General Gameplay Info & Tips

# Monsters:

The alien monster randomly roam around the different levels, you'll use your audio & light sensors to track them down. 

**Basic Monsters:**
These monsters come in a variety of colors (Yellow, Red, & Pink) and are the most basic grunt units. They can be fairly easily dispatched with the more basic weapons, save your more powerful stuff for the tougher ones.

**Green Monster:**
The monsters have more health than the Basic ones and have one of the most frustrating features of the game. At random, they will invade the central block area and start damaging the individual block's health. You want to be on top of these guys as quickly as you can, save your quick-firing & powerful stuff to dispatch these ones quickly to save your block's health.

**Black Monster:**
These monsters have more health than the Green ones and are silent to most of your sensors. The only ways to detect them (other than randomly bumping into them) is via the breathing sound they make if you're very close-by or by enabling Sensor 2 when you get it by checking in with your partner at random times.

**Invisible/Brown Monsters:**
These monster have the most amount of health and are only found on the last level. They come out one at a time, are fast, and hit hard. Make sure to have your most powerful weapons for these guys.

# Blocks

https://i.imgur.com/LCSi3d2.png

The central core has 8 blocks attached to it and all start with 100 health. When Green Monsters invade a block, health is gradually lost from it. If the block hits 0, a 15 seconds countdown starts and then the block is dropped. Lose all 8 blocks and it's game over. Half of the blocks serve a purpose, while the other half are "filler" blocks that you can afford to lose. Prioritize the blocks that hold functionality! For a few of the blocks, your partner will give you a backup item you can use.

- **Filler Blocks:** A, D, E, H
- **Block B:** Controls the lights for the entire base. If the block is destroyed, then vision is hampered severely and the only lights are deep red service lights. If you lose this block, your partner will provide you with the Night Vision item, which will allow you to see enemies better in the dark.
- **Block C:** Allows you to recharge your batteries; losing this block obviously prevents you from doing that. However, if you lose all your energy for a battery and are knocked out, your batteries will be automatically recharged for you by your partner. If you lose this block, your partner will provide you with the Auto-Charger, which will very slowly recharge your batteries.
- **Block F:** Controls your light and sound sensors. If you lose this block, you sensors will periodically go offline for a set amount of time.
- **Block G:** Allows you to refill ammunition for some of your guys. There is a limited amount of ammunition that can be refilled for each weapon, so be aware of how much you're using. If you lose this block, no more ammo refills, so switch to your energy-based weapons.

# Weapons

https://i.imgur.com/MoNi4sf.png

You have access to 3 types of weapons throughout the game and can switch between them at will from the pause menu. To swap these weapons out, you have to visit your partner in the center block. Check the Tips section for recommend load-outs.

**Base Weapon:**
- Hand Gun: You begin the game with this gun. It's very weak and does drain your batteries, but it's always available to switch to. Works OK against the Basic monster, but don't even bother with the others unless you're out of ammo and desperate.

**Assault Rifles:**
- Motor Cannon: General-purpose machine gun. Fire explosives at high speeds and uses ammunition. Comes with 90 shots. A fairly effective means for taking out the weaker monster, but not useful for the tougher ones.
- Mega Beamer: Shoots a grenade launcher-like beam after charging for approximately 2 seconds with energy from the batteries. This is essentially the energy version of the Grenade Launcher, but where you gain in lack of ammo, you lose in energy reserves.
- Lipp Shot: Multi-purpose homing gun which shoots very small missiles. Uses live ammunition and comes with 60 shots. The homing aspect can be nice, but it's somewhat comparable in power to the Motor Cannon (maybe a little more powerful).

**Launchers:**
- Grenade Launcher: Although extremely slow, this weapon can wipe out nearly all the enemies in one or two shots if you hit your mark. Uses live ammunition and comes with 5 shots. A great weapon for dispatching the more powerful monster, but the limited capacity means you'll need to frequent trips back to get more ammo on the later levels.
- Sonic Launcher: This weapon uses your batteries to emits loud noises that scare the enemy and force them to run away. Honestly a pretty useless weapon, as the intention is to kill the enemies, so making them run away is counter-intuitive. 
- Sleep Launcher: Puts enemies to sleep for a set time with live ammunition and comes with 10 shots. The time can cut short if you get to close to the enemy. Although not useful on it's own, it can pair nicely with the Mega Beamer to put the tougher enemies into place for a moment to get a clean shot on them.

# Items

You'll be able to take 2 items with your throughout your run and can change them out by visiting your Partner. Some items become available as your progress further into the game, while others become available when losing certain blocks.

- **Sound Sensor 1:** Starting item and always available to you. Allows you to detect all enemies except the Black Monsters.
- **Sound Sensor 2:** Allows you to detect Black Monsters, becomes available to get after encountering your fisrt one. Definitely keep in your inventory when possible to try and take out the Black Monsters as you can.
- **Jump Unit:** Allows you to jump back to your partner's room at the cost of energy. Becomes available after your encounter your first Green Monster. It's a nice item, but really should only be equipped if you don't have any other items that provide better benefit. Although it does bring you right back to the central core decently fast, the amount of time saving compared to manually running there will only be super helpful if you need to do a full energy/ammo refill and you're REALLY trying to cut seconds off your time.
- **Night Vision:** Allows you to see enemies better in the dark. Becomes available after losing Block B (Lights). The Night Vision is useful, but be careful with what item you swap this out with.
- **Auto-Charger:** Slowly restores energy to your batteries. Becomes available after losing Block C (Energy Recharge). I would take the Muzzle Adapter over this, as the amount it refills is very negligible. If you're getting hit hard by enemies and losing a lot of energy, this isn't going to refill you enough to offset it.
- **Muzzle Adapter:** Strengthens the damage of your weapons. Becomes available after the first few levels. Try to have this on you at all times, the overall damage boost is generally more beneficial for time purposes when using the non-one shot kill weapons.

# Levels

**Level 1:**
https://i.imgur.com/BYZr1Vd.png

Super basic level, head to the outside area and dispatch the monsters as quickly as possible.

- *Basic Monsters:* 16

**Level 2:**
https://i.imgur.com/CXCmFEL.png

Green Monsters are introduced on this level, but they won't start attacking the central core until you actually run into one in the outside area.

- *Basic Monsters:* 20
- *Green Monsters:* 4

**Level 3:**
https://i.imgur.com/UzrPreT.png

Black Monsters are introduced in this level. If you head back into your partner's room immediately after you are warped there from encountering your first one, he'll give you the second sensor to better detect them.

- *Basic Monsters:* 30
- *Green Monsters:* 5
- *Black Monsters:* 5

**Level 4:**
https://i.imgur.com/jmuJY0y.png

This is the first level where routes back to the central core become more difficult. Plan your steps accordingly so that you can easily get back if a Green Monster invades.

- *Basic Monsters:* 34
- *Green Monsters:* 8
- *Black Monsters:* 5

**Level 5:**
https://i.imgur.com/tny89EH.png

The most frustrating level of the entire game, a crazy maze with lots of switchbacks and confusing loops. If you lose Block B (Lights) prior or during this level, may God have mercy on your soul. Memorizing the layout is vital to doing this one fast. If you notice, there are certain patterns to specific sections of the outside area, so do your best to spot those patterns as you're running through.

- *Basic Monsters:* 30
- *Green Monsters:* 8
- *Black Monsters:* 8

**Level 6:**
https://i.imgur.com/h3Cc3RS.png

Level 6 is interesting because it doesn't provide you with a map. However, the area is very small and easy enough to wander around. The blue box is your partner's room (which you won't be able to access), while the red box is the final room (ending the game). Note that there are no blocks or outer levels, you're simply in a very small arena-like area. So you can't recharge your energy, refill your ammo, or swap weapons.

- *Invisible/Brown Monsters:* 4

# Speed Run Tips

**General Tips:**
- Keep track of the number of monsters you've killed on each level to help give you some perspective of how many you have left.
- At the beginning of each level, try to stick as close to the central core as possible as the Green Monsters will start their assault of the central core fairly quickly. After you've dispatched a few of them, then continue on with the rest. Do be aware that more Green Monsters will spawn gradually throughout the level, so be ready to run back at a moment's notice.
- It should go without saying, but keep a close eye on your battery levels and be ready to swap them quickly if your current one gets low.
- Try to make your trips back to the central core as beneficial as possible. Refill your energy or ammo when necessary to avoid unneeded trips back.
- Knowing the layout of each level is super crucial. The earlier levels aren't so bad because they provide tons of paths to get to where you need to go, but Level 4 provides much less paths back to the central core and Level 5 is just straight up a silly maze.
- Try to focus on using energy-based weapons at the beginning of the game. Since you won't know what blocks you'll lose as time goes on, you'll want to conserve your ammunition-based until the later levels. If you lose Block C, although you can still use energy weapons, ammo weapons will be protection for your health. If you lose Block G, switch to the Mega Beamer and either the Grenade Launcher or Sleep Launcher until either's ammo is expended.
- When you enter Level 6, you lose access to all of the blocks AND your ability to change weapons & items. Make sure you hit up both Block C & Block G before you walk back to your partner so you're fully stocked up before the level starts. Since walking back to your partner's room will automatically bring you to Level 6, you won't be able to swap weapons before. So make sure you have the weapons you plan on using for Level 6 already equipped before you finish Level 5.

**Recommended Weapons Load-outs:**
- Mega Beamer & Grenade Launcher: Full destructive force, but comes with the risk of energy usage and ammo. This is personally my loadout of choice, as I can use the Mega Beamer for primary killing and fall back onto the Grenade Launcher if I'm low on energy.
- Motor Cannon/Lipp Shot & Grenade Launcher: A great combo of faster & powerful, but heavily reliant on ammo. If you lose Block C (Battery), then this is the combo to go with.
- Beam Cannon & Sleep Launcher: A great combo when you're focusing on the stronger monsters, but leaves you to have to use your Hand Gun for dealing with the weaker ones.