Shattered Descent is presented as the third stage of Saros, an environment where alien structures and surface fissures make progress a real challenge. Although it's a shorter biome than average, don't be fooled, because its difficulty is considerable and requires you to be very careful with every step you take to avoid ending up on the ground in the blink of an eye.
To survive this section, mastering the terrain and making the most of your character's new abilities is crucial. Below, we break down everything you need to know to traverse this area and defeat the fearsome Rhabdom , one of the most aggressive and dynamic bosses you'll encounter in the entire game.
A tour of Shattered Descent
Upon arriving from the Ancient Depths, the first thing to do is head up the slope towards the settlement and enter the building on the left to collect a Primary Datacore . After taking this core to Kayla in the Passage, you can interact with the portal in the tree bark after visiting Sebastian. Before leaving, we recommend upgrading your armor using the Bastion node to withstand attacks.
Once back on Shattered Descent, look for the observation deck next to the containers to get the Grapple Upgrade . This tool is vital, as it allows you to launch yourself toward blue drones and anchor points. A useful trick is to press the grapple button a second time while flying to maintain momentum and launch yourself forward.
After crossing the chasm with the grappling hook and descending in the elevator, you'll reach the Eclipse switch. Upon entering the Eclipse Zone, watch out for explosive plants and explore your surroundings to find collectibles. Alpha enemies will appear here, which are much more dangerous than regular enemies because they regenerate health and possess red or purple shields; against these, you'll have to fight in melee combat.
Along the way, you'll encounter Eli, a survivor who will grant you the Overdrive ability . This attack slows down time and unleashes a devastating beam that drains a large portion of the enemy's health and releases Aether. Don't forget to destroy the Healing Totems with melee attacks immediately, as they heal all nearby enemies within a fairly wide radius.
How to defeat the Rhabdom boss
Rhabdom is an extremely agile bipedal creature that appears after a Solar Cage. Unlike Prophet or Bastion, this boss doesn't have multiple health bars, but rather a single, very large one, thus compensating for its lethality and mobility . To survive, it's essential to use the Traversal Boost and never stop moving around the arena.
The fight is divided into several phases depending on the boss's health. Its most dangerous attacks include:
- Throws and jumps: Rhabdom can jump up to three times in a row. The third impact causes a massive Nova energy explosion. Ideally, to get hooked on the higher platforms just before the third landing.
- Projectiles and corruption: It launches clouds of energy that turn into homing darts or drips yellow corruption along the ground that then rises.
- Swipes and waves: Perform quick diagonal and horizontal slashes. You can use the shield or the stage geometry to do so. protect yourself from these waves of shock.
- Vomiting projectiles: Sometimes it will chase you while launching a shower of yellow spheres. The best option is create fast circuits among the high platforms.
As for attack strategy, using a repeating crossbow is extremely effective due to the cumulative damage it deals, allowing you to focus on dodging while firing. Furthermore, you can damage him as soon as he appears in the arena, before he begins his attack pattern. Don't forget that Overdrive can take away approximately a quarter of his health in a single hit.
When Rhabdom's health drops below 50%, his energy ball attacks will transform into more aggressive corruption. Remember that Nova energy cannot be absorbed with a shield or dodged with a simple dash, so the grappling hook is your best ally for staying safe.
Once Rhabdom falls, you can collect approximately 950 Lucinite and Aether. After inspecting the Carcosan device at the bottom of the stairs, you'll need to decide whether to proceed to the Blighted Marsh or return to the Passage via the teleporter to continue the main storyline. Overcoming this encounter demonstrates your mastery of the grappling hook's mobility and the strategic use of Overdrive to defeat enemies on the scale of the Sunflayers.