Using magic to unlock gates

[chaobreaker]

Is this hinted anywhere in the game? I read a guide that says you have to to this to progress and I couldn't figure that out on my own. I am inside the castle past the blood sea because of that hint. I also accidentally figured out the gates in the catacombs open when they're hit with the light element. This mechanic doesn't seem intuitive at all.

[Asael]

Originally posted by chaobreaker:

This mechanic doesn't seem intuitive at all.

It's not really meant to be intuitive to begin with. The game's design is based on how old games used to work. It rewards exploration, attention to detail, and experimentation. It's a really distant concept by today's standard of game design that goes back even before games like King's Field.

[River]

I figured it out by seeing the gross gunk coming off the gates, and thinking maybe dead things wouldn't like light. Seemed pretty intuitive to me, especially since the game was encouraging exploration and playing with the environment earlier, particularly if you went through the forest. Even then, if you use any summons, they're likely to accidentally hit the gates and open them for you, since they all have enemies just outside them.

[Asael]

Originally posted by Nargacuga:

I figured it out by seeing the gross gunk coming off the gates, and thinking maybe dead things wouldn't like light.

And that's the right idea =D

You just gotta take the time to screw with stuff.

[chaobreaker]

I'm not buying the experimentation aspect.

If you play with a melee focused build, the opportunity to use magic on the environment and discover an interaction could be non-existent. I'm saying this as someone who likes to hug walls and hit strange objects with my weapon in this game: the thought of using magic on objects never came to me naturally.

The gates on the catacombs I just got lucky since I was rocking the vampire sword you find there. Now why would I be shooting blood magic by that locked door behind the castle? The object there looked more like a keyhole to me.

I think this mechanic should have been signposted in some way. It's not even mentioned on the manual iirc.

[River]

You don't need to use magic. One of the best early-game weapons is light element, made even better since so much in this game is weak to light.

For the gate, you're told in a note it's a vampire castle, and I believe another note mentions they used their cattle to open the back gate? I'll admit that's a bit of a stretch, but you also probably just finished using blood to open up half an area, or you go to the forest and find out how important blood is in this game.

[chaobreaker]

I didn't discover this forest you're all talking about nor a note about the castle.

There's a signpost by the locked door that's says "Cattle Cell" and I assumed that was a typo. I had no idea it was a home of vampiric creatures until I entered it. Never had a need to use the one blood spell I had until i used it on the door and I only did that because a steam guide mentioned using magic on objects.

[River]

Sounds like some more exploration would help you, then. Good news, you get more game per game.

[chaobreaker]

I know I need to explore more. I just got off after a couple of hours of play and wasn't finding anything new. I reached a dead end at the catacombs/mausoleum and the sewers before going back to the castle. Couldn't find anything else.

[Vigilance]

Originally posted by chaobreaker:

I think this mechanic should have been signposted in some way. It's not even mentioned on the manual iirc.

It is, in the forest you missed. Ideally, you would either find that location early and read the hint about using blood on things, or you would reach the castle, be unable to progress, and have another look at old areas and discover the forest then. Combine this with how prominent blood is around the castle, and I don't think it's too much of a stretch to make the connection. It's certainly more intuitive than the gates in the catacombs imo.

For a hint: It's reached through the Temple of Silence

[chaobreaker]

I must apologise. I found the forest and get what some of you meant about using magic. I made this thread because I was frustrated about getting stuck progress-wise. I thought I completely combed through the temple of silence.

[a cosmonaut]

funnily enough i went through the forest without getting it at all, but figured out the vampire castle's red door might be opened by blood