The Shadowlord’s Castle (Second Route) Main Story Walkthrough
Overview
| Areas | Nier’s Village, Lost Shrine, Shadowlord’s Castle |
|---|---|
| Enemies | Shades |
| Bosses | Betrayers, Grimoire Noir, Shadowlord |
Obtainable Items
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
| Phoenix Sword (Two-handed Sword) | Inside a box to the left of the door at the Shadowlord’s castle courtyard (just before the Betrayers boss fight). |
| Shadowlord’s Castle Map | Obtained after defeating the Betrayers (first encounter). |
| Dragoon Lance (Spear) | Inside a box to the right of the passage (before the spiral staircase) after fleeing from the armored boar shade. |
Walkthrough
Nier’s Village
| 1 | Head to the library and talk to Popola. |
|---|---|
| 2 | Before heading to the Lost Shrine, clear all remaining side quests and obtain any weapons you might have missed thus far. Note that going to the Lost Shrine and entering the Shadowlord’s Castle is the point-of-no-return since it is the final area of the game. |
| 3 | When you are ready, travel to the Lost Shrine. |
Lost Shrine
| 1 | Travel to the Lost Shrine’s main chamber again (where you fought Hansel and Gretel and rescued Yonah). Take out the shades along the way. |
|---|---|
| 2 | When you reach the courtyard, use the save point. |
| 3 | Go inside the main chamber and interact with the altar. |
Shadowlord’s Castle
| 1 | Move forward and open the large door. |
|---|---|
| 2 | Head to the large door across the courtyard and break the box on the left to get Phoenix Sword. |
| 3 | Turn around to the fountain and talk to the birds. Answer the birds’ questions with “Because of a black disease”, “By separating body from soul”, and “They are placed in their corresponding shells.” |
| 4 | Go through the door and watch the cutscene. Afterwards, prepare to battle the Betrayers. |
| 5 | Watch the cutscene. You will then get the Shadowlord’s Castle Map. |
| 6 | Head for the next area by following the path north. Go through the large door for a cutscene. |
| 7 | Take out the shades that appear and another cutscene will play. |
| 8 | Prepare to battle Goose. |
| 9 | After the cutscene, get ready to take on Armored Goose. |
| 10 | Exit to the door to the north. Get Dragoon Lance from the box to the right of the passage just before the stairs. |
| 11 | Sprint up the stairs when Goose gives chase. You can jump over the boxes along the path or use a spear to easily destroy them. |
| 12 | When you reach the next large room, deal with Goose again and another cutscene will play. |
| 13 | Continue heading north until you reach another large room for a cutscene. |
| 14 | Battle the Betrayers again and watch the cutscene afterwards. |
| 15 | Continue north while dealing with the shades that appear. Afterwards, enter the next large room for a cutscene. |
| 16 | Prepare to battle Grimoire Noir and the Shadowlord. |
| 17 | Watch the cutscene and approach Yonah and Kaine. Enter your name afterwards. |
| 18 | Watch the ending. |
Strategy
Point-of-no-return upon entering the Shadowlord’s Castle.
Be sure to clear all remaining quests before traveling to the Lost Shrine as you will be locked out of all other locations (including unobtained weapons and items) when you enter the Shadowlord’s Castle. Be sure to upgrade any weapons you frequently use and stock up on as many healing items as you can before heading out to the game’s final area.
The Betrayers (First Encounter)
The Betrayers will frequently fire orbs of dark energy while teleporting around the battlefield. Attack them with magic and your weapon to lower their health and trigger a cutscene.
After the cutscene, the Betrayers will gain the ability to use Sealed Verse attacks (Dark Blast, Dark Lance, and Dark Hand). Keep moving to the side to avoid their magic and fire some of your own (Dark Lance from afar and Dark Hand when up close) to chip away at their health. When you get the chance to close in, unload on them with melee attacks until they are defeated.
Goose
Goose will frequently charge at you during the fight. Run or dodge to the side and he should miss you entirely. If you bait him into charging at you near a wall, he will crash into it and will temporarily vulnerable to follow-up attacks. Attack him with melee and magic and he should go down fairly quickly.
When Goose is revived, he will gain armor that you should destroy with Dark Blast or Dark Lance. The same strategies apply here so stay on the move and he should constantly fall down after crashing into the walls. After killing Goose, he will release a poisonous mist that gradually depletes your health. Use healing items to keep yourself alive (Antidotal Weeds do not work) and head for the next area and up the stairs when prompted by Kaine. Keep slaying Goose until a cutscene plays and the battle will end.
The Betrayers (Second Encounter)
The second fight against the Betrayers is mostly the same as the second phase of the previous encounter. Ignore the boss standing on the stage and focus on the one on the battlefield. When she is defeated, the other Betrayer will jump down from the stage and fire orb projectiles around the room. Destroy the orb using melee to get in close to the boss and pummel her with your weapon to end the fight.
Grimoire Noir
Grimoire Noir will mostly use the same attacks from your previous encounter with him during the first story route. Avoid his projectiles or attack them with melee or magic to destroy them. Maintain offense until the attack gauge appears to defeat him.
Shadowlord (Final Boss – Second Route)
The Shadowlord will appear immediately after you take down Grimoire Noir. As the final boss, Shadowlord boasts a large moveset and has three phases. You can read our in-depth guide on how to take down Shadowlord by going to the link below.
| ← The Aerie (Second Route) | 15 Nightmares → |
Other Walkthroughs
Main Story Part 1 (Act I) Walkthroughs
| Prologue | The Village | Lost Shrine |
| The Aerie | The Seafront | The Junk Heap |
| The Aerie (Revisit) | Facade | The Barren Temple |
| The Forest of Myth | The Haunted Manor | The Village (Epilogue 1) |
Main Story Part 2 (Act II) Walkthroughs
Extra Content Walkthroughs
| The World of Recycled Vessel (15 Nightmares) | Mermaid Episode Part 1: Seafront | Mermaid Episode Part 2: Wrecked Ship |
| Ending E Walkthrough | - | - |
Leave a Reply