Heart of Ice
Heart of Ice, an action adventure platformer from Eddy Larkin, is one of those games that really nails the fundamentals of what makes a game enjoyable. It's visually and aurally appealing, the boss fights keep the experience varied enough that it remains enjoyable throughout and there's enough secrets to keep you searching. Larkin has said that he's spent a year and a half on this game, and it shows.
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This is a very well done game, with meaningful controls - I wish there was something in the instructions about when you'll use the mouse, and it's a bit of a pain to switch while on my laptop. Other than that, excellent graphics, excellent music, controls are pretty responsive; my only complaint is that there's not a lot of distinction (except for trial and error) on what's part of the game, and what's part of the scenery, as the backgrounds blend in in places.
Other than that minor complaint, very well done game!
@CrankYanker:
You have to wait until the gun is FULLY charged before you can use it against him. Then, once he puts the energy shield up around himself, get out quick before he blasts it with a psychic attack.
That being said, I am totally stuck right at that part. It is just too much for me when the screen switches. Which is a shame because I was really loving the game up to that point.
Ultio:
When the moving cursor at the upper right is in the framed area, especially green, hit the up arrow right then and you'll jump to avoid the shot.
Some tips for the plane fight after the tunnel (3rd boss)
When the screen goes pink, be at the top to avoid the electricity.
Watch where the air whitens rather than just constantly moving around.
When you're dodging the giant pink blasts, try diagonal rather than sideways.
That's the toughest battle in the regular game, so don't give up! It won't get tougher!
All the boss levels are ridiculously hard, and not in a fun way. It's just repetitive running around with no room for error. There's nothing more frustrating than getting 90% of the way there, only to mistime a move and get killed. I'd like to finish the game but I don't think my wrists can take it.
By the way, nobody here has noted it, but if you find at least 5 of the 6 secret items,
it unlocks a secret boss which you can face at the end of the game. Beating it (which isn't too hard, compared to the Watcher) grants you a whole, entirely new ending to the game.
And, may I add, this
new ending
is surprisingly satisfying. Far more than I expected it would be. I recommend trying it out, if you're one of the folks who has managed to make it through the game once to begin with. Don't worry, it's much, much easier to get through the second time round!
This is really a great game; I'm surprised it isn't voted higher. Great story, animation, music and endings, nice little details here and there to add to the backstory, tight controls and different modes. I didn't think the boss battles were that bad (I'm looking at you, Cave Story), once you figured out the pattern behind them. Thank you Larkin and team for a great little game.
I am still stuck on the room with face platforms right after the second boss. I cannot depress the last face by jumping on it. The switch at the far side makes it even more impossible, unless I'm missing something. Please let me know how to do this! I like the game so far but now I can't progress!
Thanks.
@ Quin- I suspect, though am not certain, that we have to reach that point in the game again.
I have made a video of me finding five of six of the secret items. I cannot find one of them, though from a cutscene I know what it looks like.
If anyone is interested, I need recommendations on how best to make the video available. Also, if anyone knows how I can find the sixth secret item (a flag), please tell me? Thanks.
PS: If anyone can figure out where Ishmael's boss them came from, I'd like to know. It's stuck in my head and so far none of the credited songs have had that section.
Thanks!
Alas, it's not so simple. Tried that, no cigar. Though actually, I have now found the way to unlock the Epic Mode for the Watcher. There's a
gemstone that you have to examine on the screen just before the fight with Vercingetorix (the monster you unlock if you find 5/6 secret items)
which will unlock it. I still don't know how to unlock Epic Ishmael or
Epic Vercingetorix.
If anyone else has spotted how/where, I'd appreciate a hint!
@ Quin: How did you get Epic Tim then? I have only Epic The Watcher, aka "One Winged Angel" :)
If I knew how you got Tim, then perhaps we can find a pattern.
Has anyone found the flag? I know where the other five are.
Also, in the long tunnel, has anyone figured out what's up with the bumpy rock embedded in the wall? It looks like one of ____'s projectiles. Does it do anything? The screen shook one time when I pressed 0 while jumping to reach it.
Hey Ultio-- I don't have time right now to play through the game again to tell you exactly where, but to unlock Epic Tim,
basically, there's a secret way *up* (rather than to the right) just prior to the very first part where there are any knives and such that come out from the ceiling. There's a secret rooftop area with a statue of Tim that unlocks Epic Tim. Do you remember a part where there's a tunnel on the left with the rolling knives, which doesn't seem to lead anywhere? Well, actually, that's the way out from the secret rooftop. The instant you see it, it means you've gone too far-- you've just missed the secret area.
The meteor in the long tunnel sounds promising-- maybe it's where you
unlock Epic Vercingetorix
somehow.
I found the flag, but unfortunately I can't remember where exactly. Maybe in the same place I just described to unlock Epic Tim.
Quin- I'll have to try that.
I replayed the long pipe part I talked about. Attacking the skeleton or the V--- rock makes the screen shake but has no other effects I found. There might be a way to go right at the end instead of falling into Ishmael's boss arena, but I haven't been able to do it yet.
Thanks for the update. I'll be back later with further news if I find anything.
Update: The flag can be accessed by using the elevator after Ishmael to go up again. Thanks, Quin.
No way to go right before Ishmael, I tried. No updates on the effects of hitting the meteor. I might have to try it on a second playthrough.
I'm making a video walkthrough. It will not have every achievement in one playthrough. I might try putting it on youtube--suggestions/recommendations?
Epic Ishmael can be unlocked
on the screen immediately following the one where the Watcher first appears and shoots at you. On this screen, stand on the metal springy platform and go to the left instead of right, as you normally would. Attack the separator between the two areas of the screen, and somehow this unlocks Epic Ishmael.
Not sure how folks are supposed to figure that one out except by pure dumb luck -- I had tried it a couple of times before, and was just trying it on a lark this time, and somehow magically did something a little different than before, I guess.
Still no clue on where to unlock the final epic boss.
Quin- Thanks. Videos will be edited this next week-ish depending on my schedule. I'll have to tape that.
The best hint I have for epic secret boss is that rock in the long tunnel. Not sure what to do w/ it though.
Wow, that's certainly really obscure. Don't think I'd ever find it either...
Thanks for the update.
The Epic version of the final boss can be unlocked by
beating the three other "normal" bosses in epic mode.
I have now unlocked every part of the game, won every medal, and found every secret (at least, every secret that the game lets on about, although who knows, maybe there's something else hidden in there). I'm afraid a lot of people might have left this game too early, thinking they'd won it, and so lost out on experiencing the "real" ending. Perhaps a case of the creator being too clever for his own good?
Well, anyway, a surprisingly deep game. Just when you thought you'd seen everything there is to see, more arrives. The Epic versions of the Arena Bosses are well worth playing, too-- each one has new tricks up their sleeve and even some extra humor.
Well done, Eddy Larkin and company. Although next time you make a game, please include a mute button, a pause button, and a way to skip by ALL of the cut scenes as they come along, not just some of them. Thanks!
Until I can get my recordings to behave, here is a typewritten walkthrough. Many thanks to Quin for their help.
The Secret Items
If you get at least five of the items, you unlock something...
The REAL final boss
Here are the item locations in order of appearance:
The Mysterious Crystal of Mystery is in Cavernside Crawler Tunnel. You'll see a weird yellowish rock embedded in the wall right before a trampoline. Enter that cavern and destroy the crate, then pick up the item.
The Powerful Orb of Power can be found in Broken Glacier. Jump over the trampoline on the double-leveled iceberg and into the tunnel. It is also a shortcut past two Spritz enemies.
The Honourable Blade of Honour is in a cave behind the waterfall in Flotsam and Derelict.
The Picking Pick of Pickery is inthe Disremembered Passage right after the elevator crash. Strike the dark block three times and recover your item.
The Defensive Shield of Defense is at the very top of Central Airshaft. Destroy the robot to the left and jump off the end of the platform and you'll land right on it.
The last item was hardest to find. In The Pit, right after Ishmael, take the elevator up again. You will find the Loyal Flag of Loyalty (or something like that) on the roof by a weathervane.
That last area leads me to discuss my other main goal; how to unlock epic mode for all bosses. I owe all of them except The Watcher to Quin. I also owe to them the last secret.
Tim the Pirate:
In The Pit, take the elevator up again instead of proceeding. You will come to a secret roof area. Go right and you will come to a pirate statue. Attack it. This unlocks Epic Tim.
Ishmael
Epic Ishmael was difficult to find. In the Temple with the springboard, use it to go left instead of right. Strike the top of the column. This unlocks Epic Ishmael.
The Watcher
After dying and having at least five items, go right. On one of the stones you will notice a pinkish or red gem. Use E or 0 to look at it. This unlocks Epic Watcher.
Spoiler of Doom
Vercingetorix
Epic Vercingetorix can be found by defeating all three other bosses in Epic Mode.
That's all for now. I think the bosses themselves have been pretty well covered already, so I won't repeat. Props go to Quin for helping with this information. Good luck!
Gamersoul-
I've never recorded something like this before, so it might be a while. I could try to get that section ready first. Which final form? Do you mean the plane battle, The Ascendant (whom I found to be stupidly difficult as well) or The Fallen (whom I found to be annoying)?
This weekend I'll have more time to work on videos, so I'll try to have them up on Youtube. I know, no linkdropping, but my username will be Ultio51. I am having to rerecord the whole thing because I used the wrong settings. :/
I'll get them up ASAP.
Ultio,
I am refering to the battle with watcher where he is in the backround strapped to some sort of circle thing and making pink explosions appear out of nowhere, all the while hurling all sorts of other crazy crap at you. Is that his final form? I'm not sure...
In any case, I actually had to get help for watchers first form (the plane duel). My little brother shot at him while I dodged his attacks.
Gamersoul-
That would be The Ascendant. Here's what I did. It is spoilered for length reasons.
Make sure you're good at circling with the arrow keys and reversing that. One of his main attacks will take off about a sixth of your health. If you get hit, try not to be hit again since regen takes so long.
Shoot him as soon as you get control. Never stop aiming at him, even if he puts up a shield. Watch the center of your plane; if it or part of the background near you start to light up with white, fuzzy light, move out of the way. Try to keep moving and strafing, watching your path for the pink things. By the time they're obvious, it is likely you will be unable to move out of the way.
Practice helps a lot for figuring out how to dodge the main shots. Be ready to die A LOT.
When The Watcher shields, it is harder to see the blasts. this is just a matter of practice. While shielding, he follows a pattern of attacks; small white-pink blasts from the background, then three (or four or five eventually) big pink bubbles. Do *not* let yourself get hit head-on by one. Circle around the edges of the screen. All this time, keep your hand glued to the fire button! Every second of firing is one less you will spend avoiding damage later!
At half health, he grows wings and some nasty new attacks. Pink blasts come closer together. When the screen goes pinkish, he will fire out a couple purple orbs which then form an electric barrier. Being hit by the orbs is almost always fatal. To avoid the diagonal field, circle as you would for "bubbles" but slower. To avoid the straight field, move to the top of the screen, then the bottom. You cannot hit him during these attacks.
At below a quarter health, the screen will go bluish and The Watcher forms a shield. The screen will indicate briefly which pieces of debris form the shield. Hit only those pieces. If you hit any others, you will have to try again. Be careful not to be hit by attacks while taking down the shield; getting there may take a while to do again.
The last attack is lasers. If you see a white line form on the screen, he is about to fire a laser. These are devastating. Avoid them by moving away in the direction offering the largest amount of room; don't get cornered. Two of these will practically kill you.
Eventually he goes down, then you fight a rather easier sword duel. I'll cover that later if I need to.
The only general tip I can give is: practice and glue your finger to the fire button. I died about fifteen times. Hopefully this works for you. Good luck!
Nevermind! I figured it out. It's retardidly simple, now that I look back on it.
The part with the transport tunnel is just about survival. You can't defeat The Watcher there, you just need to survive for long enough. Eventually he backs up and after another round of those big rocky projectiles, you get to the real fight.
I thought that for my first post, i'd make a...
Heart of Ice Boss Guide:
Tim the Pirate
This dude is easy. When he runs at you to swing his sword, jump over him and strike him with a combo. Repeat until he starts throwing bombs. Be quick and while he's throwing bombs, hit him. He will eventually do a heli attack at you. Just jump over him. After certain point, he will summon Crawlers. Defeat them, and he will try to smash you. When he's stuck on the floor, combo him. And his final attack is to shoot you with a shotgun (?). Just jump at the right time and do him one last combo.
Wait, you're not finished yet. He will then summon a pirate ship of doom. It seems harder than it actually is. Just kill all the creatures he summons at you, and he'll try to smash you. Hit him with a combo. Rinse and repeat.
Epic Mode
Now this guy is no piece o' cake. He'll stop doing the sword swing at a certain point and he'll shoot you a lot more often. And he summons spikes along with the enemies (not just Crawlers anymore).
And the Ghost Ship is a lot harder. There will be spikes that raise continually. They were on normal mode, but they were rare.
But he's got one more trick: Helical Tim. BS. Just jump over him over and over until he stops. Then combo him. That'll be done.
Ishmael, The Biggest Headache Ever Not Given To You By Windows Vista
You think I'm kidding? No, I am not. I find him to be the hardest boss in the game. Anyway.
He'll start of easy. Get under one of the two solar pads of the machine gun, so his electrical blasts hit the solar pad. Adjust your position as needed. Which is the main trick.
When the machine is charged (it will flash "charged"), get on it by putting in front of the chair and pressing E. Use your mouse to aim and shoot the gun at him. Now this is HARD. He's moving constantly and quickly. And, after a while (10 secs maybe), he'll blast the machine (he'll make a countdown).
After that, he'll be throwing spectres. These slide across the ground, jump over them. After some of them, he'll be throwing electric balls again. Repeat the machine gun part, except he'll move faster.
Now, after certain point of damage, do NOT get under him. He'll then throw a a giant ball at you. But repeat the strategy. And watch out for his screen flip.
Epic Mode
I could barely beat Ishamel on Epic Mode. He'll start off hard right off the bat. He'll do screen flips very soon. Worse, the machine gun barely does any damage to him. And he'll do more extreme screen flips, but he'll only do them on the first and last moments.
And trust me the machine gun is hard during an extreme screen flip. I'd rather let the screen flip pass before entirely charging the gun.
May science and reason help you on the hardest epic mode of all.
The Watcher
The Watcher
Well... First form. Easy enough, circle around, shoot at him... Rinse and repeat until he's down.
The Ascendant (Piece of cake)
I find him pretty damn easy. All you need is a good eye, as the pink explosions start with a transparent shine. Move your flyer a lot and never stop shooting at him. Do not desesperate if he bring up the shield. Just pay attention.
Epic Mode
...Easy peasy. The easiest epic mode, all the programmer did was bringing up the frequency of the pink blasts and a cheesy line.
The Fallen
No rocket science here folks. Just go and him and combo him restlessly. No compassion.
You know, if you want to, I'll post the (gets shot).
Vercingetorix
The Vercingetorix is unpleasant to the eye, but it's a very fun boss.
First floor
Very fun, if you ask me. Dodge the missiles that it aims at you. He'll then throw some weird undescriptable horizonal lighting that you can avoid by going out of the way. It'll then throw a pink shockwave that is avoided by going to the corner. Then the dragon head will come down. Attack it. Rinse and repeat until the second floor comes down.
Second floor
Now you're for it. The knight attached to it will strike the floor and cause pillars of light to raise from the ground. Then, after you've dodged the pillars of light, laser pointers will aim at the ground. Get out of their reach. After dodging the big pillar caused by the lasers, it will start raining meteorites. Take evasive action, and when one gets stuck in the ground, strike it. Rinse and repeat.
Also, I forgot the
SPOILER OF DOOM
Really?
Do you want to know?
Well, so be it.
Vercingetorix
The Vercingetorix is unpleasant for the eye, but it's a very fun boss.
First floor
Very fun, if you ask me. Dodge the missiles that it aims at you. He'll then throw some weird undescriptable horizonal lighting that you can avoid by going out of the way. It'll then throw a pink shockwave that is avoided by going to the corner. Then the dragon head (penis?) will come down. Attack it. Rinse and repeat until the second floor comes down.
Second floor
Now you're for it. The knight attached to it will strike the floor and cause pillars of light to raise from the ground. Then, after you've dodged the pillars of light, laser pointers will aim at the ground. Get out of their reach. After dodging the big pillar caused by the lasers, it will start raining meteorites. Take evasive action, and when one gets stuck in the ground, strike it. Rinse and repeat.
You know, I couldn't post epic mode of it because I still need to beat Ishmael on Epic Mode. And thanks Jay for posting my boss guide as the official walkthrough!
Also:
SPOILER OF DOOM II
Vercingetorix Epic Mode
First Floor
The first one is exactly the same. In fact, I find it a bit easier than usual. I don't know, skill too much?
Second Floor
As before, slightly easier. Except those holes in the ground. But they're more annoying than challenging. And, no more meteorite rain, just one meteorite. I don't know. This was way too easy. Oh wait...
The End
You'd think that was the end? Ha! Think again. The End (a terrible pun, by the way) is the peak of the mountain. The End uses attacks of every other boss. Dodge and try to hit her (?) at all times. And don't fall.
And I Don't know if this is a boss, but...
Watcher (The one after you're dead)
You have no weapon here. You're here, alone, fighting on your own fists. Hold down the attack key of your choice (S, down, X) and attack rentlessly. Try to not get hit by jumping over her (?). And, after your healthbar dissapears, just stay in front of her and hold down the attack button.
Why is the boss guide used as the walkthrough? The secret items section makes way more sense for it. The boss guide is also filled with inaccuracies and isn't particularly helpful, I know as I've just defeated
The End
. Anyway, has anyone unlocked all bonuses in the game? It's one of the only achievements I have left.
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Walkthrough Guide
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I thought that for my first post, i'd make a...
Heart of Ice Boss Guide:
Tim the Pirate
This dude is easy. When he runs at you to swing his sword, jump over him and strike him with a combo. Repeat until he starts throwing bombs. Be quick and while he's throwing bombs, hit him. He will eventually do a heli attack at you. Just jump over him. After certain point, he will summon Crawlers. Defeat them, and he will try to smash you. When he's stuck on the floor, combo him. And his final attack is to shoot you with a shotgun (?). Just jump at the right time and do him one last combo.
Wait, you're not finished yet. He will then summon a pirate ship of doom. It seems harder than it actually is. Just kill all the creatures he summons at you, and he'll try to smash you. Hit him with a combo. Rinse and repeat.
Epic Mode
Now this guy is no piece o' cake. He'll stop doing the sword swing at a certain point and he'll shoot you a lot more often. And he summons spikes along with the enemies (not just Crawlers anymore).
And the Ghost Ship is a lot harder. There will be spikes that raise continually. They were on normal mode, but they were rare.
But he's got one more trick: Helical Tim. BS. Just jump over him over and over until he stops. Then combo him. That'll be done.
Ishmael, The Biggest Headache Ever Not Given To You By Windows Vista
You think I'm kidding? No, I am not. I find him to be the hardest boss in the game. Anyway.
He'll start of easy. Get under one of the two solar pads of the machine gun, so his electrical blasts hit the solar pad. Adjust your position as needed. Which is the main trick.
When the machine is charged (it will flash "charged"), get on it by putting in front of the chair and pressing E. Use your mouse to aim and shoot the gun at him. Now this is HARD. He's moving constantly and quickly. And, after a while (10 secs maybe), he'll blast the machine (he'll make a countdown).
After that, he'll be throwing spectres. These slide across the ground, jump over them. After some of them, he'll be throwing electric balls again. Repeat the machine gun part, except he'll move faster.
Now, after certain point of damage, do NOT get under him. He'll then throw a a giant ball at you. But repeat the strategy. And watch out for his screen flip.
Epic Mode
I could barely beat Ishamel on Epic Mode. He'll start off hard right off the bat. He'll do screen flips very soon. Worse, the machine gun barely does any damage to him. And he'll do more extreme screen flips, but he'll only do them on the first and last moments.
And trust me the machine gun is hard during an extreme screen flip. I'd rather let the screen flip pass before entirely charging the gun.
May science and reason help you on the hardest epic mode of all.
The Watcher
The Watcher
Well... First form. Easy enough, circle around, shoot at him... Rinse and repeat until he's down.
The Ascendant (Piece of cake)
I find him pretty damn easy. All you need is a good eye, as the pink explosions start with a transparent shine. Move your flyer a lot and never stop shooting at him. Do not desesperate if he bring up the shield. Just pay attention.
Epic Mode
...Easy peasy. The easiest epic mode, all the programmer did was bringing up the frequency of the pink blasts and a cheesy line.
The Fallen
No rocket science here folks. Just go and him and combo him restlessly. No compassion.
You know, if you want to, I'll post the (gets shot).
Vercingetorix
The Vercingetorix is unpleasant to the eye, but it's a very fun boss.
First floor
Very fun, if you ask me. Dodge the missiles that it aims at you. He'll then throw some weird undescriptable horizonal lighting that you can avoid by going out of the way. It'll then throw a pink shockwave that is avoided by going to the corner. Then the dragon head will come down. Attack it. Rinse and repeat until the second floor comes down.
Second floor
Now you're for it. The knight attached to it will strike the floor and cause pillars of light to raise from the ground. Then, after you've dodged the pillars of light, laser pointers will aim at the ground. Get out of their reach. After dodging the big pillar caused by the lasers, it will start raining meteorites. Take evasive action, and when one gets stuck in the ground, strike it. Rinse and repeat.
Posted by: Felix | October 16, 2010 10:58 PM