In Ghostrunner 2‘s second chapter, “Will Bushido Allow It?” players take on an armored warrior known as Ahriman. If you’re struggling to take him out, here’s our guide on how to beat Ahriman in Ghostrunner 2.
How to Beat Phase 1 of the Ahriman Fight in Ghostrunner 2
In Ghostrunner 2, Ahriman can use his implants to zip and dash all around the arena, but when it comes to actually swinging his Sephiroth-length sword, he takes ages. That’s something to bear in mind as we go forward since Jack’s swing speed is significantly faster and you don’t have to worry about recovery time.
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First things first, Ahriman begins the battle but just… standing in a place for a moment. Maybe he’s sizing up his opponent? He’s usually stationary for long enough that you can squeeze in a few hits before he darts away. Now, while you might be shocked by how little damage your sword inflicts on the boss, rest assured that this is something that takes care of itself later in the fight.
In this first phase, Ahriman will dash around the platform before eventually opening with two attacks: A powerful downward smash or a horizontal slash. At this stage in the game, you know that you’ll need to avoid them. Ghostrunner 2 isn’t like other first-person shooters when it comes to health; take a single hit and you’ll die.
With that in mind, both of Ahriman’s sword attacks can easily be dodged by simply dashing behind him. The downward slash has a loooooooong telegraph where your opponent raises his blade above his head like he’s about to sacrifice a goat, while the sideways slash is usually quicker but will see him rotate his body and briefly pause before unleashing it. Keep tabs on him and be ready to zip out of the way to slash away at Ahriman as he recovers.
His other ability at this stage in the fight is to leap away and throw three laser shurikens in your direction. While you may think Jack’s sword can block them, don’t borrow. It can only stop two before it runs out of energy, leaving the third to bring you down. You’ll want to duke these projectiles, so try leading them to the left or right and then quickly dashing in the opposite direction. They’re able to home in on your location but their turning angle is so large that you should be able to avoid them easily. Depending on how aggressive you are in this phase, you might not even see this attack. Speaking of which…
How to Beat Phase 2 of the Ahriman Fight in Ghostrunner 2
When you’ve taken off about a quarter of Ahriman’s health, a brief cutscene will play in Ghostrunner 2 wherein your foe will lock blades with Jack before sending him flying off the platform. Not all is lost though as a bald man in a jetpack deus ex machinas his way into the fight, reassuring you he’s here to help. When you’re given the opportunity, use him as a grapple point to pull yourself back to safety.
While you may have solid steel under your feet again, you still need to get back to Ahriman. Jack will have to wall run and grapple his way across several surfaces to get back in the fight. While that sounds simple enough, Ahriman will be launching shurikens the whole time. This may seem to complicate things but they move so slowly that they’re easy enough to avoid. Use your dash frequently, slowing down time if you need to, and you’ll be able to stick to the walls and avoid all the laser stars of death.
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Back in the arena, you’ve got a helping hand. Your mysterious helper comes equipped with a stun laser that, if it hits Ahriman, will lock him in place, for a moment. When you strike him in this frozen position, your sword will deal MUCH more damage than before. Unfortunately, a single strike is all you’ll be able to land as he launches back into his tried and tested moveset with a few variations.
Firstly, his shurikens continue to be an issue but this time he launches five at a time rather than three. The strategy to avoiding them is the same as before, just duke them left and right and you’ll dash past them unscathed. Ahriman’s downward smash is also upgraded as now when it hits the ground, it’ll emit two electric waves on the left and right of the blade. Since we’ve already established that dashing behind him is the best way to deal with this move, just keep doing that and you’ll have nothing to worry about.
The only new attack in his arsenal is his most devastating move. When you see Ahriman pull all the way back, leap into the air, and plunge his sword into the platform, that’s your cue to get ready. He surrounds himself in a full barrier of red laser energy that quickly creeps its way across the arena. There’s simply no way to dodge it by yourself BUT we’ve got a friend with a jetpack, remember.
Wait until Ahriman touches down and the red barrier begins pushing forward to quickly glance up at your ally and use your grappling hook to pull yourself up and over the attack. If you do this right, you’ll even be able to come down on top of Ahriman and slash away as he takes a quick break to recover from all that exertion. The timing on this can be quite tricky; I found myself grappling way too early and inevitably falling straight back into the lasers but waiting until the last moment won’t work either. Fortunately, Ghostrunner 2 does use checkpoints in its boss fights, so you won’t lose too much progress if you miss the leap.
Related: How Long Does Ghostrunner 2 Take to Beat?
The last thing you’ll want to know that’s not essential but still very helpful is that Jetpack Friend can shoot more stuns. Give him about 30 seconds to charge one up and then hit the action button (whatever you’ve got it mapped to) to have him shoot another taser and lock Ahriman down for a spell. It’s great for shutting down an attack you think will definitely hit you or if you want to maximize your damage output.
With all of that now on the table, you know everything you need to bring Ahriman to his needs. Mind you, Jack doesn’t actually kill him but that’s getting into spoiler territory.
What You Get for Beating the Boss in Ghostrunner 2
With Ahriman defeated, you’ve successfully beaten Ghostrunner 2‘s second chapter and unlocked a stylish new skin for your sword.
If you’re looking for more, check out where to find all the Artifacts in Ghostrunner 2 Chapter 1.
