Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Guide: Yusnaan Quests and How to Beat Snow
This comprehensive walkthrough covers the Yusnaan main quests, and how to defeat Snow to gain the Ghostly Hood.
This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.
Need help with Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII? You've come to the right place. USgamer has a fully comprehensive walkthrough of the game, conveniently split into multiple parts. Here's where you can find the rest of the walkthrough, including details about each area's main quests and strategies on defeating the bosses there, step-by-step guides to each areas's side quests, plus a full guide to the epic Canvas of Prayers quest line.
Now on with this part of the guide.
After the initial cut scene, your first objective is to find a way into the palace. Head to the location marker just north of The Augur's Quarter. When you reach the Champion's Quarter, a cut scene begins, followed by a battle against a Flanitor and a Personal Guard. There are many similar battles like this as you approach the Augur's Quarter. In each battle, Target the Flanitors first because they heal the Guards.
When you arrive at the location marked on the map, speak with the Knowledgeable Tourist. He instructs you to find the Tour Guide. Turn around and head back down the stairs, then take a right at the first intersection. Just ahead on the right, you'll see a man dressed in purple with a party hat on, playing an instrument. This is the Tour Guide. Speak with him and pay 2,000 gil to purchase a Sneaking-In Special Ticket in order to progress the main quest.
You need to be at the meeting place in the Industrial Area gate at 6 PM. The location is now marked on your map. There's a guard standing at the location. Speak to him to advance the time to 6 PM. Speak with him again, then head through the door and engage the enemies within as you make your way north to the new location marker on your map.
When you reach the marker, climb the ladder and look to your left to find an EP item sphere below. Jump down to the platform and open the sphere to obtain the Fencer's Earrings, then head back around and up the ladder again. Head down the stairs to the right, then down the next ladder and continue toward the next location marker to initiate a cut scene followed by a battle against the Cyclops.
There isn't much to the Cyclops battle. It can't even be considered a boss battle, as it's almost more of a mid-boss or a cinematic battle. The best strategy is to Perfect Guard it's club attacks. If you have any physical resistance spells, abilities or gear, they come in handy for this fight. He staggers after getting hit with repeated physical attacks, and as long as you do well to Perfect Guard his club attacks, you should be able to make quick work of the Cyclops.
After the Cyclops battle, you're left in the Warehouse District. Drop down and head forward, then make a right the first chance you get. There are a few items on the ground here, but you can climb the containers in this area to find an item sphere at the top. Inside the sphere is a Sight's Circlet.
Follow the location markers on your map until you reach the skeletons on the ground next to a shiny object. Pick up the object to obtain an ID Card, then continue to follow the map markers to get out of the Warehouse District. Use the ID Card to open the gate in the underground tunnel, then head up the ladder to find yourself in the Reveler's Quarter.
Head over the location marker just north of the Augur's Quarter before 22:00 to initiate a cut-scene. Look under the Statue of God in the center of the area to find an item sphere that holds a Corundum Pin. Check out the General Store and Outfitter to purchase items if need be, then head up the stairs on the northwest corner, near the General Store. At the top of the stairs is the director. You need to speak with him by 00:30.
Just behind the director and to the right is a dead end alley. Jump down into the alley to find an item sphere the holds the Demon Earrings. Grab the item, then head up the stairs on the northeast corner of the area to find an item sphere the holds the Thorn of Will.
Once you've collected the item, head over to the new location marker on your map to speak with the fireworks boss nearby. You need to do this between 19:00 and 00:30. After the cut-scene with the fireworks boss, you're tasked with collecting 10 fireworks. There are a multitude of ways you can collect them.
-Four fireworks and the Miqo'te Dress garb: Head to the Back Alley south of the Reveler's Quarter and Fountain Square. Examine the poster on the west wall to get the Chocobo Girl's
Phone No. key item. Speak with the Chocobo Girl nearby, then head to the Champion's Quarter and speak with the Chocobo Girl south of the Forge. The next Chocobo Girl is found east of the Outfitter on the south side of Glutton's Quarter, and the final Chocobo Girl is located east of the General Store near Yusnaan Station.
-Seven fireworks: Complete the Fireworks for a Steal side quest.
-Two - Four fireworks: Follow the location markers on the map and speak to the respective people.
Once you have at least 10 fireworks, speak to the fireworks boss again. Head back up the stairs to speak with the director. You need to head over to the Slaughterhouse and speak to Slaughterhouse Zoe to begin the Fighting Actress side quest. Defeat the Gremlins, then the Anubys and finally the Zaltys.
With the enemies defeated, you acquire the Midnight Mauve garb. You don't have to head back to the director until 03:00, so feel free to explore and complete side quests in the meantime.
When you're ready, switch to the Midnight Mauve garb and make it your default schemata, then speak with the director again and choose to skip ahead to 03:00 to obtain the Femme Fatale weapon and trigger another cut-scene. At the conclusion of the cut-scene, you find yourself in Hero's Garden. Make any necessary changes to your schemata, then head into the Chaos to reach the item sphere in the southwest corner. It holds a Thorn of Courage.
Head back through the Chaos and over to the location marker on the map. Head up the stairs and to the left, then follow the hallway around until you get to the next big room. As soon as you enter, Chaos fills the room and enemies appear. When you fight an enemy in the Chaos, they are significantly stronger, so avoid confrontations whenever possible.
Continue to follow the location markers on the map. At this point, you're taking the same path you did at the beginning of the game. When you reach the door you were stopped at during the opening sequence, examine the button on the right.
You must be careful in the next area because the Chaos is even thicker, which means the enemies will be even stronger. Again, try to avoid encounters with enemies as much as possible.
When you reach the room with the switch, examine it, then head through the doorway to the south. When you reach the next room, climb the ladder to the left, then circle around to reach an item sphere at the end of the path on the left. The sphere contains the Flamestrike Level 2 ability.
Drop down into the room and head through the eastern doorway. When you reach the next room, use the stack of boxes on the left to reach the hallway above. Continue straight as the hallway wraps around and follow it until you see the switch at the very end. Examine the switch to open the door, then drop down and head west.
Head right to reach the item sphere containing Heavy Guard Level 2. Drop back down into the room and head through the western doorway again. This time, turn left and head into the next room. Drop down and head to the boxes across the way. Continue to the left, but ignore the first ladder. Head down the hallway instead and destroy the containers blocking the next ladder.
Climb up the ladder, examine the switch and open the item sphere to obtain a Frostbane Choker. Head through the north doorway and jump over the boxes to initiate a cut-scene with the Supplier. You can purchase recovery items from this person, including Hi-Potions.
Head up the stairs to initiate another cut-scene. Once it concludes, head east to find an item sphere that holds the Prophecy of Aspiration (information on the upcoming boss). Turn around and head up the ladder, continue into the next room and up another ladder. Follow the path around to the control panel and examine it. Head south and defeat the enemies in the next room, then continue down the path and toward the Patron's Chambers.
Examine the table to initiate another cinematic, then drop down and climb up the crates to the east. Head up the ladder and continue to the north. Interacting with the door ahead will begin the boss battle against Snow.
Boss Battle: How to Beat Snow
Reward: 10,000 gil, Maximum EP +1, Maximum HP +300, Maximum ATB +10, Strength +112, Magic +28
Compared to some of the other battles in Lightning Returns, the battle against Snow isn't too difficult. Before you initiate the battle, equip magic and gear that protects against physical attacks and Ice-based spells. Snow is weak to Fire-based attacks, so equip any Fire spells or offensive abilities you have available to you.
The beginning of the fight should be handled like any other fight. Perfect Guard when you can, and focus on using physical attacks as much as possible. Once Snow begins to use Chaos Charge, attack relentlessly with physical strikes. Landing a stagger here is crucial. As soon as Snow is staggered, unleash a barrage of magic attacks to maximize your damage.
If you cannot stagger now during Chaos Charge, his next few attacks inflict significant damage, so do whatever you can to evade or Perfect Guard them. Once he reaches 50 perfect health, he gains additional resistance to your attacks, as well as several multi-hitting attacks. Be prepared to Perfect Guard multiple times in a row to defend against him.
After the battle, examine the object to the left to obtain the Ghostly Hood.
This article was compiled with help from Prima Games
You can find many more hints and tips in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, plus strategy guides and over 65,000 cheat codes, unlocks, achievements, trophies, Easter eggs and secrets at Prima Games.