How to beat Dr Ridley Hermann in The Last Faith

The fight with the tragic Dr Ridley Hermann was featured in The Last Faith demo. However, now, in the game’s finished state, there is even more of a challenge, with extra move sets and patterns.

Dr Ridley Hermann doesn’t pull his punches. This mutated doctor has worked to fight the curse that also hangs over our protagonist’s head. However, in the process of cleansing, he becomes a horrible monster, akin to the story of Jekyll and Hyde. It is up to you to defeat Dr Ridley Hermann and continue to fight another day in The Last Faith.

Dr Ridley Hermann’s Move Set

I find that with The Last Faith, beating bosses is much more about learning move sets than healing. This is not a unique mechanic to The Last Faith, but it does mean you need to keep your head on a swivel. Dr Hermann has two stages. These are the moves you need to watch for and how to stay ahead.

First stage

• Sword Sweeps – Both of these moves are telegraphed with a wind-up on the blade arm. Don’t bother trying to get in blows at this point, and roll to a safe distance behind him. One of these moves focuses mainly forward. However, one also sweeps backward. Stay distant and move in after for a combo flurry.
• Tentacle Arms – Dr Ridley Hermann will blast tentacles forward, sometimes throwing a sweeping combo behind him afterward. I would recommend getting basically on his body with a roll and attacking for the whole move. He has little chance of hitting you in The Last Faith, provided you’re on top of his sprite.
• Minor tentacle attack – When you see Dr Ridley Hermann retreat to a corner and the ground begins to shake, be prepared for the tentacles. Look at the ground to see the clear spots contrasted with the rumbling areas. Move to a clear spot for the first set of tentacles, then to your left or right for the second once the first has retreated.

Second stage

A lot of the same moves are reused here, but with added speed or damage. These are the new ones to look for.

• Hanging attack – Dr Ridley Hermann really ramps up the heat in The Last Faith with his final stage. This move will have him hanging from a ceiling and firing down spinning balls at you. I would suggest standing directly beneath him, jumping to avoid the balls, and attacking at the height of your jump. With well-timed jumps and a definite emphasis on avoidance rather than attack, you can get most of your damage in here.
• Diving attack – Dr Ridley Hermann will blast up from the ground, and slam back into it, pushing out bolts of damage in The Last Faith. Although it is unlikely he will hit you, the blobs of blood may. As soon as he hits the ground, roll. The I frames will make the damaging bullet of blood pass right through you.
• Health Drain Puddle – With this move, he will become a blood puddle and move along the floor, tracking you in The Last Faith. If you are touched by his puddle, your health will be drained, and his will go back up. It is a hard move to avoid, but I found that putting as much distance between the two of you before it starts helps a lot. Once he moves toward you, jump over him and then roll over the slowing, damaging blood spots he leaves behind.
• Mega Tentacles – This is similar to the original tentacle attack but with more area and more stages. Keep an eye out for the rumbling ground, and hold off on attacking.

The best times to attack Dr Ridley Hermann in The Last Faith

I personally found that the first stage could be easily beaten by simply taking my time. I didn’t rush my attacks and used the wind down from the swings to really get the hits in. It was possible to get a full combo in before retreating.

In the second stage, I used the point where he was hanging to do the most damage. I also found that after the moving puddle stage, there was a long cooldown. I closed the gap between myself and Dr Ridley Hermann to really bring the pain in The Last Faith.

Check out PC Invasion for more tips and tricks in The Last Faith.