Episode 1: New Bodhum 003 AF Part 1

Episode 1

New Bodhum, 003 A.F. Part 1

Treasure Checklist
Potion x3	Winding Way
Librascope	Winding Way
Map of New Bodhum	Winding Way
Phoenix Down	Winding Way
300 Gil	Winding Way/Meteor Impact Site

Once Serah wakes up and this cutscene ends, you will first be prompted for a Camera Tutorial. Use it if you must, but otherwise skip. As for the settings, standard should be sufficient – if it really annoys you, you can always change it in the main menu accessed by pressing ∆.

The Datalog that is introduced here will fill up a lot in the first couple of episodes. It contains a number of interesting entries about the characters and world of Final Fantasy XIII-2, but most interesting from a gameplay perspective are the Primers. I would suggest everyone – vets included – at least try to skim through these. You might think you know everything there is to know about basic topics like the battle system and main menu options, but it’s a good bet that you’ll learn some handy-dandy new information from these! (Wait, I can ZOOM in and out on the map!?)

Your objective is to open the door and head outside – so! Approach the door to your left, and press X when the lock-on icon saying “Examine” pops up.

Opening the door gives you your first Live Trigger prompt. A Live Trigger presents you with four different options to choose from, each a different way of responding to the situation at hand. Unlike Cinematic Actions, Live Triggers are not timed, which means you may have the leisure of sitting and pondering your answer for as long as you please (well, as long as power saving isn’t enabled on your console, anyway). Live Triggers do not generally have any battle or gameplay consequences – instead, these are all about story and dialogue. The only exceptions are in Live Trigger Rewards.

Several Live Trigger events will be grouped into one Live Trigger segment. For each of these segments, there are three possible rewards that will appear in a square treasure chest after you’ve completed that segment of the story. If you fail to answer any one of the Live Trigger events, you only get a Potion. Answering them all scores you an accessory. Finally, answering with the required amount of “Funny Answers” for that segment will score you a special accessory!

It is possible to go back and replay the segments later to get both accessories, and that’s something I’ll explain in this walkthrough when the time comes.

In this walkthrough, I will print the Live Triggers and your optional responses as they appear onscreen. Answers marked with a & are Funny Answers. Note that some Live Triggers will not have any Funny Answers at all.

Also, at the start of the live trigger segment, I will list the possible rewards. (I will not list the Potion as a reward, because it’s a given that you will always get a Potion if you do not answer all Live Triggers.)

New Bodhum 003 AF –Meteorite– Live Trigger Rewards

All Event Reward: Lebreau’s Olive Tattoo

3 or More Funny Answers: Golden Flower

Live Trigger (POTENTIAL SPOILERS)

Live Trigger: Dreams of strange worlds; clothes appearing from nowhere. What’s going on?

∆: “Was that a vision of the future?”

O: “Am I still dreaming?”

X: “A message from Lightning?”

□: “Is someone coming here?”

Annoyingly, you are forced to walk at first. There are a couple of fallen lamps which you must jump over with O to get to the front entrance. Stepping outside brings on another Live Trigger and some more cutscenes.

Live Trigger (POTENTIAL SPOILERS)

Live Trigger: Where’s the village? Everything out here is completely different. What is this place?

∆: “Is everything I remember a lie?”

O: “Is this still a dream?”

X: “Is this the future?”

□: “Have I died?”

After that, you will finally get to battle again, this time against a series of buglike enemies called Nekton and Meonekton. You may notice a new option above the ATB menu – Paradigm Shift. This is explained in a tutorial in your second battle, although if you’re a FFXIII vet, you won’t really need it. For now, the Paradigm Shifts are not of much use, because you only have four Paradigms to choose from and are not able to generate new Paradigms yet. No matter what configuration you try, you will find you can only scrounge a three-star rating out of each battle on Normal Mode.

These battles are pretty easy, though. Even if your HP gets low, I suggest trucking on instead of stopping to heal. Chances are the enemy will fall before you do, if you’re vigilant, and your HP is restored between every battle. If it makes you feel that much better, though, you can always go to “Items” on the ATB menu, choose a Potion, and toss it at the suffering member of your duo to restore their HP.

After all that, you’ll be free to navigate the Town Square, although there’s not much to be had here except for some conversations with NPCs that may enlighten you a bit on Serah’s background and on the town of New Bodhum.

Follow Noel to the Beachfront. Talk to him just outside the town barricade for another Live Trigger. Then, continue on toward the path ahead. You will be stopped for a Mog Clock tutorial.

Live Trigger (POTENTIAL SPOILERS)

Live Trigger: This strange young man says he met with Lightning in Valhalla. I need to find out more.

∆: “Did you really see Lighting?”

O: “Tell me about Valhalla.”

X: “You’re a hunter?”

□: “Where are you from?”

This is a basic tutorial on how to handle monster encounters. All you really need to know, though, is that monsters will pop up randomly, and when they do, a circular meter at the bottom of the screen called the Mog Clock shows up. Press X to swing your sword at the monsters. If you do so before the Mog Clock runs out, you will gain a preemptive strike, meaning that a) your party will automatically execute an attack on the enemy before the battle even begins, and b) your party will start the battle with Haste, meaning their ATB gauges will charge and be executed much more quickly. If the monster runs into you first, or the Mog Clock runs out, then you lose this advantage. Additionally, when the Mog Clock runs out, you cannot use the “Retry” option in the pause menu during battle.

Some enemies you can run away from, if you wish to avoid them, and the Mog Clock will eventually disappear once you’re out of the enemy’s “range” (this is visible in a wide circle around you). Swifter or more persistent enemies, though, will pursue you, so that even if they don’t catch you, the Mog Clock will remain and run out, forcing you to face them, so be careful. The only such unavoidable enemy here though is the wolf-like Gorgonopsid.

Area Enemies

For robotic Pulse Soldiers, switch to the Slash & Burn paradigm immediately. This is your only chance to get a five-star rating out of these guys; otherwise, it will take forever to beat them, and your duo may suffer for it. For other enemies, like Spiceacilians, the Double Trouble paradigm should be sufficient.

Once at the Winding Way, step to the right and open the treasure sphere for 3 potions. Nearby, talk to Noel standing at the cliff for another Live Trigger.

Live Trigger (POTENTIAL SPOILERS)

Live Trigger: Noel is staring at Cocoon like he’s seeing is for the first time. What to say?

∆: “My sister is there.”

O: “Not used to seeing Cocoon?”

X: “What do you mean, ‘in the legend’?”

□: “You seem a bit shaken.”

At some point along the way, Mog’s bobble will glow pink, and you’ll hear him go “Kupopopo!” This means he’s detected treasure nearby, and he will usually fly right toward it. Follow him to the center of a fork in the path, where there will be a treasure sphere containing a very useful Map of New Bodhum, which you can access anytime by pressing square.

A short distance after that, Gadot will stop to chat, presenting you with another Live Trigger, should you choose to talk.

Live Trigger (POTENTIAL SPOILERS)

Live Trigger: Gadot seems to be concerned for Serah’s safety. How should Noel respond to Gadot’s distrust?

∆: “The boss sounds like a bully!” &

O: “I’ll keep Serah safe.”

X: “Who’s the boss?”

□: “I thought you were the boss.” &

Now follow Noel up the hill to the top of the precipice. There is a treasure sphere containing a Librascope. Continue up another slope and hop across some tree branches. You’ll encounter a strange “distorted” area, which Noel and Serah exchange words about. It’s a bit disorienting, but keep following Noel. Not far ahead is Yuj, who presents another Live Trigger opportunity.

Live Trigger (POTENTIAL SPOILERS)

Live Trigger: Yuj seems curious about my new attire. What should I tell him?

∆: “You want to try them on?” &

O: “They fell from the sky.”

X: “I don’t remember putting them on.”

□: “You’re one to talk, Yuj!”

Ahead of Yuj on the path is another treasure sphere containing a tuft of Phoenix Down. Take a detour to the left of this sphere to talk to Maqui about the distortion.

Live Trigger (POTENTIAL SPOILERS)

Live Trigger: After the meteorite hit, different realities started bleeding into ours. Let’s ask Maqui what he thinks.

∆: “Where did the moogle come from?” &

O: “Where are the monsters coming from?”

X: “Where did the meteorite come from?”

□: “Even you can’t figure out what’s going on?”

Then follow Noel again, and get ready for another boss battle, this time one that’s a little tougher, but most definitely survivable if you just stay on your toes and use the right strategy.

Before the battle, you will get a primer entry on the defensive role of Sentinel, warning you to use the Twin Shields paradigm when Gogmagog uses his Swipe attack. Take a hint! They’re not plaguing you with tutorials for their health, believe it or not. 

Switch immediately to Slash & Burn, as this paradigm will allow you to build up a chain and eventually stagger Gogmagog. Watch the screen carefully the entire time – when the red label saying Swipe appears over Gogmagog, immediately open your paradigms with L1 and switch to the bottom paradigm, Twin Shields. You will not have time to enter any commands before the attack hits - however, just being in the Sentinel role means your characters will take less damage! After the hit, switch immediately back to Slash & Burn. Continue alternating between Twin Shields and Slash & Burn as needed until Gogmagog is staggered. Then, switch to Double Trouble to inflict the most damage on the boss. Even while it is staggered, though, still pay attention and switch to Twin Shields when he Swipes! 

If you follow this strategy, this battle should only take a few rounds, and you should at the very least get a four, if not five-star rating. Either way, you will be rewarded with Gogmagog Fragment Alpha, the first of your fragments.

After this continue on the path. (There will be a treasure sphere on the way.) Once you get to the meteorite impact site, examine the meteorite to move things along considerably.