Patch 040

Early Access Patch 040: The NIGHTY NIGHT Update - March 10, 2020

This Major Update opens up even more ways to battle out of hell, with a powerful new weapon, new weapon Aspects, and lots more story to sink your teeth into! As always, we will be closely monitoring feedback and are planning on at least a couple of follow-up patches. Thank you very much for playing!

Highlights[ | ]

Malphon, the Twin Fists: pummel your foes into the ground with this furious close-quarters weapon
Mirror of Night Rework: now with twice the Talents, inviting more choices to fit your playstyle
Aspect of Arthur: wield the might of Holy Excalibur with this legendary Aspect of the Stygian Blade
Improved Visual Effects: we've made frenetic combat easier to parse without compromising the oomph
New Pact of Punishment Conditions: see if you can survive Benefits Package and Routine Inspection
Administrative Chamber: access your Permanent Record beyond a mysterious locked door in the House
New House of Hades Events: the god of the dead's residence is livelier than ever
Expanded Story: hours of added narrative featuring Nyx, Chaos, Artemis, Zeus, and more

Infernal Arms, Aspects, & Abilities[ | ]

Twin Fists: new! Unlock earlier weapons to reveal this (once you return from an escape attempt)
Twin Fists (Zagreus Aspect): new! Gain attack speed and dodge chance
Twin Fists (Talos Aspect): new! Drag foes to you with the power of the Magnetic Cutter
Twin Fists (Demeter Aspect): new! Obliterate foes with the power of the Giga Cutter
Stygian Blade (Arthur Aspect): new! Seek Nyx to learn more (unlock Guan Yu and Blade aspects first)
Eternal Spear (Guan Yu Aspect): Spin attack now bounces off obstacles rather than passing through
Adamant Rail: increased accuracy; now the sixth weapon to be unlocked, after the Twin Fists
Added one more frame of invulnerability to the Dash (you now are fully invulnerable until you can move)

Boons & Blessings[ | ]

Reduced base offering rate of Legendary and Duo Boons; a new Mirror Talent lets you boost this
Huge Catch (Poseidon): new! Increases chance of finding fishing points
Holy Shield (Athena): fixed Evergreen Acorn (Eurydice) activating at the same time when you are hit
True Shot (Artemis): reduced damage scaling from improved rarity
Unhealthy Fixation (Aphrodite): can now be offered if you have Broken Resolve; fixed issues where Charmed damage bonus did not expire
Battle Rage (Ares): expires after first hit from Aspect of Zeus Throw special; no longer expires when recalling the Spear's Throw special
Urge to Kill (Ares): improved scaling from Poms
Snow Burst (Demeter): now correctly fires at your position while loading ammo using Aspect of Hera; no longer hits through obstacles
Mistral Dash (Demeter): increased damage
Atrophic (Chaos): fixed issues causing incorrect adjustments to Life Total
Roiling (Chaos): duration no longer reduced by Boss encounters (since it does not affect those encounters)
Auto Reload (Hermes): new! Regenerate Bloodstones faster (if you have a certain Mirror talent)
Bad News (Hermes): new! Deal bonus Cast damage to foes without Cast ammo in them (if you have a certain Mirror talent)
Greater Recall (Hermes): now requires first having one of Hermes' Cast-affecting Boons
Flurry Shot (Hermes): reduced power scaling from improved rarity
Quick Reload (Hermes): increased power scaling at Heroic rarity

Daedalus Hammer Upgrades[ | ]

Double Nova (Blade): reduced penalty to damage radius
Cursed Slash (Blade): reduced penalty to Life Total
Charged Volley (Bow): increased minimum range; no longer offered while using Aspect of Chiron
Relentless Barrage (Bow): fixed an issue where it sometimes stopped working with Aspect of Chiron
Chain Shot (Bow): shots no longer bounce off of invisible Chamber boundaries
Minotaur Rush (Shield): increased Bull Rush Power Shot damage
Charged Shot (Shield): increased minimum range
Explosive Return (Shield): slightly reduced damage
Exploding Launcher (Rail): slightly reduced damage
Cluster Bomb (Rail): adjusted firing pattern
Hazard Bomb (Rail): now fires on press (rather than on release); fixed interaction with Inescapable Blast
Spread Fire (Rail): reworked; now fires as a single, powerful blast
Long Knuckle (Fist): new! Attacks have improved range and damage
Rolling Knuckle (Fist): new! Attack combo ends in a powerful hook punch
Concentrated Knuckle (Fist): new! Successive attacks against the same foe deal more damage
Breaching Cross (Fist): new! Your Dash-Strike pierces foes and deals bonus damage to Armor
Explosive Upper (Fist): new! Your Dash-Special (unique to Twin Fists) deals bonus area damage
Rush Kick (Fist): new! Dash toward foes with a powerful kick
Flying Cutter (Fist): new! Hold Special for a stronger, longer range strike
Draining Cutter (Fist): new! Slay foes with your Cutter special to restore some Life
Quake Cutter (Fist): new! Deal area damage while landing from your Cutter special

Foes & Encounters[ | ]

'Trial of the Gods': updated many effects from spurned gods; no longer occur in smaller chambers
Thanatos: reduced appearance rate in Tartarus; removed Flame Wheels from appearing in these fights
Larger chambers in Asphodel now only appear later in the region
Bone Hydra: a wider variety of heads can appear (note that no new types have been added)
Exalted Longspear: attack visual more closely matches its hit box
Splitter: updated pattern of split-firing projectiles (it should look better)
The Minotaur: updated spin attack, specific to the effect of Extreme Measures (Pact)
Theseus: can no longer invoke Demeter's aid before you have met her
Crawler: Elite variant no longer appears, although...
...added a terrifying new mini-boss encounter to the Temple of Styx...

Mirror of Night[ | ]

Reworked! More choices, improved usability, reduced total Darkness cost; in more detail:
Added a new flip-side Talent for each Talent! Only one Talent per pair can be active at a time
Removed ability to subtract ranks in a given talent; added a full Darkness refund option
Talents are no longer all visible at the start of the game; they are now unlocked two rows at a time
Later Talents cost less Darkness; if you had more invested than is now required, it has been refunded. Total Darkness required to max all Talents is less than before (when there were half as many Talents)
Fiery Presence: new! Deal more damage vs. undamaged foes
Dark Regeneration: new! Recover health when you collect Darkness
Stubborn Defiance: new! A single Death Defiance effect that replenishes in each Chamber
Ruthless Reflex: new! Dash just before taking damage for bonus damage and dodge chance
Stygian Soul: new! Your Cast ammo regenerates automatically (instead of dropping from foes)
Golden Touch: new! Earn money between Underworld regions based on how much you have
High Confidence: new! Deal bonus damage while your Life Total is high
Abyssal Blood: new! Foes with Cast ammo in them move slower and deal less damage
Family Favorite: new! Deal bonus damage for each different Olympian whose Boons you have
Olympian Legacy: new! Improves chance of finding Duo or Legendary Boons
Gods' Chosen: new! Improves chance of finding chambers with Boons, Hammers, or Poms
Fated Persuasion: new! You can randomly alter Boon and Well of Charon choices offered
Note: We have plans to do even more with the Darkness resource in future updates

Keepsakes & Items[ | ]

Lucky Tooth (Skelly): reduced healing at higher ranks (bringing it in line with other defensive Keepsakes)
Broken Spearpoint (Fallen Warrior): fixed issues with it not working against some Final Boss attacks
Black Shawl (Nyx): reworked; now gives bonus damage vs. undamaged foes and while backstabbing
Companion Mort (Thanatos): no longer blockable by shield-bearing foes
Companion Rib (Skelly): increased resistance to wall-slam damage
Companion Shady (Sisyphus): resource drops now affected by certain Boons; reduced money drops
Touch of Styx (Well): new! Improves healing from Stubborn Defiance
Touch of Styx Dark (Fallen Warrior): new! A superior version of the above
Trove Tracker (Well): no longer offered in the Temple of Styx (Lord Hades wouldn't put troves there)

Pact of Punishment[ | ]

Budget Cuts: cut from game; replaced with...
Routine Inspection: new! Disables Mirror of Night talents, three at a time from the bottom
Benefits Package: new! Gives Dire (a.k.a Armored) foes an assortment of nasty Perks:
Shifter: teleports around from time to time
Bruiser: extra armor
Puller: surrounded by a field that pulls you in
Savior: intermittently makes nearby foes briefly invulnerable
Slugger: hits harder
Speeder: moves and attacks faster
Linker: links to other foes via a continuous beam that damages you
Cloner: summons 1-Life copies of itself
Burner: spews molten puddles
Seeker: ranged attacks track you
Popper: bursts into Exalted Shades that self-destruct
The Condition previously called No Choice now is called Approval Process

Permanent Record[ | ]

new! Added a screen summarizing each of your escape attempts; find it in the House's locked chamber
Note: This is a first-pass version of this screen, which we expect to continue improving in subsequent Major Updates

House Contractor[ | ]

Added items specific to certain subplots...

Fated List of Minor Prophecies[ | ]

Whence Night and Darkness Came: new! Nyx and Chaos shall be reunited
Musician and Muse: new! Orpheus and Eurydice shall be reunited
The Holy King: new! The Aspect of Arthur shall reach the surface
Slashed Benefits: new! Foes with all Benefits Package Perks shall be slain
Denizens of the Deep: new! A variety of fish shall be caught
Dark Reflections: new! Successful escapes shall be completed using all Mirror Talents
End to Torment: aiding Sisyphus is more involved than before (if you haven't done this yet)
Updated requirements to fulfill several other Prophecies (won't affect you if you've already fulfilled them)

Level Design & Environments[ | ]

Added two new chambers to Asphodel
It is easier to reliably dash across gaps in several Temple of Styx chambers
Updated, clearer cover layout in the Final Boss chamber
The lounge's kitchen area in the House of Hades is easier to get to
You can now get into one of the locked chambers in the House of Hades...
Other minor fixes and improvements to various chambers

Art & Visual FX[ | ]

Updated main menu based on new Major Update
Added new portraits and character model for Nyx
Added new character model and animations for Hypnos
Added new animations for Dusa
Added some new animations for Lord Hades
Added unique art, animation, and VFX for the Twin Fists and its Aspects
Added unique art, animation, and VFX for the Aspect of Arthur (Blade)
Updated the look of Olympian Boon pick-ups
Updated the look of the House Contractor screen
Updated the look of the Well of Charon screen
Updated the look of the Pool of Purging screen
Updated the look of the Fated List screen
Updated the look of information panels (e.g. the one that says THERE IS NO ESCAPE)
Added presentation while resetting offered choices using Fated Persuasion (Mirror)
Added and updated some icons in the Mirror of Night and Pact of Punishment
Added graphical icons for various new Boons, Aspects, and Upgrades
Updated the look of one of the locked doors in the House of Hades
Made various improvements, detailed below, that in aggregate should improve clarity during combat
Updated on-hit visual effects (they are cleaner and now have directionality)
Updated on-hit visual effects for rapid-fire attacks
Updated on-hit visual effects for foes with Armor
Updated visual effects when foes are slain
Updated the look of damage shroud (i.e., when you get hit; this no longer reduces visibility as much)
Updated the look of the Power Shot full-screen effect (not as jarring as before)
Updated the look of Trap floor panels (they should be easier to spot)
Foes' Summoning Circles now are sized relative to the foe; they have varying sound effects as well
Minor improvements to the look of the Underworld Map between regions
Minor improvements to Weapon Unlock presentation
Other minor visual changes, fixes, and improvements

Menus & UI[ | ]

Updated Mirror of Night screen and presentation based on new functionality
Added category-specific indicators when House Contractor has new items or is sold out
Added reminder to activate Legendary Keepsakes in certain contexts
Added feedback when failing to power up Pierced Butterfly (Thanatos) or Lambent Plume (Hermes)
Added ammo-regeneration indicator while using Stygian Soul (Mirror)
Improved sorting of resources along right screen edge
Improved feedback using Charged Throw (Spear)
Made various improvements, detailed below, that in aggregate should improve clarity during combat
Updated Damage Numbers presentation to reduce clutter (successive damage now ticks up a single number)
Updated Boon Sidebar to show only relevant Boons (everything is still in the Boon Info screen)
Updated Status Curse stack feedback on foes
Other minor fixes, changes, and improvements

Music & SFX[ | ]

Added new sound effects for the Twin Fists
Added new sound effects for the Aspect of Arthur (Blade)
Updated sound effects for the Well of Charon and Purging Pool
Updated sound effects for the House Contractor
Updated sound effects for some attacks from spurned Olympians
Added and updated ambient sounds in some chambers
Other minor changes, fixes, and mix improvements

Voice & Narrative[ | ]

Extended Affinity Gauges for Nyx, Chaos, Artemis, and Zeus (you can give them more gifts)
Added many narrative events (with Nyx, Chaos, Orpheus, Eurydice, Artemis, Zeus, Hades, and more)
Added new Remembrance sequences (when Lord Hades appears at the start of some escape attempts)
Added several new Duo Boon interactions for some pairings
Added many new Zagreus voice lines to various contexts for additional variety
Added more voiceover variety in the Final Boss encounter
Added Codex entry for Malphon, the Twin Fists
Added Codex entries for Underworld Regions (i.e., various locations)
Added Codex entries for River Denizens (i.e., fish)
Added Codex entries for Fables (use Legendary Keepsakes to unlock these)
Updated Codex entry for Nyx
Added utterly nightmarish new Flashback Sequence...
Added yet another new Early Access Ending variant
Minor changes to effects on Nyx voiceover
Updated requirements and other minor changes to various narrative events
Fixes and tuning to various contextual voice events
Added several missing subtitles

New Settings[ | ]

Added Master Volume setting to Settings
Added Screen Shake toggle to Settings

Miscellaneous[ | ]

Updated Development Roadmap to reflect our plans for our next Major Update, slated for June
Added community-translated content in some languages (translations are ongoing for newer content)
Added a number of new Victory Screen Commendations
Lord Hades will sometimes judge the shades gathered in his Great Hall
Dusa and Megaera will sometimes be gossiping in the lounge
Hypnos will sometimes fall back asleep
Wretched Broker now has a Limited Time Offer letting you exchange Darkness for Gemstones
While switching auto-aim targets with the Bow and Rail, Zagreus quickly rotates instead of snapping (this is a cosmetic change with no effect on aim speed)
Urns can now be broken as a result of some knock-away effects (not just direct attack)
Added a visual hint when trying to exit chambers before collecting the reward
Keepsake Screen no longer shows available Ambrosia before it can be used there
Minor improvements to door interact presentation in the Temple of Styx
Minor improvements to Rod of Fishing presentation
Sisyphus now tosses items in your general direction
Updated Credits with additional Community Contributors (Thank you for all your help!!)
References to lava changed to magma (as is well known, magma is beneath the earth, lava is above it)
Various text fixes, updates, and clarifications

Bug Fixes[ | ]

Fixed lag issues using Switch Pro controllers (if you run into input issues, please report them by pressing F10)
Fixed rare instances of foes taking wall-slam damage multiple times from a single knock-away effect
Fixed damage effects playing after Death Defiance activation, rather than before
Fixed Splendid Lyre sometimes not making a sound when used
Fixed God of War (Fated List) coming from Artemis rather than Ares
Fixed an issue where gifting Thanatos during an escape attempt made him noninteractive in the House
Fixed being able to use exits in some Chambers while using the Rod of Fishing
Fixed certain story events in the Prince's Bedchambers not queuing properly
Fixed issues toggling some House Decor items from the House Contractor
Fixed a graphical issue exiting the Temple of Styx
Fixed a visual issue where Chill effects would tint a character's speech bubble
Fixed a visual issue when Wave-Makers are affected by Chill effects
Fixed weapon charge-up sounds sometimes persisting between chambers
Many other minor fixes

Quote of the Patch[ | ]

“	Nyx, whom the Romans called Nox, is a scarcely personified abstraction... Alone she spawned a large and generally unpleasant brood that included Moros (Doom), Thanatos (Death), Hypnos (Sleep), the Fates, and Nemesis.	„
	~ Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology (E. Tripp)

Note: You should see v0.26754 in-game once you have the update.