PlatinumGames’ latest release, Astral Chain, is full of optional challenges, unlockable items, and hidden collectibles that can be easy to miss the first time through. Luckily, there’s a way to head back through old levels once you’ve completed them. This also allows you to use new Legions you’ve unlocked to get to areas that were inaccessible without them. Replaying old levels is surprisingly complicated, though. In this Astral Chain File replay guide, we’ll cover how to replay Files and the potential drawbacks you should be aware of.
Astral Chain File replay | Losing current progress
Before you jump into an old file, it’s important to know what you’ll lose when you start one. In Astral Chain, returning to HQ by restarting a file in progress means you’ll not only undo all the objectives you completed in-mission, but the things you did at HQ, as well, like the upgrades you applied to your Legion and your X-Baton. Luckily, replaying a File won’t set you back quite as far, but you may still have to replay some content.
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If you play all or part of an old File and then return to the current File, everything you did to your character will be kept (Legion colors and upgrades applied, etc.), but any side quests you completed in HQ will be undone. For example, if you complete the Lappy-related quest at the beginning of File 05, load up an old File, and return to HQ, you’ll have to redo that Lappy quest. Because of this, we recommend saving in the second save slot at the PC before you enter an old mission. Auto saves during missions will automatically overwrite the first save slot, so it’s best to create an additional save in case you end up deciding to abort your search for a File-specific collectible or the like. Likewise, we recommend jumping into old Files as soon as a new file starts to avoid wasting time on lost progress.
Astral Chain File replay | How to access past Files
If you’ve considered the above and still want to access a past File, it’s fairly simple. First, head to the PC in the Neuron HQ briefing room. At the top of the list of options available to you, you’ll see “File Select.” Select this, and you’ll be brought to a summary of the most recent completed File. You can jump between this and other Files using R and L. Within each file, you’ll see a number of segments for called Chapters that let you jump to specific points in the mission. Clicking in the right joystick will show you details about each chapter, including its red and blue side quests and the ranks you’ve earned for each red quest. Above the Chapter Details, there’s a box that tells you the percentage of Red Matter you’ve cleared for the File, the number of items you’ve found out of the File’s total, the highest overall Rank you’ve earned, and other information.You can also hit X at any time to bring up the overall File results screen. Once you’ve decided which File and Chapter you want to jump to, simply hit A and select “Play File and Chapter.”
