DEAD END BEAM

In a distant region exists a place where light never reaches. Everyone knows it, yet no one fully understands it. A girl lingers there, chasing something elusive. Within the dark, a strange duet of “dark” and “light” unfolds: the dark mutates to threaten, while the light becomes a blade that answers the girl's call. She forges deeper into the night, guided by a shimmer of light as she searches for the meaning behind it all.

Battle timeline and waves

Combat unfolds on a visible timeline where both enemies and allies act. When an icon reaches the right edge, the action occurs. Attacks and defenses have startup and recovery times, and the commands you can use on your turn appear according to conditions you set in a tactical layout. Each WAVE comprises three foes; defeat all to claim a reward and advance. The final WAVE hides a boss; defeating it opens the path to the next stage.

Three stances for tactical construction

The core of strategy lies in three interlocking stances. You build your battle by constraining enemy actions, their timing, your own HP and SP, and even random factors. A pyramid of conditions guides which commands appear during combat. Each presented command carries a specific stance:

• Aggressive — enhances offensive commands.
• Insight — strengthens defensive commands.
• Overdrive — powers EX commands.

Adapt to the battlefield: defend when enemies close in, attack or heal when they’re stalled. Skillful setup makes the right command appear at the right moment, maximizing impact during every turn.

Attack commands and attributes

Each attack command bears an attribute:

• Light — short wind-up and minimal window for error.
• Solid — baseline power; can cancel the opponent’s Light attacks.
• Brutal — high power, but long startup and a greater risk of counterattack.

Special timing yields extra effects: hit during an enemy’s attack prep for Counter, disrupt their setup for Break, or strike while they’re stunned for Punish. Use status effects like Burn and Freeze to tilt battles in your favor.

Growth, echoes, and retries

Earn experience from battles and allocate it to the three stances to strengthen them. Raising a stance level unlocks new skills. Battle rewards include Echo, a versatile effect that chains with combinations to unleash powerful bonuses.

Even if defeat comes, you’re not out. By spending a lamp, you can retry, reassess the enemy’s traits, and rework your tactical construction to press deeper into the darkness.