As the name suggests, this is the ultimate boss stage, in which Ecco must defeat the Vortex Queen. Unlike in the previous two levels, Ecco's health will not regenerate whilst fighting the Vortex Queen. No password is provided for this level. If Ecco dies in this level, Welcome to the Machine must be repeated.
During this battle, the Vortex Queen will attempt to suck Ecco into her mouth; if she is successful, Ecco will be killed instantly, and the player will be sent back to the start of Welcome to the Machine. Additionally, the walls will periodically fire the projectiles seen in Welcome to the Machine, which must be avoided.
Eyes[edit]
In order to defeat the Vortex Queen, you will first need to destroy both of her eyes, as well as her jaw. The eyes can be harmed with the Death Sonar and the Dash attack, but Dashing is extremely risky. Upon being struck, the eyes will release a spray which will damage you if it hits. Each eye takes eight hits to destroy with the Death Sonar, and it is recommended that you destroy them before attacking the jaw. Once you have destroyed the Vortex Queen's eyes, you should then proceed to destroy her jaw.
Jaw[edit]
The jaw can only be destroyed with the Dash attack, making attacking it inherently risky. The jaw takes four hits to destroy, and will regenerate twice, meaning it must be attacked twelve times in order to fully destroy it.
Head[edit]
After destroying the Vortex Queen's eyes and jaw, her head can be attacked directly using the Dash attack. Each time her head is struck, the Vortex Queen will release a Drone to defend her, which must be dispatched. After striking the head five times, the Vortex Queen will be defeated, and jellyfish and lightning will begin to pour out of her remains. After she is finally defeated, the end sequence will begin to play.
Recommended strategy[edit]
First and foremost: Do not take risks. The price of failure is incredibly high, so take as much time as necessary to defeat the Vortex Queen.
Immediately after beginning the level, it is necessary to rapidly fire the Death Sonar; otherwise, you will take damage from a Vortex Drone as you drop into the Vortex Queen's chamber. After this, move to the right-hand side, making sure you don't linger near the entrance. Note: during the battle, you will need to avoid the upper section of the chamber near the tube. If you get too close, Vortex Drones will spawn from it and attack you.
From as far away as possible, fire your Death Sonar at the Vortex Queen's eye, then move upwards and away from the resulting spray, taking care not to stray near the entrance. You should only fire your Death Sonar once each time; if you attack multiple times, the eye will spray for every hit, making it difficult to avoid being hit. Continue attacking and dodging until the Vortex Queen gets too close, then go underneath her to get to her other side. When swimming underneath the Queen, you should always be tapping Accelerate and facing away from the Queen; this will prevent her from sucking you into her mouth. If she begins to attack, push into one of the corners. Repeat this pattern of attacking and dodging until both eyes are destroyed.
Once you have destroyed her eyes, you will need to destroy her jaw. This is the riskiest part of the boss fight, as the Vortex Queen will kill you if she manages to suck you into her mouth. To avoid certain death, you will need to wait for her to attack first. Whilst waiting for the Vortex Queen to attack, hug against a wall, pushing in the direction away from her. Do not face her until after you have seen/heard her attack. If you are caught in her suction attack, you should attempt to Accelerate away.
Wait until she has just used her suction attack, then Dash from the side into the Vortex Queen's jaw, rapidly Accelerating to get away. This will prevent you from taking any contact damage. Repeat this attack/wall hugging strategy until her jaw is destroyed. Note: after hitting her, you will momentarily be stationary, and sitting right on top of the Vortex Queen's mouth. If you did not wait for her to attack first, you will die. If it looks like you have missed your opening, wait for her to attack again.
After her jaw is destroyed, you will simply need to Dash into her head to damage her, then move away and destroy the Drone she spawns. Once you have defeated her, move quickly away towards the entrance of the chamber to avoid the carnage.