Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child/Freak Show

Freak Show 1


You begin right where the previous level ended – at the top of the belltower, but now it’s filled with water with the rest of cathedral buried under the ground. Or maybe you’ve been teleported to the top of the tower which looks just like the belltower in the prevous level? We’ll never know.

In the cut scene you will be shown the very last type of a regular enemy encountered for the Starbearer. It’s called Ballbuster and it has extremely powerful ranged attacks. On top of that, there are no Health Potions in the beginning of the level, so be extremely careful.

Get out of the tower top and turn around. That’s where you need to go, but don’t go there yet. You’re on a small piece of land protected from the Ballbuster by the roof under which you started the level. Slay Headless and Stumps. When you have enough space to maneuver, get rid of the Ballbuster crouching and keeping your distance.

Secret: You will see a ticket office to the right of the main entrance. Jump over the counter.

When you pass the wagon, its doors will be smashed open by a swarm of Headless. Get ready to turn back and face an ambush at the same time. Don’t forget to pick up the loot in the wagon when you’re done.

You will see three wooden floors with three tents above them. Here’s one nasty and tricky part. As soon as you come closer to any wooden floor, the tent above it will come to life and spawn a Ballbuster. It’s not a Spawner which creates them so this process can’t be stopped by force. The bonuses on the wooden floors will spawn as welln but do you really need them so much that you’d prefer fighting Ballbusters and waste ammo to get them?

Proceed with caution since two Blademasters will attack you once you turn around the corner. From now you have a choice where to go. Head to the tent on the left if you’re short on health (a few Gasbags hide inside the pillar in the middle). Anyway, up the slope and to the huge tent is where you need to go now.

It’s possible to jump to the tent across the road but it’s hard and pointless, so head inside and prepare for the fight. The central pillar will open revealing a Spawner which will start producing Headless. Don’t be distracted by that Spawner since a few Ice Strutters will be shooting from the water tanks nearby.

Turn the valve on the upper floor and down to either of two tanks. You will see the small doors open, go there to the rear part of the circus. You sill see a Blood Rose in the wagon. Smash the barricaded wall to pick up the Blood Rose but once you do it, one Ballbuster with his pet Stumps will appear.

The next path is obvious: up the wooden slope and to the upper floor of the tent. Some Headless will spawn right under your nose, some of them will fall down. Get to the tent and kill Ballbusters, a chime will indicate that you did it right.

Proceed further to the big red tent which was closed some time ago. When near the tent, jump down and enter it. There’s not much can be said about the further way except that it’s a real freak show! You’ll see all kinds of enemies you’ve met earlier. There are also three Spawners, but they all are placed in such a way that you can take them out from afar if you’re quite careful and accurate.

Eventually you will come to a corridor with a fire ammo. Once you make a few steps, you will be ambushed by Stumps from behind. The way further will open inviting you in. You will see a few Gasbags and a Spawner but once you come close enough, the cages will open letting out a Ballbuster and a Blademaster.

No need to kill everyone since you can just dash to the mirror ahead and use it to end the level. Anyway, it’s your choice if you want to deal with the monsters or not.

Secret: There’s a monkey on a bike below the planks which lead to the mirror.

Freak Show 2


The tent you’re in is filled with water. Once you come close enough, the liquid will go down and a whole lot of Headless will jump up from the ground. Try to slay them from inside the tent since as soon as you show yourself on the ground, Fat Ladies will start throwing their internal organs at you. If you proceed further, Stumps will join their assault getting out of two Spawners, one to the left and one to the right.

You need to go to a narrow way on the left where the sleeping Spawner is. Prepare your weapons to get rid of it once it awakens. One more Fat Lady will be waiting for you on the wooden planks above but you can rid of her from below without drawing her attention if you’re careful enough.

Pick up the Elder Mask. Now since you have gathered all the pieces of armor, you have raised you basic health to 250, gained some other bonuses and look like Paul Stanley. Way to go!

The curtains will open revealing a Ballbuster who guards the entrance. When you go to the newly opened path, a swarm of Stumps will be spawned. If you’re quick and careful enough, you will be able to step back and get rid of these barking pests without drawing Ballbuster’s attention.

When the Ballbuster is killed (don’t forget about permanent Hawk Eyes), you will hear a hysterical laugh warning you about an Arachniclown around the corner.

When you will try to cross the bridge, some Headless and Gasbags will spawn. The curtain to the previous place will close shut leaving you less room to maneuver. No matter if you decide to slay or avoid them, cross the bridge and jump into the water.

Some Headless will be walking at the bottom without drowning. One or two Ballbusters will shoot at you from above. Go to the neighboring room and up a slope. Pull the lever to raise the water level and make the slope in the previous room reachable. You will also hear a sound produced by Headless, so be careful when jumping into the water.

Follow the way up in the previous room and prepare for a fight. You will meet a Fat Lady and a Spawner with Stumps inside. Or just run past all these foes.

The final part of this level is probably a circus ring. You will see three Spawners sleeping. Step inside and two Spawners will come to life and start producing Headless. That’s an easy part but once they are done with, the central Spawner will awaken and start spawning Arachniclowns, luckily one at a time. Kill them all and use the mirror.

Freak Show 3


Nothing in particular can be told here than it’s a boss fight with Fortunado.