Spacetroll's Walkthrough[]
Last updated: May 5, 2001
(Editor's note: I was in the 10th grade when I wrote this walkthrough. It is totally accurate, but please excuse if I come off as a weirdo. I swear I'm not a weirdo anymore.)
About
This walkthrough is for the PS2 version of Shadow of Destiny. I have not played the PC version, so I am not aware if there are any differences. If you know of differences contact me or add an appendix to the end of this walkthrough.
Reminder
Shadow of Destiny is an extraordinary adventure game because it has so many optional actions and conversations available to the player. I've tried to include some interesting things you'll encounter over the course of the game, but for the most part this is a bare-bones guide that will simply get you through the game, to the various endings. I advise to explore the game and experiment first, and if you're really stuck or want to know how to get a specific ending, consult here.
General Tips
- Keep a surplus of Energy Units and, more importantly, find out where they spawn in each age.
- If you don't know what do to or where to go, check your Notebook and try to think it through. Traveling randomly to available ages wastes Energy Units and can lead to frustration.
- Sometimes you'll get a Game Over and you won't know why. Homonculus might say something about "destiny getting too tangled up." Don't worry about this. Basically it means you took too long to get from one event to the next, so next time through, now that you know what you're doing, just move faster.
- Personal suggestion, try to get the game endings in ascending order, starting with E, which is by far the most disappointing, and working up to A, where all is revealed.
- Have fun and explore! There are a lot of cool things that can be done in early ages that affect later ones. Experiment!
Prologue
After watching our hero, Eike Kusch, get stabbed in the back, you'll find yourself in a strange room surrounded by darkness, that appears to be on the top of some large structure. Listen to everything that Homonculus has to tell you, then pick up the Digipad once it drops down and learn how to use it. Once you're ready, walk out the door back into the living world.
You begin back in the Cafe Sonne, the place you had just walked out of before meeting your demise. You'll meet Dana, who becomes an important character shortly. Leave the cafe, you'll check your watch again. It's 2:00... maybe you should talk to someone about all this craziness. Go to the Former Alchemist's House and talk to the Fortune Teller.
OK, so you don't have too much time before "the fated hour." Keep in mind that you can return to see the Fortune Teller during any chapter to find out the next "fated hour," but it is only required to see her during the Prologue, Chapter 1, and endings A and B. So you're Digipad fires up, but first grab that Energy Unit (EU from now on) right across from the House. Always try and keep a surplus of these, and every time you discover a new age find out where they are (they respawn in the same places whenever you return, but each time period has different "spawn spots").
Transport half an hour into the past. Find the Old Lady, the Mother, and the Daughter who are wandering the streets around the Square. Talk to each of them to secure a big crowd at your time of death. If you want, go see the Fortune Teller and learn about her incredibly abilities to tell whether you are in your own time or not. Also for fun, go back to Cafe Sonne and see yourself sleeping at the table. Be warned, coming in contact with yourself merits a Game Over, but, in my opinion, seeing the consequences makes future game events revolving around the same idea more exciting.
Anyway, as soon as your Digipad lights up you can go back to the present. Run straight to the street performer in the Square. Congradulations! You've cheated death for the first time!
Chapter 1
After speaking with the Fortune Teller again and discovering that all you're efforts only gave you another half hour, Eike will be back in your control. There are a few people around town that will direct you towards the bar, but you might as well go straight there and see there's a fire burning. Go talk to the boy, who will ask you to save his grandfather, trapped inside. Refuse to do so, then return to the Square and walk up to the street performer again. After receiving the Egg Ornament return to the fire and agree to go inside and try to help.
Oops, guess inhaling smoke is on the list of "don'ts" when you're trying to avoid dying. Travel back to before the fire started. There's nothing special to do in this time, so just run behind the bar. Problem solved. Return to the present to "learn what it means to change the past."
Chapter 2
Well, isn't that sweet. Dana wanted to return your lighter and your pretty red stone... wait, what the hell is that? Anyway, looks like an icepick of some kind brings you to your end, and the only way to save yourself is to somehow prevent anyone from being able to hide behind that tree.
Once you gain control of Eike go back to the Square to watch part of the conversation again. Suddenly your Digipad flares up, and you know what that means. In my opinion, I'd advise just moving your D-Pad or Analog Stick and hearing everything the two have to say, and then getting killed again. This is soley for the sake of hearing the very satisfying conversation between Dana and Eike where he anticipates everything she is going to say. Incidentally, similarly new conversations can ensue if you let yourself die in other chapters, but it's not always worth it.
Anyway, you'll eventually send yourself (and Dana...sorry bout that) back to 1580, where a nice young girl is being threatened by the ancestors of the Old Lady, the Mother, and the Daughter. You appear out of nowhere and arrouse suspicion. The only way out of this tight jam is to use your lighter or your cell phone to scare them away. Both options are funny, so when you play through the game again (as you should, several times) try the one you didn't before. Then follow Margarete home (or just race to the Alchemist's House, because that's where she's headed). Enjoy the very long cutscene in which you meet Hugo, Helena, and hear about Margarete's father. When that's over, get psyched to tamper with the future.
First of all, Dana is a lost cause for now, so don't waste your time and patience searching every corner of the town for her... she isn't there. Go back to the Square and talk to the ancestor of the Barkeep, who seems to be amidst planting something. Hmm. But you'll need some kind of higher authority to get him to change his plans. Go to the Squire's Manor and talk to the boy outside, who tells you the crest is falling off. Excellent. Make a 180 turn and head up the street until you see the ladder. Pick it up, bribe the boy with your Franssen postcard, and head inside. Prop the ladder up against the Manor and grab the Medallion. Bring it back to the planter guy and show it to him. Flower bed or Statue, it doesn't matter, again something worth trying both, but it makes absolutely no difference.
Head back to the present and marvel in your handywork.
Chapter 3
Death by falling pot--that's a new one. Anyway, when you're brought back you'll get a call from Mr. Eckart Brum, the current owner of the Brum Art Museum. Head over there, past the Old Couple and the Speedwalker (talk to this generation's Franssen if you want, by the movie poster). Go inside, find the stairs and go up them and into Eckart's office. After speaking with him head into the upstairs galleries on the same floor. Check out as many paintings as you want and see some cool effects from your time-meddling thus far, but you have to at least walk into one of the rooms before you're permitted to go back downstairs.
Now you see that Homonculus is a weird woman with red eyes. Ask her to prove her powers, because walking out on her sends that pot crashing down again. Either way--boom! You're rockin' it out in '79. Meet Young Eckart and, purely for fun, see the Speedwalker as his younger, Runner, self. Now's a good time to explore the entire age to find out where the EU's are, but all you need is one to return to the present.
After finding out the uncomfortable truth about Eckart's daughter, and breaking the deadly pot in the process, you'll believe Homonculus--for now.
Chapter 4
Wow, maybe you should do something about this constant back-stabbing problem. What did that message in the Egg Ornament say? Well, anyway, travel back about 100 years to meet Mr. Albert Brum, Eckart's father. Guess it never would have been an Art Museum if it weren't for you. But how is that possible? Ah, well, no time to think about that, time to meet Sybilla, drink some tea, get your jacket sewed up, and head back to the present in search of a frying pan.
Once in the present go straight to the Bar. You'll notice the egg ornaments all around, but it doesn't matter--heading downstairs will automatically give the Barkeep the Scribner's Egg, and in return you'll get the frying pan. Use it before the timer runs out and save yourself.
Chapter 5
Go back to the Bar and learn about the chief principles of Alchemy while you wait for your poisoned "Special" to arrive. Talk to Homonculus and learn about her weakness for Pentagrams. Get sick, die, and get told something confusing about finding a "sea hare antidote." The Speedwalker will tell you that apparently Mr. Albert had trouble deciding between a Library and an Art Museum. OK, so head back 100 years.
No time has passed in this age, so go get your picture taken by one of the Franssen descendants. Looks like that one you found in the Alchemy book, doesn't it? But that can't be possible... Anyway, looks like you've got to run out on Sybilla, again. What did she say about a key? What the hell is going on? But still, there's no time. Go outside and talk to Mr. Albert and convince him to build a Library instead.
Return to the present and find the book that talks about the Sea Hare. Too bad the antidote doesn't exist anymore. But wasn't Margarete's father an apothecary of sorts? Use the Digipad to go back to her time, but four years since you last saw them.
Well, crap, looks like something went wrong here. And why didn't Homonculus recognize you...? Grab the lab key on the ground and shoot back two years. Talk to Margarete and get the antidote. Enjoy a nice walk and--was that Dana? Well, guess you're not fast enough, so just head back to the Alchemist's House. Talk for a little while more. Now comes the choice. Don't worry, she'll give you two times in a row to choose the one you want.
1) Tell Margarete she's probably your ancestress. Enabling endings A, B, and C.
2) Uh, never mind. Enabling endings D and E.
After you decide you'll get the Comb which is of no immediate use, and you'll find out that Hugo's having a bit of trouble coping with his Mother's death. Head back to the present and use the antidote before the timer runs out.
Chapter 6
One of the most intense chapters, not due to its central dilemma but its sidequest. Take note of the movie that the girls aren't interested in, then travel back to a snowy day in 1980 before the timer runs out. Apparently young Franssen remembers your miraculous appearance a year ago and now its up to you to decide the plot of his cinema masterpiece.
Well, Meditating Man obvious didn't fly well with the ladies, so suggest Time Travel. You know what they say about "write what you know," so mention that whole "solve your own death" thing. And remember that we're trying to keep the interest of women, so throw in that love story spin. Well done, you've just made a hit blockbuster.
What? Why didn't the Digipad light up? You're technically done here, and you can go back to the present and continue if you want, but I strongly advise you to at least explore this optional mission. I recommend having at least three or four EU's available for your disposal before continuing.
From the street you are on, head towards the Library (or Art Museum, if you've changed it back again for no reason). You'll hear gunshots. Keep running until you find Eckart's wife, Miriam, dying in the snow, her baby nowhere to be seen. You remember hearing about this... Go back until right before the shooting--tell her either option, it doesn't matter, because she'll ignore you either way. Damn it, she's gone again. Smooth move, Eike, now everyone thinks you're the killer. You can leave it like this and return to the present and let the movie poster do its magic. And if you've taken too much time you may not have another option. But, if you return to the present and the Event Movie does not begin playing, travel back again to before the shooting.
This time, when she starts to run away from you, scared, go after her. Don't give up, she might run around in a circle once before continuing down the fated street. It's easy to lose her in the low visibility unless you take manual control of the camera, also.
Whew! Tragedy overted, nice job. But don't forget you have your own ass to save, so go back to the present to see a smash-hit film in the making.
Chapter 7
All right, it's the dead of night, and Mr. Eckart needs you to return this book on top of the Library Tower. Sounds reasonable. Go all the way up, ignoring the rope, outside to the top and walk to the railing. Ouch.
Travel back to the night before, where you'll realize you need a key to enter the Tower without Eckart knowing. Go back to 1902--uh-oh, if you experimented back in the Prologue you'll know the dangers of running into yourself. Instead go straight into the room where you had tea with Sybilla. Go to the key rack on the far wall and take the Tower Key. And time, it just keeps on moving, and you should as well, to keep from meeting yourself yet again. Check out the other rooms in the courtyard and attempt to go upstairs--it is now safe to return. Talk to Sybilla to promise her a kitty, though I have yet to find out how to actually acquire one from Eckart.
Go outside and around to the Library Tower. At the top of the stairs you'll find the same rope, but in a newer condition. If you were to take the old rope (found in 2001 and 1980), it would break after you were pushed off and you would die regardless. Also, do not tie this rope to the top of the Tower in the current age, or it will become old hanging there and this will lead to the same effect. Instead, return to "the night before" and tie the rope to the railing atop the Tower. Return to the present and grab the rope before the timer runs out.
Enjoy the lengthy cutscene and see the fruits of your action or inaction regarding Eckart's wife.
Chapter 8
For all intensive purposes, you should consider this the final chapter, as the Epilogues are long cutscenes with little to no interactivity. This where it all comes together. There are a lot of different things you can do in this chapter, but for the most part I'm going to keep it straightforward so you can easily get to the ending you want. To start off, you can go immediately back into Eckart's office and, if you haven't already given Franssen's pocketwatch to the Barkeep of 1980, you'll be treated to a nice little "it's a small world" conversation.
Anyway, to get things rolling... Travel back to 1584 to find the Philosopher's Stone and possibly even Dana. Once you get there head straight to the Artelier (the Karl Franssen's workshop--you can visit him any time you want and suggest ideas for paintings that will show up in the present). You'll reunite with Dana, how touching.
If you didn't tell Margarete about the ancestry:
Ending E
Ask Dana to go back with you. Head over to the Alchemist's House next and give the red stone to Dr. Wagner. Transport to the present right in his lab, get the memo at Cafe Sonne, and return to 1584. Go outside and find Dana by the City Hall steps and give her the memo. Take her home and return 10 days later. Go inside the house and into the basement. Margarete is there, and she's worried about Hugo. Travel back to the present to learn the surprising truth... Meet your killer and his lovely hostage in the Square (picking up any EU's you find on the way, if you don't have any left), then zap back to 1584 and bring Margarete back with you. Enjoy the crappy conclusion of the chapter.
Ending D
Tell Dana to have a nice life and split. Head over to the Alchemist's House next and give the red stone to Dr. Wagner. Go outside and travel to 10 days later. Go back to the house and into the basement. Looks like Hugo was working on something...interesting... Well, better get back to the present to figure out what's going on. Once there, recieve the revealing phone call and run to the square (picking up any EU's you find on the way, if you don't have any left). Return to 1584 and burn Dr. Wagner's research notes before Hugo gets there. Go back to the present and watch the interesting but slightly cliche conclusion of the chapter.
If you told Margarete about the ancestry:
Ending C
After talking with Dana and getting the red stone, go to the Alchemist's House and give it to Dr. Wagner. Return to the house 10 days later and go to the basement. Trouble's a'brewin'. Go to the present to discover the truth and head over to the Square to get a more satisfying and dramatic confrontation than in either the D or E endings. Go back to 1584, into the house basement just as in Ending D. But instead enjoy the new coolness, and once it's all over your entry back upstairs is blocked, so returning to the present is your only choice.
Ending B1
After talking with Dana and getting the red stone, go to the Alchemist's House and give it to Dr. Wagner. Return to the house 10 days later and go to the basement. Trouble's a'brewin'. Go to the present to discover the truth and head over to the Square to get a more satisfying and dramatic confrontation than in either the D or E endings. Run straight to the Fortune Teller (the Former Alchemist's House) and be ready for a Sixth Sense-size revelation. Go back to the Square and talk to Hugo for the surprisingly powerful ending to unfold.
Ending B2
After talking with Dana and getting the red stone, go to the Alchemist's House and give it to Dr. Wagner. Return to the house 10 days later and go to the basement. Trouble's a'brewin'. Go to the present to discover the truth and head over to the Square to get a more satisfying and dramatic confrontation than in either the D or E endings. Go to 1980 (where you should have seen Homonculus before, when at least attempting to rescue Eckart's baby) and find her south of the City Hall steps.
Ending A
After talking with Dana and getting the red stone, go to the Alchemist's House and give it to Dr. Wagner. Return to the house 10 days later and go to the basement. Trouble's a'brewin'. Go to the present to discover the truth and head over to the Square to get a more satisfying and dramatic confrontation than in either the D or E endings. Go to 1980 (where you should have seen Homonculus before, when at least attempting to rescue Eckart's baby) and find her south of the City Hall steps. Return to the present, but before talking to Hugo, go see the Fortune Teller (at the Former Alchemist's House).
Game Mode EX
This is a bonus mode that can be played after getting all five normal endings and then saving the Completed file. Start said file over and, when given the choice, say "Am I dead again?" and "Oh, Homunculus, it's you..." as opposed to the things Eike usually says during the opening. In this mode all of the games chapters are smushed into one long section, and you have the opportunity to change an event that was fixed in the regular game mode. If you've made it this far in the game, you should be able to figure EX mode out yourself, and I don't want to ruin the surprises ;)