The Evil Within

[Obscura]

You can also just run from every invisible dude except the first.

I never tried focusing on the crossbow, but I found that stealth + shotgun + learning to use bottles (important!) + running away a lot (with a few stamina upgrades, you can outrun basically anything that isn't a boss) + the occasional freeze/exploding/shock/flash bolt was plenty to get me through Survival or Nightmare.

[Marc]

Not at home it I'll heed your advice chaps and try again tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, I want to like it but struggling at min. Obscure, you mentioned bottles, how do you use them effectively? I've tried, as I'm sure the tips screens mentioned that a hit gave a free Stealth kill (?), but had no luck so far. Didn't know about the flash bolts with the invisible fucks either.

[Obscura]

You've got to catch them on the head with the bottle. Then, just run behind them when they're stunned. Aiming it is a bit tricky, but when you get it down, it's probably your single most powerful tool.

[SuperDeadite]

Bottle/Flash bolt stealth kills can be done head on, no need to run behind them. Just chuck a bottle at the head, get close enough, hold the stealth button, and the stealth kill prompt will appear. You only have to be behind them if they are not stunned.

Pistol head shots are simply not worth it, it's far more effective to shot the leg, they fall down, then just drop a match on them. Any enemies close enough will also ignite. You can take down whole groups with a single shot and match once you get skilled enough.

Learning to use the crossbow really does make the game a lot easier, and is the key to Akumu. Fully upgraded flash bolts will stun enemies for 16 seconds! You can easily pull off 4 to 5 stealth kills with a single bolt, and you can make these anytime you want as long as you have the craft parts. Or with that much time, just run, normal enemies will never catch you.

Shock bolts are more expensive, but they have have a chain effect, meaning once any enemy gets caught in the shock trap, other enemies that come close will also be shocked and enlarge the area even more. (Unlike Flash which are instant use only). Enemies trapped in a shock can be lit on fire with a match, no other rounds needed. On my Nightmare play, I really struggled at the barn fight, but with upgraded shocks, this fight was a total joke on Akumu.

Harpoon and Freeze bolts are also fantastic weapons, but experimentation is what makes this game fun. If you are having issues in an area, try to rethink your strategy. Explosive bolts have their uses in boss fights, but most of the time I find them to be a waste of trap parts in normal situations. On a fresh start play-through, the magnum is the only gun I bother upgrading.

[Marc]

Just pissed it with your help, thanks! Yeah, it kind of clicks once you start to use the crossbow and leg shots etc. Still a bit cheaper to aim accurately though.

[evil_ash_xero]

Just pissed it with your help, thanks! Yeah, it kind of clicks once you start to use the crossbow and leg shots etc. Still a bit cheaper to aim accurately though.

The game has problems, but it's good. I quite like using the flash bow, and then shoving a knife up someone's chin. Good times!