armor can be stored in inventory. View all gems in inventory. Attach gems to weapons and shields. A maximum of 48 gems can be stored in inventory. View all miscellaneous items in inventory. Select an item to use from this list. Then select use and choose a target for the item. Confirm the target to use the item. A maximum of 64 different items can be stored in inventory THE MENU SCREEN COMMANDS Press the ç button during gameplay to view the Menu Screen MAGIC Displays the list of spells Ashley has learned. This option will not be available until Ashley has learned at least one spell. BREAK ARTS Displays the Break Arts for the currently equipped weapon. Select to view which Break Arts have been learned for each weapon type. This option will not be available until Ashley has learned at least one Break Art. Search/Discard/Sort/Repair/Status When selecting weapons, armor, and parts, press the button to search, discard, and sort them. Search Discard Discard All Status Search for weapons and shields that use the selected part. Discard the selected weapon, armor, or part from inventory, Equipped items cannot be discarded. To discard the item, select . Only appears when is selected. Discards all of the selected items. To discard the item, select . View status for weapons, blades, grips, armor, and gems by pressing the button. BATTLE ABILITIES Displays the Chain and Defense Abilities that Ashley has learned. To assign abilities to the buttons, select either or from this window. From the list of available battle techniques, choose three abilities and assign a button ( , ç, ) to each. When an ability has been assigned to a button successfully, the icon for that button will appear next to the technique. Change button assignments at any time. 8 To check the status of a particular item, move the cursor to that item and press the button. Use the L1/R1 buttons to view the status of other items of the same type. 9 COMMANDS Reading Item Status DP PP ORG EQP RANGE RISK ATTACK/STR ATTACK/INT AGILITY Damage Points. When an item's DP reach zero, that item's efficiency is drastically reduced. Phantom Points. Increase as weapons and shields are used. The greater the value, the higher the attack power (for weapons) or the defense power (for shields). Phantom Points gradually decrease while the weapon and shield remain drawn. The initial stats for that item. The final, combined value for all stats (a combination of Ashley's stats and the weapon, armor, and accessory's stats). Weapons with a high range have a larger targeting sphere (attack range). RISK points added at the time of attack. Higher strength increases attack power and endurance level. Higher intelligence increases effectiveness of and resistance to magic. Higher agility increases chance to hit or evade. COMMANDS STATUS As Ashley progresses through Leá Monde, each of his various stats will increase, including Hit Points and Magic Points. The status of each limb is displayed here. Press the button to view detailed properties. Check the status of any enemy on the map by pressing the L1/R1 buttons. To view the enemy's parameters, the spell "Analysis" must be in effect. Reading Character Status ORG The initial value of each stat. EQP The final, combined value for all stats (a combination of Ashley's stats and the weapon, armor, and accessory's stats). STRENGTH The greater the value, the higher the attack power and endurance level. INTELLIGENCE The greater the value, the greater the magic effects and resistance power. AGILITY The greater the value, the better chance to hit or evade attacks. R. ARM Right arm Limb Color Status L. ARM Left arm HEAD Head Limb status changes as follows: BODY Body Excellent (Blue) The best status. Perfectly healthy. LEGS Legs Good (Green) Good status. Use caution. Some monsters have other hit locations not shown here. When a body part is "dying," the following penalties apply: R. ARM L. ARM HEAD BODY LEGS "Attack 50%" (Normal attack and Break Art damage is halved) "Parry 50%" (Chance to parry is halved) "Silence" (Cannot use magic) "RISK 200%" (RISK increases gradually when the target sphere is opened) "Move 50%" (Movement speed is halved) Average Bad Dying (Yellow) (Orange) (Red) Normal status. Not dangerous, but avoid battle. Bad status. Seriously wounded. The worst status. For Class, Type, and Affinity, the greater the value, the greater the effect. Don't expect great results if the value is negative. CLASS HUMAN BEAST UNDEAD PHANTOM DRAGON EVIL TYPE BLUNT EDGED PIERCING AFFINITY PHYSICAL AIR FIRE EARTH WATER LIGHT DARK Attack/Defense value against human and demihuman enemies. Attack/Defense value against beasts. Attack/Defense value against undead enemies. Attack/Defense value against phantoms. Attack/Defense value against dragons. Attack/Defense value against evil enemies. Attack/Defense value with/against blunt weapons. Attack/Defense value with/against edged weapons. Attack/Defense value with/against piercing weapons. Attack/Defense value for physical property. Attack/Defense value for air property. Attack/Defense value for fire property. Attack/Defense value for earth property. Attack/Defense value for water property. Attack/Defense value for light property. Attack/Defense value for dark property. Each state is indicated by different color. MAP Displays the map. directional buttons button L2 button + directional buttons/right stick L1/R1 buttons R2 button + directional buttons/R2 button + left stick Scroll screen Lists all available maps Rotate map Cycles through rooms in current map Zoom in / Zoom out Area name Current location Name of room 10 11 COMMANDS DATA or game data. See page 3 for details. ´ FEATURES OF LEA MONDE DOORS Many different types of doors connect Leá Monde's rooms to one another. Some can be opened easily, while others must be unlocked before they can be opened. To unlock doors, search for keys or switches. Sometimes, certain monsters must be defeated before a door will unlock. OPTIONS Modify game settings: Simple Map Timing Weapon Status Armor Status Cursor Memory Information Puzzle Mode Sound Vibration Change the display method for the simple map. Turn the Battle Ability timing display ON/OFF. (The "!" that appears above Ashley's head denotes Battle Ability input timing.) Display any weapon status changes when Ashley attacks. (Blue is positive, and red is negative.) Display any armor status changes when Ashley is attacked. (Blue is positive, and red is negative.) Store the cursor's last menu position. The cursor will return to its previous position when the menu is reopened. Toggle the information display on the bottom of the screen ON/OFF. Set puzzle (Evolve or Die) mode ON/OFF. Set sound output to STEREO/MONO. Turn ON/OFF the vibration function of the DUALSHOCKTM analog controller. TREASURE CHESTS To open a treasure chest, press the button while standing directly in front of it. The lid will open, and a list of the items contained within will be displayed. Move the cursor over the item you wish to take, and press the button; the item will move to your inventory. Press the button to take all the items from the treasure chest. Press the button at any time to close the treasure chest. Any remaining items will be discarded and lost forever. If Ashley cannot carry any more of a particular item, press the button while the item list is displayed to view Ashley's inventory. Select any unwanted items from this list and either discard or disassemble them. This way, Ashley may be able to make room for new items. Some treasure chests may be locked. To unlock these chests, either find a key to open them or use the Unlock spell. CONTAINERS SCORE Display various scores and gameplay information, such as titles received, enemies defeated, percentage of map completed, etc. Containers are chests used to store items from Ashley's inventory. Items placed into a container can be accessed from any container in the game. Since Ashley can only carry a limited number of items, it is wise to store extra items in containers. Press the button while standing in front of a container to take out and store items. Remove and Store Select to bring up the window. Press the left/right directional buttons or the L1/R1 buttons to view items that can be removed from the container. Select the item to remove from the container and press the button. Use the same steps to store items. While the item is highlighted, you can manually swap its position with another item in the list. Select another item to complete the swap. Press the button while an item is highlighted to bring up the following options: Removal/Storage Discard Discard All Sort GADGET BAG Items in inventory Number of items currently held/ maximum capacity CONTAINER Container contents Number of items currently stored/ maximum capacity QUICK MANUAL Use the Quick Manual to access information on controls, combat, magic, and screen layout, or to view gameplay tips. Remove items or store them in a container. To view the items being removed or stored, select "!" from the menu. Discard a specified number of the selected item. Discard all of the specified item. Rearrange items by item type or amount. After deciding which items to remove or discard, press the button and select to finish. 12 Note: If the current game data does not match the data on the MEMORY CARD, or the MEMORY CARD containing saved data is not inserted into a MEMORY CARD slot, you will not be able to access items stored in containers. 13 ´ FEATURES OF LEA MONDE CUBES Various cubes throughout the dungeon can be stacked or pushed to create footing for Ashley. Some cubes can be destroyed with weapons. All cubes will reset once Ashley leaves the room. Types of Cubes: Rolling cube Counter cube Push cube Sliding cube Lifting cube Magnet cube Roll these cubes one tile (an area of 1 cube) in any unblocked direction. Identical to Rolling cubes, but with each move, the counter decreases by one. When the counter reaches zero, the cube disappears. Slide these cubes one tile in any unblocked direction. These cubes can be destroyed. Slide these cubes in any direction, and they will continue until colliding with an obstacle or falling. Lift and carry these cubes to another location. Can be destroyed. Lift and carry these cubes to another location. There are red and blue magnet cubes. When cubes of the same color are stacked on top of one another, the cube on top floats one cube-space above the bottom cube. When red and blue are stacked, the cubes will join and stay locked in their current position. These cubes cannot be detached once they are connected. The magnetic force only affects cubes stacked vertically. ´ FEATURES OF LEA MONDE TRAPS There are many traps within Leá Monde. Step on them at your own risk! Marking Traps Discover traps by using markings. Marking methods are listed below. Using items Using magic Triggering traps Use "Eye of Argon." Use "Eureka" magic. Once a trap is triggered, it will remain visible. Markings are valid until Ashley exits the room. Types of Traps Advice from the VKP #1 -- When climbing cliffs, use cubes or jump. Height of 2 cubes: Move towards the wall to grip and climb up. Height of 3 cubes: Jump to grip, or move cubes to create a higher platform. Height of 4 cubes: Cannot climb without help. If there is only one cube, grip by jumping from the top of that cube. Grip without jumping by stacking 2 cubes. Advice from the VKP #2 -- Leá Monde is a place of mystery. All cubes will return to their original position once Ashley leaves the room. Use this feature to undo mistakes. Death Vapor Eruption Freeze Gust Terra Thrust Holy Light Diablos Poison Panel Paralysis Panel Curse Panel Heal Panel Cure Panel Physical direct damage trap. Acidic vapor is released beneath Ashley's feet. Fire-based direct damage trap. Flames rise beneath Ashley's feet. Water-based direct damage trap. Freezing vapor is released beneath Ashley's feet. Air-based direct damage trap. Sudden razor-sharp bursts of wind are released beneath Ashley's feet. Earth-based direct damage trap. Causes damage by crystallizing nearby elements. Light direct damage trap. Blazing light spreads beneath Ashley's feet. Dark direct damage trap. Darkness spreads beneath Ashley's feet. Status abnormality trap. Poisonous gas is released beneath Ashley's feet, causing "Poison" status. Status abnormality trap. Anaesthetic gas is released beneath Ashley's feet, causing "Paralysis" status. Status abnormality trap. An evil spirit locked beneath the ground is released, causing "Cursed" status. Recovery. The power of the god Fortuna restores a few HP. Recovery. The divine protective power of the god Fortuna removes all status abnormalities. 14 15 ´ FEATURES OF LEA MONDE STATUS ABNORMALITIES Some attacks and traps cause status abnormalities. Some status abnormalities will recover with time, while others can only be removed with the aid of items and magic. STR-down STR-up INT-down INT-up AGL-down AGL-up Quicken Silent Paralysis Poison Numbness STRENGTH decreases. STRENGTH increases. INTELLIGENCE decreases. INTELLIGENCE increases. AGILITY decreases. AGILITY increases. Movement speed increases. Magic cannot be used. Weapons, bare-handed attacks, and Break Arts cannot be used. HP decrease over time. Movement speed decreases, Battle Abilities are disabled, and small convulsions wrack Ashley's body. Curse STR, INT, and AGL all decrease. Regeneration HP recovery speed increases. BATTLE SYSTEM BATTLE MODE Press the button to make Ashley draw his weapon and enter Battle Mode. During Battle Mode, cubes cannot be lifted and carried, and walls cannot be climbed. TARGETING SPHERE Displays attack range. The size and shape of the targeting sphere differ according to the type of attack. Enemy Limbs (target areas) 4 5 Target Information 1. Target enemy name or limb (target area). 2. Estimated damage the attack will cause enemy or the targeted limb. When status abnormalities occur, the name of the status abnormality will be displayed as well. 3. Percentage chance of hitting targeted enemy or limb. When the attack has added effects, such as status abnormalities, these are also displayed. 4. Target type (limb, section, cube, monster). 5. Attack type and affinity. 6. Class of enemy. TARGET INFORMATION Enemy limbs (target areas) currently selected for attack. See details at left. READING THE SCREEN 1 2 3 6 Anti-Magic Spell Item Ability Decrease Item Ability Increase Attach Air Attach Fire Attach Earth Attach Water Resist Air Resist Fire Resist Earth Resist Water Cancels the next spell cast on Ashley. Weapon and armor abilities decrease; cannot change equipment. Weapon and armor abilities increase. Weapon's Air property increases. Earth property decreases. Weapon's Fire property increases. Water property decreases. Weapon's Earth property increases. Air property decreases. Weapon's Water property increases. Fire property decreases. Armor's Air property increases. Earth property decreases. Armor's Fire property increases. Water property decreases. Armor's Earth property increases. Air property decreases. Armor's Water property increases. Fire property decreases. Attack Method An enemy must be at least partially within the range outlined by the targeting sphere. Check this by pressing the button to bring up the targeting sphere. After selecting an area to attack, press the button to start the attack. If there are several enemies within the targeting sphere, decide which enemy to attack and confirm with the button. Advice from the VKP #3 -- Be careful when attacking from behind obstacles. Obstacles may hinder attacks, so beware! When an enemy begins an attack, it will emit an "attack signal" and turn red, providing an early warning. BATTLE ABILITY Shortly after entering Leá Monde, Ashley begins to acquire Battle Abilities. There are two types of Battle Abilities: Chain Abilities and Defense Abilities. Using Battle Abilities By assigning Battle Abilities to the , ç, and buttons, you can use these special techniques during battle. Acquiring Battle Abilities If Chain or Defense Abilities are used successfully, Ashley will gain experience points for acquiring new Battle Abilities. After acquiring enough experience points, Ashley can learn a new Battle Ability. To acquire a new Battle Ability, select either Chain Ability or Defense Ability. A list of abilities Ashley has not yet learned will be displayed. Select the ability that best suits your combat style. Advice from the VKP # 4 -- Change perspectives. Change to first-person perspective (Free-look) to discover passages in high areas and observe situations below cliffs. Free-look in first-person perspective to find hidden doors and treasure boxes, too. 16 17 BATTLE SYSTEM Chain Ability (Attack Type) Use Chain Abilities by pressing a button (that you have already assigned to a Chain Ability) at the exact moment Ashley's weapon hits the enemy. If you are successful, your attack will have an added effect. You can link multiple Chain Abilities together if you continue pressing other Chain Abilities with perfect timing. (With the correct timing, you can perform multiple consecutive attacks.) Defense Ability (Defense Type) Defense Abilities can guard against both physical and magical attacks. At the exact moment an enemy attack hits Ashley, press one of the Defense Ability buttons to obtain added effects. Unlike Chain Abilities, Defense Abilities cannot be triggered consecutively. Timing Feedback A message will display how accurately the Battle Ability button was pressed: TOO FAST! FAST! COOL! SLOW! TOO SLOW! Too early Fast Perfect timing Slow Too slow BATTLE SYSTEM BREAK ARTS Special techniques that can be learned for each type of weapon. Using Break Arts Open the Menu Screen and select to view the Break Arts available to the currently equipped weapon. Select a Break Art, then target an enemy to begin the attack. Select to view a list of all weapons. Weapons for which Ashley has learned Break Arts will be displayed in a white font. Press the button while a weapon is highlighted to check all available Break Arts for that particular weapon type. Using Break Arts consumes HP. Relying too heavily on Break Arts can cause more harm than good. Acquiring Break Arts To learn new Break Arts, Ashley must acquire experience with his weapons. Gain experience by using weapons to defeat enemies. Different weapon types have different Break Arts; the experience points gained for each weapon are specifically used to acquire Break Arts for that type of weapon. *In addition to the above, the words GOOD!, EXCELLENT!, RIGHT ON!, PERFECT!, WELL TIMED!, NICE!, and GREAT! may appear, but they all have the same meaning as COOL! Watch the comment signals to discover the correct timing for your attacks. MAGIC Timing Display When the option is turned on, an exclamation point (!) will appear to help indicate the point at which the Battle Ability button should be pressed. Press a Battle Ability button at the moment the exclamation point is displayed and your success rate will rise. In order to use magic, first find the "Grimoires" scattered throughout Leá Monde. Use the Grimoire to learn the magic written on its pages. Each magic spell uses a certain amount of MP. As long as he has enough MP, Ashley can cast any magic spells he has learned. If Ashley does not have the necessary amount of MP to cast a spell, he cannot cast that spell. See page 23 for a list of some of the magic which can be used. Using Grimoires Select the Grimoire to use from the Misc category within the window. Select the target for the Grimoire's spell and press the button. The spell consumes the necessary MP as the magic written in the Grimoire is cast. Advice from the VKP #5 -- Use the