xTHEISx

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THERE--IS--NOTHING

THERE--IS--NOTHING --TO --SEE--HERE-->ATM.

I don't want to steal your time.

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You need to realize that this series started on PSP so the controls are very limited. Your aluminum bat problem is because you are holding forward during combat, the developers didn't design this game with constant movement in mind: fight or regroup, choose one.

If you go to the Encyclopedia and hit Square, you can see a weapon's movelist. Keep in mind that the game automatically targets the last enemy you pointed your stick towards, also sometimes based on proximity.

You have the following attacks:

-Neutral combo (you can vary between attack heights each hit, do not touch the stick if you keep doing forward attacks; combo length varies between weapons)

-Forward attack (push stick toward target enemy + button)

-Unblockable attack (push stick away from target enemy + button, some hit multiple heights simultaneously; timing can be finicky as you have to attack before Nanashi turns and starts moving)

-Counter attack/strip (hold R/R1 while neutral, press a button after a blockable attack (during your blue afterimage))

-Dodge attack (hold R/R1 then press a button at any time, you do not actually have to dodge)

-Jump attack (square then button, good for closing distances, you cannot move after jumping so jump while running only; unblockable, it's good for separating pairs of enemies)

All of the above change with each weapon, not just the category, also there's:

-Strip (hold button, good for interrupting unblockables, high strips can still miss enemies performing low attacks)

-Reversal (attack button while on the ground, as far as I'm aware the properties are universal)

-Unison Strip (requires a partner: when unison gauge is full, press up on the d-pad, if an enemy is between you and your current target, it might not attack your target; this will strip any clothing that's been damaged enough before/during the cinematic and stun any other enemies in combat mode, it will not allow chain stripping but it will immediately restore any clothes you have that have been stripped (I believe this will not restore Nanashi's clothing if destroyed))

Unblockable attacks emit red sparks, you have to dodge. Enemies' forward attacks emit blue sparks and can be blocked and countered (I think there are some exceptions though as one guy in the arena kept hitting me with a blue low attack, however I might've been dodging too much rather than defending) but keep in mind that high attacks almost always go over enemies attacking low, so be careful if you've lost your shirt and/or headgear because enemies become twice as difficult to hit.

It's important to pay attention to the enemy's stance, they telegraph their blocks and can counter attack, which I believe are unblockable but of course can be dodged if you're fast and not mashing; generally you should only attack once or twice before confirming if an enemy is dodging you and deciding whether to continue your combo. Unfortunately an enemy that isn't blocking can react with inhuman speed, this is my only complaint (enemies also frequently know exactly when to attack during your start-up and interrupt you, and they are really good at zoning you so they can hit you with the tip of their weapon when you're trying to start an attack of your own.)

Unblockable attacks have super armour and cannot be interrupted (I think I've seen an exception or two, but I'm not 100%) but you and enemies can take damage and be stripped during them.

If you are stripped, you regain an article of clothing (not sure if it's random or based on what you strip, it does not seem to return in the order that you were stripped, unless it's reverse order) for every ~3 articles stripped off of enemies. You cannot restore an clothes if they were destroyed by pure damage, or if you had to run from the area, you have to go to 5days to buy them back for 1000 yen a piece. Your partner can always recover their clothing fully, instruct them to go on stand-by if they have no sense of self-preservation and just keep fighting. Doing so also makes them stick close to you, so if you're stuck near an exit and the camera is causing problems, have them go on stand-by and move away from the exit. Again, a Unison Strip will restore all the clothing it can, for both characters.

You should only bother fusing stuff bought at stores, really. Early on you can waste a lot of cash on single point upgrades when for 5000 yen you can get something 10x better or increase a weapon by like 10-20 points. Deck yourself out in the best gear for like 20-30k then start upgrading, definitely buy headgear if you've just been waiting until you can strip them.

Once you get to level 20 things start to become easier, slowly at first, then quickly beyond level 25. If you have store-bought equipment this is around when you'll stop being one-shot by regular enemies (excluding unblockables.) By the time you reach level 30 you'll be able to sustain 3-4 hits before needing to heal. At the same time, between 20-30, as long as you have a 100+ damage weapon, you'll finally start doing more reasonable damage, once you reach level 30 you'll finally be dealing damage in the 200s. Things will still take a while but level 30 is really where you feel like the odds are evening out.

I agree that Gamer was a bad starting difficulty choice, it's not impossible but it certainly is frustrating when the enemies are so high level that they can often one-hit you for most of your first playthrough, I wish that XSEED picked better difficulty names. Gamer is usually Normal in action games.