Slitterhead: Combat Tips

With Keiichiro Toyama at the helm, you can expect an unnerving and exhilarating combat experience in Slitterhead, as it takes the unique and fast-paced action of Gravity Rush and pairing it wonderfully with the horrific sights and sounds you may be familiar with in Silent Hill or the Siren titles.

Ys X: Nordics - 8 Combat Tips

Combat is at the heart of Ys X: Nordics, and it's important to understand it properly if you want to have a chance at beating the game.

While not the most complex combat system out there, it can get a bit hectic, especially when you acquire more and more Rarities that have unique actions that can be tricky to implement correctly in the heat of the moment. There's lots to enjoy about Slitterhead's gameplay mechanics and lots to get adjusted to, but once it clicks, it's showtime!

Always Be Changing

First, it's crucial to know the ABCs - Always Be Changing - of Slitterhead, as it will be the difference if you survive or bite the dust a bit too early. One of the game's core gameplay mechanics is possessing other bodies in the area, allowing you to take control of random civilians.

Not only is this useful for reaching areas you otherwise couldn't, but it also allows you to swiftly jump to a nearby NPC to draw the attention away from your Rarity, quickly jumping back to them, healing up, and continuing your offense. While the NPCs have access to some abilities, they will do substantially less damage than your Rarities.

NPCs have access to a unique ability called 'War Cry,' having them pull aggro from all nearby Slitterheads, which will give you more than enough time to possess your Rarity, replenish your health, and try again. There will almost always be several NPCs around, so you shouldn't be dying too much if you practice your ABCs!

Master The Parry Mechanic Early

You will learn about the Guard and Deflect systems of Slitterhead's combat system early on. While it showcases why they're helpful, you don't quite realize how crucial they are until a bit later when enemies become much more aggressive.

Mastering the Parry mechanic early on will set you up nicely for the latter portions of the game, allowing you to become a defensive powerhouse that can consistently activate Blood Time, slowing the time around you and enabling you to unleash your devastating offense as a reward for your efforts.

Not only that but landing Parries will also replenish your Weapon Durability, keeping you in the fight even longer. This mechanic must be implemented in your offense if you want to be on top of any situation thrown at you. You can practice this in the game's Practice Missions in the bottom right of the Mission tab on the main menu!

Knowing How To Heal

Julee will be the first Rarity you meet in Slitterhead, and she will have access to the 'Revive All' Ability, allowing her to heal all nearby NPCs, as well as herself, making it an excellent tool to stay topped off at the cost of Spirit Power. But what if no NPCs are around,or you're low on Spirit Power?

Fortunately, you can still heal by holding R1/RB, allowing you to absorb Blood from off the ground to replenish your HP. While the game will eventually tell you about this mechanic, it won't be until you acquire the Alex Rarity, which takes a bit of time to do if you're also tackling the side content.

Not only that, but you might also think that's exclusive to Alex, which isn't the case at all. So, if you're ever low on HP, be sure to absorb the Blood from the ground to keep yourself from dying. Typically, you will want to possess a random NPC, perform War Cry, then switch back to your Rarity and heal this way!

Find The Rarity That Fits Your Playstyle

There is a great deal of Rarities in Slitterhead, all offering a unique twist on the already unique combat system the game offers, which can get decently complex fast if you're not gelling with a specific character. However, this also means there is likely a Rarity for you that will mesh well with your particular playstyle.

If you enjoy the more fast-paced brawlers, then Julee, Edo, and Tri will be up your alley. Would you like to sit back and implement a more strategic approach to dispatch the Slitterheads? Then someone like Anita, Alex, and Blake will be more your speed. And a few others will likely sing to your tune as well.

Once you get your hands on a new Rarity, head to the Training Missions and give them a thorough shake; you may end up loving what they're capable of. Again, this game has no shortage of Rarities, so you will likely find one that fits all your wants and needs in battle!

Companions Can Make A Substantial Difference

After acquiring more Rarities, you will have to select a Companion to bring along with you on Missions, allowing you to get even more out of the game's combat system. Not only will you get to switch to them during combat, but you will also gain access to one of their Active Skills to use in battle, which can go a long way.

For example, if Edo is your Companion, the other Rarity will gain access to his Burning Edge Skill, allowing them to obtain a substantial power boost in Attack Power, making it an excellent pairing for Julee, Tri, and even Anita. And this is only one example of how you can use Companions in synergy with the Primary Rarity.

Additionally, your Companion will also obtain an Active Skill from the Primary Rarity, which can substantially improve their combative prowess as well. We strongly suggest loading into Training Missions with multiple different Rarities to see who works best with one another, as it will make a substantial difference!

All Companion Active Skills

Companion

Active Skill

Description

Alex

Time Bomb

Arm yourself with a bomb that explodes after a brief period, or if you die, launching Blood Needles out in a wide area for substantial damage.

Anita

Poison Needle

Quickly throw Poisonous Blood Needles out in front of you, covering a wide area, building the Poison Status Effect on your opponent, and gradually dealing substantial damage to them over time when inflicted.

Betty

Lunatic

Drive yourself to go Berserk after landing continuous attacks on your target, having you lose control of your Rarity for a brief period, having them attack on their own.

Blake

Bloody Gamble

Materialize a Revolver out of Blood, allowing you to shoot powerful shots at the cost of Blood that gradually increase in damage with each subsequent shot. However, the Blood Revolver has a chance to explode, dealing damage to yourself.

Doni

Curse Resist

Allows you to remove any Status Ailment from yourself instantly, making it useful against Slitterheads that can inflict Poison or other harmful effects.

Edo

Burning Edge

Your Blood Weapon becomes less durable at the cost of substantially more Attack Power, allowing you to deal unmatched damage for a brief period.

Julee

Blood Ripper

Launch small Blood Blades forward, slowing enemies on contact and dealing minuscule damage on contact.

Tri

Crimson Chains

Ensnare your target with Chains of Blood, limiting your own movement options at the cost of slowing theirs, allowing you to catch up to a fleeing Slitherhead more easily.

Invest In Passive Skills

Speaking of Skills, every Rarity will have access to a laundry list of Passive Skills that you can unlock and upgrade via Skill Tokens and should be taken advantage of relatively early if you like the character and plan on using them frequently as you progress through the game's story.

These Passive Skills are initially grayed out except for the initial Vitality Boost and Durability Boost options. Don't let this fool you. You can unlock the others whenever you feel like it, and they do not require you to level up your Rarity to gain access to them. This is crucial to note, as the game never really points out that they're readily available to unlock.

Every Rarity has access to Regenerate, which allows you to reattach a severed arm, and is a Passive Skill we strongly urge you to unlock for every Rarity as this will happen frequently. Then, the others are up to you and will vary from Rarity to Rarity, and we strongly recommend reading through all of them as they're quite good overall!

Silent Hill 2: Combat Tips

If you want to stand a chance of surviving the mean streets of Silent Hill 2, you'll want to brush up on your combat abilities.