And magic is far from the only system Yellow Brick is tinkering with. The game’s setting is split into multiple zones, each an open world in miniature, filled with blueprints to unlock for new equipment, changing weather conditions, alterations based on whether you’re entering during night or day, major and minor objectives, and secrets waiting to be uncovered. These areas are built outwards and upwards – in a nod to the recent Zelda games, Bryn can climb almost any surface, meaning looking above you is as important as seeing what’s on the horizon.
But core to each area is the Great Foes they hold. From flying drakes to building-sized automata, these are titanic bosses left to wander each area. They’re your biggest combat challenge, as well as the means for unlocking and upgrading your spells – each one is tied to a specific ability, meaning you’ll need to defeat all the Great Foes multiple times to unlock and then fully upgrade each spell.
The brilliance of the Great Foes is that they’re far more than a dangerous healthbar – each one acts like a puzzle in itself. One automaton boss requires you to climb across its gigantic body, unlatching armor plates before attacking specific body parts. A drake can fly away and attack you from the safety of the skies – but you can ice up its wings to keep it bound to ground level (at least until the next gout of flame).
When you’ve defeated a Great Foe once, you’ll unlock a codex entry covering not only its lore, but offering clues as to how to beat it without grinding down its HP. Instead, you can find ways to tear out the magic that powers it (effectively an insta-kill) – and offering another layer of puzzle. That drake, for instance, will only offer up its magic while it’s airborne, and when its horns have been smashed off – but it can easily knock you off its back when fully mobile. So, you’ll need to target the horns and just a single wing – enough to leave it able to fly, but unable to perform more difficult maneuvers – in order to get your prize.
And magic is far from the only system Yellow Brick is tinkering with. The game’s setting is split into multiple zones, each an open world in miniature, filled with blueprints to unlock for new equipment, changing weather conditions, alterations based on whether you’re entering during night or day, major and minor objectives, and secrets waiting to be uncovered. These areas are built outwards and upwards – in a nod to the recent Zelda games, Bryn can climb almost any surface, meaning looking above you is as important as seeing what’s on the horizon.
But core to each area is the Great Foes they hold. From flying drakes to building-sized automata, these are titanic bosses left to wander each area. They’re your biggest combat challenge, as well as the means for unlocking and upgrading your spells – each one is tied to a specific ability, meaning you’ll need to defeat all the Great Foes multiple times to unlock and then fully upgrade each spell.
The brilliance of the Great Foes is that they’re far more than a dangerous healthbar – each one acts like a puzzle in itself. One automaton boss requires you to climb across its gigantic body, unlatching armor plates before attacking specific body parts. A drake can fly away and attack you from the safety of the skies – but you can ice up its wings to keep it bound to ground level (at least until the next gout of flame).
When you’ve defeated a Great Foe once, you’ll unlock a codex entry covering not only its lore, but offering clues as to how to beat it without grinding down its HP. Instead, you can find ways to tear out the magic that powers it (effectively an insta-kill) – and offering another layer of puzzle. That drake, for instance, will only offer up its magic while it’s airborne, and when its horns have been smashed off – but it can easily knock you off its back when fully mobile. So, you’ll need to target the horns and just a single wing – enough to leave it able to fly, but unable to perform more difficult maneuvers – in order to get your prize.
