What is the Shakti System?
Hindsight 20/20 is a game that draws inspiration from Indian lore. “Shakti” is a Hindi word that means power. It is this power that you can collect and build up to unleash overwhelming attacks on your enemies.
Everyone in this world has within themselves a certain amount of Shakti. Jehan can extract this power from his enemies in a concentrated form - Shakti pickups. When Jehan gets close to one of these amber treasures, it will be drawn to him and absorbed into his own reservoir of Shakti.
Drawing out the Shakti
Each combat style has a different way to accomplish this(for more details, see our last update - Player Weapons).
If Jehan reaches the sixth hit in a combo chain with the stun baton, he’ll perform a Spell of Sentience. Every opponent affected by this spell will spawn a Shakti pickup.
When using the sword, any enemy Jehan kills with the 6th hit in a combo will spawn a Shakti pickup.
There is one more way to spawn Shakti. Some special enemies will spawn Shakti no matter how you defeat them. We don’t want to ruin the fun though. We’ll let you discover them on your own!
The Shakti meter
The Shakti meter keeps track of how much Shakti power you have accumulated. When you collect Shakti pickups you’ll see that meter fill up, and as you use Shakti you will drain it. How do you use Shakti? One way is to execute Shakti Specials.
Shaki Specials
Each weapon has a set of unique unlockable Shakti Specials. You can unlock specials for a weapon by simply using it. The more you use your weapon, the more specials you will unlock for it. It will take, approximately, an entire playthrough of the game to unlock all the specials for one weapon. Fortunately, you retain those abilities through every subsequent playthrough. Your second playthrough of the game can be a chance to unlock all the Shakti specials of the other weapon… or a chance to dominate your enemies with your newfound abilities!
The Stun Baton’s Shakti Specials
Merciful Special 1 - Divinity
Execute a three hit combo to perform a spell that zaps your opponents into submission.
Merciful Special 2 - Aura of Power
An aura of power surrounds you and allows you to defeat up to 6 enemies with just a touch.
Merciful Special 3 - Homing Stun Projectiles
Launch a spread of 4 intelligent projectiles that choose their targets and chase them.
Merciful Special 4 - Bless
Your baton rises in the air and shoots rays of energy at your opponents. Every successful hit diminishes their morale.
The Sword’s Shakti Specials
Ruthless Special 1 - Rage of Jehan
Perform devastating 3 hit combo attacks that punish your opponents with their lives.
Ruthless Special 2 - Ring of Swords
Spawn an area of effect of swords that kills most opponents in range.
Ruthless Special 3 - Brutal Death
Unleash your fury by charging at your opponent and slashing them with all of your might.
Ruthless Special 4 - Homing Boomerang Sword
Throw your sword which shall now find and demolish as many enemies as possible upon contact.
The Possibilities
Shakti specials are a great weapon in Jehan’s arsenal, but judicious use can make them even more effective. We leave it to you to discover new and interesting ways to defeat your enemies with Shakti Specials. Here are a few observations that we think will get you started.
- The stun baton’s Aura of Power Shakti Special is a great way to escape from a group of enemies that have clustered around you.
- If distant enemies are giving you trouble, the Homing Boomerang Sword Shakti Special is a great way to dispatch them.
- The Ring of Swords is a simple and brutal way to clear all the enemies surrounding you.
Until next time
We hope you enjoyed this look at Shakti Specials and look forward to you using them in ways we’ve never imagined. But Shakti Specials are just one part of the Shakti System. Our next update will cover the other tools in your Shakti belt.
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