We all love a whodunnit, don’t we? The ability to roll into town as a completely unbiased bystander to weigh in on the fate of the townsfolk. The thrill of potentially casting someone’s livelihood and well-being into oblivion because you missed an important clue.
It’s all great, and that’s why Sable, a criminally underrated indie Open World adventure game, tries to take advantage of that with a mystery-filled quest called Heartbreak in the City.
Heartbreak in the City is a quest within Sable that will help you explore new areas of Eccria, get to know the locals, and help players gather important mask variants to dutifully research all paths on their Gliding before choosing their true calling.
Why you wouldn’t want to just be The Shade of Eccria, I don’t know. But if you want to complete this quest and find the perpetrator behind this whole stunt, you are in the right place. Here is Indie Game Culture’s Sable Heartbreak in the City Guide.
Embark on a mesmerizing journey of self-discovery across the stunning, open-world desert landscape of Sable. With its breathtaking art style and evocative narrative, immerse yourself in a unique coming-of-age tale where exploration is as rewarding as the destination itself.
How to Begin Heartbreak in the City
As far as beginning this quest goes, it’s a lot more straightforward than some of the more hidden quest lines within Sable. All you have to do is travel to Eccria City in Redsee. It’s a large area northwest of Burnt Oak Station. If you’re traveling around Redsee, you’re bound to come across it sooner or later.
When you arrive, head over the bridge to the entrance, and in that courtyard, you will notice that there is a bit of a commotion going on. Approaching will trigger a cutscene, and upon noticing a new face, Guard Sandip will approach you, looking for a fresh pair of eyes on the situation.
He will tell you that someone in Eccria has decided to take the Power Core from a facility outside the city, and he needs you to restore power and then ensure that whoever committed the crime is brought to justice. So you’ll need to be an excellent detective and explorer for this one.
He will give you a broken Power Core and ask you to take it to Hamza, the Mechanist in town. Thus beginning your quest.
Finding Hamza
After you finish discussing matters with Sandip, you’ll want to head through the rounded archways out of the courtyard and then head west through the city. Hamza’s Garage is on the periphery of the western side of the city, so if you get really stuck, you can always just walk around the edge of the city walls.
When you find them, you’ll notice his Garage is a little worse for wear. So you’ll want to exhaust all dialogue with him to find out what happened, get some info on the power, and also get his take on things.
If you do, you’ll find that he believes that Iria is a prime suspect. It all feels a little odd, but hey, it’s early days in the investigation. At this point, you’ll want to leave and find Iria.
Where to Find Iria The Merchant
If you’re looking for Iria, you’ll want to head to the marketplace in Eccria, which is pretty hard to miss, considering how colorful and vibrant it is.
When you do find it, head to the far right corner, and you’ll find someone standing guard. The stairs beyond him lead to Iria’s office, but he won’t let you pass without a bribe.
You can pay 100 Cuts to get in, or if you happen to be short on cash, you can head down to the merchants under the bridge into Eccria and buy a Pomegranate.
Exchange either of these, and they will allow you to pass, granting you access to your next suspect. Iria is a pretty dry conversationist, but if you talk to her and ask for her take, she will accuse Garay, Eccria’s Serai mercenary, for hire.
You can now leave to find Garay, or if you’re flush with Cuts, you can buy Merchant Badges to complete your set before heading off.
Where to Find Garay
Garay is a much easier guy to find than Iria was. To find him, you simply need to head to the bridge entrance to the city, and if you hop down below the bridge, you will find Garay sitting on a big crate.
He isn’t exactly the most forthcoming with information, but after some chatting, he will imply that it was, in fact, Hamza, the Machinist, who planned the whole thing in a bid to sell the Power Core. Seems we have gone full circle here. Which means it’s time to return to Sandip.
When we do, he will inform us that Hamza has finished making a new Power Core and has a new task for us. We must head out to The Atomic Heart and replace it, which will also give us a chance to examine the crime scene. He gives us a key card, and that’s our cue to get going.
The Atomic Heart
You may be wondering where the Atomic Heart is and how we get there. Well, if you take a look at your map, you’ll see that there is a pipe running from the city to a facility in the Northwest. If you follow those pipes which are visible overground, you will find yourself right at the front door. Pretty convenient, right?
When you get in, you’ll have access to the outer chamber but not the central chamber, meaning you’ll need to do a little exploring. But the good news is there is a tonne of good stuff around the facility. So take a moment to grab all the items listed below:
- Scrap Metal x6
- Chum Egg x2
- Atomic Shell Dye
Then, after you get hold of all this, you can drop down into the main chamber. Your first clue will be the Broken Glass in the ground, signaling a rather sloppy break-in from above.
The second clue is found inside the Power Core Chamber, so climb in through the open space on the wall. Inside, you will find a clump of feathers, perhaps hinting at the prospect of a bird crashing through the window and swooping down for the Power Core.
It’s pretty unlikely, to say the least. Or perhaps the feathers fell off the helmet of an Eccria Guard. Less unlikely.
Then, thirdly, you have the Power Core socket, which is perfectly intact aside from a few suspect-looking frayed wires, making it look like it was staged to look like a haphazard extraction.
Upon discovering the third and final clue, you can head back to Eccria and talk to Sandip again.
Making a Decision
Now comes decision time; you have all the info you need to make an informed decision, but it may still feel like there is no true and definite answer.
Well, that’s the thing: the game wants to leave this ambiguous and open-ended, allowing the player to make the call. So, no matter what you choose, the quest will complete as normal. The only difference is the moral implications that come with each outcome.
So here is a quick rundown of the outcomes for each choice:
- If you choose Garay, he will be imprisoned for his crimes with no inquiry or trial. Due to his reputation and his Serai heritage, the Eccria Guards will take great pleasure in locking him away for good.
- If you choose Hamza, as he is a very likely culprit due to his access to the Atomic Heart, this will have the most gameplay effects on the player as this will lock some Bike Parts away forever, as Hamza will be imprisoned for their crimes.
- If you choose Merchant Iria, this will have the least effect on the world around you. Sandip will be too intimidated by Iria to arrest her, and if that is your decision, the investigation will be closed with no action being taken.
As mentioned, though, no matter who you choose, you still complete the quest, and for doing so, you will be awarded a Guard Badge.
Congratulations, you just finished Heartbreak in the City and can consider yourself an amateur sleuth.
Truth Is In The Eyes of the Beholder
So there you have it, a clear walkthrough of one of the best quests in Sable. While the outcome ends up being pretty arbitrary, I had a blast trying to piece together who the culprit was.
As a little added bonus, the developer actually revealed in an AMA that Hamza was indeed the culprit, but considering that he is a nice guy who was down on his luck and Iria is a bit of an ass, we can just pin it on her and call it a day.
I hope that this guide helps you on your way to completing your Gliding, and as always, thanks for reading Indie Game Culture.
Embark on a mesmerizing journey of self-discovery across the stunning, open-world desert landscape of Sable. With its breathtaking art style and evocative narrative, immerse yourself in a unique coming-of-age tale where exploration is as rewarding as the destination itself.
- Best Beginner Hades 2 Keepsakes - May 13, 2024
- 15 Beginner Tips For Hades 2 Newbies - May 9, 2024
- What’s New In Hades 2? - May 8, 2024