Garden of Silence: enemies, shards, predictions, QUESTIONS!

More questions from Pure Miriam to answer. Huzzah!!

1) Miriam is at LV 8 at Garden of Silence's video. Do you believe that is just for testing purposes, or this area will be one of the first areas of the game? Considering Bloodstained areas, we already know: Galleon Minerva, Church of Dian Cecht, The Village (no official name yet) and now, Garden of Silence. Do you believe all these areas will show up in a particular order?

It is entirely possible that this is legitimately one of the first explorable areas [beyond the Entrance Hall] in Gebel's Castle.  I certainly wouldn't think, at this point in the game's development (despite it still being in the Alpha phase), that they'd create this entire Garden of Silence area purely to test things and then remove it from the final game.  Unless "Garden of Silence" is code for "Debug Room", maybe.

If this game is anything like past Igavanias, you would need to sequence-break if you were to really visit all areas in any order you wanted.  Yes, I think you'll be forced to visit some parts of Gebel's Castle in a particular order.  MAYBE you'll get to briefly visit a small section of another area, but until you obtain the necessary ability, you won't be able to advance very far.  I imagine that visiting any area you want right from the start would be reserved for Speed Run Mode and/or the other two playable characters (assuming they're "Bonus" characters; having access to all abilities right from the start).


2) What type of Shard (Trigger, Effective, Directional, Enchant, Familiar or Skill) do you believe Barbatos will give and how it would be? Or maybe Barbatos is like Morte and doesn't give any Shard?

I imagine his Shard may be one of the first Effective Shards we'll get to try (unless some Trigger Shards will allow you to hold the button down before casting).  As an enemy, Barbatos reminds me of the classic Skull Archer; whose Soul in Dawn of Sorrow was a Guardian Soul (allowing Soma to magically "charge" a mighty arrow before firing).
^
There's no way that Barbatos won't have a Shard to give upon defeat, if you ask me.  This enemy is named after one of the 72 "Dukes" of the Ars Goetia, after all.


3) What type of Shard (Trigger, Effective, Directional, Enchant, Familiar or Skill) do you believe Toad will give and how it would be ? Or maybe Toad is like Morte and doesn't give any Shard?

I... don't think Toads will give Shards.  It'd be funny if they did, though.
....
I knew it! Toads really were demons all along.


4) Do you think Zangetsu will be fought more than once? 

I'd think that depends on whether Miriam is given a chance to talk with him for more than a few seconds before [or after] this initial fight.  Maybe he'll pull a Julius & reluctantly decide to trust Miriam shortly afterwards, or maybe vengeance will cloud his mind for the whole story.


5) Human enemies from Dawn of Sorrow had no soul to give as power. Do you believe Zangetsu could give Miriam a Shard if killed? That would mean he can be a demon. Or maybe he can turn into one later on. If yes, what type of Shard and kind of Shard do you think he could give?

Nope.  The magic of Ofuda paper-charms is not demonic in origin, for one thing.  He also hates Alchemy for its connection to demons, so I wouldn't count on it.


6) How big do you think Garden of Silence is? Compare it with some area of Symphony of the Night or some other Igavania game for a size comparison.

Despite the likelihood of it being an area that Miriam visits early on, it vaguely reminds me of Olrox's Quarters from Symphony of the Night.  It also looks like there's plenty of room for a "high-jump" or "flight" ability to cover the rest of the map%, so I'd say the Garden of Silence is relatively large.


7)  Gears of Fortune is not Garden of Silence's song, as kickstarter's page already warned us "The place you'll hear this song in Bloodstained hasn't yet been announced", but "The Executioners" (Bloodless Battle's song from E3 2017 Demo) is also the music used for Zangetsu's battle at this update. Do you believe that this will really be Zangetsu's Boss song? Or is just a placeholder?

I'm willing to bet that Zangetsu's boss-music will decidedly involve more Japanese instruments.


8) What kind of area or areas, do you think, or would you like to see connected to Garden of Silence? The Castle's entrance? Maybe a flooded cavern? Some kind of inner forest?

If this area really is early-game, as you predict, then I could definitely see it directly connected to the Entrance.  Maybe I'd like to see a Machine Tower area connected to it as well.


9) Comment anything else you would like to say about Garden of Silence, if you want.

This certainly must be the very same area with the gigantic yellow moon in the background that we saw in a past image.  It will surely be shown off in a specific section.



Looks like I'm done for now. Galamoth, away!!!

1) Miriam is at LV 8 at Garden of Silence's video. Do you believe that is just for testing purposes, or this area will be one of the first areas of the game? Considering Bloodstained areas, we already know: Galleon Minerva, Church of Dian Cecht, The Village (no official name yet) and now, Garden of Silence. Do you believe all these areas will show up in a particular order?

I think this is one of the first areas of the game, at least before you are in thr castle proper. Galleon,Village,Church, Entrance, Garden, Castle.

2) What type of Shard (Trigger, Effective, Directional, Enchant, Familiar or Skill) do you believe Barbatos will give and how it would be? Or maybe Barbatos is like Morte and doesn't give any Shard?

Enchant.

3) What type of Shard (Trigger, Effective, Directional, Enchant, Familiar or Skill) do you believe Toad will give and how it would be ? Or maybe Toad is like Morte and doesn't give any Shard?

no shard

4) Do you think Zangetsu will be fought more than once?

At least once more.

5) Human enemies from Dawn of Sorrow had no soul to give as power. Do you believe Zangetsu could give Miriam a Shard if killed? That would mean he can be a demon. Or maybe he can turn into one later on. If yes, what type of Shard and kind of Shard do you think he could give?

no shard, even if killed.

6) How big do you think Garden of Silence is? Compare it with some area of Symphony of the Night or some other Igavania game for a size comparison.

Its open enough that I don't think it is set in the castle proper, but rather is just before its true entrance.

7) Gears of Fortune is not Garden of Silence's song, as kickstarter's page already warned us "The place you'll hear this song in Bloodstained hasn't yet been announced", but "The Executioners" (Bloodless Battle's song from E3 2017 Demo) is also the music used for Zangetsu's battle at this update. Do you believe that this will really be Zangetsu's Boss song? Or is just a placeholder?

Placeholder, but perhaps it could be both, the generic one for his first encounter and his own theme for the tougher, 2nd fight.

The player won't see it coming.

8) What kind of area or areas, do you think, or would you like to see connected to Garden of Silence? The Castle's entrance? Maybe a flooded cavern? Some kind of inner forest?

This looks like an area before the castle entrance, though if it were the courtyard, i'd say it be like the marble gallery, not the largest area, but damn if you don't run into it over and over again...


9) Comment anything else you would like to say about Garden of Silence, if you want.

I think this is where the dev teams decision with the backgrounds and their slight variations will reach a "make it or break it" point and determine whether people call it a masterpiece or a fan game with lots of money(no offense whatsoever, please don't take this the wrong way). I can see that some parts mesh better than others in the garden. Done wrong, it can end up looking like a puzzle piece set that doesn't look right(my first thought of this was at the platforming section that miriam skips on her way to barbatos). If the seams of those background blocks can be cleared up and the color looked at(like other viewers), I think it can go a long way.

Pure Miriam



1. I think at this point it is too early to tell in what order they will go so maybe level 8 for testing purposes.

2. My best guess is maybe a (magic missile/arrow)

3. Maybe something silly like portrait of ruin allowing you to go into small spaces
for ex. at the 1:23 mark.


4. Maybe like Trevor in curse of darkness or Joseph in dawn of sorrow.

5. I really don’t believe you can kill him; my best guess is he will award you some of his power as a gift later.

6) To hazard a guess maybe the size of a portrait world in portrait of ruin.

7. My best guess is it is a place holder I believe his theme will have a more eastern feel.

8. I think the garden will be connected to the castle maybe it is a courtyard.

9. I am looking forward to enjoy the garden of silence and all its surprises.