Death is, like 95% of the game's bosses, cheesable via x3 Holy Water. Just drown his starting position at the start of the fight - he won't even escape his corner.Marc wrote:So I thought I'd make an attempt to go through these in order. Started with the original last night. 90 minutes play saw me through to Death, who has now whupped my ass every single time I've fount him.
Among more honourable options - Cross and Axe, preferably x3, can counter him and his sickles well (horizontally and vertically, respectively). Axe is particularly handy on counter-offense, since it'll let you swat otherwise unhittable overhead sickles. Cross relies on keeping multiple airborne to provide similar defense, which can be risky with sickles liable to insta-hit you out of a jump.
Anything less (Knife/Whip only) is dangerous, and best left for veterans. Knife's lack of piercing ability can really bite you here, despite its nice horizontal reach and speed.
Tough boss! One of solo action gaming's classic 1v1 duels, imo, as long as you don't cheese him with Holy Water. Even x3 Cross feels like a pair of trap characters ala Guilty Gear's Testament and Bridget facing off. (right down to a big imposing reaperman VS a hotpantsed little boipucci now that is some videogame time travel )
Keep in mind, while his movement and sickle positions are random, he obeys a consistent move -> summon pattern. If you can get a feel for it, it'll become a lot easier to plot your movements around the room. Don't leap at him while sickles are inbound! If one spawns in your preset jump arc, UR FUCKED SONNEH.
Here's a crusty x3 Knife demo that should illustrate his behaviours. He almost got me! But I know him too well and escape his spiteful double KO setup.
Note that the shitty video capture makes it look meaner than it is - you can see the incoming sickles a lot better at 60fps.
You're probably gonna want a walkthrough for CVII. Its English localisation is infamously unhelpful, and it's an obtuse game to begin with. Also nowhere as good for tactical action/platforming as the other two FC games - dungeons are vacant, enemies are basic, and bosses are pitiful. Still worth having around though - looks neat, sounds AMAZIN, and its rural wandering has a unique atmosphere, not really seen again until Ecclesia twenty years on.
Also, you'll spot all the CVII Easter eggs the Rondo/SOTN guys put in their games, right alongside those from its better-loved bookends!
For the love of God, and all that is holy: if you play CVIII/Akumajou Densetsu (harder/easier regions, respectively), take the upper routes at every opportunity - except for the very first (Clock Tower), if you don't want the game's "agile fragile ninja" character. The lower routes are aesthetically glum, generally tougher, and sport the universally-despised Melty Blocks. Waiting around for blocks to melt/stack is an ethos-missing howler on par with CVII's invisible pits.
Lower works best as a deliberately moody post-game trial. Note there's also a second loop, which is mildly tougher on FC, and fucking balls-hard on NES, owing to meaner damage scaling, faster enemy shots, and a certain exclusive enemy that'll make Medusaphobes shit their hotpants. Probably the toughest challenge of the traditional series, certainly if you go Trevor-only.