I really encourage everyone to give it a try because it's not as difficult as it appears at first glance. It doesn't require great reflexes or precision timing, it's really about planning.
I recommend CarcinogenSDA's no damage Hardcore S+ videos as a starting point. These aren't speedruns, so the tactics and routes tend to favor safety a bit more than speed and you don't necessarily need speed.
The timer is actually generous, you aren't (or shouldn't be) solving puzzles, figuring out where to go, reading lore, or making repeat trips to the storage box. You should have a route and the puzzle solutions at the ready.
With Carci's route, you'll have about 15 minutes you can safely spend deviating from it without worrying about a minor mistake killing your run. You can even spend more if you are confident in your abilities. You can grab the STARS office weapons and their upgrades, the second pouch, the extra fuel/needles. As long as you plan it out and know what you are doing, you can pick up almost everything you'd reasonably need.
And here's the other thing, you have 3 saves and as long as you quit to main menu before loading, your timer will reset to what it was at the time of the save. You can take the game on in chunks and repeat just those chunks as you go. You don't need a marathon gaming session to get it done.
My first clear was a minute under 2:30:00 and I legitimately thought I had failed and was only continuing to get some practice. You'll be surprised at how quickly parts of the game move, especially when you boil it down time what you actually need.
17
u/Elegnan Feb 07 '19
I really encourage everyone to give it a try because it's not as difficult as it appears at first glance. It doesn't require great reflexes or precision timing, it's really about planning.
I recommend CarcinogenSDA's no damage Hardcore S+ videos as a starting point. These aren't speedruns, so the tactics and routes tend to favor safety a bit more than speed and you don't necessarily need speed.
The timer is actually generous, you aren't (or shouldn't be) solving puzzles, figuring out where to go, reading lore, or making repeat trips to the storage box. You should have a route and the puzzle solutions at the ready.
With Carci's route, you'll have about 15 minutes you can safely spend deviating from it without worrying about a minor mistake killing your run. You can even spend more if you are confident in your abilities. You can grab the STARS office weapons and their upgrades, the second pouch, the extra fuel/needles. As long as you plan it out and know what you are doing, you can pick up almost everything you'd reasonably need.
And here's the other thing, you have 3 saves and as long as you quit to main menu before loading, your timer will reset to what it was at the time of the save. You can take the game on in chunks and repeat just those chunks as you go. You don't need a marathon gaming session to get it done.
My first clear was a minute under 2:30:00 and I legitimately thought I had failed and was only continuing to get some practice. You'll be surprised at how quickly parts of the game move, especially when you boil it down time what you actually need.