The Last Case of Benedict Fox is a gorgeous Metroidvanian action puzzle game out now on Xbox and PC. It is set in a wonderful gothic Lovecraftian world, where you’re tasked with solving a series of murders. It is a visually stunning adventure that begins with Benedict Fox returning to the home of his estranged father and finding him murdered.
You won’t be solving this murder alone however because grafted to Benedict since birth is his demonic companion. Together he and Benedict utilise his supernatural powers while they explore Limbo to get to the bottom of the case. The enemies you encounter are tough and deadly and it’ll be a battle for survival for Benedict Fox. Good thing you have an arsenal of weapons, tools and abilities to get you through.
In this guide, we’ll go through all the abilities and equipment upgrades that you’ll need to get in order to survive The Last Case of Benedict Fox.
Abilities via Tattoos
Benedict obtains his abilities via tattoos that you can get on your skin. There are a total of twelve tattoos in the game and each requires a certain amount of ink. To obtain ink you’ll need to defeat enemies, once you have enough ink visit the tattooist that has set up shop in the mansion. There are a total of twelve tattoos to get.
These tattoos give Benedict and his companion additional powers, from granting a protective barrier, to a demonic slam, to additional attacks that lay waste to your foe, tearing them apart. The first six are obtained sequentially and are necessary to fully explore the map and complete the game. While the last six are powerful, expensive, and optional combat abilities.
You’ll need a total of 345 ink for all six necessary upgrades and a total of 1,405 ink to get all twelve. You should be able to get all the ink with enough to spare towards the end of the game even if you don’t defeat all the enemies.
The Tattoos
| Tattoo | Ink | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Companion’s Grasp | 15 | Allows you to throw enemies and certain other objects. Good for opening them up to attacks, throwing them into ink pools to kill them, and instantly killing the exploding cyst enemies. Uses about a third of the meter. |
| Second Tentacle | 60 | Makes the Grasp more effective |
| The Companion’s Dive | 80 | Both a navigational ability, that allows you to destroy those green wooden boards blocking paths from above, and attack. This is a good way to start battles, as it sends enemies flying and allows you to get a couple of hits in. |
| The Companion’s Heaving Strike | 50 | Allows you to use the Grasp to pull an enemy close for a strong attack |
| The Companion’s Double Grapple | 60 | Allows you to triple jump, opening up new parts of the map |
| The Companion’s Heave | 80 | Allows you to pull out the enemy blockages, opening up new parts of the map |
| The Companion’s Reach | 40 | Increases the range of tentacle attacks like the grasp, making them less risky to use |
| The Companion’s Tackle | 70 | While running you, can slide into enemies to send enemies flying upwards. This is good for starting fights, opening enemies up to harm, and bulldozing through enemies you want to run past, but is also good for reaching the vulnerable side of the giant Nest enemies. Uses most of the stamina meter. |
| The Companion’s Shield | 300 | By holding the shield button, you create a shield that will block attacks as long as your stamina meter can allow. Taking three hits to the shield will lead to it popping, but it will at least knock away close enemies. Extremely useful, as it removes the precision necessary for the basic parry, but can only last a couple of sustained seconds. |
| The Companion’s Deeper Dive | 300 | The dive attack now does additional damage and can kill weaker enemies in one hit |
| The Companion’s Ambush | 250 | Press the button while holding still to place a trap on the ceiling above you. It will ensnare nearby enemies and hold them in place helplessly, allowing you to wail on them with no risk. |
| The Companion’s Slam | 100 | Press the same button as the grasp to slam a flying enemy downwards. A nice quality-of-life upgrade to take out the more annoying enemies. |
Related: The Last Case Of Benedict Fox – Beginner’s Guide
Weapon Upgrades
Apart from the powers gained by tattoos, Benedict will have a dagger and gun to use while in Limbo. Your reach isn’t tremendous at the start, and your bullet capacity is limited. But these limitations lessen a bit once you get some upgrades from the weaponsmith.
Each upgrade requires two things, Bits and Pieces (BNP), the game’s currency and special items you’ll find along your travels. This allows each upgrade to be progression locked and available at specific points in the story. These items range from objects that have some sort of significance to the deceased, with bits of narrative attached to them as well.
| Upgrade | Item | BNP | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piercing Bullets | Chalice of Dried Human Blood | 300 | Your bullets will pierce through enemies, allowing you to hurt multiple in one shot. Great for crowd control |
| Faster Reloads | Rat’s Mask Prototype | 100 | Bullets are earned faster from bayonet attacks |
| Additional Bullets 1 | Silvery Mirror | 125 | Allows you to store another flare bullet |
| Additional Bullets 2 | Second Memoirs Record | 125 | Gives you another flare bullet |
| Bullet Upgrade | Owl’s Rifle and Book of Languages | 300 | Gives you a powerful bullet on a cooldown that lets you split certain ink pools. |
| Combo Finish Boost | Experimental Cap | 200 | |
| Attack Speed Boost | Rattle | 300 | |
| Range Boost | Obsidian Ritual Dagger | 250 | |
| Damage Boost | Four-Sleeved Straitjacket | 300 |
Store
Harry will appear in the house after defeating the Librarian. He’ll give you a 35% discount if you retrieve the Poster with Cheque from James’ Limbo after getting the Flashlight.
Miracle Water
Either hold the button to heal until you’re maxed or press for a little boost of health that increases with each upgrade.
- Quantity 100/150: Gives additional uses
- Quality 150/175/200: Upgrades from one health from the press to two, three, and then four
Stone Plate – 100 BNP
Makes you immune to all damage for an upgradable amount of time at the expense of locking you in place.
- Quantity 100/150: Increases how many times you can use, it to a maximum of three
- Quality 150/175/200: Increases the time you’re petrified for
Smoke Bomb – 50 BNP
Makes you intangible in a limited area and limited time, letting you walk through enemies and avoid hits. Handy against the giant Nest enemies.
- Quantity 100/150: More uses, up to a maximum of three
- Quality 150/175/200: Makes the smoke last longer and cover a larger area
Flashlight
Needs to be found in James’ Limbo, after getting the Kogai Pin. Throughout the dark tunnels, there will be white floating orbs. By shining your light on them, they’ll release some light that will recharge your flashlight.
When the tentacles chasing you swarm and start turning white, turn around to dispel them. The flashlight upgrades are borderline necessary, as the Mirage and the Spider require long treks into dark tunnels
- Quantity 100/150: Increases the amount of time you can use the flashlight. The default is 10s and the upgrades increase it by 15s each for a maximum of 40s.
- Quality 10/100/150: Increases the size of the flashlight light, making you safer, increasing visibility, and helping you trigger the white orbs.
The Last Case Of Benedict The Fox
Take on the last case of Benedict Fox and dive into a twisted world of secret organizations, forbidden rituals, and cold-blooded murders. Explore the memories of deceased victims as you search for clues and fight demons in this fantastical Lovecraftian Metroidvania.
Descend into a limbo of decaying memories as Benedict Fox, a self-proclaimed detective bound to his demon companion. Use that unholy bond to explore the minds of the recently deceased in search of clues as you uncover the mysteries of a massive, decrepit mansion. Immerse yourself in a dark, intriguing world full of secret organizations, forbidden rituals, and cold-blooded crimes in this arcane adventure.
The Last Case of Benedict Fox is out now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC – Steam.
