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¦ 0 0 6 ¦
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¦ ACT ONE - THE BARACHAN ISLES ¦
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--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan swims toward the Barachan Isles - a notorious den of pirates and
cutthroats, and promptly removes a sword from the corpse of a nearby fallen
pirate, before you resume control of him.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
Hokay, since we've now gotten through the tutorial level together and can
start the game proper, I am going to make my instructions considerably more
cut-and-dried, so as to dispense with the drivel and help you on your path to
fame and glory. I will elaborate on sections where I feel it may be of
benefit or interest to you for me to do so ;)
> Run back to the shoreline and on the right-hand side you will find a
treasure chest. Crack it open for some red-rune goodness.
> Run forward, and follow the path around as it curves gently right, until
Conan exclaims "Pirates !".
===================
COMBAT MASTER CLASS
===================
Whilst I will go into further detail in the section 0 2 5 further on, I think
this is an appropriate time to give you a bit of a master class on Conan's
combat system, or at least one major aspect of it - FATALITIES.
Conan has the ability to instantly slay an enemy, and I am going to teach you
how to do this quickly, and easily.
The simple diagram looks like this :-
[Enemy Attacks] + [You Parry] + [You Press the Appropriate Button] = [DEATH]
It's very simple - take the first pirate that comes towards you as a test.
At this level, since these are your first PROPER opponents, they will attack
you slowly, giving you plenty of time to respond. When the pirate attacks
you, LITERALLY as he is about to strike your body with his sword, hold LT -
the left trigger button at the back of the controller, and Conan will block
the attack.
If you simply hold LT the whole time, Conan will block the whole time. What
I need YOU to do, however, is to PARRY the attack, by which I mean you need
to block it just as it is about to strike you.
You will know when you have successfully parried an attack because the game
will call up either the letter X, Y or B above you, indicating that you
should now press that button to counter-attack, and slay your opponent.
Try it ... if neither X, Y or B appears when you defend the strike, it means
you either blocked too soon, or you let yourself be hit (silly billy).
Practice that technique on these enemies and you WON'T be disappointed.
There are different fatalities for each of the different weapon styles in the
game, making a grand total of ... ooh ... LOTS of ways to slay your enemy !!
Once you have slain an enemy with either a valid combo or fatality, the game
will tell you how much of that move you have mastered (text appears in white)
as well as the name of the move you just pulled off (in case you want to
show off to your mates later).
... but for now, back to the plot ...
> Once you have slain the pirate, you should get your first red rune. Red
runes are the equivalent of experience points that you can use to buy new
combos and moves for Conan as the game progresses.
> Slay the 4 Pirates around the campfire, and then open up the chest behind,
to gain enough red runes to buy your first combo.
=================
PURCHASING COMBOS
=================
At around this point you will have amassed enough experience points to be
able to buy your first combo - I'm so proud *clasps his hands together*.
Pressing the BACK button on your controller (that little white button to the
left of the bigass X-Box button in the middle ?) will call up your "Combat
Abilities" screen.
===========================
THE COMBAT ABILITIES SCREEN
===========================
As you can see from this simple screen, there are five pages (denoted by
icons) running along the top, being :-
1) "Ready to Learn" - a picture of Conan's ugly mug;
2) "General Move" - a picture of an open hand;
3) "One-Handed" - a picture of a sword atop a shield;
4) "Dual-Wield" - a picture of two crossed swords; and
5) "Two-Handed" - a picture of two hands gripping a large sword.
Whilst you can check out what's in pages 2-5 at your leisure, page 1 is where
it's at. This page lists all the combos that you have yet to learn, and
which you can purchase (and yes, the list WILL grow in time).
Each combo has certain pieces of information which you MUST pay attention to
or you'll fluff this bit up.
* The image to the left of the combo's name corresponds with one of the icons
for pages 2-5, so for example at the top of the list are two combos with
the same name - "Fast Strike Finisher" - HOWEVER, one is only useable when
you have a sword and/or shield (the FIRST one), and the other is useable
only when you are wielding two single-handed weapons (the SECOND one), got
it ?
* The button combo to the right of the combo's name is (rather obviously) the
combination of buttons you need to press to do the combo (I can't BELIEVE I
just explained that, but there we go).
* A description of the combo is at the bottom of the screen, with two figures
to the right of it. The first figure - that under "Experience Cost" -
shows you how many experience points you have to give up in order to buy
this combo. The second figure - that under "Experience" - shows you how
many experience points you have amassed, and have available to spend.
You don't have to spend all your experience points at once - they will accrue
as time goes on. Therefore you MIGHT want to consider saving up for a bigger
and better combo - it really does pay off in the long-run ;)
... but for now ? Buy a combo if you like the sound of, and then let's get
back to the game !
> Head over to the hanging vines to the right of the campfire and Conan will
tell you that they can come down (hack them to bits to proceed).
> Slay the pirates in the next area (you can use RB to pick up and throw the
heavy rocks nearby if you wish, or slay them with combos and fatalities -
it's your call), but WATCH OUT for the one clad in brown - he is quicker
than the ones in white, and can block some of your attacks.
> From the fork in the road where you fought the pirates, take the road that
leads to the right, slay the 3 pirates by the campfire, and use the green
urn if you need to.
> Hack through the vines that lead to the beach, and open the chest for more
red runes (lovely lovely).
> Double-back on yourself and return to the fork on the road, before this
time heading down the left path.
> Ignore the pirates in the distance and instead hack through the vines that
are directly ahead of you as you come down this road. Inside you will find
a busty maiden shackled to the wall in need of your ... ahem ... attention.
==============
BUXOM BEAUTIES
==============
At various points in the game (you KNEW I would expand upon this bit didn't
you !!) you will find topless women chained to walls, trees and other areas.
You will receive plenty of red runes for rescuing them, not to mention (for
the horny young men of you out there) a stirring in your pants as they say
such charming things as "TAKE me and CRUSH me with your love" or "My clothes !
Where are my clothes ??", before standing and jiggling about a bit for your
bemusement.
*sigh*
Back to the game.
> Head back through the vines you just cut down, and then continue down the
path towards the large pirate gathering in the distance.
> Slay all the pirates in the area (noting that, initially at least, when
you despatch a pirate, another comes from one or t'other of the tents in
the area. That's fine - there IS only a finite supply of them.
> Once you have slain ENOUGH pirates, a pirate boss steps out from the far
tent and tells you you're going to die on this island (fat chance mate).
Beware when fighting the pirate bosses in Conan, as they are MUCH harder
to defeat than their minions. The best technique is to roll and block
initially until you have learned his moves (he has three main attacks -
a thrown explosive which takes a few seconds to detonate; a block-breaking
stab followed by a couple of sword strikes, and a set of four fast
strikes which you CAN block), and then (once you're comfortable taking
him on), hit him with two strong attacks and then roll away; then another
two strong, then roll away again. When his helmet falls off, he's half-
cooked so just keep it up ;)
> Use the green urn in this area if you need to, and then hack through the
vines at the back of the area.
> As soon as you enter this next clearing, an archer will hit you with an
arrow (it cannot be avoided). This is to teach you about blood loss from
leaving projectiles embedded in your manly flesh. If you are hit with an
arrow, press RB to remove it (and try and remember to remove it as fast
as possible to avoid bleed damage).
> Slay the archer (best way to avoid his arrows is to roll away from them),
and then dispose of all the pirates in the area PLUS the three archers
in the distance, taking the time to pick up the green urn if you need it,
AND one of the shields from the stand if you fancy it.
=================================================
NB. SHIELDS CAN BLOCK ARROWS - NOTHING ELSE CAN.
=================================================
> The large gate behind the three archers will open automatically as you
approach it and, as you walk through it, you are treated to a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
Conan bumps (almost literally) into an archer who is fleeing toward the gate,
and slays him in fitting style. The archer was running from the Warrior Queen
A'Kanna (voiced over by Claudia Black of Stargate fame - Vala), who stabs his
comrade-at-arms with an arrow before notching another and taking aim at Conan.
After what can only be described as a "cute" exchange of words between them,
in which Conan offers to knob her off to demonstrate that he IS the man in
this relationship, A'Kanna suggests instead that he follow her to avoid the
black death that has swept the island, to save his own life (and perhaps
prolong the time the two of them spend together), bless her.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> In order to escape the island, A'Kanna needs you to find and release three
members of her crew, to man her ship. From where you start, head over to
the blue stone and press RB to use it - this will allow you to save your
current game (and I would suggest you do). Pick up the green urn IF you
need it, and then head over the nearby wooden bridge, to do battle with 3
pirates, and 1 pirate boss.
Take out the pirates first - it'll make your life easier, and WATCH OUT for
the little sh!t on the upper level that pelts you with arrows during the
fight as he is RATHER irritating.
> Grab the green urn under the balcony (if you need it), and open up the
chest beside it (the one hidden by the small wooden crates) to get plenty
of red runes (yay).
> Slash all three of the chains holding the stand together, and then jump up
(it will take two jumps) to get to the top level, and the bumhead pirate
that was shooting you with arrows beforehand. I'll leave it to you how
best to deal with him *looks away*
> Walk up to the nearby cage and press RB to grab the door, and then tap B
repeatedly to rip the door off its hinges, and free the first of the 3
crewmen.
> Head north (away from the camera) and drop off the ledge into the next
section.
> Head right, and all the way around the spiked central pillar before going
LEFT (ignore the right path for the time being), to slay the pirates there
and free the second of A'Kanna's crewmen (same method on the door again -
RB, Tap B).
> Use the green urn if you need to, and then head back to the right, this
time following the path to the right that leads in front of the waterfall.
Prepare yourself for quite a tough fight as there are no less than 16
pirates that will attack you on this narrow bridge !!!!!
> Keep heading right once you're done, and then around the spikey pillar in
the centre of the area, and finally north (behind the pillar) to the
platform with the level on it. Press RB to activate the lever.
> On this second level, keep leading left (slaying pirates as you go), over
the rope bridge and then up to the last platform, where the third of
A'Kanna's crewmen is being held prisoner. Find and release him (RB, Tap B).
--- CUTSCENE ---
One pirate ascends to your current level on a different platform to the one
you used to get up here.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
> Return to the south/right (the camera pans automatically), and slay the
pirate. Then take the platform HE used to get up here (it's just past the
rope bridge on the left-hand side), and press RB on the lever to get the
platform to descend, and prepare yourself for your toughest fight yet.
> There are 3 pirate bosses here, so stick and move as best you can (attack
one with two strong attacks, then roll away from all three, rinse and
repeat until one falls and then focus on his mates) paying PARTICULAR
attention to the locations of the other two AT ALL TIMES. Once they are
all dead, you get a ...
--- CUTSCENE ---
Having liberated the three of A'Kanna's crewmen that were being held prisoner,
Conan and A'Kanna reach her ship. She says that she needs to free more of
her crewmen in order to ensure she has a full compliment of them available to
her on the open seas (perhaps the poor lass just gets lonely !?!?!). Conan
says that there's no WAY she'd survive long enough to liberate them, and that
he will go in her stead.
She says she'll sail behind him, and bids him use the "war machines" (mounted
turrets along the shoreline) to clear her path of enemy ships so that she can
follow him up the coast.
With that, he sets off.
--- END CUTSCENE ---
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