Summary
Depending on how you’ve been progressing throughAnimal Wellwill decide which of the four flames you’ll be trying to collect first, but rest assured that each of the main four present quite a challenge to those trying to collect them.
You’ll need to locate the flames and solve some pretty hectic puzzles in order to actually reach them and collect them for yourself, and doing so is critical to progressing into the next layer of Animal Well. But not all flame puzzles in this game were created equal, we felt, with some presenting a clear difficulty spike for players.
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The Slinky
Did anyone else spend entirely too long trying to figure out how exactly you’re supposed to get those otters to leave the Slinky alone long enough for it to slink down and hit both buttons? The majority of the puzzles that lead to the V. Flame are some of the more straightforward in the game, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy.
In this area, you’ll need to have made yourself into a master of the Slinky you got initially, when plenty of bouncy puzzles to solve before casting your little blob down into the Red Iguana puzzle. Hopefully your rhythm is good, because that thing’s tongue is fast.
The Seahorse and the Whale
B. Wand
Why are there so many critters in Animal Well that are so entirely determined to pop any bubbles you might blow with the B. Wand? This area was rife with them, and that seemed like the worst threat you’d need to face, until you got to the animals that are actively trying to kill you, like the Whale.
The Seahorse is far from the most fearsome of the enemies in Animal Well, but it still puts up one heck of a fight. The puzzle with the hanging cat cages definitely took us a couple tries, with all those high-precision jumps iconic of the Metroidvania genre.
The Yoyo
The first time you encounter the Ostrich boss in Animal Well, it startles you with its suddenness and relentlessness, sticking its head down into the holes you’re navigating to hit the buttons so you can leave the room. After that, it’s out of sight and out of mind for a while (unless you go back into that room, that is).
But once you move deeper into this biome after receiving the Yoyo and using it on the mice to move deeper into the area, you’ll once again need to deal with the Ostrich. It’s contained to a wheel this time, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to attempt to chase you. To find the G. Flame, you’ll need to learn to workwiththe Ostrich’s determination to kill you, instead of against.
Disc
If you thought that dog ghost puzzle was creepy enough the first time you had to navigate it while you were trying to grab the Disc, you haven’t seen anything yet, since the dog isn’t done with you just yet. Sure, you might have snagged the Disc from the statue’s mouth, but the sense of dread that fills you when you realize you have to do itagainis unparalleled.
As you venture toward the P. Flame in Animal Well, your stomach sinks when you findthe M. Disc Shrine– you’ve got to go back down to get the Mock Disc from the statue again. “But wait,” you ask, “doesn’t that mean the dog is going to chase me again?” Yes, absolutely, but you need to bring the Mock Disc all the way up to the M. Disc Shrine if you have any hope of grabbing the P. Flame.
It’s way easier if youhave fast travel unlocked, so be sure to forge a shortcut for an easier time.
