My tips for tentacle levels.

[Kessarath]

These levels was incredibly frustrating. However, it became manageable when I did it that way.

Before entering each tentacle level, make a copy of your game save on a flash drive (like me) or PS + if you have a subscription.

 

When you are well prepared, you have a dark helm (it gives your character general damage reduction and reduces damage from tentacles!) put on some armor. You must have large stock of bandage, bandage+ and a salve straps - around 10+ total, a lot of light crystals (to use lantern) and other basic supplies if needed. Remember! Before entering each tentacle level, make a backup copy of your game save on a flash drive or PS+.

 

[Dark Helm location: – Can be purchased from the vendor for 80 light crystals on Floor 7]

 

Now enter the level (and probably in a few tries) complete it. Unfortunately, the layout of the rooms is different when repeating. You can't plan anything for the next attempt.

 

Remember:

- Direct the lantern light towards the approaching tentacles and other enemies if needed to stop them from attacking you - direct light consumes crystals faster, so be sure to keep a supply of them. Then  you can attack with the sword or simply run!

 

- Damaging tentacles frequently gave me the impression that after a while they become less aggressive and appear less often.

 

- On these levels you will find large crystals sticking out of the ground, they light up very strongly after being hit with a sword, the enemies retreat for some time (already glowing crystals break after several seconds). This gives you time to heal and make inventory changes.

 

- Learn to use shield block and dodge to reduce Tentacle damage.

 

Once you have collected everything from this level, enter connection room where the campfire is and use crystals to create a teleport to this place. You can hide some things in the Pocket if you need (available via campfire).

 

Now, go back to the cleared level for a moment and get hurt to get bleed. Now, you will die soon, but you still have time to go back to the campfire with the teleport and die there from bleeding out.

 

With your new character, gather materials on levels 1-3/4, stock up on bandages, crystals and other supplies you need. When you have everything, teleport to the last campfire and pick up items from the previous wanderer (armor, weapons, lantern) - Prepared for the next level with the new traveler save the game - make a copy to a flash drive or PS+ and enter next tantacle level.

 

Repeat through all the tentacle levels.

 

Useful items:

Void Helm: Sucks in nearby light crystals. Helps you collect crystals at levels 1-3 faster!

Void Helm in combination with GREEN ELIXIR makes you become a vacuum cleaner on levels 1-3!

 

Crystal Skull: Gives your character a lantern-like glow and reveals nearby traps. Allows you to explore without the lantern or torch. (Location: Floor 3 - Can be purchased from a vendor for 80 light crystals. Located behind a stone barrier that requires 200 light crystals to open.) But in fact, levels 1-3 can be handled even without torches.

 

GREEN ELIXIR: Causes enemies to drop extra light shards for lantern for limited period of time.

YELLOW ELIXIR: Reduces the amount of damage that player can take when attacked by enemies.

BLACK ELIXIR: The only elixir that isn’t craftable. These can be found in chests that are scattered throughout the game.

Recipes are available online.

 

PS: The game is great, its graphics, sound and atmosphere are something worth experiencing to the end. Therefore, despite (in my opinion) the exaggerated level of difficulty in the tentacle zones. It really is a very unique production, refined in every detail.

Edited August 27, 2021 by Kessarath

[Kal2210]

Thanks for this. What you estimate for length/difficulty?

[Kessarath]

Hello.

My estimate for Platinum DIFFICULTY 6.5-7/10 "tentacle levels" other levels is 4/10.

Estimate for length... took me 34 hours - but I enjoyed the game, took my time and didn't know the game at all. Used maps from Reddit later on.

So I am sure it can be done faster and more efficiently. :-)

Best regards

Edited January 19, 2022 by Kessarath

[Msmith008]

One thing that helped me a lot for those levels (let's be honest, it's level 16!), was if I got into trouble, like walk in a room and get hit multiple times before I could move and lost half my life (happens more than it should), I exited out to the main menu. It says that you will lose progress for that room, which is exact what you want! So you have a do-over for that room if you're quick enough. 

 

I also backed up my save to the cloud, went looking for the key, and if I had a bad run, download my backup save from the cloud and I would at least know where the key is. Covering the whole map without depleting your bandages is tough! The IMPORTANT thing to note is that the light bits will always be in the same room, but since it's procedural, the key will be placed only when you drop into the level. So don't backup your save at the 15/16 campfire, or the key will be somewhere different every time you start level 16. The map remains the same, so if you've uncovered a bit and are going to die or start over, taking a screenshot helps with a lay of the land when you get back. 

 

I rarely used my shield, but for level 16, I held the shield button almost all the time when the tentacles were around. Doing that and using the dodge button, I could move around well enough and not take damage. If I missed the dodge, the shield backed me up. If I parried their attacks, I could take a couple of swings with the sword. They eventually will retreat for awhile after enough damage like you mentioned, and then when they were gone, I ran like hell to my next destination, until I heard them coming back again (there will be Alien-type clicking sounds and the room will get darker). Oddly enough, I had the upgraded shield for my end game run, and it seems to be less effective against them than the basic shield. 

 

Hardest part was figuring our that freaking Pause trophy!