Defeating PSIV bosses at low levels

I've played PSIV so much that I can get through the game fairly easily without ever grinding for levels. I'm replaying it again now, and in order to make it a challenge, I'm trying to get through the game without fighting any more battles than I have to. I wanted to ask if anyone here has ever tried this, and if so, how did you fare? I'd like to see the lowest levels at which anybody has managed to defeat each boss.

Here's how I fared:
Gy-Laguiah: Rune (17) Demi (12) Gryz (7) Rika (6) Chaz (5)
Zio: Rune (18) Demi (15) Gryz (13) Rika (14) Chaz (13)
Dark Force 1: Wren (20) Raja (25) Rune (19) Rika (16) Chaz (15)
Xe-A-Thouls: Wren (24) Kyra (29) Rune (23) Rika (23) Chaz (21)
Lashiec: Wren (24) Kyra (29) Rika (23) Chaz (22) Rune (23)
Dark Force 2: Wren (26) Kyra (30) Rika (26) Chaz (24) Rune (25)
Dark Force 3: Wren (27) Chaz (26) Rika (28) Rune (26)
De-Vars, Sa-Lews, Alys: Wren (27, 28) Chaz (27, 27, 28) Rika (29, 29) Rune (26, 27)
Profound Darkness: Wren (31) Chaz (32) Rika (33) Rune (33)

And this isn't really a low level run, but I think it's worth posting:
Xe-A-Thouls: victory in 2 turns (party average is level 30)

Anyway, I saved the game right before the final dungeon with the party below level 30. I've posted the save files for this playthrough so that anybody who wants to try tackling the final boss at low levels can have their shot.

normal save file (load from game menu, must have same name as PSIV rom)
save state (use savestate option to load, must have same name as PSIV rom)

All the sidequests have been completed, and all items from treasure chests have been acquired. Here are the current levels of each character:

Chaz 28 - has not learned Nathu, Nares, Nazan, Explode
Rune 27 - has not learned Efess, Nagra, Negatis, Legeon
Rika 30 - has not learned Nares, Nasar
Wren 28 - has learned all of his moves
Hahn 27 - has not learned Nawat, Astral, Eliminat, Savol, Nazan
Gryz 29 - has learned all of his moves
Demi 27 - has learned all of her moves
Raja 31 - has not learned Nasar
Kyra 32 - has not learned Nafoi, Bindwa, Tandle, Nagra

The 4 main characters have their best weapons and armor equipped. The 5th party member has not been chosen yet, just in case you're feeling really crazy and want to try facing the last boss with a party of 4. The item inventory contains the following:

Equipment:
- Guardian Shield, in case you pick somebody who can equip it
- Guardian Rod, acts as Sar if used as an item
- Power Shield, acts as Shift if used as an item
- Swift Helmet, acts as a single-character Saner if used as an item

Healing items:
- 10x Trimate
- 8x Star Dew
- 4x Solar Dew
- 7x Repair Kit

Worthless wastes of space:
- Land Rover
- Ice Digger
- Hydrofoil
- Psycho Wand
- Rykros Ring
- Aero Prism

And I've also got 255714 meseta saved up if you need to do additional shopping. I'd replace all the Trimates with more Dews.

Could you reach Zio at his fortress with Rika only having "Res"?

newsblade wrote:

Could you reach Zio at his fortress with Rika only having "Res"?

Yeah, it's possible for Rika to only be at level 6 after you defeat Juza. Of course, in order to do this, you have to make sure that Juza is the only enemy she ever fights, and you probably have to abuse savestates like mad to make sure you don't get Forceflashed to death. That's what I did anyway. >_> That was the last fight I cheated my way through, though. I basically wanted to figure out the absolute lowest levels I could be at by the time I faced Zio for real.

I'll probably edit the first post with a lot more videos soon. I've already played all the way through to The Edge. Rune doesn't even know Efess yet. I wonder if I can even make it to the boss's final form like this.

EDIT: Revamped the first post.

Save files are fine. You can submit them to the downloads section here, if you want.

I haven't tried a low level run myself, but I was thinking about it recently. I considered using a game genie code to skip all fights except bosses. I figured that in the end, I'd be abusing the save states way too much to enjoy it, though.

Uploaded my run against PD.

That, uh, took a while.

Back before emulation and I was a gamer rather than someone who reads about games of youth, I defeated the Profound Darkness with all party members at level 28/29. No lie, and no Game Genie/ PAR. It was exhausting and drawn out, with macro's for all possible scenario's to counter. I wonder if I fire up my PSIV cartridge, if the save data would be there; its been 15 years or so!

Sixfortyfive : Thanks for your videos ! I've watched some of them and that is cool to try to defeat PSIV bosses at low levels ! I haven't play enough this fourth installment to try to do it (ad as I don't really like when games are difficult !) I'll never do it but it's always a pleasure to Watch videos of low levels or Speed runs games ! Especialy from PS

Zio_Falz 15 years after ? Would be a great think to try it ! I hope that your backup memory is still alive !

I always love it when people do low-level stuff in rpgs.