You can’t go to a neon-drenched cyberpunk city in a video game without making a brief stop at the local nightclub. Fortunately for us, Hazelight’s Split Fiction has one such level that has you swinging from the rafters as hundreds of patrons dance beneath your dangling feet, all while an epic bassline booms throughout the room.
Once you’ve made it to the penthouse, however, it’s time to stop partying and get serious as you face down a dastardly henchman known as Mr Hammer. Wielding, you guessed it, a big hammer, this early game boss battle is your first real test when it comes to mastering the act of movement in Split Fiction.
How To Defeat Mr Hammer – Phase One
There will be no time to waste as this battle begins, with Mr Hammer taking to the sky and throwing down a duo of bright blue orbs. These can deal immediate damage, and, like most encounters in Split Fiction, you can only take two hits before needing to respawn.
Don’t worry too much, as the key to this first phase is to simply avoid each attack until the hammer is thrown down onto the dancefloor below and begins glowing purple. As this happens, the person controlling Mio needs to press R2 and jump in for a grapple attack.
Once the hammer hits the ground it will let out a brief shockwave, although this is easy to dodge by jumping over it with the correct timing.
After attacking the hammer for a few seconds, the purple force field will dissipate and leave behind a glowing green hue. This is the sign for Zoe to pick up the hammer using her own telekinesis powers and hurl it at the enemy. If done correctly, Mr Hammer will be brought to the ground and be vulnerable to a flurry of attacks. Get in there and start slashing.
How To Defeat Mr Hammer – Phase Two
Now that Mr Hammer has lost a quarter of his health, he will begin changing his attack patterns, including a move where he returns to the ground and starts swinging his hammer around the arena in a circular motion. This attack is deadly, so dodge it by strafing around them until Mr Hammer returns to the air.
The boss will now throw his hammer to the ground a total of three times before it starts to glow purple, but be careful of the shockwaves I mentioned earlier returning. Now repeat the act of attacking his weapon, throwing it at Mr Hammer and wailing away at him for as long as possible.
Do this right, and the boss will retreat to a higher platform to unleash a horde of robotic dogs to do his bidding. Slice them to pieces until the third phase begins in earnest.
If you fail to eliminate the robotic dogs quickly enough, there is a chance one might pin you down. If it does, simply mash the button on screen to escape.
How To Defeat Mr Hammer – Phase Three
Now it’s time for the final showdown. Mr Hammer isn’t messing around anymore, and will now begin hurling himself across the combat arena with blunt object in hand. Much like an earlier attack pattern, avoid this by strafing and dashing out of the way.
Stay alive for long enough and repeat the pattern of attacking the glowing purple hammer and using Zoe’s telekinesis to stun Mr Hammer into a series of attacks. The hammer will now move around of its own accord and try to attack you while shockwaves spread about the place, so be wary of your surroundings.
Mr Hammer will linger in the air as the hammer moves about, trying to attack you while unleashing attacks that are difficult to dodge without taking damage.
With the battle now drawing to a close, Mr Hammer will pull out his deadliest attack, known as Thunderstruck. He will take to the air and send out multiple non-linear lines of lightning that can kill you in a single hit if you fail to dodge them.
When the hammer is thrown a final time, repeat the steps and finish off this bozo for good. Be sure to stick around for a cool cutscene!
