The King of Darkness gets a variety of weapons and abilities in Aeterna Noctis, and the Night Cloak is one of the most useful — it’ll finally let you enter those black-purple zones found all across the map. Of course, you’ll need to unlock it first. Doing so involves something a bit spoiler-y, so consider this your spoiler warning. Learn where to find the Nigh Cloak after the screenshot below.
You’ll earn the night cloak in The Abyss. This is a fairly linear area, the only path open to you at first takes you east into the room pictured above. There you’ll “face your fear” and fight a shadow version of yourself in a tough boss fight. Here’s how to win.
Your other self can use your entire arsenal, but he’s even stronger. His trickiest attack involves summoning spikes along the floor — you’ll know it’s coming when you hear a shimmering sound. When this happens, jump to one of the walls and either cling in place or keep jumping to stay off the ground. He’ll fly across the screen, creating a streak of darkness and sending more darkness all along the opposite wall. To dodge, double jump and dash toward the opposite wall and use a Crystal Arrow to teleport all the way over. This attack is a bit confusing at first, but the timing isn’t so bad once you actually know how to avoid the spikes and cloud.
The boss’s other attacks are simpler. He may hover in the middle of the screen and summon a large version of the shuriken. You can’t outrun this, so use Crystal Arrows to stay clear. He may also fire his own arrows at you, hopping along the wall and crossing the room as he does. These come at you fast, so keep your distance to maximize the spread of the arrows and slip through when they get close. If you see spikes appear on the sides of the room, be prepared for a few different attacks. He will slam down with the spear two to four times in a row — sidestep and use quick jumps to avoid the wave of energy it sends out. He can also teleport behind you and attack with the shuriken, or appear nearby and swing his sword in a three-hit combo. In all cases, your best bet is to keep moving and not let him get the drop on you.
Finally, your other self may try to heal. You’ll be bounced to the edge of the screen (this can’t be avoided), as he starts charging up in the center. You can jump or teleport between the moving shadow columns at this point, and if you reach the middle and hit him before the charge finishes, you’ll prevent him from healing. If you can’t make it, don’t worry: he only heals for one hit, and he can only do it twice during the fight.
This boss battle is very difficult, but it is winnable. Be ready to dodge a variety of attacks and get in your own when there’s a safe window, and you’ll eventually finish off your fear. Once he’s down, you’ll receive the Night Cloak, which lets you enter those shadowy black-purple areas you’ve seen during your adventure. It’ll make navigating parts of The Abyss much easier too.
