Possible to miss important abilities?

[Dolphyn]

Am I able to progress the main story while missing certain abilities? I understand to get to new areas you need to unlock more abilities, but are there optional ones that I can miss? How punishing is this game for "missing" content?

[Salfaden]

The game isn't really that punishing, you can get to the end without a couple of abilities. Some of them can be easily missed which is why its important to take your time exploring the areas in the game, don't be in a rush to 'complete the game', the game encourages exploration a LOT, so move at your own pace and you should be able to find every upgrade you need.

[Darc Vader]

Expanding on that, you can't permanently miss any abilities like that. There's a small set of charms that can be upgraded and the upgrades can be missed, but other than that all the abilities can be gotten any time after they become available.

[Boksha]

There's nothing wrong with completing the game early either. If you finish the game, your save is still there to keep playing, and there's no permanent point of no return.

[Dolphyn]

Originally posted by Boksha:

There's nothing wrong with completing the game early either. If you finish the game, your save is still there to keep playing, and there's no permanent point of no return.

This was the main thing I was concerned about. Thanks for the help guys.

[Kachunnga]

Some spoilers here but it's important to note:


You can miss the upgrades for the Fragile charms
You can get locked out by (minor, then moderate spoilers) Beating a certain optional, difficult boss before upgrading, that being: ... Troupe Leader Grimm

Apart from that, some upgrades are VERY helpful to get before fighting the endgame bosses, but still not required.
Specifically some abilities have the effect of (minor game mechanic spoilers-)Granting I-frames.
These abilities being Descending Dark and Shade Cloak.

[Darc Vader]

Originally posted by Kachunnga:

Some spoilers here but it's important to note:


You can miss the upgrades for the Fragile charms
You can get locked out by (minor, then moderate spoilers) Beating a certain optional, difficult boss before upgrading, that being: ... Troupe Leader Grimm

TMG is fine, the point of no return for that particular thing is NKG

[MADE IN IRON]

You can lock one ending if you don't beat the game at least once before doing certain thing with certain charm. But it's something very specific, you'd hardly do it by accident.

[kanna]

^^^ This. Best to get each ending as soon as it's available and then reload your save and continue exploring.

Originally posted by Darc Vader:

Originally posted by Kachunnga:

Some spoilers here but it's important to note:


You can miss the upgrades for the Fragile charms
You can get locked out by (minor, then moderate spoilers) Beating a certain optional, difficult boss before upgrading, that being: ... Troupe Leader Grimm

TMG is fine, the point of no return for that particular thing is NKG

To clarify for OP, if you *do* defeat NKG, you're safe from being locked out of those upgrades, because (moderate spoiler - this is to remind people who have seen it already) Divine will stay behind for you to finish before following her master. It's if you take the other route where you don't defeat NKG that a save file permanently misses out on those optional upgrades.