UPDATE 2024-3-11: I have fixed the formatting on this guide, however as I did I noticed this guide is slightly out of date. The majority of this guide contains the most optimal strategies, and it remains a useful outline, but until I'm able to go through this and update it, please refer to my video tutorials for the most up-to-date strategies.
Each horizontal line (as shown below) denotes a loading screen or cutscene.
"->" represents a dialogue choice, along with number of times you press dpad down to reach it.
Lines in parentheses are backup strats or safe strats.
This was originally written for my own benefit to keep track of events during my runs. I've since cleaned it up to hopefully help other runners. However, this means these are only strats that I personally use. This is not an exhaustive list of potential strategies.
Chapter One
press start to skip title
talk to mikey, run away, go back x2
shoot lock
up elevator
grab guns on table to right
run past execution enemy
at part with elevator, stand on switch
wait for elevator to 100% stop, diagonal jump across gap
make way through rest of area
run by cemetery enemies
shoot frank, turn around
harvest hearts while darkling opens gate (5)
run outside to the side of the stairs
creeping dark to get key
jump over railing into stairs and enter canal
ignore jenny pager, go to chinatown
run straight, pull out darkness as late as possible
kill enemies by car (eat heart if you took too much damage)
ignore jenny, run up stairs
go through cutscene
-> pretend like it's nothing (down x1)
call butcher
run away, jump off railing after going down first few stairs
right exit after leaving apt building
eat two hearts of enemies by car (7)
shoot enemies near alleyway entrance, eat a heart (8)
go 2 butcher
DO NOT EAT HEART BEFORE LOADING SCREEN OR YOU WILL GET A SLOW TRANSITION!
pick up body bag
walk away when butcher starts talking
-> cut to the chase
walk away when butcher says "ah fuck"
shoot out lights in main restaurant area
summon darkling
shoot cops through window while eddie talks
move darkling to van AFTER it breaks wall
kill swat while they're distracted by darkling
eat hearts while waiting for door to open (11)
(if you only had time for two hearts, eat heart of a door swat guy)
run to alley on left
get to end, summon darkling through fence
left and up ladder, run by enemies
walk along seam and jump over hunterspoint gate
(if you fall, enter alley to activate car and jump over the dumpster)
ignore cops, jump over fence to hunterspoint
shoot dimitri, shoot electrical box behind him
summon darkling to open door (MAKE SURE DIMITRI IS DEAD)
kill roach
when roach dies, run outside
up ladder and into apartment
put away darkness until staircase
kill dudes on stairs
KILL GUY BY LAST STAIRCASE
summon gunner darkling while running to exit
run under stairs to train
go through jenny news cutscene
when jimmy starts talking, run away, go back
talk again, when jimmy starts talking again, run away
take LEFT EXIT and go to grinder's lane
shoot box through gate or attempt jump over wall ()
grab gasoline
put away darkness until room with enemies
eat a heart from the first room (13)
kill closest enemy in second room, try to get to door ASAP
summon darkling and deal with any surviving enemies
eat heart and burn money (14)
press B to skip money burning cutscene
put away darkness
use barrels to escape grinder's
run to orphanage
pull out darkness, shoot smg guy furthest from car
(if the enemies by the car notice you too early, you'll need to kill them too)
enter orphanage
turn right, up stairs
turn right again, up stairs again
door on left, cutscene
right door
left door
Chapter Two
move left to grab extra pistols
get demon arm & darkness level 2
(if you hit 13 hearts here, you'll need the heart of the enemy by telescope on the right)
shoot out light on the right near kamikaze heart
get kamikaze darkling
jump on post to escape trench
grab barrel, turn it on side
prop jump across gap. try to make it across both gaps in one go
(if you can't, either start another prop fly with same barrel, use barrel near pistols, or do tree jump)
enter village
jump fence
climb ladder
turn right at top of ladder, jump fence, follow rocks to church
talk to tony, JUMP WHILE TALKING (somehow skipped dialogue once by doing this. never happened since tho)
after "holy shit" line, walk away and walk back
enter conversation
-> find out what you have to do (down x4)
when tony starts talking again, run to the hills
demon arm bell, move to spot for shortcut on return trip
jump over fence
pull out darkness for protection, try to retract before light flashes
walk behind lights
pull out darkness at the crucified
answer word of hope (pressing B to skip does nothing)
run back, jump up on bell to escape faster
back to church
-> ask about cannon
leave
grab barrel on right, use it to jump over fence
run up stairs
go to left pump
run back
go to other pump
eat lightkiller heart, summon it, pray it actually does what it's supposed to do
run back
jump down, open door
climb ladder, turn right at top
kill enemies, eat a heart
run to ladder
put away darkness
enter bunker
run up stairs, pull out darkness
shoot guy on stairs, eat heart for health if needed
shoot enemy at top of stairs, run past others
try to eat a heart as you activate ladder at cannon
enter door
go up railing, jump into cannon shell and onto rail
run to the end
Chapter Three
walk under church stairs and take train to fulton
stand on benches to make train leave
early city hall
prop jump on barrel at beginning for extra speed (switch to mattress on right if you fall off barrel)
kill first guy (left) to prevent him popping up later
kill knife enemies or they'll chase you to ernie
demon arm door to activate trap early
shoot electrical box for water
shoot light at last tripwire and absorb darkness
creeping dark vent, door lock and chains before activating gas
jump up to ernie and get his ass
shoot out lights while eating his heart
black hole gate
kill knife enemies, eat heart, put away darkness
get to turkish burkish
black hole debris, take right
switch to darkness guns
absorb darkness on way to brick wall
darkness gun LT brick wall
shoot out light at top of stairs, absorb darkness until full
black hole cops across room. aim carefully
move to pillars, shoot 2nd level cop behind you
shoot or black hole other 2nd level cop
stand on pillars and grab white box to get up to second level. AIM AWAY FROM WALL!
run to briefcase room, shoot briefcase guards
grab case and guns
kill guards on way back
fall onto scaffolding and back down to door
black hole swat guy at door
black hole 2 swat guys by barrels
drop down hole to the left of 3 swat guys
jump down to city hall
run to ambush
(if needed, shoot out ceiling light and absorb dark)
black hole straight ahead, slightly above barriers
shoot surviving guards on ground
(safe strat: shoot guards on scaffolding)
open door, kill closest guard
black hole middle-left of room
run to right, eat heart of guard there
kill remaining swat guys
black hole on enemies at entrance to last hallway
black hole on barrage of guys at end, shoot any survivors
go to bathroom, bomb the case
go 2 canal
go right
call eddie at phone by stairs
through turnstile
enter church however you'd like
(going normal way is 1 second slower, but jumping over wall is slightly inconsistent)
use black hole on first 4 guys, eat heart
summon berserker and gunner darklings
black hole upper level enemies, shoot lower level ones
black hole one of the two floodlight locations when eddie says "don't fucking call me eddie"
shoot the other light out
resummon gunner if needed, let him shoot at any enemies you can't see
once fight ends, grab guns
choose (in order):
-> tell them what's gonna happen (down x2)
-> ask them to come closer (down x2)
-> tell them there ain't no way out (down x2)
-> tell them their wasting their time (down x1) (tap the darkness arm button during this) (yes that's how it's actually spelled in game)
Chapter Four
just run to the village
darkness arm the gate, ride it to the left
prop gate up against rocks
jump up the rocks and over the fence
into the trenchies
tank ridin' (you can't die here)
monster shootin' (you CAN die here)
run between monster and tank
run through all them doors to the castle entrance
change to creeping dark
use it once you enter the cannon shell room
pull lever with it
ride to the cannon (try to kill guy on walkway)
climb ladder
shoot cannon from outside window
leave cockpit
get to castle
get rid of darkness powers (you can move while these cutscenes play!)
PUT AWAY WEAPONS!!
walk up to the darkness
cancel cutscene
walk up and accept that boy
Chapter Five
exit orphanage
exit left
go to canal st
go right, to lower east side
talk 2 sarah
back into canal st
train to fulton
run to grinder's lane (it's on the left)
turn around and grab the basket thing
demon arm light near wall
stand on fire hydrant, jump and grab basket to get over wall
(alternatively just do the jump i linked in chapter 1)
use radio
exit grinders with barrels
AVOID CAR, IT WILL KILL YOU
gtfo 2 canal st
gtfo 2 lower east side
run to pier
(if you need darkness energy, kill mugger for heart)
jump fence on right
black hole guys, shoot guy by car
shoot guy on walkway
run to boat
black hole guy above boat plank
get on boat
go left, kill enemy and eat heart
stand on elevated part
send creeping dark up
go along wall, open captain door
kill captain
(if you don't kill him, send creeping dark up again and eat heart of newly spawned enemies on top deck)
retract and leave boat
CANCEL PAGER
switch to tactical rifle
kill dudes on ground with black hole
shoot guy up top through what he's standing on
kill any survivors and eat a heart
use black hole on guys at end and shoot survivors
leave
run to sarah's
enter house
pick up guns on bed if necessary
visit barruci
shoot parking lot car guys
visit sarah
shoot subway enemies until they stop spawning
if middle car enemies haven't spawned, kill enemy at left car
shoot middle car enemies until they stop spawning
visit barruci. he probably died
kill alley guy
kill parking lot guy
one last alley guy
it should be over now
crouch on bookcase
push past butcher so you're standing right next to him
press interact button to start his dialogue
wait for jimmy's dialogue to end
run in, activate it, run back past butcher
run to pier 19
strafe jump to boat
jump in boat before it finishes pulling up to fall in water
(if you don't fall in the water or made a mistake in the approach, jump off the side of the boat into the water)
hold jump button to fly
fly up to the second last floor of lighthouse and enter the door
fly up to paulie and kill him
time ends on shooting paulie the second time
