Be indestructible in Indivisible.

After a long time in development, Indivisible has finally been completed by Skullgirls developer Lab Zero. This unique adventure blends fighting mechanics and platforming into an RPG. The combat in particular takes some getting used to, so prepare yourself to save the world with our handy guide full of tips and tricks to get you started.

Use the right attack for the job

Every character has an up attack or down attack in addition to their standard one. These vary from attacks that can launch enemies to ones that fire multiple shots at once, inflict splash damage or apply heals or debuffs.

Don’t just mash the buttons and use your attack variants for the sake of it. Ajna’s up and down attacks, for instance, are useful in certain situations but inflict a little less damage than her standard one – so if you’re just trying to do the maximum damage you should stick to that one.

Attack in combos

It’s generally best to unleash your characters’ attacks all in one quick flurry, as a large combo attack expending more ‘pips’ will do more damage. A slower attack sequence may stop your enemy from attacking during it, but your other character pips won’t recharge during it so there’s little benefit unless the attacks you’re using need specific timing.

Where possible, wait until your whole party’s pips are recharged. Attack in one go, wait for a full recharge, then attack again.

Play keep-ups

Many enemies can be launched in the air by using Ajna’s up attack, as well as the attacks of several other characters. Don’t just mash your attacks while launching, however – time them correctly and you can knock them upwards several times in a row. Juggling an enemy like this rewards you with extra Iddhi meter. Time an attack incorrectly while juggling, however, and it may miss altogether.

Perfect your blocks

It’s important to get the hang of blocking attacks, as this will help you survive in battle. Block at the moment just before an enemy strikes and the hit will deal even less damage than a standard block. When you learn the attack patterns of different enemies, this gets easier.

Bear in mind that some enemies attack multiple times in a row, and whereas you can just time the first one perfectly and hold after that for a standard block, if the attacks aren’t too rapid it’s sometimes possible to let go of block and re-block again and again for several perfect blocks to take even less damage.

Whereas you can do a quick and dirty block with LB/L1, endeavour to block with the individual character that’s being hit using their specific face button – presuming that only one character is being attacked. A party-wide block will drain your Iddhi meter, whereas a well-timed single block can fill it. Most enemies telegraph their attacks quite clearly with red radiuses so you’ll know who is being targeted.

Look out for secrets

Make sure you explore the levels of Indivisible in every direction, keeping an eye out for secrets. This can often net you Ringsels (red gems that can be used for upgrades) as well as other bonuses. Here’s one to get you started at the beginning of the game: as you leave the temple where you’re hunting for resurrection lilies and walk past the save bell, climb up and stick the left using axe grabs on the ledges for a Ringsel.

Take a breather

Battles can get quite fast-paced and give you a lot to think about, because they’re in real-time. You can hold the meter burn button (R1 or RB) to not only unleash your special attacks but also slow down the action to a crawl, letting you plan your next move.

Get a sneaky upper hand on your fights

It’s a big advantage to go into battle ready to deliver a special attack. You can build up your Iddhi meter – and combo meter – before battle by attacking an enemy multiple times in a row. Once you unlock the bow and arrows near the beginning of the game, you can attack enemies numerous times before properly starting battle. This won’t damage them but will stun them and fill your meter with every shot.

Even better, there’s a bit of a trick you can do with your bow that’ll let you easily whittle down an enemy’s health without even properly entering battle. If you approach an enemy, attack first with your bow then quickly alternate axe slashes with arrows, you’ll often be able to delay the battle from starting properly, sometimes indefinitely, while still dealing damage to the enemy with your axe. This is particularly effective when you have them backed up against a wall. Once you unlock the spear later, however, you can pre-damage an enemy even more easily!