What Happens If You Lose to Photoshop Flowey? A Comprehensive Guide
Losing to Photoshop Flowey, also known as Omega Flowey, in Undertale can be a frustrating experience, especially given the fight’s challenging nature. Unlike a standard game over, defeat against Photoshop Flowey has unique consequences, which are largely a continuation of the battle itself. Instead of the standard ‘game over’ screen, Flowey simply reloads to the beginning of the fight. Specifically, he reverts to a save file he created at the very start of the battle, and both Flowey and the protagonist are reset to their full health. This means that you will have to repeat the encounter with all of his phases and patterns. This can be tedious, given the length of the battle. There’s no permanent “losing” consequence in the way that a normal game over implies; it’s more like hitting a very stubborn checkpoint. The fight will continue, again and again, until you are finally victorious or choose to give up.
However, if you’ve lost to Flowey multiple times, you may eventually find yourself wondering, “Will this fight ever end?” Yes, of course, it will! While the constant resetting can make it feel endless, there is a definite end to the fight, provided you keep trying. The game doesn’t penalize you with permanent consequences for repeated losses during this encounter, other than the loss of time. Your continued attempts are necessary for the game’s narrative.
Understanding the Photoshop Flowey Fight
The Photoshop Flowey fight is unique in Undertale. It is not a typical boss encounter, but rather a culmination of Flowey’s power over the game’s mechanics and story. It utilizes save files, health manipulation, and a range of surreal attacks that are unlike anything else in the game. During the fight, Flowey steals the six human SOULs to transform into a nightmarish amalgam, increasing his power significantly. To defeat him, you must survive a number of challenging phases, where he displays a variety of attack patterns. The key to winning is understanding each phase, learning to dodge the attacks, and eventually calling upon the power of the stolen SOULs to weaken him. The fight is long and can be overwhelming, but each attempt gives you the opportunity to learn the patterns.
Implications of Continued Loss
Repeatedly losing to Photoshop Flowey does not impact the storyline. The game is designed so that the only result of failure is a reset to the start of the battle. You do not lose any progress in terms of your level, inventory, or other game progression. All that happens is that you’re forced to start again, which allows you to further refine your strategy. The fight itself is meant to be a test of persistence. Even if you are losing repeatedly, remember that the game expects you to keep trying. It is in your attempts, and your eventual victory, that the narrative is fulfilled. The fight serves as a turning point, showcasing the consequences of Flowey’s determination and also, ultimately, the protagonist’s will to succeed.
What happens after you defeat Photoshop Flowey?
When the protagonist does defeat Photoshop Flowey, he feigns panic and curses the protagonist for defeating him before simply reloading FILE 3, a save file he created at the very beginning of the fight. This action, of course, results in Flowey (and also the protagonist) regaining all lost health.
How many times can you fight Photoshop Flowey?
However you can only fight Photoshop Flowey once per save. Meaning after you beat him once, you’ll need to either complete Pacifist or Genocide, or manually delete the save data in order to fight him again. If you only reset and get to him, he will skip the battle and take you straight to the ending.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Photoshop Flowey
Here are 15 related FAQs that will provide additional helpful information:
1. Does dying to Photoshop Flowey affect my Pacifist run?
No, dying to Photoshop Flowey has no impact on your Pacifist run. The fight is part of the Neutral Route and is necessary to progress towards other endings. Your death during this battle does not affect the requirements for achieving the Pacifist ending. Even if you fail countless times, the game recognizes the fight’s context and does not penalize your run.
2. What happens if I kill Flowey after the Photoshop Flowey fight?
If you choose to kill Flowey after his battle, he acknowledges that the protagonist has the ability to kill before transforming into “just a regular flower”. He won’t leave a message for the protagonist after the credits, and after a reset, will not reappear until the resolution of Asgore’s battle.
3. Can I skip the Photoshop Flowey fight?
No, you cannot directly skip the Photoshop Flowey fight unless you have already completed it on a previous save file. On subsequent resets and replays, Flowey will skip this fight and send you directly to the ending. This occurs if you have already achieved a full clear of the neutral route in a given save.
4. Does Flowey remember if I reset after losing to him?
Yes, Flowey has limited awareness of your resets and actions, even if it’s just a reset back to the start of the Photoshop Flowey encounter. He will display brief moments of self-awareness through his dialogue. He will never explicitly call you out for resetting, but he makes implications to it.
5. What is the significance of Flowey’s ability to save and load?
Flowey’s ability to save and load is a crucial part of his power, allowing him to manipulate the timeline, and gives him the ultimate control over the fight against the protagonist. It’s why he can bring himself (and you) back to the start when defeated, which ties into a key concept in the game’s metaphysics.
6. How do I effectively beat Photoshop Flowey?
Effective strategies involve learning his attack patterns, using the healing items you have, and utilizing the SOUL segments to your advantage. Timing and patience are crucial. It’s about understanding the phases and patterns, which will help you deal more damage and avoid more attacks.
7. What happens if I abort a Genocide Route before the Photoshop Flowey fight?
If you abort a Genocide Route, Flowey will not forget your actions, and this will affect his dialogue and behavior. He will display a heightened awareness of the player’s actions, and make comments on their moral shift.
8. Does the game punish you for repeated deaths against Photoshop Flowey?
No, the game doesn’t punish you for repeated deaths. The primary consequence is the frustration of restarting the fight. This repetitive nature serves to highlight how persistent Flowey can be. The lack of permanent consequences emphasizes that this fight is a unique challenge rather than a typical boss battle.
9. Is Photoshop Flowey the hardest fight in Undertale?
Many consider Photoshop Flowey to be the hardest boss fight in Undertale on the Neutral Route because it’s long, unpredictable, and relies heavily on understanding the mechanics, and is the culmination of the player’s playthrough at this point. It’s a very challenging fight, and one that requires a lot of patience.
10. Why does Flowey have such a complex boss fight?
The complexity is intentional, meant to emphasize Flowey’s distorted view of the world and his control over the timeline. It also highlights the theme of determination and the protagonist’s struggle against the manipulation of the world around them.
11. Is Flowey stronger than Sans?
In terms of raw power, Flowey is often seen as stronger due to his ability to manipulate time and the six SOULs during the Photoshop Flowey battle. Sans relies more on game mechanics and knowledge of the timeline to fight the player, but does not manipulate it himself. The power of Flowey is much more directly impactful to the timeline and fight.
12. What are the SOULs and how do they help?
The human SOULs that Flowey captures during his transformation are key to weakening him during the fight. When their segments appear, you need to click on each of them as they appear. This acts as a healing phase for the player, but also weakens Flowey for the rest of the fight.
13. Why is Flowey scared of Chara?
Flowey is scared of Chara because he realizes she is an unpredictable force of destruction. He feared Chara would embrace him, as he had tried to replicate her own violent tendencies, and be proud. However, he later realized he was not exempt from the violence, and thus he became scared of them.
14. How is Photoshop Flowey different from Asriel’s fight?
Photoshop Flowey is a distorted, powerful form created by Flowey’s desperation and power lust. Asriel, in his true form, is a much more emotional and heartfelt encounter. Photoshop Flowey fight is also much more akin to bullet hell shooters, whereas Asriel is more forgiving.
15. Does losing to Photoshop Flowey impact the Soulless Pacifist ending?
No, losing to Photoshop Flowey does not impact the Soulless Pacifist ending. The requirements for this ending depend on having completed a Genocide Route before achieving a Pacifist Route. Whether you lost or succeeded on Photoshop Flowey will not change this.
In conclusion, losing to Photoshop Flowey is a frustrating, but necessary, experience within Undertale. It serves as a challenge and a test of the player’s persistence, and while frustrating, it ultimately doesn’t have any long-term negative consequences. Understanding that the fight is a loop designed to be overcome will help you approach the encounter with patience and strategic thinking.