ToolHead on 27/1/2013 at 09:19

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Having beat the game several times with different playstyles, I needed a new challenge. The game is a fucking masterpiece, but it's quite easy - even on Very Hard. Or so I thought. Instead of imposing limitations on power or weapon/gadget use, I decided to see how far I could get without saving or reloading.

The initial verdict? Not very far...

The Rules:
Very Hard Difficulty.
No saves or reloads - start all over if killed.
Playstyle to your liking.

[BIGASS SPOILER WARNING - obviously]

First attempt -
Broke out of Coldridge Prison and escaped through the sewers, leaving 17 dead guards behind. After having killed the Gentlemen Callers, blinked up on a ledge opposite of Granny Rags', fell down and died quite unceremoniously.

Second attempt -
Escaped the prison, murdering everyone on the way, only to be killed by the third and last Gentleman Caller.

Third attempt -
Escaped the prison without breaking a sweat but was killed by the Gentlemen Callers. Again. Going face-to-face with firebreathing thugs in a narrow corridor is a bad idea.

Fourth attempt -
Escaped the prison bloodily, raced to Granny Rags' and murdered the Gentlemen Callers, snuck into the High Overseer's meeting chamber and let him taste his own poison. Escaped after wreaking a bit of controlled havoc. On the way to The Golden Cat, was spotted by a guard while apparently not all that well hidden on a rooftop on Clavering Boulevard, was wounded by a gunshot, sprinted away, slid over the edge of the roof and fell to my death.

Fifth attempt -
Escaped the prison, poisoned Campbell, got the Captain's Chair key from Slackjaw and entered The Golden Cat. Freed Emily and set about slaughtering the guards, feeling pretty much in control due to having acquired Bend Time, only to have one of them shoot me in the back. Careless.

More (pathetic, most likely) attempts to follow.

Anyone else up for this?

ToolHead on 27/1/2013 at 11:07

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I skip the monologues. And sprint quite a bit. :-)

ToolHead on 27/1/2013 at 13:08

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@TTK -

It's all about control; I find I am rarely unpleasantly surprised if I'm the only one left breathing on the map...

ToolHead on 27/1/2013 at 14:19

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That's some really impressive (and fast!) sneaking in that nihilist vid.

And that's exactly why I have to rely on blades, bullets and Bend Time for my One Life playthrough; I'm just not skilled enough for really safe sneaking. Sure, I can breeze through a Very Hard stealth playthrough - but only when relying on the luxuries of trial and error that saving/reloading allows. Combat - for me - is simply the easiest and safest solution.

ToolHead on 29/1/2013 at 20:03

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[ULTIMATE SPOILERS - OF DOOM!]

Sixth attempt: progress report -

OK. Taking a break now - up to The Flooded District; still breathing.

It's going very well, actually. There's been a few dangerously close scrapes, but the balance of the game definitely tipped when I acquired Bend Time II at The Golden Cat. Escaped the prison, poisoned the High Overseer, did the Slackjaw side mission and entered The Golden Cat via the rooftops. The Pendletons dead, I emptied Bunting's safe and returned to The Hound Pits with Emily. With plenty of bullets, cleaning out the brothel was simply a question of alerting the guards and letting them funnel themselves into a series of narrow, improvised shooting ranges. The few instances when this tactic wasn't viable, Bend Time and some bladework did the trick.

Kaldwin's Bridge generally wasn't too hard, although on three separate occasions, where I got sloppy, Bend Time was a lifesaver. In one encounter in particular, I was down to about one tenth life before finishing off the last guard. Way too close for comfort. The last part of the mission was a cakewalk, since I decided that sacking Sokolov's house would be too risky, thus requiring only that I blink onto the walkway on top of his complex, take out the single guard posted there, and blink all the way to Samuel via the rooftops.

The Boyle mansion wasn't too difficult, although getting out of the place after delivering poor Lydia into the hands of her hidden admirer ended up a thoroughly bloody business. A single alerted guard cascaded into a highly improvised Bend Time massacre of epic proportions, making the ensuing sneak run to Samuel's boat feel almost serene in comparison.

The Citadel was quite easy in comparison, rooftop approach and ditto escape sandwiching a 50/50 sneak/assassination entrance to Burrow's chambers, the broadcasting of his nefarious schemes and a stupid - and very bloody - run-in with the man himself and the guards who were in the process of arresting him.

And so now; The Flooded District. I'm dreading this.

It's getting harder all the time; the knowledge that a single fuckup will undo everything is really weighing on me now, making me significantly more jittery and tense than ever before when playing this game. A bit like finally getting close to nailing one of those really long, really tough GTA missions, only way more powerful. The end is just about in sight now, but I know it'll be a nightmare getting there. I'm especially worried about the approach to Daud's lair - due to the many patrolling Whalers who are going to take a huge chunk out of my ammo supply unless I get up close and personal with them, which more or less equals spamming Bend Time and thus eating up my mana resources - as well as Daud himself, who, if I fuck up the sneak assassination I have planned for him, will be an absolute bastard to take down in open combat on Very Hard. Also, Rudgate Station could be tricky, and whereas the return to The Hound Pits shouldn't present much of a problem, provided I'm careful, the final mission offers about a million possibilities of upfuckery due to the sheer number of AIs.

I'm having an absolute blast, though - even if my nerves are getting somewhat frayed in the process. Definitely a novel, incredibly satisfying way to experience the game.

More (a lot, hopefully!) to come.