You promised me a pony... with missiles... Let's Play Iji

Everyone knows what Ciretako is famous for.

Okay, so we contacted the Komato and they're gonna hopefully come and take out the Tasen for us.



Maybe it's just that rocket tourney. Stay inside, man.



Okay no that explosion could be felt all the way over here, that wasn't the rocket tourney.



No reply.



What the hell was that



WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT



The Komato definitely made planetfall, as evidenced by this Trooper Shocksplintering that poor Soldier into our face at the Sector's opening.



Due to this, Sector 5 is one of the most hectic in the game, as you'll see Tasen and Komato fighting each other everywhere. On the upside, they prioritize each other over Iji.



My goal for this Sector is to get at least Komato 6. Not because I need it for secrets, but because that'll give us a ton of new weapons, and Sector 6 will require a significant investment in the stat.



The next floor is filled with Tasen fighting various Komato Troopers.



It pretty easily highlights the power levels between the two. Troopers eat Scouts for breakfast, and can even take on more than one Soldier at once. Only a Commander is on roughly equal footing with a Trooper, and those are the footsoldiers of the Komato army.



Elites, unsurprisingly, have no trouble with them.



There are a few areas without any Komato in them yet, so you can't just blitz through and scavenge Nano from the fallen without a bit of effort.



Y'know, I'd complain about seeing another Nano Overload we've already obtained, but screw it, Nanorage is helpful here.



A lot of Tasen here, but no signs of Komato just yet.

Oh, hello.



That would be a Komato Berserker. She's still got Shocksplinters, but the Pulse Cannon has been traded for Resonance gear, which recharges way faster for them than it does for Iji. Fast enough that they can even stunlock Elites if they get close enough. They can also reflect stuff, so be careful shooting things like rockets at them. I personally find the Hyper Pulse is the best weapon for Berserkers, especially with high Strength.



They have a few other tricks too. When defeated, they don't go out quietly, self-destructing as soon as they hit the ground. Additionally, they recover very quickly from knockback, able to retaliate almost as soon as their feet touch the floor. They can easily handle Commanders and then some, so be cautious.



"I thought I was prepared for this... the Komato will tear the planet apart to destroy the Tasen. I've gotta find Dan!"

While there is a lot of ground activity going on, the air is thick with ships from both sides. Even at this early stage, the Komato far outnumber the Tasen. If you keep a careful eye on the sky, you can even notice a ship or two get shot down from time to time.



What's over here?



Just some turrets and a logbook. That door isn't worth the point it takes to open it.



Berserkers also pack a limited teleportation ability, letting them appear out of thin air to get the jump on Tasen.



Ma'am, please move. I need that Komato Cyborg station.



Okay, fine, I asked nicely. Now I ask you...



explosively.



I was actually wrong about the Nuke. It does 5 Health damage, not just 3. Anyway, our Strength is just high enough to access this Komato weapon here.



We now have a Shocksplinter of our very own! However, the weapon itself doesn't have much to advertise it over the Rocket launcher on its own. The devil is in the details, though...



That Commander's put his Spread Rockets to fine use, taking out a Trooper before we even saw him.



Down the elevator he guards, we find a single Berserker taking on one of each kind of Tasen.



Honestly, this fight can go either way, though usually the Tasen win here. Interesting attempt by the Berserker though, firing a Shocksplinter and then immediately reflecting the Commander's rocket.

Oooh, terminals to the left.



This one kinda incites a fight above us, though.



The Commander prevails through adept usage of the giant lobtser claw punch.



And down here is the central hub for the latter part of the level. Every kind of Cyborg station, plus a Nanoweapon station. Speaking of...



We just broke the game clean in two.

The Plasma Cannon requires 7 Crack and both Komato weapons we've got up to this point, but it's easily one of the best weapons in the game. It fires instantly, hits everything in a straight line in front of the user, and deals 3 Health damage. Costs 2 Shocksplinters to use, but that's a small cost to pay for the amazing power, speed, and efficiency this affords.



Bah! Guess we have to go hunt down those terminals.



I mean, you can bust open this floor with Spread Rockets or a Nuke. But let's do things the "proper" way.



Plasma Cannon. Accept no substitutes.



It can't help us jump higher though, which is a shame, because we need to get up there.



We get over here without much trouble, though. Kinda have to go through the Commander that won the sudden fight. He will be missed.



Oh, right, I forgot. Yeah, if you have a Machinegun and Shocksplinter, and Crack 6, you can make the Splintergun! It's not a bad weapon at all, really, but it's very easily overshadowed by the Plasma Cannon, which is technically easier to get.



But let's show it off anyway, why don't we?



This is probably one of the better armor-damaging weapons in the game, actually. Works wonders against Tasen, and if you ever want a Sector to try it in, Sector 5 is it. It's not very ammo-efficient (but it uses Machinegun ammo so who cares) but it hits a very large area with a constant stream of splinters. But yeah, Plasma Cannon is easier to get.



Obligatory grumbling about Nanomirror. If the game keeps this up I'll just dedicate part of the post-playthroughs secret cavalcade to showing off Nano Overloads or something.



You don't actually have to go this way. The elevator at the end of this hall goes down without this, and if you have Crack 9, you can break through the door. But hey, may as well.

So, every enemy I've mentioned so far has the potential for upgraded weapons, right?



Same goes for Berserkers, too. A few of them pack Plasma Cannons, which are definitely something to watch out for due to the speed they fire at.



Hm. I need more Health and Assimilate. I'll fix that problem after a while, but hopefully I can get by with what I'm allotted per Sector.



The last Jump upgrade is in here, as well as more than enough Nano for a pacifist Iji to catch up.



This upgrade gives Iji a ridiculous amount of vertical lift.



As in, you can vault clean the hell over this without even stopping to grab the ledge.

If you want to speedrun this game, note that rocket jumping on the wall here with the MPFB Devastator can, in fact, clear the wall. You have to blow open the floor in the central hub first, though.



"Hhh. Another ribbon. Did she really have this many? Mia, help me! I have to keep going! I have to find Dan... Wait, I think I know a way to find him... But first I have to get out of this Sector before they blow it all to bits! I don't care what Dan says about supporting ourselves, he needs my help! Thanks, Mia!"

Once you get the Jump upgrade it's basically a straight shot up and to the right to the Sector's end, but first things first: secrets. The Ribbon is just up here, sort of easy to miss.



The poster is next. We first head all the way up to the rooftops. Our new Jump upgrade lets us get on top of the roof by the Spread Rocket Commander.



And now a word from our sponsor.

"SUPER JUICE 5000 - the latest hip drink from Komato Imperial Research! SUPER JUICE 5000 is carefully manufactured in our finest orbital facilities and blasted on command at 0.99 lightspeed to every corner of the known universe. Simply align your planetary juice receivers to the SUPER JUICE 5000 facility of your choice prior to making your order, to avoid the incoming SUPER JUICE 5000 container punching a hole through your house. The SUPER JUICE 5000 recipe is top secret, but Komato Imperial Research is proud to inform that it consists of 80% recycled heavy industry material! Catering to everyone who likes their drinks hot - and who doesn't? - the SUPER JUICE 5000 container is also plated with triple composite alloy externally, and a Power core-class heatgrid internally, allowing the container to heat itself up to 70'000 Zj when opened and still not obtain escape velocity from the resulting explosion! 'SUPER JUICE 5000 - because it doesn't taste like battery acid at all!'"



For this secret, you need a weapon that can hit the explosive barrel in there. There is, of course, only one weapon that can hit there.



That being the Nuke.



The poster itself is guarded by two Elites who will kick you off the ledge if you try playing fair.



I can play fair once the air is saturated with nuclear Nano goodness.



Huh, what kind of poster is this? Looks more like a Komato than a Tasen, but way wirier than usual. Also, only one arm.



Well, whatever. Let's get to the Sector's exit already. The elevator jams due to the boxes the Tasen shoved into the lift.

But hey, no big deal for our jump height.



Our progress is blocked, though!



"HWAGH?!"

Whatever, chump.



Asha just teleports away when beaten. Since this doesn't award a kill, and hitting him with a Nuke both instantly defeats him and awards the Supercharge, I'll save him for the pacifist run.



Damn and a half, man!



Yeah, first things first. Maybe there's someone more level-headed to talk to amongst the Komato, but right now we need to find our best ally - no, our brother.



And if we have to burn a path through the entire Komato army to reach him? BRING IT ON.

Next Time: Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water

you know, somehow, I never thought to get that poster AFTER getting the last jump upgrade.
I got up there from a commander launching a trooper up a floor with his rockets and that trooper launching me up to the poster area with a shocksplinter, IIRC.

I also tried to SKIP the jump upgrade by making sure the guy with spread rockets survived on the top floor, and having him boost me up to the top right, but the boxes are also too high and even the MPFB can't get you up over them.

So, the intro to Sector 5 is different on account of Iji not actually calling down the Komato...



But they land anyhow. Looks like Iosa convinced Tor.



I had to use the Trooper to blow this wall open for me. Well, technically, I tried getting him to blow the wall down, then I got bored and left, and then he dodged when I reflected a Shocksplinter back at him, resulting at the wall blowing up anyway.



Upshot of all this: a new Nano Overload! If you die (haha yeah whatever) while Nanolife is active, you'll instantly recover all your health. This is probably what Kejardon was on about in Sector 2, since this would let you survive the rocket to the face needed to make that jump.



While from this point on you CAN start fighting enemies with just the Reflector, that kinda defeats the purpose of a pacifist run, and you're really better off just avoiding enemies (or better yet, trying to crack them).



"The latest piece of Nano wonder to arrive on the military market, the Pulse cannon is rapidly becoming a huge success! This slick dealer of neon-colored death will save your cyborg butt from any and all confrontations with the vile Tasen, and at a phenomenal price as well - for only 60'000 Units, this sweet little bundle of Nanotechnology will happily inflict unworldly pain on your hapless victims with the press of one cute little button! Order your Pulse cannon TODAY and you'll be the KING OF THE WORLD, or at least the local cafeteria. (Komato Imperial Weapon Industries cannot be held responsible for personal injury, technical problems, or unwanted fiery death.)"

Cripes, these adverts are the craziest stuff this side of a gun show.



Bah, there's never a good way to handle this part.



"Reports have arisen that speak of a Tasen carrier ship named Ciretako, where a Komato platoon lost contact with its base. The first intriguing thing is that statistically, the invading Komato force that attempted to take control of the Tasen carrier ship was ten times more powerful than the Tasen crew aboard the ship - something had gone wrong. An investigation team was dispatched to Ciretako, and found that half of the spaceship had been shot to pieces from the inside, as if everyone had gone berserk and fired their weapons at everything around them. What's more, both the Tasen and Komato forces were found dead. Komato Imperial Research, responsible for the ciretako operation, refused to comment on the incident. The only reliable piece of information we have found suggests that they were "testing the new addition to the Komato army". This may be related to the Annihilator, the latest and most powerful brand of cyborg - after all, the reports state that one such unit was part of the Komato assault team."

Ciretako's a bit of a side story that you can investigate as the game continues. So hey, why not?



"Who the Zentraidon brought these things along!? I'm not interested in some age-old news report logs, and most of them concern Ciretako anyway. I'd rather spend my time wasting Tasen than reading worthless logs! Hey, we just entered lower orbit - time to ready the Shocksplinter! You know what I like best about being part of the Berserker force? The limited teleportation ability you get free with the armor, that's what. Nothing like getting the jump on a pack of clueless Tasen!"

Because it doesn't murder Tasen by the truckload. It's just some old story about murdering Tasen by the truckload. DUH.



"Aw yeah! I knew this'd be an interesting turn when our scout team's report returned - it was just weird at first, but then General Tor said it was sent by the Tasen - THE TASEN! That's right, they're HERE! Three guesses what happens next - we shoot them to pieces, we blow up their Planetary Shielding system with a Phantom Hammer, then we smash this space rock into dust with a full-force Alpha Strike! Man, it doesn't get any better than this!"

...Okay yeah we need a new plan like NOW.



The dude survived a reflected set of Spread rockets. That takes moxie.



This, though... well, I should never be here. EVER.



"Those idiotic Tasen seems to have programmed the Turrets not to fire at anyone with the proper subroutine programming in their Nanofield - since we decrypted those security codes ages ago, and they STILL haven't updated them, there's not a single Turret in this colony that poses a threat to us! It's like they're not even trying!"

I really do like the lengths the game's writing goes to mesh plot and gameplay. Players might wonder why Turrets don't fire at the Komato, and here's an explanation that goes a bit further towards the "Komato are way the hell more dangerous than Tasen" stuff that the game's trying to imprint upon the player.



Speaking of, the Troopers won that match.



"I know you're new, but this ain't really a secret, is it? They tried a single hashed checksum in the latest build but it was a real shoddy job. So anyway, Resonance reflectors are simply a combination of a Tasen Shotgun and a Komato Resonance detonator - use the Nanoweapon stations as always, and just enter field 15 in prime 3C in the Nanogun, replace the 160th opcode with a 5 and you're set. The safety catches trying to fix the resulting cascading error does the rest, runs all the way to prime 11C. Anyway, me and Craxmasta are working on something real cool, we're trying to disassemble the Hyper pulse, so check back with us later. Power to the Troopers! And don't call me a wannabe, this is the real deal. OmnikrakR out."

Time for more cracking advice, now from some geeks with stupid names.

I, uh...

I don't have a damn clue what is even happening here.



Oh, minor secret: you can go this way to drop Blits into the area, which is a good way for pacifists to eke out a few more points.



And yes, this door doesn't need the terminal in the hallway above. But we're going there because logbooks.



Oh, and a new Nano Overload! Two in one Sector, even! Nanoreflex lets you tech every hit you receive. For those keeping score at home, Teching is what the Berserkers do to instantly recover from explosions. Gimme a second to show it off.



"Dear logbook, it's hard to type right now because the Komato are here!!! I've lost contact with my girlfriend, but I heard we're moving around our troops under radio silence, and somehow I know she's okay. I'm moving deeper into the building with a whole squad of adults, they're mostly Commanders and Elites, and they say they're going to hide and build a defensive base instead of trying to fight. I agree, we don't stand a chance if we try to take them on! But I swear I'll learn how to use my Rocket launcher before we get there, I won't leave any Komato alive to get near my girlfriend!!!"

Remember the logbook back in Sector 3? Looks like the writer's got plans to weather the Komato storm.



"Agh!"

Teching! Doesn't send us back more than a few feet. There's not many areas where this comes in handy, but it's still better than Nanolife, and in the areas where it really does help, it excels. Iji can actually do this without a Nanoreflex active, but that is a SECRET I will explain later.



"I told them it'd happen, and now it has! The Komato have found us, and are sending massive shock teams - we're probably just waiting for the rest of their fleet, complete with Beasts and Annihilators, and whatever they have - but let them come! DEATH TO THE KOMATO!"

Beasts, Annihilators... just how many kinds of war machines do you even HAVE, Komato?



Oooh, Assimilate rank 10! If you thought the basic stat was weak, the Special trait for it should change your mind right quick. Every Health pickup you get will recover an additional point of Health, and Armor pickups, formerly nigh-useless, will now heal 1 point of Health as well!



Still not as good as the Health stat, but yeah, at this point we have to try extra hard to die.



Nobody here! That was just from all the browsing of shady sites you did! Maybe you should get a better spyware checker!



Oh right, I didn't halfass a sequence break this time. Yes, normally you shoot the barrel here.



"Yah!"

Screw normal. I DO WHAT I WANT.



"I'm making this quick - this briefing will be transmitted to all logbooks in the colony. The Komato have arrived, and here are the main threats we face:
1. Troopers: armed with burst Pulse cannons and Shocksplinter, can outpower a Tasen Soldier five to one. Extremely agile, and sometimes carry Hyper pulse instead of the Pulse cannon.
2. Berserkers: armed with Shocksplinter or Plasma cannons, able to teleport straight into the battlefield, trained in recovering from heavy explosions without losing their cool. They carry Resonance reflectors, so don't use your rockets or they'll end up in your face. I'm afraid the Commanders will have to take them down in close combat with their claws, and Elites with their Machinegun and regular melee attacks.
3. Assassins: They constantly teleport all over the damn place, using dual Plasma cannons and laser daggers. They carry auto-fire Resonance reflectors to boot, making rockets and any other kinds of projectiles useless, and they can even dodge instant-hit weapons and melee attacks depending on their skill. They may be physically weak, but they don't go down easily - they have a habit of escaping the battlefield when heavily damaged, so we can't even kill them.
Alright, that's all. Battlestations, everyone - this may be Origin, but it's our planet now! DEATH TO THE KOMATO!"

Okay, we've met Troopers and Berserkers, but we've only encountered one Assassin so far.



Yeah, this guy. He's sent down in pacifist mode as a cautionary measure since the Komato know Iji "killed" Krotera. He won't actually be able to tell the difference if you just play pacifist for this Sector, regardless of who you kill for the previous four.



"Come on!"

Anyway let's actually fight Asha now.

Assassins like him fight by teleporting all over the place faster than a DCSS warper. That spark you see is a teleport, which he'll spam to confuse his target.

He has the Plasma cannon too, and can either fire five bolts in rapid succession from a standing stance, or do another kind of shot.



His health, as you can see, is really low, but only instant-hit stuff, like the Shotgun, can even damage him. Plasma cannons are a great weapon against him, but if all else fails you can just kick him in the gut.



"Ahahahahahaha!"

There's the other Plasma cannon shot: only a single bolt, but since he aims low, it can't be ducked.



He also carries a laser dagger, which he either uses from a standing position, by dropping down from above like this...



Or by chucking it all over the damn place, like here. This is his Superweapon, but it's really lame, because it's extremely inaccurate and functionally similar to a Splintergun.



Your best bet is to wait for him to get close for a standing slash like so, because he pauses for more than long enough to wallop him with a kick.



He's fast, but relatively weak, and as long as you're careful (or packing a Plasma cannon or Nuke), he's a negligible threat.



Yadda yadda yadda.



This fight is unavoidable, but since he flees when beaten, you are never awarded a kill for fighting him here. Every boss in the game, in fact, will either have a way to avoid the kill for it (like Krotera) or outright not have to kill the boss (like Asha). Does this mean it's possible to go through the game with 0 kills? Yes, but it's tricky. And I will show it off, because that's what I do.



Anyway, let's go find Dan.

Next Time: If you Lose Something, Retrace Your Steps

Yep, Nanolife allows you an extra life even in Sudden Death.
Huh. I never knew that before.
I'll still probably never put any points in assimilation.
I can't help but notice you really aren't on track for that stat-wise. Is it even possible to do that without rebooting at this point?

Also, didn't cracking count as your kill if it finished them off? I forget that, I mainly just remember avoiding even cracking enemies in a pacifist run.

Yes it does. But only if it's the crack damage killing them directly. The game considers people being killed by their own sabotaged heavy weaponry blowing up in their faces when they try to fire them to be self-inflicted. So it won't ruin an Innocent run to try to crack any uninjured enemy other than Tasen Scouts and Soldiers (as well as all other Tasen in Sector 3).

In fact, it's one of the best ways to spice up a pacifist run. Can you sneak up behind that Trooper, crack them, and then get away before they blow themselves up?

Or better yet, can you do that with an Annihilator?

Right, so our plan now that we're separated from Dan (and also the Komato are destroying anything that enters their crosshairs) is to reestablish contact with him, and what better way to do that than to use the method he used to contact us. Sector 6 has a control room relatively close by.



Just go down that tunnel to start!



Even though the music here is relatively calm compared to most Sectors, there's still lots of fighting going on between Tasen and Komato, though not nearly as much as in Sector 5. Pockets where one side or the other has won become more common as you go through.



A Shredder? Yes please.



There's two things the Shredder is useful for. The first is getting across this large opening, same way we got the Supercharge in Sector 4.



Once up here, we find some important stuff!



If you don't have Crack 10, that's the only way you're getting in here, otherwise you have to jump in from the right.



Anyway, the important thing is that it opens the door up top.



Sadly, the Shredder was destroyed in the Tasen/Komato battle down here.



Some Shield and Security doors have specs beyond Iji's skill: Shield Doors like this can only be broken down with Shredders.



Falling down here, we interrupt the codec call of this Assassin.



Unlike Asha, normal Assassins have two arms. Also unlike Asha, you can outrun Assassins, as they like their arms too much to risk teleporting into an area they aren't familiar with. Aside from that, they're pretty much exactly the same, down to not granting kills for beating them.



Anyhow, the door terminal we need is on the left side. That unlocks the right side.



This takes us up here, where we enter a multi-level lift area.



Don't get frustrated, Iji. It's not an Atlus game.

There are four floors you can access, counting the one with the locked door. Of them, one is completely optional, and you only need to traverse one of the remaining two to unlock the door.



We want to go to the very top first, due to that area we opened up.



Aside from every Cyborg station type, a Nanoweapon station, and a bucketload of red Nano, this area is host to the Poster, as well as something else.



The trick here is that those boxes on the ledge will block Iji's progress. However, if you use a Nuke, you also destroy those boxes below, which she needs to jump up to the ledge. Therefore, another weapon is required, and if you've been watching my stats, we have just enough for it.



Glory is the Komato equivalent of the Tasen Vengeance, granting an extra point with every Komato ammo pickup.



To get it, we're going to go all the way to the right of the top floor.



See that pointy thing inside? That's what we want.



The last Komato weapon, oddly enough never wielded by any Komato in the game, is the Cyclic Fusion Ignition System. It only does armor damage, true, but how much armor damage?



Enough to drop this Commander in less than a second. The range is a bit better than the Hyper Pulse, too, so this weapon is very much worth your time. But what if we try cracking it with something else?



You need three stats at 10 to get it, as it's a combination of the MPFB Devastator and our new CFIS, but once you do get it, oh man.



The V2-10 Velocithor, though it doesn't deal health damage like the Plasma cannon, does armor damage at such a ridiculous pace that it really does not care about what you point it at, because it'll be melted within seconds. Let's give it a try, kids!



It blows through walls, enemies, even boxes. Which is how you get to the poster, by the by. The biggest advantage it has over the Plasma cannon is that it doesn't need to reload.



"Ever heard about this guy? He's a Tasen cracker, except he spends his time on pointless stuff like games and logbooks. I admit, the games weren't complete garbage, I even found a bizarre logbook in this place where a Tasen Scout pondered having the Human Anomaly play "Hero 3D" until she zoned out and could be captured. Sure seems easier than trying to gun her down, anyway. I drew this picture of what it might look like. The only problem is, now I think I need to get my head checked. Oh yeah, and before I forget, whatever you do - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FIGHT YUKABACERA. This guy has pumped himself something crazy and got his hands on a Cyclic Fusion Ignition System, and I heard he's hid himself somewhere nearby."

That's right, the only guy in the game with a CFIS is standing right above us! Kind of odd but hey.



The poster is here, sure, but what's that teleporter for?



You guys ready for an optional boss?

"Incoming!"

Yukabacera may look like a normal Soldier (and sound like a Commander, because he's goofy like that) but he's anything but. He doesn't flinch from hits, he's got the CFIS and a few other weapons not expected from a Soldier, and he moves like a bat out of hell, to say nothing of his health total. To make things more exciting, you're sealed in this tiny room when you fight him too.



"Raaaaaagh!"

However, when defeated, he drops a boatload of ammo and health, as well as another prize.



The Scrambler! Because all this talk about genocide and pacifism gets too heavy. It needs to make less sense!



That's more like it! Aside from mutations like this, it also will replace the dialogue of certain characters, as well as certain key phrases in the game, with a selection of amusing phrases. Example: Iji will sometimes say the title of the thread, and Dan will sometimes respond with "No missile ponies for you". I'll show off what kinds of stuff you can expect later.



Moving right along. The second and fourth areas on the elevator lead to different areas, but they have two teleporters linking each other at the ends. So we'll take the top path and teleport to the bottom, then work our way backwards through it.



Reflect THAT, why don't ya?



This is the door terminal! Beep!



The teleporter takes us down to the end of the fourth area. Both areas are relatively busy with Tasen and Komato alike.



Which makes the new Nano Overload we get all the more exciting. Nanospark will, every 1.5 seconds or so, emit an electrical shock around Iji, doing a point of Health damage to enemies around her. The Commander up top is at about the edge of the area's effect, so it's great in crowds (like here).



Back up top and through the door with us!



This hallway, though dimly lit, has a lot of illuminating text in the terminals here. But we're gonna save those for the pacifist run!



It also has a Sector map. Apparently a lot of people complained that this sector was too hard to navigate, so Remar put a few clues to guide people in it. Problem is, almost all of these clues are at the end of the area. Of the map displayed, we really only have to handle the lower right still.



As you move up to the door, you can see an Assassin. The Velocithor is pretty effective against them, though the Plasma cannon is better. Once you defeat it, that busted terminal behind us starts working, and if you interact with it...



OH NO, IT IS THE LATEST GAMING CRAZE



DESTROY THE GENERATORS, AVOID THE SEARCHLIGHT

Yeah, this is the game Yukabacera made, Hero 3D. A reference to another couple of games Remar worked on, but not as good as either one. The only thing that sets this apart is the vector graphic style, and the searchlight in the background that sweeps towards you every five or ten seconds. If you don't hide behind those panels, it fires a missile that will home in on you and destroy you or a panel if it hits.



Iji will comment on the game, including making a "I'm gonna kill the guy who made this g-- oh wait" joke if you get far enough, but it doesn't unlock anything and Hero Core is better anyway, so let's just move on.



Past that hallway, we can either head up or down. I choose up first, completely at random.



This turret is armed with a Splintergun! The Komato must be deploying their own turrets as well. Anyway, the terminal up here doesn't activate this teleporter, so down we go.



Ah, Supercharge! As you can see, it's walled off by a glass panel above our firing range.



Two weapons will work here: the Nuke, because Nuke, or the Splintergun, since it affects such a wide area.



This is a reference to something so obscure that it does not exist yet. Because Remar is an indie game designer, therefore he must out-hipster everyone. Or something. I don't know.



"Wha- another ribbon!? Hhh. Heh, Dad really showed us all around this place. I guess that's why this area is so strangely familiar. Okay, maybe things aren't that bad, right Mia? Once I find that Control room, I'll call for Dan with the speakers, and he'll reply. He's gotta be somewhere - I think. Damn it! ... Right, Dan's counting on me. He's just as scared as I was at first, he just acts tough. I think he really cares for me. I know, I didn't always give him the attention he deserved... couldn't help him with his problems... Wait, I don't have time for this! The Control room's so close!"

Anyway, the terminal up by the Splintergun turret gets us the next ribbon. Don't worry Iji, I'm sure Dan is fine and not being shot right now.



Right, just down here is the last area. Tasen locked in one room, Komato in the other...



ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE THE TWO OF YOU



The terminal is on the Tasen side. The Komato side only has more Nano and ammo, and we're already at the highest level.



Okay, NOW we start investing in Attack. I don't like to upgrade that stat, because it just makes my weapons stronger. It doesn't give me cool new weapons!



Yep, back up to the inactive teleporter by the Splintergun turret.



Bwoop!



It is, in fact! You're good at navigating, Iji!

If you go left, you reach the second area of the main lift.



And just over here, the exit.



Into the control room!



Huh, it's dark. Can't make out much of anything. Where's the light switch?



FRIEND OR FOE



Oh hey! Great minds think alike, looks like.



You got shot in the leg, you don't have a Nanofield, and you survived? Either that was only a Machinegun shot or you're secretly a WIZARD.



Man, remember when you thought Dan was going to be the main bad guy? Oh, you're silly.



So the only reason we aren't vaporized on the spot is because of the planetary shield generator? Yeah, we need to protect that thing on the double.



So, to recap: we need to protect the planetary shield generator by infiltrating a Komato ship, then find and negotiate with the General of this fleet. For those of you keeping score at home, that would be General Tor, who is apparently pretty hesitant about this whole thing himself, so the outcome is in our favor for once!



Things are, against all odds, actually looking up! Amazing what having a solid plan can do for morale.



And Dan survived, and will continue to do so, hopefully.



Let's go infiltrate us a spaceship, why don't we?

Next Time: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

I'm very glad Iji isn't responsible for calling down the Komato in Pacifist mode.

You killed Yukabacera with only level 2 health? How did you pull THAT off?

Minor request somewhat ahead of time because I don't know how much you have done ahead of time:
Fight Asha three times in a row

Also:

Null Driver

Beating the game with the Banana Gun

Don't worry, I'll try to show off all the secrets I can get my hands on. And if you doubt, me, well, allow me to SPOIL my abilities.

no seriously that image is hella spoilers don't click it ever

Why yes, yes I do. I'm still holding out hope.

Sector 6! Fair warning: this is one of the most text-heavy sectors in the game. Iji is a lot more freaked out in her portraits here than she is in a violent playthrough. Pic unrelated, displaying the proper distance at which a Resonance Detonator can destroy an explosive barrel.



I don't really need to reflect stuff in fights anymore, since I can basically just walk through enemies, avoiding melee attacks and knockback wherever possible. I will anyway, because it gets me Nano.



Balls, I dropped the Shredder.



It survived the skirmish down here this time, though!



"Have you grown tired of wasting Tasen scum? Have you ever wondered why you spend your energy boarding their spaceships, when all you can do is poke them with conventional, ordinary, plain, dull, and meaningless Nanoweapons? Then the Shocksplinter is for you! This new invention from Komato Imperial Weapon Industries will re-ignite your lust for dealing with the bothersome Tasen, as you blow them left and right with supreme explosive power! Already approved by both Berserkers and Annihilators, this Nanoweapon is becoming as huge of a success as the Pulse cannon! If just the thought of a single high-explosive projectile is enough to make your mouth water, that's not all - upon impact with your comically panicking enemies, the Shocksplinter will split into six sub-projectiles called 'splinters', which are specifically designed for frying Nanoarmor in an instant! So, don't spend one more turn operating the same old low-end garbage that doesn't even set your enemies on fire, and order your Shocksplinter NOW for only 520'000 Units! (Komato Imperial Weapon Industries cannot be held responsible for personal injury, technical problems, or your enemies not actually catching fire.)"

I dunno, the Splintergun is mechanically a lot like a flamethrower.



If you hug the left wall as you fall into the first Assassin's room, you'll end up on this ledge and avoid alerting them.



Sadly, we can't actually do much with it, since cracking them isn't possible with our skill. Looks like that's our new priority.



"So on the surface, this mission is like any other - infiltrate whatever parts of this place the Tasen least expect, kill as many as possible. However, there are two differences here - one, this is the Tasen's final planetary outpost, so we can expect them to fight fiercely. Two, and this is the bad news - Assassin Asha is in charge of us Assassins now. Yeah, Asha, the guy who lost is right arm in the most stupid way conceivable, the one trying to become known as "the best unit in the army". Permission to speak freely here, but gimme a damn break - he may be strong, but he's too full of himself to understand that we Assassins ain't got a thing on the Annihilators and Generals, not to mention Iosa. We're the most efficient brand of cyborg when it comes to amount of kills versus death count, sure, but that's because we use stealth and have refinement in our skills - Asha thinks he's a one-man army, not part of the team. I mean, what kind of idiot gets so caught up in a battle with a few Elites that he teleports halfway into a wall, reducing his arm to a bloody pulp before he managed to get out of there? Not a lot of people would survive that kind of thing, I'll give him that, but you'd think it'd cut his ego down to size just a LITTLE."

So yeah, the reason Asha only has one arm? Telefragged it while trying to show off. Considering what he's like, he probably considers that a badge of honor or something.



Aw. No ridiculous armory for us.



Believe it or not, we're not visible to the Soldier right by our shins here for some reason.



Excuse me sir, I want to get back to that Cyborg station.



Sir please stop punching me down the stairs. It is rude.



Actually hang on, is that lower security than an Elite? I don't recall.



Well technically, they turned around mid-crack and then Resonator'd me, so they were already alerted.



"The Komato are slaughtering us, and our last remaining army is falling apart! We're done for, and so are the humans - the Komato will annihilate them along with everything else on the planet. It's like we destroy every planet we even touch, because in one way or another those damn Komato find us every time! I've NO idea how they did it this time unless that Human anomaly was involved - they couldn't possibly have seen through our transmission!"

I dunno, you did mention "we will not survive the evening without supplies". Maybe they would have decided to check up on them?

Nanoshield does not block explosives. Dang it, I get Nanomirror basically everywhere I don't need it, and now I get Nanoshield where I don't need it.



"Stay calm everyone, you know how Assassins fight. If they're in for a serious fight or are lying in ambush, they prepare themselves by creating a mental map of the area. These areas are small, so if you encounter an Assassin, just keep running - when they're pumped for battle, they won't dare to follow into a place they've never seen before, because they're afraid of teleporting into walls and floors. They have a habit of running from fights when they start taking damage though, so they're practically impossible to kill. Even if they drop parts of their Nanofield behind, they're not dead - they're just retreating. If you've ever killed an Assassin, I think you would certainly notice the enormous self-destruct explosion."

This is basically meant to spell out that yes, you can fight Assassins even if you're pacifist. And if you are ill-equipped to do so, you can always just run. Nobody wants to be like Asha, after all.



"Yeah, we did manage to intercept them, but I only got one. No more shipments this starturn. Get this - only top Annihilators are issued Splinterguns, and now I think I know why. It's essentially a combination of a Tasen Machinegun and a Komato Shocksplinter! I know some Nanoweapons use fused Tasen and Komato technology, and the Army is willing to use them in the field without us knowing, but this is awesome news. You know why? Machineguns are easy to get a hold of. We're all issued Shocksplinter as standard equipment. All you gotta do is bypass the security in field 662 of prime 17C of the Nanogun, replace all the opcode 16s with 5s, and the failsafes should practically do the job for you. I swear this took me cycles to get right, but the weapon is a beast, it bypasses the Shock projectile and just jams out Splinters like there's no tomorrow. Be sure to crack yourself one, but don't use it where any Berserkers can see or you're in deep trouble. NanoBitSplit faced military law for it. Power to the Troopers buddy. /Craxmasta"

From the sounds of it, even the Komato Imperial Army is just making weapons by randomly cracking two together and hoping it fits. Also, they're doing it the hard way, with opcodes and failsafes. They could just play that little maze minigame, it's way easier.



"Hailing from a remote planet now known as Origin, the current population size of the Komato - 160 billion individuals - is only a wild guess. During their inception, their intellect and technology evolved at an astounding pace. The starturns passed, and after a war-torn history and extreme technological advances, they eventually managed to invent mass space travel. The Komatos' future now lay in deep space, and thus they abandoned Origin without looking back, knowing that whatever races would evolve there later would pose no threat to them - for their mindset didn't become any less militaristic when they realized the potential of their new homes and empires. Soon the supreme order of the Komato was erected, known as the High Command, and a huge armada of starships and troops was constructed - the Komato Imperial Army. A multitude of uninhabited planets were chosen as breeding grounds and fuel resources, as the Komato planned to become the greatest civilization they would ever know. Even after countless starturns had passed, only occasionally did they send scout teams back to Origin, which eventually reported that another race calling itself the "humans" had appeared. However, High Command couldn't possible consider this "pathetic excuse for a lifeform" a threat, and let them be."

Hooray, indepth backstory! This is the history hallway of history! And it sounds like the Komato evolved on Origin (i.e. Earth) long before the humans did. That explains why they call it Origin!



"Alright, squad. Our target is the super-powered human that supposedly roams the area - I know the rest of the Assassins got better missions, like hunting down Elites or sabotaging Tasen medical supplies, but a job's a job, no matter how easy."

Easy? I've lasted six sectors without dying and kicked Asha's ass. Yours too.



Ternary? Uh... okay. I guess the little sliders indicate 0, 1, and 2?



"The original Tasen were Komato who questioned the extreme genetic engineering that had turned them into mockeries of nature, and the ambitions of the Imperial Army. They started to engineer their appearances to what they looked like before their ancestors left Origin. As the number of Tasen grew, we came to be called a separate race from the Komato. While we were never accepted in their society, they at least offered us supplies, equipment, and even Nanotechnology for a heavy price. We've always been seen as parasites, but we've been smart enough not to revolt with violence - even in our prime, the Komato outnumbered us a hundred to one, and all members of their Imperial Army have been bred for war for countless generations. Our economy kept dwindling, and leaders struggled to find a way to continue coexisting with our oppressors, but their hate was growing. Everyone lived in fear of the Komato deciding to cleanse themselves of our "subculture of Origin-lovers"."

Okay, so it sounds like the Tasen are basically what you'd get if Bioshock had hippies. Except without their leader being a complete caricature of the hippie movement. I mean honestly, could you see Krotera advocating peace, love, and understanding?



"Originally invented by the Komato, this ultimate weapon was designed for use by starships and battlecruisers. Each individual ship fires thousands of thermal/kinetic beams intended to destroy all life on the surface of a planet. Its use is relatively simple: align a great number of ships equipped with the Alpha Strike in sub-lower orbit of a planet, charge it up, and let the automatic unified guidance system allow every single mean fired to strike a different area for maximum efficiency. While charging, a distinct light display reveals the targeting of the Strike, shining through the clouds and lighting up the ground, but the enemy has less than a full cycle to react once they realize what's happening. All firings performed by the Komato have yielded 100% satisfactory results. When we acquired this technology for ourselves, it was modified to give it a more variable power, mainly to Strike alien planets without destroying the surface or atmosphere, yet still wiping out a significant portion of the native lifeforms. Such a strike was performed on Origin, as we did not have the time to evaluate the risk of these relatively advanced aliens - who turned out not to be as "alien" as we thought."

Okay, so it's like a killsat, except with an entire fleet of ships coordinating their efforts to vaporize the whole planet. And the Tasen use it to eliminate resistance on their new homeworlds while the Komato use it to destroy worlds outright. That is... kind of terrifying.



There we go. Next step: Strength 10. Not so much for kicking dudes, but for opening doors and the Special trait it affords.



"I heard there's a small anonymous group trying to get the Army turned against Annihilator Iosa. What exactly do they think they're doing? Saying things like "General's Tor's a respected leader and a diplomat, Iosa's just a brainless soldier." Alright, first, Tor changed completely one the war started. I'd like to see anyone call him a Tasen-lover now! Second, "brainless soldier"? Iosa's more powerful and respected than ANY of you whiners. "But, but, but, respecting someone for her kill count, violence is wrong and..." URGH. I don't see you suggesting anything better! Disagree with ourselves? Start more wars? Start assassinating our own leaders? This is exactly why treason was declared the greatest war offense by High Command after that little Ciretako mistake. Internal arguing will only cause another enemy. Let's get rid of the one we have now, while we're still united against something and maybe, MAYBE that'll be enough to teach people that you don't mess with the Imperial Army. You're only going to make yourself the outlaw. And that's not an argument, it's FACT, so DEAL WITH IT YOU WHINY CREEPS."

Wow. And I thought political flamewars were bad when it was humans arguing.



"The truth is starting to leak out regarding the already famous incident, where an entire Komato platoon was mysteriously killed during an assault on a Tasen spaceship named Ciretako, along with the Tasen crew. There is indeed a connection to the Komato Annihilator and the internal devastation of the ship - Imperial Research denies any rumors of the Annihilators being mentally unstable and attacking their own units, which is the most likely explanation. However, it's well known that the Annihilators have built-in kill counters displayed on their visors to raise their lust for violence - did the Annihilator kill his own men to boost his kill counter? Some believe it's the only possible explanation, and the Annihilator was probably killed itself by the wounds inflicted by the estimated 270 other units aboard the Ciretako spaceship at the time, but few believe that a single unit could be so powerful as to decimate such a military force by itself."

Y'know, that sounds like kinda flimsy reasoning to go on, but considering that we're talking about the "everything is a game" Komato and the fact that they very easily could make a cyborg that kills stuff at almost a 300:1 ratio, that actually might be true.



The ribbon dialogue changes very slightly in pacifist mode. After a brief pause here...



Oh, Iji. You so crazy.



"There is a human working for the cause of the Komato in the vicinity, and he has been for some time. He contacted us upon our planetfall, and claims to have the power to command the Anomaly's every action for the purpose of Origin's destruction. Think about it - what we have in our possession is the ability to direct her into whatever trap we so design, providing she trusts her partner enough."

Wait, is Dan actually a villain after all? ZOUNDS AND SO ON.



"I'm finally safe. I don't have to see any more people die... just relax and calm down. That Komato logbook... my own brother deceiving me? It can't be true... it just can't be."

Two changes to Iji's dialogue here. If she reads the logbook by Asha, she wonders about Dan's involvement, and then there's the pacifist dialogue bit.

These two things also affect the cutscene itself.



"I know. Just remember that your safety comes first. You can still shoot them if you need to, I wouldn't think less of you for it. You're the only one who can do something about this mess."

First, Dan will accept what Iji is doing regardless of how she does it. After this long surviving, and having to run through a warzone himself, perfectly understandable. The second bit is just after he lays out his plan for Iji to reach General Tor.



Yeah, if you think about the situation as it is, Dan really doesn't have anything to gain from helping the Komato, and considering what we know about Asha, he's about as trustworthy as your average tabloid. Thank goodness Iji isn't a JRPG protagonist, or else this could've gone somewhere much dumber.



SO MUCH TEXT. SO MUCH.

Next Time: The Best Defense is a Good Offense

Everyone knows what Ciretako is famous for.

So, what does Strength 10 actually do?

Before the incident, it was known for it's excellent Origin-style Cajun cooking.

Also, the other two Special traits, which we'll probably get next sector in one playthrough or another, are Cybernetic Endurance for Strength 10, which adds 50% extra invulnerability time after a hit and negates the knockback from firing the MPFB Devastator, and Improved Autoloading for Attack 10, which shortens reload time for all weapons that actually do reload by 20%.

Killing Yukabacera? Easy.

Getting the Supercharge in Sector 7? Hatred.

Update this evening, probably. With the Supercharge.