Welcome to Astral Chain, Platinum Games' stylish action RPG where you play as a rookie cop in a futuristic city, tasked with fighting extradimensional threats called Chimeras. You'll be diving into the Astral Plane, wielding a special weapon called a Legion, and coordinating its attacks with your own to take down these dangerous creatures. It's a fast-paced, combo-driven experience that demands quick reflexes and strategic use of your linked Legion.
This guide will help you navigate every aspect of your investigation, from the early missions like File 3: Link and File 6: Complicit to the later challenges in File 8: Peace and File 11: Reckoning. We'll cover how to find all the hidden collectibles, master the combat system, and conquer every file to achieve the best possible outcome.
FAQ
Find answers to common questions about Astral Chain, including game rating, controls, currency, and how to progress. Your ultimate guide to Astral Chain.
Q: What is Astral Chain?
A: Astral Chain is a stylish action game for the Nintendo Switch, developed by Platinum Games and published by Nintendo. It was released worldwide on August 30th, 2019.
Q: What is this game rated?
A: This game is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB, with added content descriptors of Drug Reference, Language, Use of Alcohol, and Violence. The game is a futuristic action setting with lots of lasers, guns, and explosions. The majority of the violence is done to odd robot creatures, although some of the human characters get injured and killed. Some characters get stabbed through, but there is no blood or any real gore.
Q: You mention compass directions in this guide, but I can't find a compass! How do I know where to go?
A: Go to your Options and turn off the map rotation. The map will appear in a fixed angle, and I've declared the tops of all those maps to be "north", just to make things a little simpler.
Q: How can I access old Files?
A: Go to your character's PC in the Briefing Room and select "File Select". If you're in the progress of the story and select an old file to return to, then you'll erase your current progress in the current File. Upon returning, you'll begin that file from the beginning. For the most part, you're not allowed to access File Select if you're too deep in the current file. Once you've completed the game, this ceases to be an issue.
Q: How can I get more money?
A: One important thing to remember is that you can sell your items at any shop in the game. In particular, you should be selling items that say they "can be recycled" are listed under the "Salvage" tab in your items. Some of these items sell for a considerable amount of money. Beyond that, things like completing extra cases and collecting the Red Matter in every File work towards collecting money as you go.
Q: How can I get more Duty Points?
A: The basic "experience points" of this game, there's no "cheap" way to get more Duty Points. You simply earn them by completing Cases and Files. You will not likely reach Master rank if you go through every File once, but if you're going for 100%, you'll be going back to these Files multiple times, so it shouldn't be a problem.
Q: How can I get more Gene Codes?
A: The currency for upgrading your Legions, Gene Codes are earned upon killing enemies. In particular, you gain a considerable number of Gene Codes for "finishing off" your enemies when the prompt appears on a Chimera enemy, moreso than if you just defeated them normally. Other than that, there aren't very many "cheap" ways of getting them, although defeating each Slime Chimera gets you 777, which isn't too shabby.
Q: How can I get more Material Codes (Common/Rare/Premium)?
A: The outright simplest way to get more Material Codes is to take the Cases in the post-game content. Each Case gets you Material Codes of various types. The longer way is to back and search through old Files for items you may have missed. Material Codes are all over the place, BUT there are not enough in the main story to get every last thing upgraded, so you'll be hitting the post-game eventually. Don't worry; there's far more than enough there in the post-game to get everything maxed out.
Controls and Techniques
Master Astral Chain's mechanics and combat with this detailed guide to controls and techniques. Learn advanced moves and movement.
Everything in Astral Chain is taught to you as you progress, but some mechanics have nuances that can be easily forgotten. This guide is intended as a reference to help you remember these mechanics when needed.
- Use this section as a reference when you are having difficulty with a particular mechanic or need to remember something you have forgotten.
- Do not feel obligated to read through this entire section at once, as there is a lot of information.
Basic Controls
Quickly reference and master all the basic controls for Astral Chain, including movement, combat actions, Legion commands, and camera controls. Your essential guide!
Alright, so Astral Chain throws a lot at you, but the game does a pretty good job of teaching you the ropes as you go. Still, it's easy to forget a button or two when things get hectic. Here's a quick rundown of the essential controls so you can keep your head in the game.
| Controls | Action |
| Left Stick | Move your character around. Click it while standing still to crouch, or while moving to sprint. Handy for navigating environments quickly or getting into cover. |
| Right Stick | This is your camera control. Use it to look around the environment. Clicking it resets the camera behind your character, and clicking it again while locked onto an enemy will snap the camera to that enemy. Essential for keeping track of multiple threats. |
| A Button | Your main interaction button. Use it to talk to people, pick up items, and importantly, to perform Finishing Blows on weakened enemies. Timing these is key! |
| B Button | Your dodge button. Use this to evade enemy attacks. Don't just stand there and take it – a well-timed dodge can save you a lot of health. |
| X Button | This button lets you use an active item you have equipped. Hold it down, and you'll bring up the Item Wheel, letting you quickly select which consumable you want to use. Keep an eye on your health and use items strategically. |
| Y Button | Switches your active Legion. You can cycle through them with a quick press. Hold it down to bring up the Legion Wheel, which lets you select a specific Legion if you have multiple available. Your Legions are your best friends, so know who to call on! |
| ZR Button | This is your primary Player Attack button. Mash it to unleash combos and deal damage. |
| ZL Button | This is your Legion command button. A quick press can summon your Legion, send it out to attack, or recall it. A synchronized press with an attack initiates a powerful Sync Attack. Mastering these is do-or-die for high-level play. |
| R Button | Dismisses your currently active Legion. Sometimes you just need to focus on your own attacks, or reposition your Legion. |
| L Button | Activates your Legion's Special Action. Each Legion has unique abilities, so experiment with this button to see what they can do! |
| Control Pad Up/Down | Cycles through your available Player Weapons. Different situations call for different tools, so be ready to switch on the fly. |
| Control Pad Left | Opens up your Police Notes. This is where you'll find mission objectives, clues, and other important information. Don't ignore it! |
| Control Pad Right | Activates Photo Mode, but only if you have the camera item equipped. Perfect for capturing those epic moments. |
| + Button | Toggles IRIS Vision. This is super important for spotting hidden enemies, items, and environmental clues. Use it often! |
| - Button | Brings up the Pause Menu. Take a breather, check your status, or adjust settings. |
Menus
Astral Chain menus guide covering Main, Pause, PC, and Options menus. Learn about items, legions, and settings.
Main Menu
You will only have access to the Main Menu after the game saves once.
- New Game - Start a new Save File
- Load - Load up a previously stored Save File
- Options - Access the Options Menu (see below under Pause Menu)
PC Menu
This is accessed from the player's PC in Neuron:
- Archives
Pause Menu
This can be opened at most points using the Minus Button:
- Map - The map shows your current location and travelling areas that you can access. There are icons marking the player, Cases (colored red and blue), points of interest in the environment (like vending machines or elevators), and your objective. Furthermore, there's a tally in the upper-left that shows your progress in the File with Red Matter Cleanup, the File's Cases, and the discovered Items in the area.
- Item - This displays all items currently carried. When you select a Recovery Item, you'll have the option of using it right there or registering it on your Item Wheel for later access. You can also register Combat Items on your wheel, but can only use them from the Item Wheel. Items are divided into five types:
- Recovery Items - These heal damage and can also be used for your Legion in some cases. Drinks purchased from vending machines can also supply short-term buffs and debuffs.
- Combat Items - Items that can be deployed in combat to cause damage or protect you.
- Materials - Keep track of the Material Codes you've found here.
- Salvage Items - These items are largely junk that you can sell at shops. Cat Food, however, you might want to hang on to.
- Key Items - These are items that are used in the story or cosmetic items. They cannot be used or discarded. They just remain in your inventory.
- Legion - This section shows all your current Legions and a quick look at their stats, including level, attack, defense, and equipped Legion Skills. Furthermore, you can access:
- Legion Learning - From here you can go to each Legion's Skill Tree and spend Gene Code and Material Code to teach the Legions new Skills. More info is available in each Legion's section.
- Assign Skills - From here, you can assign up to two equippable Skills for each Legion. More info is available in each Legion's section.
- Abilities - These are largely passive buffs you can find out in the field and equip on your Legions, typically earned from defeat
- Reorganize - When you earn Legions, they're each assigned to a slot on the Legion Wheel, as well as a space in the rotation. You can use this section to change the organization, which will also change the order in which they appear when the Y Button is pressed to switch them.
- Status - In this section, you can view your current profile's stats, including your rank, money and other currencies, and upgrade levels for your X-Baton and Legatus. You can also access Orders, this game's achievement system.
- Co-Op - This allows you to initiate Co-Op play, where one person controls the player character, and another the active Legion. Co-op is not good in this game and should be avoided.
- System
- Options - Access the Options Menu (below)
- Help - Access helpful gameplay information, including a stockpile of combat info.
- Load - Load up last save file. This game autosaves, so your last save is usually the last time you accessed the menu.
- File Options - Only accessible on a second run through the File, this allows you to abort the current File, go to File Results, and return to the latest File you've accessed.
- Return to Title - Quit the game and go back to the title screen.
- Unchained Mode - This is accessible only on Casual difficulty. In this mode, you can set several game parameters to occur automatically. This can be useful for people who have difficulty with this game's combat, but reminder that you will not be ranked on Casual Difficulty.
Options Menu
Change various settings in the game. Individual options can be set each for TV Mode and Handheld Mode.
Basic Settings
- Brightness - Adjust the brightness of the display.
- Vibration - Choose whether your controller vibrates in play.
- Legatus Menu Map Default - With this turned on, whenever you hit the Minus Button in gameplay, you'll immediately go to the map. If it's off, you'll go to the last menu you accessed.
- Autoplay Voiced Text - With this turned on, voiced text will auto-advance to the next line without needing input once it finishes.
- Autoplay Silent Text - With this turned on, any non-voiced text will auto-advance to the next line without needing input.
- Text Display Type - "Text Scroll" feeds the text in over the course of the speaking. "Instant" displays the entire line at once.
- Fixed Map Screen Display -
- Fixed Minimap (the small circular map in the bottom-left corner of your screen) Display -
- Subtitle Background Display - With this turned on, subtitles will have a background behind them to make them easier to read, but can also block some of the in-game graphics.
Camera
- Camera X/Y Axis - If "Normal" then tilting the Right Stick in a direction will move the "camera itself" in that direction, meaning tilting to the right will move the camera to the right, and shift the perspective to the left. "Inverted" reverses this.
- Camera X/Y Rotation Speed - Adjusts the speed the camera moves when tilted.
- Aiming Camera X/Y Rotation Speed - Adjusts the speed the camera moves specifically in any aiming, such as the Sword or Arrow Legion skills.
- Camera Auto-Reset Speed - This adjusts how quickly the camera will move to a game-specified perspective while moving around.
- Fixed Camera in Combat - With this turned on, the camera will not move or rotate while in combat.
- Fixed Player Position -
- Follow Enemy Under Attack -
Controls - Allows you to choose from four presets of controls. This guide assumes you're using Preset A.
Audio
- BGM Volume/SFX Volume/Voice Volume - Allows you to adjust the various audio levels.
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