How to Beat All Bosses in Vertigo 2

General Hints

Learning the attack patterns of each boss is crucial to defeating them in the game. Players should take the time to observe and memorize their movements to avoid taking damage. It may take several attempts to get it right, but it’s worth it in the long run. Players should be prepared to teleport or evade the boss’s attacks in various ways.

In addition to evasion tactics, players must also use their best weapons and counter-attack effectively while minimizing the need to reload. This is particularly important in battles with little or no cover. Having auto-reload enabled can be helpful, but players should still reload their best weapon as much as possible. Health items like fruits and pens should be kept in the BAMM slots for quick recovery during the fights.

Modifying the strongest weapons before reaching the boss battles can provide an edge in defeating them. Upgrading the Annihilator (shotgun) with the Semi-Auto upgrade is particularly useful and can be done before encountering the first boss. Players should also enable jumping in the options to escape attacks more effectively.

If a boss battle becomes too challenging, players can change the difficulty setting at any time. It’s important to note that the guide refers to the experience on Hard Difficulty on a fresh save slot, so players will only have access to the weapons available at that time.

List of Boss Battles

As mentioned above, you can select these individually from the Boss Battles list after defeating them.

• Chapter 6 – Maurice
• Chapter 6 – Igneosaur
• Chapter 7 – Centaur
• Chapter 9 – Saplord
• Chapter 10 – Vladimir (when siding with the Collective)
• Chapter 10 – Maharishi Grontho (when siding with the Collective)
• Chapter 10 – General Sintho (when siding with the Church)
• Chapter 12 – Fish Brain
• Chapter 14 – Double Centaur
• Chapter 14 – Hummingbird
• Chapter 14 – The Seer
• Chapter 17 – Joseph Jeffrey
• Chapter 17 – Cyberjoseph

Maurice

To find the secret boss Maurice in Chapter 6, players should make a right as they enter the room before riding the Magma Flow Mixer to the Geological Station. They should pass all the conveyor belts, turn right, and press the skull button on the wall. This will open the next room above the mixer’s catwalk.

Defeating Maurice can be challenging at this point in the game since players only have access to three base weapons and two secret weapons, and there is no cover in the boss arena. Upgrading weapons is essential to succeed in this fight.

Suggested upgrades:

• Annihilator – Bottle Efficiency (hold more ammo)
• Annihilator – Pellet Resonator (damage increase)
• Annihilator – Semi-Auto (no need to rack the shotgun and great before both Chapter 6 boss battles)

If you follow my Weapon Mod Guide, you’ll have other upgrades as well, but these are the most critical.

To defeat Maurice, you have to repeatedly shoot him in the head (you can ignore the legs) while rotating around him to avoid his two scripted attacks.

• Attack 1 – Rapid-fire Fireballs (he machine-gun fires fireballs at you – fairly easy to dodge though he can rotate his head fairly quickly, so consider focusing on evasion and counter right after)
• Attack 2 – Energy Beam (energy discharge attack with AOE damage that can quickly track your position – Your best bet is to teleport behind him as he is about to fire and then counter)

Unload with the shotgun while circling him and teleport spam when the rapid-fire attack is deployed. Learn the timings for the energy discharge attack and teleport to the side or under and behind him to avoid it. You can also make use of the Nostalgia Pistol which is fairly powerful and never needs to be reloaded. Not much else to this one.

Igneosaur

The initial encounter with the Igneosaur is notably challenging, but with proper preparation and understanding of its attacks, defeating it is possible. The battle arena has almost no cover, emphasizing the importance of mobility.

Stocking up on Extinguisher Grenades before the fight is crucial. Collecting two sets of grenades before entering the arena, totaling to ten grenades, will suffice on Hard Difficulty. If you don’t have them already, try to obtain them during the fight. It is advisable to get the ones from the lower floor as climbing the stairways will make you vulnerable to the Igneosaur’s attacks. Additionally, pick up some health pens from the display before entering the boss arena. Finally, switch the Trident to its triple-barrel mode before the fight. Even without any upgrades, the Trident can be used single-handedly as the Igneosaur is large and hard to miss, but primarily, the shotgun is recommended for this battle as it inflicts more damage and is easier to reload.

Familiarizing yourself with the boss’s attack patterns is vital for avoiding them successfully. Note that some of the listed attacks may have been removed in the recent update.

• Attack 1 – Focused Lava Wave (two lowered hands thrusting a wide lava wave aimed at you OR two hands slamming close together after it emerges from the lava – run/jump/teleport to the side to dodge)
• Attack 2 – Split Lava Waves (two raised hands wide apart and slamming into the lava creating two lava waves on the sides – try to stay in between the waves while shooting)
• Attack 3 – Circular Sweep (it reaches out to one side of you and does a semi-circle sweep attack – back up to the wall to avoid)
• Attack 4 – Slam (standing tall with two hands raised close together as it reaches out and slams them down – run/jump/teleport to the side to dodge)
• Attack 5 – Fireballs (standing tall and opening and closing its mouth – these will be aimed accurately based on your movements so you have to mix them up to dodge, though teleport may work best)
• Attack 6 – Fire Beam (Its most deadly attack. A pre-fire beam will be aimed at you before the real blast shoots out over a couple of seconds and this attack is typically used when you climb the stairs or are elevated high up in some way – run/jump/teleport to the side to dodge)
• Final Attack – After you disable it, it spins in a circle and shoots a beam of fire which you can duck to avoid.

There are various potential attacks that you need to be aware of so that you can time your evasive moves and shooting. Your initial strategy should be to shoot it as much as possible while dodging its attacks. Since it has no weak spots, you can hit it anywhere. Eventually, it will take enough damage and produce a yellow shimmering shield around itself. When this happens, use extinguisher grenades to eliminate the shield. Repeat this process until it is defeated.

Due to the slowly filling lava in the room, you need to climb up a set of stairs and teleport into the hole that has formed. While navigating through the fence maze, use teleportation to dodge the Fire Beam attack. Once you get above it, you’ll be in a safe spot. Obtain the Extinguisher Grenades and drop one into the creature’s open mouth to kill it. After it’s dead, you can discard any remaining Extinguisher Grenades as you won’t need them anymore.

Centaur

You will have to fight the Centaur in the P.I.T.S. but will have a train available for cover. Do not stand too close to the train as it’s main attack has AOE damage that can hurt you.

• Attack 1 – Rapid-fire (you will only see this when you are fairly close to it)
• Attack 2 – Beam (you will hear and see it charge up before it is discharged in your direction – be sure it hits an item of cover in between you and it and don’t be too close to the cover)

While it is possible that the Centaur may have other close-range attacks, none have been observed yet.

To defeat the Centaur, you will need accuracy in the second phase. Initially, use the triple-barrel Trident, Altershock, or Ionizer to target the large glass shield protecting its head. It’s best to avoid using the shotgun as you won’t be close enough. Move from cover to cover during the Centaur’s attacks until the shield shatters.

Once the shield is destroyed, the Centaur’s head will turn red. You will need to hit it accurately with the laser-sighted Altershock or more blasts from the Trident. Keep in mind that the Centaur can do a barrel roll to quickly shift its position, so be cautious of your cover. It is recommended to maintain a safe distance since the vulnerable area of the Centaur requires a face-to-face attack. You can use teleportation to dodge its attacks and exploit its slow turning speed to take close-up shots. After a few direct hits to the head, the Centaur will be defeated.

Saplord

Like the Igneosaur, she is a massive bullet sponge so prepare to use all available weapons to take her down. There are bounce pads and 4 stone towers you can get on top of, but if you teleport well, you will never need to use them. The stone towers act as useful cover for several of her attacks.

• Attack 1 – Hammer Slam (she makes a quick grunt and slams it down in front of her – back off or teleport away)
• Attack 2 – Leaping Hammer Slam (She takes two steps, makes a grunting sound, and then leaps towards you slamming the hammer down – exploit this and teleport under her, then unload your weapons into her back)
• Attack 3 – Spinning Hammer (only seen if you get very close – just back off or teleport away)
• Attack 4 – Sap Rain (she raises her arms to medium level and then flings multiple sap projectiles into the air – watch the shadows on the ground to see where the projectiles will land and be elsewhere)
• Attack 5 – Sap Projectile (hard to predict as she quickly throws a small sap ball at you – dodge like any other attack)
• Attack 6 – Heavy Sap Projectile (she raises her arms high and forms a huge sap ball then aims it at you – teleport away to dodge)

The key thing to keep in mind when fighting this enemy is to avoid getting bogged down in sap, which significantly reduces your movement speed. Fortunately, you can use teleportation to move over the sap without any hindrance. Teleportation is also a useful tool for dodging attacks and avoiding getting stuck in the sap.

As you inflict damage, the enemy will say various pre-programmed lines to indicate that you are making progress. After a few of these lines, the enemy will dissolve into a skull form, and you must quickly shoot out one of her eyes with the shotgun at close range before she can recover. Once she reforms, you will need to unload your weapons on her again while keeping an eye on saplings that will appear to support her. Keep moving and focus on attacking her primarily while taking out a sapling or two to prevent their numbers from becoming overwhelming.

After repeating this process and causing enough damage, the enemy will dissolve again. Quickly teleport to her and shoot out her remaining eye. As soon as the enemy is defeated, all of the saplings will disappear. Don’t waste time on the saplings, just dodge them and focus on killing the enemy as quickly as possible.

Don’t forget to grab the Heartfruit before using the newly available giant pad to move on to the next area.

Vladimir

Vladimir is a Bonehead Monarch with some similar attacks to the regular boneheads. Be sure to shoot at the fleshy part of his body as any shots to the armored head will deflect off. There is minimal cover here so mobility is key.

• Attack 1 – Charge (He lowers his head and charges straight at you – dodge and shoot)
• Attack 2 – Bite (if you are close he opens his mouth and will try to bite you – dodge and shoot)
• Attack 3 – Pounding Feet (he stops in place and starts pounding his feet into the ground – stay at a distance to avoid AOE damage and shoot)
• Attack 4 – Head Swing (if you are close he will whip his head in a semi-circle – stay at a distance to avoid damage and shoot)
• Attack 5 – Dust Cloud (after you have damaged him significantly, he will stand in place and kick up a duct cloud making it hard to see – unload on him while he does this to make dispatching him easier when it is harder to see)

I basically covered everything you need to know above. Use all of your available strong weapons and dodge his attacks to take him down.

Maharishi Grontho

One of the hardest boss battles in the game, Grontho has numerous attacks, and after hurting him a bit he will have Holy Guards and Holy Soldiers backing him up. Fortunately there is a lot of cover to utilize, but several of his attacks bypass that cover so prepare to be mobile.

• Attack 1 – Holy Guard Quad (he will raise his 4 arms with Holy Guard staffs and fire wheel-shaped projectiles from each – teleport just as they are about to fire and shoot back but know that cover will likely not help with these)
• Attack 2 – Holy Soldier Quad (he will hold up 4 empty hands that shoot beams in your direction – dodge or use cover to block the beams then counter)
• Attack 3 – Holy Column (an energy column appears in front of him and then rapidly heads in your direction – dodge and shoot)
• Attack 4 – Expanding Energy Sphere (he holds 2 hands in prayer and a small red sphere appears in front of him, which then tracks you wherever you go as it expands – you will likely want to reposition yourself to the other side of the arena as it follows you until it dissipates. You might get some attacks in early but should focus on not getting caught up inside of it, though you can escape with fast movement or teleport)
• Attack 5 – Multi-directional Lasers (you will hear a high-pitched whine and see numerous beams forming around you and various angles, and then more will form after your initial evasive maneuvers – dodge carefully to avoid entering the path of another beam and prepare for more beams to target you from many directions as you do. Don’t expect to get many attack in on this one.)
• Attack 6 – Vertical Lasers (similar to the above but the beams are all vertical – easy to dodge and counter)
• Attack 7 – Spider Wave (a line of about 10 red spiders will spawn in front of him on the ground and chase you down slowly no matter where you go – shoot them all with the AK or they will keep coming at you)

In order to defeat Grontho, the key is to target his head wrap by unleashing a barrage of bullets. As you continue to damage it, the wrap will shrink, making it increasingly challenging to hit. Your best opportunity to start damaging the head wrap is right after Grontho pushes you back at the beginning of the fight. Additionally, you’ll have another chance to damage him after he executes one of his scripted attacks.

When you’ve inflicted about half of the damage, Grontho will utter a line that begins with “you fight, not just against me…”, which will be followed by several Holy Guards and Holy Soldiers joining in the battle to support him. While taking care of the ones that are close to you, keep your focus on shooting Grontho. You can lead them into the stairwells, where you can eliminate them without Grontho being able to attack you.

You can find healthfruits on each of the upper levels, so be sure to grab them when needed. The AK is a great weapon to use as it is highly accurate and can deal significant damage. Unlike other guns, you don’t need to hit the release button to remove the magazine; simply pull it out, grab a new one, and then rack it with the slide. While the trident may be helpful initially, you will need more precise weapons like the AK and altershock as Grontho’s wrap shrinks.

Once you’ve defeated Grontho, fall through the opening on the floor and make a run for the elevator to make your escape.

General Sintho

While Sintho has fewer scripted attacks than Grontho, he can be as difficult as Grontho since there is far less cover, and his 2nd phase is quite difficult. While he has a shield up, you will be unable to do damage to him with your weapons, so don’t try as it will deflect back and hurt you. Do not engage the sword’s attack option until he is stunned and his shield is down temporarily.

• Attack 1 – Heavy Electric Ball (Sintho raises his arms high and forms a large electric ball that tracks towards you slowly – deflect it back to him with your sword and it will damage him)
• Attack 2 – Rapid Electric Balls (he will hold his arms at his sides and fling 6 smaller balls at you – deflect each one back at him)
• Attack 3 – Pentagon Beam (he forms a pentagon-shaped barrier in front of him that shoots a powerful beam at you – dodge this)
• Attack 4 – Leaping Sickle (he will jump, pause in mid-air, then slam the sickle down where you are standing – dodge this)
• Attack 5 – Double Melee (he will walk up to you and swing both weapons at you – dodge this)
• Attack 6 – AK Barrel Roll (after you reach the second phase, he will shoot you with dual wielded AKs while barrel rolling to the side at times – use the rocks for cover and/or dodge while also dodging the helicopter attacks and shooting Sintho with the Enlightenment weapon)

The strategy to defeat this enemy has been described previously. The initial step is to deflect his energy balls and then use the trigger attack from the sword when he’s stunned and his shield is down. In the second phase, hit him with the Enlightenment as much as possible while moving between covers and dodging his attacks. Keep in mind that staying in one spot for too long can result in being attacked by the chopper. Some healthfruit can be found behind the rocks, but it’s better to avoid taking too much damage.

Once his health is depleted, use the sword attack to deliver the final blow.

Fish Brain

Three elevated tunnels are spewing phages, which are the real foes you should be wary of. To avoid their direct phage blasts and the resulting gas field after a projectile detonates, use the AK or Enlightenment.

Once you’ve blasted the door open to the brain chamber using the phage launcher, aim at the brain and launch a phage to inflict damage. Stand in front of the entrance to avoid any enemy spawn points and use movement and shooting techniques to dodge incoming attacks. After you’ve defeated the initial group, repeat the process by hitting the brain with another phage launcher projectile until it’s destroyed.

Retrace your steps to the fish’s mouth, and you’ll be able to make your escape.

Double Centaur

Take a look at the Centaur section to learn about its attacks. In this area, you’ll have access to a health station and a section with cover, along with some glass columns that can be destroyed for additional cover. The first Centaur will drop down from above, and it’s best to focus your efforts on eliminating it before engaging the second Centaur that follows shortly after. If you take too long, they will roll towards the health station’s cover area to get a direct shot at you, so use your most effective weapons to take them out quickly. Remember to keep a safe distance from their beam attack to avoid taking significant AOE damage.

Avoid using the Phage Launcher in this area as its AOE damage will destroy the destructible cover.

Hummingbird

This room has significant cover and 4 propulsor pads to help you get to the upper level when needed. Leveraging both will absolutely be required.

• Attack 1 – Laser Beam (it will charge up at its beak for more than a second and then shoot a straight beam at your position – move behind cover)
• Attack 2 – Whirlwind (it will spin around forming a purple whirlwind that will damage you severely – when you see this happening, shift your vertical position; if you are on the ground level then hit a propulsor pad to go up top or drop down if you were already high up. Shoot the Hummingbird after you have done so even if it is still attacking)
• Attack 3 – Egg Bombs (it will pump its tail dropping egg-shaped bombs at you – shoot the bombs or dodge and shoot the bird)
• Attack 4 – Beak Stab (it will move towards you slowly at first, pull its wings back, then dive at you trying to stab with its beak – dodge and counter)

You have the opportunity to stun the Hummingbird and interrupt its attack cycle, so try to take advantage of these moments to kill it quickly to avoid damage. However, if done right, you can get thru the entire battle totally unscathed unlike most other boss fights.

After you kill it, be sure to grab the Quantum Encryption Key from its body before leaving.

The Seer

This boss battle is probably my favorite since it requires accuracy to target specific weak spots, instead of simply shooting at a bullet sponge. After The Seer takes control of the statue, it will be adorned with glowing eyes that you must take out one-by-one before shooting the giant cyclops eye to defeat it. While my only complaint is that the boss moves and attacks quite slowly, this can also work to your advantage since there is minimal cover, forcing you to stay mobile to avoid getting hit.

• Attack 1 – Staff Stab (she raises her staff fairly parallel to the ground and then stabs it towards you – dodge and keep shooting the eyes)
• Attack 2 – Staff Twirl Stab (Same as above but she twirls the staff above her and then stabs in a more downward motion – dodge and shoot)
• Attack 3 – Staff Swing (similar to above but she swings the staff downward instead of in a stabbing motion – dodge and shoot)
• Attack 4 – Cyclops Beam (the cyclops eye starts glowing multicolored and then a powerful beam tracks you – dodge and shoot)
• The next attacks occur in phase 2 after you have destroyed about half the eyes and she stumbles for a moment.
• Attack 5 – Electric Pound (the staff electrifies and she pounds it into the ground, creating a medium-sized shockwave – move away from her and shoot)
• Attack 6 – Electric Wheels (the tips of the the staff become electrified and she swings twice sending two electricity wheels similar to the Holy Guard attack – dodge these then counter)
• Attack 7 – Electric Balls (she swings her electrified staff and sprays the ground will ball lightning – avoid the explosive balls and counter)
• Attack 8 – Electric Floor (she stabs the ground in front of her with an electrified staff, and narrow lightning beams appear on the floor, radiating in all directions, and then activate a moment later – do not be standing on top of the beams to avoid taking damage)
• Attack 9 – Bull Charge (she holds her staff vertically out in front and charges at you – dodge and counter)

Again, do not shoot the cyclops eye at all until you’ve destroyed all of the smaller eyes. Once done, focus on the cyclops eye and she will die.

Joseph Jeffrey

While the penultimate boss can be a challenge, he is also quite slow, making it easy to dodge his attacks and strike back. As soon as he takes shape, use your most potent weapons, such as the Meat Nailer and Phage Launcher, followed by the AK and shotgun, to inflict as much damage as possible. Since there are no weak points to target, keep shooting at his giant head. There’s almost no cover in this area, so it’s essential to remain mobile and utilize propulsor pads or purple zero-gravity fields if necessary.

• Attack 1 – Stomping Charge (he stamps his feet and comes towards you at a higher speed than his slow walking speed, and changes direction as you do – teleport spam to avoid and counter)
• Attack 2 – Joe Jeff Ball (he forms 1 or 3 balls of Joe Jeffs on top of his head that fly towards you and deal heavy damage – shoot them before they reach you or shoot them as they form)
• Attack 3 – Leaping Stomp (he jumps in the air towards you – dodge and counter)
• Attack 4 – Faceplant (he falls face first on the ground – dodge and counter)
• Attack 5 – Faceplant Roll (he falls face first on the ground and starts rolling, tracking your movements – teleport to keep your distance and counter in the process)

Do your best not to turn your back on him as he will surprise you with a Leaping Stomp or Faceplant Roll. Once you learn them, his attacks aren’t so menacing and you shouldn’t have much trouble.

Cyberjoseph

Much like the Joseph Jeffrey battle, Cyberjoseph involves you unloading your best weapons en masse on his giant head. Ignore Officer 13’s bubble at the top as it is not a weak spot. No change in cover so be quick and keep your distance. He can also be stunned at times which will interrupt his attacks.

• Attack 1 – Leaping Stomp (he anticipates your movements and leaps at you, pounding both fists into the ground – dodge and counter)
• Attack 2 – Arm Smash (he smashes both arms into the ground in front of him – dodge and counter)
• Attack 3 – Ground Ripper (he smashes both arms into the ground sending a shockwave in one direction ripping up the ground in its wake – dodge and counter)
• Attack 4 – Center Beam (3 tracking beams triangulate upon you from the center hole followed by a very powerful energy beam that hits you instantly – dodge or shoot the hole at the moment it fully locks onto you and you can damage him)
• Attack 5 – Shoulder Volley (a group of rockets are fired from the shoulder launcher that track you quite well, followed sometimes by a heavy artillery volley from the other launcher – teleport spam to avoid; you can shoot the rockets also but that is no easy feat with so many of them coming)
• Attack 6 – Crawl Smash (he crawls quickly towards you while smashing his fists into the ground as he does, tracking you as you try to dodge – teleport spam away)
• Attack 7 – Grab (if you get too close he will grab you and then blast you to death with one hit from the center cannon – never get too close, but you have about 2 seconds to free yourself with a Meat Nailer or Phage Launcher shot, though the delay on the Phage Launcher blast may cost you)

Once you’ve learned the boss’s attacks, he becomes relatively easy to defeat since there are no smaller enemies to distract you. Keep moving and switch between your various weapons to avoid getting stuck reloading. While you can use propulsor pads to move around, I find teleporting offers better control.

Once you’ve dealt sufficient damage, the music will change. At this point, focus on dodging the boss’s attacks. When Brian informs you that your firmware upgrade is complete, switch to your shotgun and use its anti-matter attack to unload on him. Remember to reload periodically and keep dodging. No other weapon can harm him at this stage. Repeat this process several times until the boss is defeated.

It’s best not to kill Officer 13 while he’s vulnerable since he can disable the Planck Security forces for you. However, if you’re looking for a more challenging finale, feel free to eliminate him.