How To Finish The Hollow Forest In One Day In Persona 4 Golden

If you maxed Marie's social link and unlocked this bonus Person 4 Golden dungeon, let us give you some tips and tricks on how to handle its quirks.

Though it takes a little bit of effort on your part to get there, Persona 4 Golden added a brand-new dungeon to the original vanilla version of the game – The Hollow Forest. If you manage to befriend Marie before the original endpoint of the game, you’ll gain access to Golden's bonus dungeon.

RELATED: Things Only Pro Players Know You Can Do In Persona 4 Golden

Marie is critical to the story of P4G, and the dungeon you trek through to save her is arduous, but with a little prep-work ahead of time, you ought to be in great shape. For help with the Hollow Forest dungeon in P4G, follow along with our guide.

Although our guides focus on combat, this article will still contain spoilers for endgame content of Persona 4 Golden.

Before you can access the Hollow Forest, you’ll need to do quite a bit of work throughout the vanilla story of the game. Namely, you’ll need to max out Marie's social link to access the dungeon.

Marie's social link is somewhat finicky, so we have a guide to maxing it out.

She’ll be outside the Velvet Room while you and the team are not currently in an investigation. It begins on 4/18, will pause briefly at Rank 5 until 7/24, and then, you’ll have until 12/23 to finish it.

If you do not complete her social link, the dungeon will be skipped, and you’ll proceed into Yomotsu Hirasaka as you would have in the vanilla game.

If these conditions are met, Marie will go missing in the New Year, leaving Margaret to find her. She does so during your ski trip, on 2/12.

After school on 2/13, you’ll automatically go to the entrance to the Hollow Forest dungeon.

However, just because you’ve gained access to the Hollow Forest doesn't mean it’ll be easy to get through it – the opposite, in fact.

We've been vocal advocates for finishing your dungeons sooner than later to optimize your free time in P4G, but with the Hollow Forest, you only have one day - 2/13 - to complete the dungeon.

If you do not or cannot finish it on this day, Marie will be lost.

Make it a priority to level the team ahead of time for the battles ahead, as this is not a good dungeon to grind for EXP.

It's also not good for your bank account, as Yu will not collect any yen from the battles in the Hollow Forest.

When you enter the Hollow Forest, you'll immediately lose your armor and items, which leaves you pretty poorly defended for the fights ahead.

Not only will you have lost your defense, but the other perks from your gear as well. For example, party members may have lost elemental protection or increased damage outputs they'd been given from their regular gear.

Be mindful of what this lack of gear changes for you and your teammates, and be sure to adjust the team as necessary outside the dungeon.

You can also ask the Fox to heal you. It's cheaper if you've worked on its social link, but the healing service is available regardless.

Even if it doesn't, some defense is better than no defense!

Thankfully, the game wasn't going to leave you with nothing - there are several chests on each floor of the Hollow Forest.

Anything you grab from the chests can (and should) be used inside the dungeon.

With the game aware of its limitation, these pieces of armor will often have elemental strength to cover what your party is now suddenly weak against again.

As if there wasn't already enough to contend with without your usual gear, anyone who takes a turn in battle will have their SP halved after the fight.

If you have SP-recovery items or passive skills, they will be applied first, and then the game will half what you have left after that.

There are stones you can collect throughout the dungeon that will restore your SP to counter the dungeon's harsh limitation.

Be sure to use them whenever you need, as they will not leave the dungeon with you, so use them or lose them inside.

There are several instances in the Hollow Forest where shadows are not visible on your mini-map.

They're still present in the overworld, however, so be on your toes rounding corners.

Not only does this make it pretty easy to get roped into battle when you weren't planning to be, but shadows can also attack you when you open doors inside the dungeon.

The door shadows are present on floors one, four, and seven. You don't need to worry about them on other floors.

Though the Fox is waiting at the entrance, as are your uninjured party members if you need to swap, it's not always easy to get there.

Once inside the Hollow Forest, you can't use Traesto, Goho-M, or Return Daikons to head back to the entrance of the dungeon, like you normally can.

However, you can still leave. There are branches you'll occasionally find throughout the Hollow Forest in P4G that will serve the same purpose.

With the above-mentioned restrictions on the dungeon, we know it looks really imposing at the start. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can lessen the strain on you and your party before going in.

If you have a Persona that knows one of the Invigorate skills, bring them along! Invigorate skills restore nominal amounts of SP, so use it to counter your automatic loss.

Regardless, you’ll likely need to get into the chests around the dungeon, but your chest keys do not come into the Hollow Forest with you.

Therefore, when you see the option to get a chest key from Shuffle Time after battle, take it! You never know what you might find when you use it.

One of the best ways to counter the loss of SP in this dungeon is to rank up Rise's social link beforehand.

Your navigations expert has some fantastic healing abilities that will definitely come in handy in the Hollow Forest. We’ve got a whole guide to Rise's social link if you need some help with it.

To counter your constant and unstoppable loss of SP, it may be a good idea to focus on physical attacks instead of elemental ones where possible. Conserve your SP for when you truly need it, and bring good physical attack party members to save SP where you can.

We went for Kanji and Naoto offensively with Yukiko as our healer, but Chie and Yosuke are great strikers as well who know plenty of physical moves, and Teddie also has solid healing powers.

Bring whoever is strongest, as not only will you be draining SP in the dungeon, but the shadows are between Lvs. 73-80, so they’re guaranteed to hit back pretty hard, too.

RELATED: Persona 4 Golden: Combat Tips

What makes the Hollow Forest even more of a colossal frustration is that all the shadows ahead have an elemental weakness. Normally, that's awesome, but with your SP severely limited, be selective about when you take advantage of that fact.

Some of the shadows are even strong against physical attacks, making them excellent targets for expending some of that precious SP.

Label

Explanation

Str

This shadow is strong against this element, and attacks of this element deal less damage.

This shadow is weak against this element, and attacks of this element deal more damage.

Rep

This shadow will repel attacks of this element, reversing the damage onto you.

Nul

This shadow will nullify attacks of this element, and as such, they deal no damage.

Drn

This shadow will gain health from attacks of this element, so attacks of this heal the shadow.

Attacks of this element deal normal damage to the shadow.

Shadow

Level

Available on Floors

Affinities and Weaknesses

Phys.

Fire

Ice

Elec.

Wind

Light

Dark

Almi.

Lying Hablerie

1, 2, 4 and 5

Spectral Raven

Praying Nyogo

1, 2, and 4-6

Wheeled Bambino

1-3, and 5

Calm Machine

1-3, 5, 7, and 9

Nul

Str

Reverent Table

2, 3, 5, and 6

Str

Snowfall Musha

3-5, and 7-9

Str

Superstitious Okina

4 and 5

Gauntlet Hand

4-6, and 8

Praying Papillon

5, 7, and 9

Nul

Lawless Fuzz

6 and 7

Nul

Stone Panzer

Str

Rep

Emaciated Garcy

7 and 8

Rep

Stupendous Relic

7 and 9

Drn

Nul

Harmonious Giant

Str

Execution Sword

Rep

Nul

Clear Sky Musha

Rep

Indignant Machine

Str

Nul

Unique Shadow Locations In The Hollow Forest

Cursed Woman's Pot

Both regular and golden chests

Drn

Isolated Hand

Golden chests

Str

Drn

Rep

And with so much on offer during Shuffle Time that could be more immediately helpful to you and the party, collecting Personas may not be foremost on your mind.

Persona

Arcana

Level

Siegfried

Strength

Barong

Emperor

Thor

Chariot

Hell Biker

Hanged Man

Melchizedek

Justice

Kartikeya

Star

Seth

Moon

Belial

Devil

Horus

Sun

Surt

Magician

Yurlungur

Temperance

Alilat

Empress

Hachiman

Hierophant

Tzitzimitl

Priestess

Vasuki

Hanged Man

For as complex as its setup is, there isn't much to detail in the actual walkthrough part of the dungeon that you’re not already familiar with as you inch toward the end of Persona 4 Golden.

You’ll notice pretty early on that the floors are labeled with emotions as the names, bringing you through Marie's story as she regains her memories.

As we’ve mentioned, floors one, four, and seven have shadows waiting when you open gates, so be prepared for unavoidable fights on those floors.

Additionally, whereas there's normally only one mini-boss per dungeon, the Hollow Forest has two mini-boss fights before you get to Marie herself.

You’ll battle Gorgeous King on Floor Four (Memories of Sorrow), and then Heaven's Giant a bit further up on Floor Seven (Memories of Anger).

Marie herself can be found on Floor Ten (Memories of Meeting) but as with her dungeon, her boss battle isn't straightforward, either, as it's actually two fights in one.

You won't regain HP or SP between them, so be prepared as best you can be before beginning the battle with Marie.

NEXT: Persona 4 Golden: Achievement/Trophy Guide

After writing for more than two decades and playing RPGs and simulation games since the N64's heyday, Gabrielle loves having married two of her passions here at TheGamer. Outside of work, she's also a big fan of baking, bass guitar, anime, and jokes so unfunny that they're sort of hilarious.

Persona 4 Golden THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT max out Marie's social link to access the dungeon outside the Velvet Room are not currently in an investigation 4/ pause briefly until 7/24 until 12/23 do not complete her social link dungeon will be skipped 2/12 2/13 doesn't mean it’ll be easy to get through it you only have one day - 2/13 - to complete the dungeon. Marie will be lost level the team ahead of time this is not a good dungeon to grind for EXP not good for your bank account will not collect any yen from the battles in the Hollow Forest. lose your armor and items, lost your defense lost elemental protection or increased damage outputs Be mindful of what this lack of gear changes adjust the team as necessary outside the dungeon. some defense is better than no defense chests on each floor of the Hollow Forest Anything you grab used inside the dungeon often have elemental strength anyone who takes a turn in battle will have their SP halved after the fight stones restore your SP they will not leave the dungeon with you shadows are not visible on your mini-map. present in the overworld shadows can also attack you when you open doors inside the dungeon. floors one, four, and seven. you can't use Traesto, Goho-M, or Return Daikons you can still leave branches a Persona that knows one of the Invigorate skills chests your chest keys do not come into the Hollow Forest with you get a chest key from Shuffle Time rank up Rise's social link beforehand fantastic healing abilities focus on physical attacks instead of elemental ones where possible bring good physical attack party members Kanji and Naoto Yukiko Bring whoever is strongest shadows are between Lvs. 73-80 all the shadows ahead have an elemental weakness strong against physical attacks less damage more damage reversing the damage no damage heal the shadow normal damage Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Nul Str Str Str Str Str Wk Wk Wk Wk Str Wk Wk Wk Nul Nul Wk Wk Wk Nul Str Rep Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Rep Wk Drn Drn Drn Drn Nul Nul Str Rep Wk Nul Rep Str Str Str Str Str Nul Nul Drn Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Str Drn Drn Drn Drn Rep Rep so much on offer during Shuffle Time immediately helpful to you and the party emotions floors one, four, and seven have shadows waiting when you open gates the Hollow Forest has two mini-boss fights Gorgeous King Heaven's Giant Floor Ten two fights in one be prepared as best you can be before beginning the battle with Marie

News

How To Finish The Hollow Forest In One Day In Persona 4 Golden