Awakened Mode

"In Awakened Mode, you reveal the true nature of The Living Infinite through your wake lantern, but it comes at the cost of your mortal souls."

- Update Notes

Awakened Mode is an exclusive hardcore game mode activated by using a Wake Lantern.

Description
This new game mode provides it's own set of new rules, including new enemies, The Shambler, permadeath, and the source of Pets. Activating it peels back the curtain and reveals the true essence of the world; what was always there but what was yet to be seen by the likes of those who remained unawakened.

How To Access
Awakened Mode can only be accessed by the use of a Wake Lantern. After players have reached the bottom at least once in the normal game, a Wake Lantern will appear in the Catalog for 1,000 Gold. Purchasing this will have Awakened Mode be available for a one time use, toggled on or off by clicking the triangular shaped icon in the lobby menu. Leaving it toggled on will leave a green triangle in that same spot. From there players will be able to access all of the content in Awakened Mode. Note that after each Awakened expedition, regardless if successful or not, a new Wake Lantern will need to be purchased. This also applies if the host leaves the game. Players will know in game if the expedition is Awakened or not due to the presence of the Wake Lantern somewhere in the Submarine. In addition, new friends and foes will also make an appearance.

Permadeath
Accessing the secrets of the Wake Lantern comes at a cost -- your mortal souls. When a player dies in Awakened Mode they will be unable to be revived, and will remain dead for the remainder of the game. They will be able to spectate others players, watching as they struggle to continue. Potentially permadeath can be remedied by leaving the game and rejoining. However, please note that there seems to be an ongoing issue where if someone dies and then leaves, the game could end instantly. (Not confirmed) Because of this, use this ability with caution. Of course, this attribute does not apply to the host of the server, as if they leave the lobby will close as well. Due to the nature of permadeath, it is advised to play with extreme caution and care, especially for hosts. It is also recommended to approach certain areas, such as certain Caves slowly, otherwise it may result in a player's permanent demise. Similar to Mercenaries, Crew Bots are also affected by permadeath, and cannot be revived once dead.

New Enemies
Several new enemies will be fought in Awakened Mode, an average of one new one per biome. Most are only present on the exterior of the Submarine, however there are a couple exclusive to the interior as well.

The Shambler
While in Awakened Mode, players will encounter a strange new entity known only as The Shambler. It is an immortal beast capable of grabbing players and Crew Bots and dragging them into places beyond this plane.

Alternate Dimensions
Upon being grabbed by The Shambler, players or Crew Bots will be transported to one of three Alternate Dimensions. Here they will have to escape by running towards the right side of the screen in order to avoid death by drowning... or worse.

The Power Sword
To assist players on their journey into this hard mode, one of the possible three Alternate Dimensions serves as the only way to acquire the most powerful Weapon of all time -- the Power Sword.

Pets
As a reward for their efforts, players can find various Pets from Reality Collisions found in Caves. These collectable delights add another level of cosmetics to the player's look.

Trivia

 * Many of the Enemies found in Awakened Mode feature similar styles and color palettes to many Alternate Dimensions. This in turn could imply the activation of the Wake Lantern causes multiple different Dimensions to collide in The Living Infinite.
 * When asked for quote for Awakened Mode from the developers, the first response was "Uh... no."