Kickin' Combat

Sudeki™ employs a combat system unlike that of any other game. It’s a unique fusion of real-time ferocity and slow-motion dream sequence that creates the intense, death-grip-on-the-controller experience that roleplaying gamers live for. It can also be a little daunting at first: there are three types of combat, and juggling all the attacks, skills, and items while controlling up to four characters in real-time requires practice and skill. But, fear not; I’m here with the inside tips on how you can master the game.

Be an army of one, or be kicked to the curb.

Going Solo
Your first Sudeki battles will feature just one character—usually Tal or Ailish—, and in these confrontations you’ll learn the basics of combat strategy. This is no picnic; every enemy in the field wants to kick your butt, and often you’ll face a dozen or more foes simultaneously.

With Tal, and later Buki, the key to thrashing your enemies is mastering the melee combos. Arm yourself with your best melee weapon, and use the A and X buttons in careful combination to dish out the beat-down! You can’t just mash buttons, however; simply pressing A, A, and A, will only launch three separate strikes, rather than a combo. Also, combos are rhythm-based: Hitting the right button too early will spoil the combo just as surely as pressing the wrong button. Practice makes perfect: When you’re going it alone, pay attention to the combo status bar in the lower left of the screen; this is a good chance to train yourself on the combo rhythms.

You and me against the world.

Partner Up!
During your adventure, your characters will pair off to explore new territory and undertake quests. Choose one character to be your main combatant, but don’t forget to adjust the AI settings of the character you aren’t controlling. Set the supporting character’s combat habits to suit the situation and your preferences. It’s a good idea to ensure that one of the pair (usually Ailish or Elco) is hammering away with ranged attacks and healing the wounded while the other brings on the hurt, melee-style.

Be ready to switch quickly between characters with the white button during a pairs fight. The two tanks, Tal and Buki, tend to get slammed by multiple opponents, and because Ailish relies mainly on ranged attacks she can be overwhelmed quickly if foes close in on her. If things start going badly, open up the inventories and concentrate on restoring everyone’s health!

It takes a village to defeat evil.

It’s a Team Effort
You’ll face your toughest fights as a team, so you’ll need to get into group-thinking mode when you’re controlling all four characters and a fight’s brewing. When the enemy shows its ugly face, combine the knowledge you learned from your solo and pairs battles, and take it to the next level.

The large melee fights can be chaotic, so your best bet is to play either Tal or Buki and focus on inflicting as much damage as possible with melee combos and Spirit Strikes, while Ailish and Elco employ ranged attacks from as far away from the action as possible. Be sparing with your Spirit Strikes, though: these devastating attack modes shouldn’t be wasted on single foes. Save them for situations where you can affect multiple targets, or when things are getting truly desperate. It’s critical to keep your main character moving during the fight; block (hold the right trigger) and dodge or flip backward (left thumbstick) when facing the tougher monsters. When they’ve finished their combos, advance on them and unleash your own.

Be sure to heal everyone and level up as quickly as possible after a team fight; sometimes you don’t get much of a rest between these big battles. After vanquishing all foes, check your Advancements menu and upgrade or buy new skills if possible. Don’t put this off—you might find yourself on the receiving end of a drubbing because you didn’t acquire a new skill when you had the chance.

The key to success with multiple characters is to use their “buff” skill attacks. Many people miss out on the power of these seemingly less-potent powers, tending to pick the offensive skills more. For example, Elco's Nano-enhancement doubles the damage dealt byall of your characters—not a weak skill in the least. Combine the various buffing skills at the right time and your party will mince through enemies like they’re prime fillet steak.

Another important feature are the Runes that you can use to make your weapons and armor magical. With the right Runes, you can protect yourself from disabling status ailments (slow, poison, and weaken, to name a few) that some enemies will cast. Runes can also give your weapons health- and magic-stealing enhancements. These effects are particularly critical as the game progresses.

Whether your idea of fun is going solo or managing a dream team,Sudeki has your combat covered.

By Jim W. Gettys