2-3: Sheer Heart Attack (2024)

2-3: SHEER HEART ATTACK is the third level of Lust, hosting Lust's secret level: 2-S: All-Imperfect Love Song, along with introducing the Mindflayer. The song used in this level is Panic Betrayer.

Level

Start

2-3 starts off inside a small industrial building containing an interior pool of water and a skylight, with the Corpse of King Minos looming directly above.

Upon making it towards the starting arena, a wave of 4 Strays and 2 Soldiers will spawn on the walkways and platforms around the edge of the room.

The player then needs to head through to the far left door by the highest section of the walkway, which will proceed to the next arena.

Water Arenas

Continuing through the open door will lead to a hallway suspended over a rushing waterfall, flowing into a set of deadly pits. The arena contains a small room to the left with a glass window, which connects to a bridge leading to another door.

Upon entering the arena, a horde of 6 Filth, 2 Schisms, and 2 Soldiers will spawn in. When all of the Filth are killed, a Malicious Face will be summoned. When both the Soldiers and Schisms are killed, a door will open to the room beside the main arena, summoning 2 Drones 2 Streetcleaners.

Once all the enemies are killed, the door below will unlock, leading to a hallway containing a Blue Skull Key, which will then loop back to the main hub once picked up.

Back into the main room, if the player jumps into the heart shaped pool within the center of the room, it will trigger an enemy encounter with 1 Soldier to the left, 3 Strays in front, and a horde of 8 {[hl|Filth}} further behind the Strays.

Grinder Arena

Connecting to the previously mentioned pools are sets of narrow entrances, which lead to small room with a Blue Pedestal. Placing the skull onto the pedestal will unlock a door forward, connecting to a small hallway with a stream of water leading to the next arena.

Inside is a large cluster of walkways, platforms and bounce pads, situated over a massive stretch of deadly grinders.

Upon moving past the middle of the arena, a large enemy encounter will begin, featuring 6 Filth on the right walkway, 4 Soldiers to the left, and 2 Streetcleaners at the northern walkways.

Once the first wave is defeated, another wave of 4 more Soldiers and 4 Drones will spawn in, with the Drones in the center of the arena, and the Soldiers situated at the bottom floor. Once all the enemies are killed, the player can then enter into a corridor containing the Red Skull Key, which will then loop back around to the starting hub.

Mindflayer Encounter

Upon entering the starting room to access the Red Pedestal, the door leading to it will suddenly close, before a Mindflayer is summoned to attack the player.

Mindflayers are very dangerous machines: with their barrages of homing projectiles, hard to react swipes, and constant teleportation making them a high priority target for the player to kill, with them being exceptionally deadly alongside crowds of enemies drawing the attention away from the threat at hand.

Upon killing the lone Mindflayer, the door will unlock, leading to the room with the Red Pedestal.

End

The final arena of 2-3 contains a waterfall within the center of the room covering the exit door and a walkway above the entrance. Upon entering the arena: 3 Filth, 2 Strays, and a Mindflayer will spawn in. Dealing enough damage to the Mindflayer will summon 2 Soldiers and killing it will spawn in 4 Drones. Once all enemies are defeated, the exit gate will open for the player to end the level.

Challenge

For the level's challenge, the player needs to be careful to avoid coming into contact within the water, with 3 power boxes scattered throughout to drain the water. Each power box is found next to a Soul Orb location, so listening for its sound can lead to finding the box.

The list of power box locations found throughout the level:

1. Underneath a bridge inside the arena with the large flowing waterfall to the right, nearby a small offshoot room with a glass window.
2. Inside the grinder arena, within a small nook in the wall to the left of the entrance near a walkway, requiring the player to wall-jump up to reach it.
3. Behind the stairs within the corridor with the Red Pedestal, which the player needs to reach by sliding through a gap on either wall.

To make it forward without going through the heart shaped pool of water within the starting hub, the player needs to find a small breakable piece of wall to the right of the pool, connecting to the Blue Pedestal room.

When all of the power boxes are destroyed, the sound of draining water will play, with a notifying message appearing afterwards:

The water has been drained

All the water within the level will then be completely drained out and removed, along with additionally halting all hazards within the Grinder Arena, making them unable to kill the player. The player can then walk into the exit gate without being interrupted by the water and complete the challenge.

Due to water being drained, the waterfall previously within the arena leading to the Blue Skull Key will disappear, revealing a small gap within the wall previously impossible to enter through with the rushing water. Sliding behind it reveals to a small room with a hidden Secret Elevator, leading to 2-S: All-Imperfect Love Song.

Secrets

For the level's secret exit, see the Challenge section above, as it covers the same topic.

Trivia

• In the background behind the entrance door, a silhouette of 3 towers connected by bridges roughly resembles the layout of 2-1: Bridgeburner.