Finally 150% completion - some last words and tips!

[Levilaon]

Now that I have completed the game I have some spare time to give you fellow players some tips that I wish I knew back when I started.

I will be using playthrough and run terms interchangeably.

To get to 150% you have to beat the game 4 times. On your first playthrough, The Stir of Dawn DLC content will be inaccessible. After you defeat the final boss for the first time (and every time after), you will be able to "ascend" your save. This basically means you will start the whole game over again, but will get to keep all relics, hearths, beads, and prayers that you have acquired.

Playthrough Tips

First Playthrough

On your first run, I would strongly recommend visiting all Mea Culpa shrines and getting all useful items that you might need in future (you can find the list of items that I found useful somewhere down below). You should not waste your time on stuff like discovering map, doing Statues of Confessors' dungeons, collecting body parts, finding items that are not on useful list, and so on.

To help you navigate throughout the map, there are many fan-made comprehensive maps out there like this one!

In order to finish the run, you have to defeat the last boss. You don't have to do all quest to get to him. In a nutshell only three things are necessary:
1. Defeat the first three bosses to open the gates
2. Go through the gate and find three masks
3. Use the masks on a three faced elevator to go to the rooftops

After defeating one of the three starting bosses, the door of a church in Albero will open. Inside it is a box where you can donate tears. By donating 20k tears, you will be able to teleport between Prie Dieu shrines. This is extremely time-saving and should be bought early on every run.

Another thing that you might want to do on your first run is get "Crossing Souls" achievement. Namely, it is intertwined with "Rebirth" achievement in a way that it is not possible to get both in the same run. Just look up how to get it on the internet.


Second Playthrough

When you start your second playthrough, and every playthrough thereafter, you will get to choose your penitence before exiting the starting building. There are three possible penitences. Each has a game-changing effect on your character, and each has a unique bead and skin reward upon end.

I would recommend that you choose penitences in following order:
Unwavering Faith > True Guilt > Bleeding Heart

The reason why Unwavering Faith should be the first of three is because it gives bead that regenerates mana which is extremely useful for future runs. Bleeding Hearth should be the last as it is the easiest of the three, thus perfect for full map completion (plus, you don't want to leave True Guilt for the last run as it gives the dopest skin).

If you did a good job in acquiring useful items in your first playthrough, your mission for this one is very simple - finish the game as fast as possible. Getting the "Bronze Medal" achievement in this run is desirable.

Also, you will notice a new item in your inventory called Petrified Bell. This item is used to access new The Stir of Dawn content. Just ignore it, it will just waste your time (you will have to do it again on the last run anyway).


Third Playthrough

Goal is same as with second playthrough - finish the game as fast as possible. If you failed to get "Bronze Medal" achievement in previous run, try to get it in this one!

Ignore the DLC content like in previous run.

If you are following my advice and you chose True Guilt penitence for this run, you should try to do "Requiem Aeternam" achievement. This seems to be the perfect run for that achievement as True Guilt penitence turns health flasks into mana flasks, and you will not need that much mana because of mana regeneration bead from the previous run.


Forth Playthrough

This should be your last run. Take your time and discover the map, find all items and collectable body parts, talk to all dead bodies, and finish all the quests.

Some of the quests have missable components. Therefore you should look them up more closely on the internet. Here is a list of quests in question:
1. Tirso's quest (you might miss Mediterranean Diet achievement)
2. Gemino's quest (you might miss 100% map completion)
3. Cleofas/Socorro's quest (you might miss Rebirth and Crossing Souls achievement)
4. Thorn (you might miss The Path of the Believer achievement)

Also, there is a skin reward for donating 100k tears to the church in Albero. You will surely accumulate this amount of tiers this run so make sure you get this as well.

Most useful Items

Relics
All are useful except Incorrupt Hand of the Fraternal Master.

Hearts
Heart of Boiling Blood, Heart of Cerulean Incense, Heart of Oils, Smoking Heart of Incense

Beads
Amber Eye, Bead of Red Wax, Consecrated Amethyst, Drop of Coagulated Ink, Embers of a Broken Star, Ember of the Holy Cremation, Fire Enclosed in Enamel, Knot of Hair, Pelican Effigy, Piece of a Tombstone, Silver Grape, Wicker Knot

Prayers
Cante Jondo of the Three Sisters, Debla of the Lights, Saeta Dolorosa, Tiento to your Thorned Hairs

[ESPIRITUU]

Thank You.

[Archenteron]

I thought Bronze Medal and Requiem Eternam could not be obtained on NG+? Did they change this recently?

[MadCrabPrime]

it was a bug that stopped the achievement that they fixed. but you may want to double check just in case

[Sachimi]

The handnis very useful to get 100% map.