Crystal area sucks ass

[ Nate The Scot ]

No map no dash no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ way to deal with the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ crystal flies shooting shards at you and even if you hit them back the shards don't damage them and still create crystal clusters that ♥♥♥♥ YOU not them. ♥♥♥♥ this area.

[Crowley42]

Come back later when you are more equipped.

[MADE IN IRON]

It's a mid-game area. Don't be fooled by the fact it's connected to the Crossroads, even when you can, it might not be the best for you to explore that area in early game.

[(Edgy) Asriel Dreemurr]

The Crystal Peak area as a whole isn't that bad, but I absolutely hate the Crystallized Mound.

[🉑 rezno[R].technology]

This post just feels like you are very angry and trying to vent. You are not even asking for any advice. At some point you will rest, cool off emotions, do something else, and then you will be surprised how easy this area will become for you 🙂

[Nibbie]

You are supposed to go to Greenpath for the dash ability right after the Forgotten Crossroads, then south from there for another key movement ability. Did you just sit there and farm out enough geo for the lantern to get there early?

[ Nate The Scot ]

I just noticed i had about 1400 geo at one point, and kept getting lost or backtracking so ended up finding a stag point and just heading back up to Dirtmouth. Saw the lamp for 1800 so bought it and started exploring that way until getting stuck with wasps / areas i couldn't access yet.

If there's a super expensive item in a shop in a metroidvania though obviously i'm going to try to buy it because in every other game it's a super useful upgrade... but in this it's just to let you see in the dark areas. I was at least hoping it'd have a little lamp flying around you normally as well.

I'll go finish exploring the green area and kill that boss that takes 20000 hits to kill as i'm assuming the dash is from/after her then?

[ Nate The Scot ]

Originally posted by MADE IN IRON:

It's a mid-game area. Don't be fooled by the fact it's connected to the Crossroads, even when you can, it might not be the best for you to explore that area in early game.

ah the enemies weren't that hard (until the wasp things which i just couldn't reach and would constantly get chipped by the crystal explosions from their shots) so figured that as i could get the lamp fairly easily that it was a "you can go multiple ways and just keep exploring other routes if you find a tough spot one way" which was usually the case in soulslikes, but i guess in this one it's actually a more linear experience, even if you technically can go here early then.

[Stolen]

Originally posted by  Nate The Scot :

Originally posted by MADE IN IRON:

It's a mid-game area. Don't be fooled by the fact it's connected to the Crossroads, even when you can, it might not be the best for you to explore that area in early game.

ah the enemies weren't that hard (until the wasp things which i just couldn't reach and would constantly get chipped by the crystal explosions from their shots) so figured that as i could get the lamp fairly easily that it was a "you can go multiple ways and just keep exploring other routes if you find a tough spot one way" which was usually the case in soulslikes, but i guess in this one it's actually a more linear experience, even if you technically can go here early then.

I mean, you can technically do that. A lot of the time you need more experience to go a lot of the more difficult routes in the game earlier than the game expects you to though. I'd recommend buying some markers from the map shop, and putting them in places where you feel it's impossible to progress, then coming back later. There definitely are multiple routes, but as of now you've unlocked like one area, and one ability I think? You'd be hardpressed to make good use of it.

[Crowley42]

Yea, buying the Lantern early is like going to Lost Izalith via the Chaos Servant covenant door in DS1.

[roymaster45]

Originally posted by  Nate The Scot :

I'll go finish exploring the green area and kill that boss that takes 20000 hits to kill as i'm assuming the dash is from/after her then?

I assume you're referring to Hornet - in which case, yes, beating her will get you the dash.

If you want, here's a few tips on how to make the fight against her more manageable:

1) The best times to hit her with the nail are "pogoing" off her (downward attack in the air) while she lunges on the ground, or when she throws her needle before pulling it back to her. Trying to slash at her while she's jumping or using her AoE attack is very risky given your current abilities, and you're just as likely to damage yourself as you are to get a hit on her. (The one exception is when she lunges down at you from mid-air; if you dodge that successfully, you should be able to hit her once or twice before having to prepare for her next attack.)
2) Whenever you have enough Soul, try to use your Vengeful Spirit / "fireball" spell to hit her instead of the nail. At this stage of the game, the spell deals 3 times as much damage, which will get her staggered (and eventually defeated) much quicker.
3) After she recovers from being staggered, she will always follow up with an arcing jump. This is a good opportunity to get in multiple hits with the nail - particularly if you have enough health during her stagger and don't need to heal. (Otherwise, good opportunities to heal are the Throw attack or the AoE, since they have limited range and take a long time for her to finish.)

4) Most importantly, try not to get discouraged. This fight is definitely the first big "difficulty wall" that a lot of players bump up against, so you're not alone in feeling frustrated by what appears to be a 20,000-hit fight xD
Just be patient in learning her attacks and her movement around the arena, and you'll be able to take her down sooner or later :thumbsup:

[ Nate The Scot ]

Originally posted by roymaster45:

Originally posted by  Nate The Scot :

I'll go finish exploring the green area and kill that boss that takes 20000 hits to kill as i'm assuming the dash is from/after her then?

I assume you're referring to Hornet - in which case, yes, beating her will get you the dash.

Just be patient in learning her attacks and her movement around the arena, and you'll be able to take her down sooner or later :thumbsup:

thanks but after finding out i wasn't meant to be in the crystal caves of suck, i went back that way and finished exploring the rest of the green area and killed her first try today weirdly... just takes a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ long time. She "staggered" 4 times before dying, when every other boss so far has basically followed the "rule of 3". Not sure what the reasoning there was but oh well, job done!

Dash definitely helps the game feel more like a proper metroidvania finally, though sadly no dash cancel attacks Q_Q

[ Nate The Scot ]

Originally posted by Stolen:

Originally posted by  Nate The Scot :

ah the enemies weren't that hard (until the wasp things which i just couldn't reach and would constantly get chipped by the crystal explosions from their shots) so figured that as i could get the lamp fairly easily that it was a "you can go multiple ways and just keep exploring other routes if you find a tough spot one way" which was usually the case in soulslikes, but i guess in this one it's actually a more linear experience, even if you technically can go here early then.

I mean, you can technically do that. A lot of the time you need more experience to go a lot of the more difficult routes in the game earlier than the game expects you to though. I'd recommend buying some markers from the map shop, and putting them in places where you feel it's impossible to progress, then coming back later. There definitely are multiple routes, but as of now you've unlocked like one area, and one ability I think? You'd be hardpressed to make good use of it.

Oh i already have bought out the shop completely lol, so have all the markers and stuff, but thanks! They're definitely helpful, although the slot shell upgrade things i bought/found so far other than the compass and the shaman trinket don't seem that helpful. Mainly just because the compass and shaman upgrades are so useful lol. I can certainly see the shell one for armour when channelling being useful, but more useful than extra spells? I'll have to see how it feels. Some of the other ones seem really a bit poopy tho for their 2 pip slot cost.

[Stolen]

Originally posted by  Nate The Scot :

Originally posted by Stolen:

I mean, you can technically do that. A lot of the time you need more experience to go a lot of the more difficult routes in the game earlier than the game expects you to though. I'd recommend buying some markers from the map shop, and putting them in places where you feel it's impossible to progress, then coming back later. There definitely are multiple routes, but as of now you've unlocked like one area, and one ability I think? You'd be hardpressed to make good use of it.

Oh i already have bought out the shop completely lol, so have all the markers and stuff, but thanks! They're definitely helpful, although the slot shell upgrade things i bought/found so far other than the compass and the shaman trinket don't seem that helpful. Mainly just because the compass and shaman upgrades are so useful lol. I can certainly see the shell one for armour when channelling being useful, but more useful than extra spells? I'll have to see how it feels. Some of the other ones seem really a bit poopy tho for their 2 pip slot cost.

oh btw, if you're grinding geo or something, you really shouldn't. At some point, you'll have way more geo than you'll ever need, and it won't help you much either

[ Nate The Scot ]

Originally posted by Stolen:

Originally posted by  Nate The Scot :

oh btw, if you're grinding geo or something, you really shouldn't. At some point, you'll have way more geo than you'll ever need, and it won't help you much either

Nope not really done any grinding just somehow ended up with a lot saved up fairly early. Also getting lost and backtracking fighting those big knight dudes give quite a bit and i kept ending up fighting the one guarding one of the first grubs/worms lol.

[Blue Moon]

No, I agree with you. I don't like it either. I got lost as heck in there, and I had no clue how to get out. There is a map though. Without sending an image, just keep going up past the lazer shooting crystal things. There will be a little place on the left with Cornifer.