Hey everyone!
Let's play Zexion!
Released literally this year in March, Zexion is one of the best Metroid homages I have ever seen. I understand this is extremely high praise to throw at a game, especially once released so recently, but I do not give out this praise lightly. A lot of games that call back to the Metroidvania style of game take ample inspiration from multiple sources, and lately I've noticed a trend of pulling from Dark Souls in particular. And that's fine, Rebel Transmute is great, but sometimes I don't want to deal with soul runs and tradeoff equipment and a very limited focus on exploration compared to combat. It feels like the games don't really understand or want to engage with the interesting parts of Metroid. Zexion makes it much simpler: you still have some intense boss fights, but the bulk of the game is about exploration, looking for secrets, and getting mobility options to flesh out your kit and allow you to explore new areas.
Considering the dev, Gallant Leaf, didn't really spend a lot of time advertising the game AND stuck with the name Zexion despite that being an existing Kingdom Hearts character (news to me too), it hasn't been able to get much traction in terms of publicity, which is a damn shame that I intend to ameliorate in my own way: by LPing it! Joining me will be some of the usual crew: jenkitchen, BEAT, and Kishi for the first couple of updates, plus or minus people as time goes on and schedules vacillate. I'll also be using this first post as a catalogue of all the upgrades we find, citing Database entries and ingame functionality. (I won't post the whole Database though because it persists through savefiles and I cannae be arsed to figure out which monsters we have and haven't seen.)
WEAPONRY:
Machine Gun
Natu's starting weapon. It's your basic machine gun; high fire rate, low damage-per-shot. Note that Natu's Prototech suit allows them to charge any weapon when not firing, making the first shot bigger and stronger. It doesn't do a lot with the Machine Gun since the fire rate is the selling point, but it's convenient anyway!
Pulse Wave
A Machine Gun upgrade that makes it shoot gooder, obtained in Guardia. It fires two additional projectiles with each shot that helix around the primary shot, and those extra projectiles get stronger under certain energy conditions. If you're at full health, they're a little stronger, and at low health, they're significantly stronger. It's a nice little force amplifier with some extra fun here or there, what's not to like? Do note that the extra shots can hit walls, so firing past terrain can offset the benefit. Check your aim is all.
Missile Launcher
Natu's starting heavy weapon. Missiles pack a lot more of a kick than most energy-based weapons, but require ammo to work with. Natu's suit apparently converts raw material picked up from the environment into missiles through the Missile Container system, and any time the UI shows a little rocket pickup, that's actually the suit tagging viable material suitable for conversion, and that's cute. Missiles are capable of destroying large stone blocks, and they even have some kickback at close range, enough so that devoted speedrunners (i.e. not me) can do missile jumps to skip certain areas! That's a deep magick beyond my capabilities, though.
Javelin Missiles
Obtained from Lode Star in R'talva. Javelin Missiles provide a boost to multiple stats for your default missiles. They fly faster, can pierce through enemies they destroy, and even reload faster, allowing you to simply spam high-speed rockets at an enemy rather than worry about having an X-Missile charge interrupt. The X-Missile still beats it for power and utility, but Javelin Missiles are certainly a welcome upgrade.
Force Blaster
Our first new beam, obtained from Orballus in Machinus. The Force Blaster deals about the same per-shot damage as the Machine Gun, but favors a close-range three shot spread. This makes it better than the Machine Gun at both close range spike damage and widespread shots to clear out little guys, although the Machine Gun wins out at longer range. The Force Blaster also comes with enough kick to push targets it hits away, whether they're heavy armored crates or hostile targets!
Pentashot
Found in the deepest part of Phobyss. This upgrade to the Force Blaster makes it fire five shots rather than three, with no other drawbacks. This simply makes the Force Blaster better at the two jobs it needs to be good at: close range spike damage, and mid-long range dispersal of small targets. The extra shots fan out the total spread of the Force Blaster a little wider than usual, so it's not exactly free damage, but it's close enough and who's counting anyway.
Power Cartridge
Salvaged from the Ruined Titan in Machinus. Does exactly what it says on the box: your Force Blaster and Machine Gun shots just become stronger. This allows them to stay competitive with your other offensive options as the game goes on, and that's nice. No other features, doesn't need 'em.
Power Chip
Obtained from Skoldoggr in Kresezoa. It's literally a second copy of the Power Cartridge. With both the Power Chip and Power Cartridge available, your Machine Gun and Force Blaster are at maximum power! Again: no other features present, no other features needed.
Snake
Obtained from Twinheart in Pulsava. The Snake is a remote-controlled ball of energy which can absorb shots and pickups alike, making it extremely useful in unfavorable terrain that would give other weapons trouble. While it does significant damage, it cannot be fired uncharged, giving it an exceptionally poor rate of fire, so it suffers in more open areas... which is fine, because then you can just pull out the Machine Gun or Force Blaster for business as usual. The Snake fits into its niche with exceptional comfort, and it's a favorite of mine.
Tunneler
Obtained in Fijedar, guarded by a Huvcrog. This Snake upgrade drastically improves the projectile's longevity and gives it enough punch to carve through rock like the Lance or our missiles do. Previously, the Snake would usually fizzle out if it ran into a wall for too long. The Tunneler prevents that from happening, allowing our shot to remain onscreen and controllable for longer. This DOES make it harder to "cancel" the projectile so you can fire a new one, but that's a fiddly difference that your usual Snake enjoyer will either not care about or be able to adapt to.
Mega Bomb
Mega Bombs are rare and advanced explosives that can be detonated instantly and safely to deal damage to everything on the screen at once. Their upgrades can be found all over Cypher-X72, with each one increasing our capacity by 1. They're obviously useful for dangerous situations where you might be swarmed while exploring, but in boss fights their usage is largely relegated to clearing out missiles, which can be shot down but frequently require some precise aim to do so. Mega Bombs also tend to be able to damage enemies that can shrug off most other kinds of weapons, so they're worth trying in a pinch!
Lance
Obtained from Colossus in Crysmoon. The Lance is a high-powered energy weapon that can do plenty of damage, but has limited range. It's capable of hitting targets through walls as well as punching through tougher rock and armor, which is obviously useful for raw damage output, but can also be handy in scenarios where other shots would simply be intercepted before even leaving the barrel, such as when sinking in Kresezoa quicksand. The range makes it hard to use, and it's still best with sustained fire, so you'll need to hold it on a target for best results. You can actually use it to hover above enemies if you fire downwards towards them, which can be a great way to avoid counterattacks! Oh, and if you hit a Crystaloid with it, you launch in the opposite direction, which is awexome.
Focal Crystal
Obtained in Vulknor. The Focal Crystal is the Lance's upgrade, extending its range slightly and making it hit a little harder. Like the Pentashot and Javelin Missiles before it, it's basically just a straightforward upgrade for our weapon that is very appreciated.
Power Core
Obtained from the Metal Bomber in Guardia. Natu's energy weapons charge up automatically, of course, but the Power Core allows them to charge up even further, making the first shot of a volley more potent than ever. It's a nice upgrade to all of our weapons, but none benefit so much as the Snake, with its naturally low fire rate and absurd projectile lifetime making it a perfect fit for the Power Core's improved charge level.
X-Missile
Obtained from Siege in Guardia. The crown jewel of offensive weaponry, the X-Missile allows you to charge up your missiles, and in doing so impart properties of your current energy weapon to the missile. For the most part, the new shot works like the old one does, just with some missile-based extra sauce to it. As it hints at here, you can also introduce bombs into the mix, unlocking some secret techniques! I'll list the ones we have for our current weapons here (and give them names of my own devising because I don't know if they have names):
- Machine Gun: Orinthian Flare. Fires a heavily damaging shot straight up. Useful for when a deadly threat is directly above you and you don't have the time to fuss with correcting your aim.
- Force Blaster: Kinetic Collider. Fires four shots in diagonal directions that quickly converge back on where they were fired from, creating an explosion that does heavy damage but can also damage Natu. As an offensive option, it's hard to wield but very strong. However, you can also use it to damage boost yourself in dire circumstances (like, say, a randomizer somehow giving you the Force Blaster, X-Missile and Mega Bombs before any mobility upgrades).
- Snake: Collector. Does no damage, but instantly heals Natu for one energy tank and immediately collects all pickups on screen. The healing is low enough that it's not worth using in boss fights compared to just outdamaging the boss, but it can be a crucial lifeline while exploring.
- Lance: Supersonic Joust. Launches Natu forward at top speed, dealing sharp damage to anything in their path. Will attempt to curve around terrain, but will end with an explosive strike if a wall is hit. Obviously very useful for swift traversal of open areas, but can also be used to reach some areas before intended.
- Arc Plasma: Parallel Spark. Fires a pair of shockwaves in both horizontal directions. These shockwaves travel fast and hit hard, making them perfect for fights where Natu is surrounded by multiple boss-level targets. In particular, there's at least one endgame threat that the Parallel Spark makes much easier.
Arc Plasma
Obtained from the Plasma Artillery in Fijedar. Our final energy weapon, the Arc Plasma has a completely different charging mechanic compared to all of our other weapons. Like the Snake, it cannot fire uncharged, but it also doesn't charge passively. It uses the ol' button-hold method of charging, which has awkward interactions with the controller method of play: you can ONLY adjust your aim by using the right stick while charging, which can be hard to adjust while charging by button-hold. You can also hold the right stick to charge, but then you risk your aim snapping off when you release the stick. And finally, your charge can be interrupted if you're hit while charging, which is much more noticeable with the Arc Plasma than with the X-Missile. Those quibbles aside, the Arc Plasma is a very strong weapon that can punch through most forms of armor and melt formerly-indestructible blocks of ice crystal, as well as leaving a brief damage field at the point of impact.
Plasma Burst
Obtained in Guardia, guarded by Sundar. The Plasma Burst allows a further charge level for the Arc Plasma, enabling a much larger and more damaging shot that doesn't arc with gravity, but it takes a LONG time to charge. If you're already practiced with holding a charge on the Arc Plasma and feel comfortable doing so for even longer, this can output damage comparable to the X-Missile, making it a useful way to stay competitive against prolonged boss fights when low on or unwilling to use missiles.
MOVEMENT:
Wall Jump Boots
Obtained from Cyker in Kresezoa. The Wall Jump Boots allow Natu to kick off of any wall they can reach, and can be chained to ascend up tall shafts. The kick is strong enough that without additional technology, you can't ascend up a single wall indefinitely, but it does make for a strong exploration and evasion tool all the same.
Slide Mod
Obtained on the border between Kresezoa and Machinus, guarded by the Gemini Core. The Slide Mod works exactly how a standard Mega Man slide do, giving Natu a brief groundbound boost of speed and letting them glide through narrow passageways. It's always a handy tool for mobility and evasion, but it requires level ground to really shine, something that certain environments might not afford. You can jump out of a slide, which will inherit a little of the speed of the slide.
Rocket Slide
Hidden near the Beta Key in Guardia. The Rocket Slide is built for players who have been habitually slide-jumping throughout areas to get that little extra bit of speed. Just press the missile button while sliding to activate a massive boost of speed that will carry you across the entire plane. There's no limit on how far a Rocket Slide can go save for the terrain; it's still subject to the Slide Mod's usual limitations.
Jump Booster
Salvaged from Phantom's suit in Pulsava. The Jump Booster is exactly what it sounds like: your jumps become better. It can work much like a traditional double-jump, amplifying your base jump height and letting you perform a second wall jump with the Wall Jump Boots. However, the Jump Booster only replenishes its fuel on landing and has to work against gravity, so it's less powerful when descending and can only slow your fall, not reverse it. Still an extremely useful bit of exploration gear.
Marine Jets
Salvaged from a S'culvar eaten by Krakomaw in Kresezoa. The Marine Jets can be toggled on and off whenever your feet are off the ground in the water to allow full eight-directional controlled movement. This brings our underwater speed to parity with Natu's default run speed on land, as well as obviously being useful for reaching all sorts of underwater areas that would usually require advanced platforming to get to. Does nothing outside of water, but water is a common enough thing to deal with, especially in the Kresezoa and Phobyss regions, that it's still good to have.
Phaser
Discovered below the west tower in Guardia. Straight out of Axiom Verge, the Phaser lets Natu pass through walls that are exactly one tile thick. It's very quick to activate and completely noiseless, making it useful for ambushing or sneaking past Helskar Blades in particular. It can also be useful for exploration, obviously, although there aren't many areas that require it; it's more intended to pick up alternate routes through areas we've already seen.
G-Diffuser
Obtained in Exodia, guarded by Ghesis. The G-Diffuser allows you to slow your descent when falling. It's actually a fairly nuanced upgrade for its "weight". If you have the Jump Booster, its operation will take priority over the G-Diffuser, which will only activate once your Jump Booster fuel is exhausted. It stays active as long as you hold the jump button, with the intensity being adjustable by moving up or down. There aren't any areas in the main game where the G-Diffuser is really required, but it's nice and unobtrusive.
Gravity Harness
Obtained from Aesos in R'talva. Hands down the coolest piece of movement tech in Zexion and many other games. Taking priority over both the Jump Booster and G-Diffuser, jumping in midair will activate the Gravity Harness, locking your personal gravity to the point it activates at. You can freely and swiftly move around in a small area around the harness point, allowing Natu to deftly maneuver their way through projectiles. Moving out of the area will keep the speed you left it with for a short time, permitting you to also do fast omnidirectional gravity slings. Best of all, the Gravity Harness also resets on a walljump, unlike the Jump Booster, so you can finally ascend up a single wall indefinitely with it and the Wall Jump Boots! AND using it resets the Jump Booster, too! The Gravity Harness rules!
Zenith Thrusters
Hidden behind a spiky platforming gauntlet in Guardia. The Zenith Thrusters are the capstone of mobility upgrades, allowing you to rocket into the air at top speeds without needing to ever refuel. The sky is literally the limit with this thing: while it's imprecise, the raw power it affords means there is no area on Cypher-X72 you cannot navigate to once you have this. Randomizers that give it early compared to other items might struggle a bit more without the fine control imparted by other mobility options, however, and it goes without saying that it's less useful in tight spaces.
MISC:
S-Blade
Looted from the armory of the Vallahar. With this, our slide also does some damage to anything in our path! It's not an especially reliable weapon in a vacuum since it doesn't protect us from contact with anything it doesn't kill, and it's still only really usable on level ground, but hey, it's a Charge Kick, and we love a Charge Kick.
Navcore
Obtained from a Nav Station in Kresezoa. The Navcore allows us to finally have a full scrollable map at all times, rather than at Nav Stations only. It's an indispensable tool when exploring any region, but especially regions that don't have many Nav Stations in them already. You can get this as early as Jump Booster access, so frankly I have no excuse for putting this one off.
Magnus Armor
Obtained in Vulknor, indirectly guarded by Neo Phantom. The Magnus Armor not only halves damage taken from direct attack, it also further reduces damage from almost all terrain hazards like spikes and magma, while also negating knockback from them! Some bonus areas with especially dangerous terrain can bypass this defense, but for everywhere else, the Magnus Armor is the best defense you could ask for. Well, aside from not getting hit, but that's a lot harder to use.
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