How to beat Calisto Bessett in Enigma of Fear

Throughout Enigma of Fear, you’ll find pre-recorded messages left by Calisto Bessett. He’s a chill guy who loves working as a paranormal investigator and has an endearing addiction to caffeine. So, this being a survival-horror game, I knew I’d probably have to kill him at some point.

I hate being right. Calisto is the first boss you’ll face in Enigma of Fear, and he’s no pushover. Taking down this demented occult expert isn’t easy; in fact, I died against him a few times. Luckily, I beat him eventually, so now I can tell you how to put Calisto out of his misery.

How to find Calisto in Enigma of Fear

Getting to Calisto is a puzzle all its own, one that involves looking at things from a unique perspective. After you’ve opened the Advanced Lock, head down the stairs and into the basement. Deal with the Blood Zombie in the hall, then step through the door to the right. Keep going straight until you enter the room full of paper.

Take out the Blood Zombie, then head to the center of the room and pick up the piece of paper in the eye of the notary hurricane. Once you pick it up, the pixels on the screen will start getting a little… glitchy. Ignore that for now.

The note features the Mark of Fear, the sigil you interact with whenever you start the game. Circles of blood highlight three of the twelve smaller symbols surrounding the bigger one. You’ll get an even clearer picture if you hit the F key and turn on your dark light. Flipping the picture over reveals a drawing of the room you’re in, and shining the dark light reveals a circle drawn over part of the wall. Remember that for later.

Once you put the note away, the game will glitch out, and you’ll be back on the title screen. If you click the three symbols circled on the note, you can play as Mia’s missing father, Verity. You’ll start at his car, which you passed as Mia on the walk to the Starch House. You’ve got a sword and a gun with fifty bullets in the chamber. Head down the road and go to the cellar, cutting down every Blood Zombie you find.

Once you’re below ground, head through the room Mia found the crowbar in and go through the open door. Once you’re in the hall, head down the door to the right and into the room where Mia found the note. This time, you’ll discover Calisto waiting for you.

Enigma of Fear Calisto Bessett boss guide

Calisto is a formidable opponent, and Enigma of Fear‘s combat system isn’t what I’d call well-refined. Calisto has a move-set similar to yours, so his first phase shouldn’t be too difficult. He’ll try to take a few pot-shots with his pistol right out the gate, so hold the Q key to block them. If I held Q too long, I noticed he pierced my guard, so try to click it with precision before it hits you.

Calisto should move in to hit you with his sword before too long. Swing your sword to block his blows, then hit him when he gets too close. He’ll try to weave around you, so keep on him. Once you’ve hit him enough times, you’ll enter phase two of the fight.

Here, Calisto switches things up by throwing in a few magic attacks. He’ll clone himself and start drawing a ritual circle on the ground. If he completes the spell, he’ll hit you with a hard-to-avoid barrage of sword swings, so you’ll want to stop him before he finishes. I couldn’t tell if the real Calisto has an obvious tell, so I’d recommend using your gun to shoot them all until you find them.

Once you’ve damaged Calisto enough, you’ll enter the final stage of the fight. Calisto will teleport to the middle of the room and begin prepping a one-hit kill spell. Close the distance as fast as possible and hit E to deliver the killing blow. Then, sit back and watch the game add horrifying context to the blood on the title screen.

Once you’ve returned to Mia’s perspective, use the hint on the back of the note to unlock the next area. I don’t think fighting Calisto is technically required. Still, it shines a light on Verity’s motivations and gives us some lore about what the original team of Order investigators who went to Starch House before Mia and her friends went through.