Encrypted saves. If you open a save in Notepad and see gibberish, it’s AES-encrypted. Use the GitHub ib3_decryptor.py script before editing.

Managing save files in Infinity Blade 3 (IB3) is uniquely challenging because it is the only entry in the trilogy that uses encrypted save files

Consider it not cheating, but digital archaeology. You are restoring a lost museum piece to its complete, glorious state.