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I played a bit of Zangetsu mode just now (after replaying the main game [on Normal mode again] as Miriam over the past week or so), making it as far as into the castle proper[1], and... it's pretty lame.
It's Richter Belmont mode in SotN, basically. No story. No items. No other NPCs present. The hub town is just an empty ghost town. Money is just for "points" or whatever, if even that much. You're given a list of skills that Zangetsu can perform at the start, and that's all you'll ever have for the whole game. It's most of what he could do as a boss. You can find the max HP/MP up items, but that's it. (And aside from those and using save rooms, there's no way to heal.) Chests and bookcases aren't even there at all, which makes most secret areas pointless. Any areas that would have required Miriam to find different traversal shards to access, Zangetsu can pretty much go there from the start. He automatically sinks in water (though he's slow as shit, like Miriam before you find and level up the Amphibian Speed shard), and can essentially fly using up+Q (or whatever the equivalent is on a console controller), at least until he runs out of magic, and any doors or walls that would have needed Miriam to do something about will already be opened or broken for Zangetsu (e.g. blood fountain is already drained at the start).
Aside from moveset, about the only difference between Zangetsu and Richter is that Zangetsu can level up, but all that means is that you'd probably need to grind some if you wanted to stand a chance against end-game level enemies, so basically no going straight to the last boss, unless you just happen to have godlike gaming abilities and are willing to spend an hour plinking a boss to death doing next to no damage to it or something.
[1] - Actually, I made it as far as the garden area, then I went into the Warhorse Room (which required no key, obviously) and then got wrecked by the Belmont Revenant. That's where I just decided I didn't really care anymore.
It's Richter Belmont mode in SotN, basically. No story. No items. No other NPCs present. The hub town is just an empty ghost town. Money is just for "points" or whatever, if even that much. You're given a list of skills that Zangetsu can perform at the start, and that's all you'll ever have for the whole game. It's most of what he could do as a boss. You can find the max HP/MP up items, but that's it. (And aside from those and using save rooms, there's no way to heal.) Chests and bookcases aren't even there at all, which makes most secret areas pointless. Any areas that would have required Miriam to find different traversal shards to access, Zangetsu can pretty much go there from the start. He automatically sinks in water (though he's slow as shit, like Miriam before you find and level up the Amphibian Speed shard), and can essentially fly using up+Q (or whatever the equivalent is on a console controller), at least until he runs out of magic, and any doors or walls that would have needed Miriam to do something about will already be opened or broken for Zangetsu (e.g. blood fountain is already drained at the start).
Aside from moveset, about the only difference between Zangetsu and Richter is that Zangetsu can level up, but all that means is that you'd probably need to grind some if you wanted to stand a chance against end-game level enemies, so basically no going straight to the last boss, unless you just happen to have godlike gaming abilities and are willing to spend an hour plinking a boss to death doing next to no damage to it or something.
[1] - Actually, I made it as far as the garden area, then I went into the Warhorse Room (which required no key, obviously) and then got wrecked by the Belmont Revenant. That's where I just decided I didn't really care anymore.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-06 06:07 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2020-08-06 06:55 pm (UTC)From:If nothing else, I was hoping for at least some story elements to be included. But then, that would have required someone write the story, then bring back the voice actors to record the lines, all of which would have cost money, so yeah... not sure why I was expecting something more elaborate.
Apparently, (SPOILER ALERT) Miriam is the true final boss of Zangetsu mode, and there is the tiniest bit of pre-fight dialogue, but even that isn't much.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-06 07:16 pm (UTC)From:He's straight up DIO from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Which, I mean, I got that, too, when I first played the game, given that O.D.'s special move is pretty much (spoilers for Jojo if you haven't seen any of it) The World. But I didn't make the actual, explicit "Oh Dee" vs "Dee Oh" connection until just now, for whatever reason. >_>;
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Date: 2020-08-06 08:22 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2020-08-06 09:07 pm (UTC)From: