Illusion at Journey's End

Starting the Mission: First things first, select the mission. The game will give you a rundown on mission levels and rewards, which is good to keep in mind.

Chaos Shrine - Temple of the Dead: You'll start in the Chaos Shrine, specifically the Temple of the Dead. You can break items like pots by attacking or dodging into them. Soon, you'll find your first Cube. These are your checkpoints. Touching a Cube restores your HP and MP, but be warned: it also revives any enemies you've defeated and despairs any items you haven't picked up yet. Dying will send you back to the last Cube you touched. You can also save your game here and access the full menu.

First Encounters: Push forward and you'll run into a Goblin. You've probably fought these before in the tutorial, so you should have a basic idea of how to handle them. After defeating it, consider resetting the Cube and fighting it again a few times. This is a great way to level up your current Job and unlock new skills or passives from its Job tree using the skill tree.

More Goblins and a Chest: Move past the first Goblin to find two more. There's an orange orb nearby with a helpful tip. After defeating these two, head up the stairs on the west path. A Goblin will be throwing rocks at you from above. Remember, you can use Soul Shield to instantly gain abilities from certain attacks. At the top of the stairs, you'll find a chest containing the Twilight Tunic (Lv. 3). Any new armor is usually better than what you've got, so equip it!

Dark Aura and Goblin Guard: Climb further up and then jump down where another Goblin is waiting. Nearby, you'll spot a Dark Aura attached to the wall. A Goblin Guard will emerge from its mouth. The tip you found earlier will explain that these enemies can't be staggered with normal attacks. You'll need to rely on Soul Shield, your allies (Resonance), and special attacks. If you're using a Greatsword and have invested in the skill tree, Onslaught is a good option, but it really depends on your personal style and weapon choice.

Destroying the Dark Maw: After dealing with the Goblin Guard, destroy the Dark Aura's break gauge and use Soul Burst to get rid of it. The Goblin Guard might drop a Greatsword (Lv. 4), likely an upgrade.

Second Cube and More Enemies: Continue up the stairs revealed after defeating the enemy to reach the 2nd Cube. Head down the stairs from here to find a one-way path back to the starting area and a chest with Twilight Bracers.

Bomb Enemies: Head back up from the 2nd Cube and you'll encounter a new enemy: Bomb. These fire-spitting enemies can be a real pain, and they're tough to stagger. However, they have a big weakness: when they use the purple command "Fire," use Soul Shield to absorb it and then fire all three instant attacks back at them. They'll explode on the spot! Make sure to keep some distance when they do this. From this point on, enemies will start dropping equipment regularly, so I'll stop mentioning every single piece unless it's particularly noteworthy.

Corridor of Fools: Enter the doorway nearby to reach the Corridor of Fools. This area is packed with those same flame enemies (Bombs). Use the same tactics, but be aware that the threat increases as you go further in, with up to three Bombs and Goblins attacking simultaneously. Pay attention to what each enemy is doing and consider sending both allies into Resonance to help manage the crowd.

Alternative Path and Chests: After the first Bomb in this corridor, there's a path leading outside. Ignore it for now and proceed. You'll find a room to your left containing a chest with better weapons and armor, specifically for Jed or Jack when using Daggers. Continue through the corridor, dealing with the threats. There's another chest here with Fist weapons.

Third Cube and Safer Path: If you open the door at the end of the corridor, you'll reach the 3rd Cube. Now, backtrack to the path leading outside (the first one you passed). Defeat the Goblins and the Dark Maw there to Soul Break it and lower a pillar. This creates a safer path through the corridor back to the 3rd Cube. Continue along the lowered pillar, defeat more Goblins and a Bomb to deal with the next Dark Maw, then destroy that pillar. This brings you back to the 3rd Cube with fewer Bomb-related hazards.

Rare Enemies and New Paths: Save at the 3rd Cube. Nearby, you'll see a green, Cactus-like enemy in a strange pose. These are rare enemies that flee when you approach but drop rare equipment if you defeat them.

Mage Job and Fire Obstacles: From the 3rd Cube, take a different corridor. You'll find a chest with a Mace weapon. Ahead, a path of fire blocks your way. This is where you'll want to equip Jack with the Mage job. Remember that abilities and stat bonuses from two equipped jobs carry over, but each job has a different break gauge and equipment sets. To use magic, hold R2 and aim, then select the element with the left stick. Use your magic to clear the fire blocking your path.

Water vs. Bombs and Job Affinities: You'll encounter more Bombs ahead. Water spells work great against them, and you can also use your own fire spells to make them explode, though this consumes MP. Nearby, there's a chest with equipment that has Job Affinities. These are special stats that increase buffs when you equip a specific job, making your gear more specialized.

Shrine of Bygone Light: Open the door nearby to enter the Shrine of Bygone Light. Below you, you'll see a Dark Maw on a pillar. Destroy it, and the pillar will fall. To the left, you'll find a new enemy, a Wolf. Go back to the fallen pillar and walk across it to reach a chest with equipment perfect for a Caster job.