What are the icons underneath each mission?

[Klaxwave]

I totally get not having any spoilers for such an insane experience like this and to just let everything wash over you like a high tide of raw sewage, so if this is something that will make more sense as I play the game, I'll accept that as an answer. But there are three icon boxes for each mission, and I'm having trouble understanding what they're for. One of them changes from red dots to a green skull with dots when I complete Punishment mode, so I assume the skull indicated I've completed that. What are the other two for?

[chaichaichaichai]

First square is for rank of your mission.

Second square is for rank of your mission completed with starting weapons (augmentations are allowed)

The skull is punishment.

[Klaxwave]

What goes into rank, and do higher ranks give rewards?

[chaichaichaichai]

Higher ranks give more money. The ranks are solely based on speed.

[Klaxwave]

Thanks. Are the higher rank speeds fast enough that it's not really worth going for them until I start unlocking stuff like the grappling hook and the stealth suit?

Also, do you know what those doors that say "Feels like something is missing. It won't budge" involve? I've opened them before, and I have no idea what I'm doing differently to have them be opened or locked.

[chaichaichaichai]

I'm pretty sure it's possible to get a higher rank in missions early on.

For those doors, you need the divine link. You can get it in a later level or complete a level in punishment. You can only get the divine link once for each level beaten in punishment.

[Klaxwave]

So you get the divine link by either beating a new level or completing a previous level for the first time on punishment? So is it possible to lose the divine link and never be able to get it back if you've beaten the game and completed every level on punishment? Is there an indicator that I have the divine link?

Also, I had died enough times before to get a regeneration mode, but I deleted my save when i got it because it seemed like it was a forced easy mode. Would I have been able to get back to normal mode, or would that be a permanent state?

[chaichaichaichai]

You get the divine link via beating a level in punishment once, beating the same level in punishment again won't give you the link and you can also get it infinitely in a later level. You will know you got the divine link when your border is white and red. You also lose the divine link when you die.

Yes, you would've been able to go into a "normal" mode, but there isn't really a "normal" mode. The regeneration state isn't that much of a easy mode, I mean, you only get 1 health point for eating a corpse.

[Klaxwave]

Cool, thanks man.

[Klaxwave]

Wait, last question: what's the highest rank?

[chaichaichaichai]

S rank.

[Klaxwave]

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.

[Klaxwave]

Just found the cursed torch while exploring. I thought to use it in order to better see underground, and now I'm all ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up. It looks like now every mission has an extra target to kill, which is quite the hassle. I assume the new icons are for "complete the cursed mission" and "complete the cursed mission with default weapons?" Can I only get rid of this by regaining the divine light?

[Rat Bastard]

Originally posted by Klaxwave:

Just found the cursed torch while exploring. I thought to use it in order to better see underground, and now I'm all ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up. It looks like now every mission has an extra target to kill, which is quite the hassle. I assume the new icons are for "complete the cursed mission" and "complete the cursed mission with default weapons?" Can I only get rid of this by regaining the divine light?

Yes

[Klaxwave]

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ all. The only old mission I haven't completed on Punishment so far is the mall, which is now even worse than usual because of these new enemies and the new target. How annoying.

[chaichaichaichai]

If you are cursed, beating a level in punishment won't remove it.

There is one more way to get the divine link aswell as curse : Go to HQ and go to that area with the fake Zippy. There, change your resolution to 640x480 and then you'll get access to a room with both cursed and divine link