Machine Spirit upgrades your held weapon for the mission. In Boltgun 2, you can find one behind the secret door in Shattered Station's Purge room and another near Dauntless's first red key. Equip Nyra's Bolt Pistol before collecting it for dual pistols and a magazine increase from 8 to 16 rounds.
What does Machine Spirit do to weapons in Boltgun 2?
Machine Spirit strengthens only the weapon you are holding when you pick it up, and that upgrade lasts for the entire level. Choose your gun before touching the pickup so the bonus goes where you want it.
| Weapon | Machine Spirit effect |
|---|---|
| Nyra's Bolt Pistol | Dual wielding; magazine capacity increases from 8 to 16 rounds. |
| Shotgun | Rapid slam fire, letting you fire shots in quick succession. |
With Nyra's upgraded Bolt Pistol, you see a pistol in each hand, a green outline around both guns and 16 rounds on the ammunition HUD.
The Bolt Pistol is a straightforward choice if you want more rounds between reloads. For the Shotgun, players describe the upgrade as rapid slam fire. Expect faster follow-up shots rather than the bouncing projectiles from the original game. Compare your options in Boltgun 2 weapons before committing the pickup to the gun in your hands.
The Bolt Pistol's normal magazine holds 8 rounds. The increase to 16 is its Machine Spirit upgrade, separate from the change that raised its base magazine from 6 to 8.
Where do you find Machine Spirit in Boltgun 2?
Look behind the Purge-room secret door in Shattered Station, or follow the ledge to the right of Dauntless's first red key into a small alley.
Shattered Station: Open the Purge-room secret door
This Machine Spirit is Shattered Station's second secret. The door has a thin, glowing power line running up the wall above it.
Find the door in the Purge room
Reach the Purge encounter and locate the door with the glowing power line above it. Clearing the enemies first gives you room to look around, but clearing the fight is not required to open the door.
Follow the line and shoot the panel
Trace the power line to the switch and circuit breaker on the upper wall. Shoot the panel to raise the door below it. The opening reveals a green glow inside.
Equip your chosen weapon and collect the pickup
Stop at the doorway and select the weapon you want to strengthen, then walk into the glowing skull-and-cog pickup. Grabbing it with the wrong gun equipped puts the upgrade on that gun for this level.
Dauntless: Turn right at the first red key
At the first red key's location, look right for a ledge leading into a little alley. Follow that ledge to reach the Machine Spirit, and equip your preferred weapon before collecting it. This is a separate pickup from the one in Shattered Station.
You leave with your selected weapon strengthened for the rest of the level. Continue with the Boltgun 2 walkthrough for mission progression, or follow Boltgun 2 secrets to keep collecting hidden rewards along the way.