Setup Tips

- Make sure visual settings are completely stable. If in doubt, turn them down a bit. The last thing we want is to flush thirty minutes of work down the drain due a random stutter resulting in us missing a crucial shot. Similarly, disable Steam broadcasting for this. No sense risking someone joining at a bad time and potentially getting a split second chug.

- Turn the music volume down to zero, assuming we know when the scripted combat events take place (it's generally pretty obvious). This helps us hear the soft footpads of runners sneaking up on us better, as well as the overt hisses of rotters becoming aggressive.

- Disable snap turning, if play space will allow it, and almost certainly if using Vive controls. It can get us killed very easily if pressed accidentally during combat. Virtually all of my failed runs were because of this happening during rush events, as I forgot to re-disable it after reinstalling the game.

- Strongly encourage playing with two hands on one controller for this for steadier aim.

- Adopt a correct and effective firing stance as much as possible during both defense and rush events.

- Strongly encourage playing with Teleport movement mode, as: a. it will not physically allow us to enter striking distance of an aggressive rotter, and b. it will allow us to more safely move past/through groups of non-aggressive rotters.

Gameplay Tips

- There is ample ammo available in this such that we don't need to be completely anal about when we take a shot, unlike the other Apocalyptic campaigns. We get as much as we need for each section. That said, try not to waste ammo on things we don't have to. Outside of rush events (more on them later), it's smart to conserve ammo. There's no "hide behind a door and gently lob cans and rubber ducks at rotters' heads to save ammo" in this, thank god, but the more ammo we have for the final two combat events, the better.. Don't feel the need to restart if we miss some shots. I'm fairly loose with my ammo usage in the video and I still finish with 160 rounds when credits roll.

- Zombie placement and type is random. Every run will be different, so while the video is an excellent template for exactly what to do, what we need to deal with changes slightly every time. Eg. Just because I don't have to deal with a runner at certain points, doesn't mean it's not possible and vice versa. I will try to point out critical places where there can be a nasty runner spawn in the time stamps below.

- Know which doors to clear safely and check corners. The Damned is mostly safe for this but there are a few potential spawns that can screw us if we're not careful, so just practice sound discipline when entering a room where we know there can be spawns. Rotters can sometimes cheesily kill us through a door.

- If an unexpected runner gets close, hose it. Do not die to conserve ammo. If something comes as a surprise, put it down immediately. At the very least, feed it some body shots and either quickly move or kill-confirm the body once it's on the ground.

- There are two types of scripted combat events: defense and objective rush. Defense events punish us for not taking our time and rush events absolutely brutalize us for not making them our ♥♥♥♥♥ by completing them as quickly as possible. Knowing exactly where to go and what to do is the most important aspect of rush events, and failure to complete rush objectives as quickly as possible is the single most dangerous thing in this DLC's Apocalyptic mode.

- We don't have to always count our shots, especially not outside of events, but absolutely count shots during events. When in doubt, reload. During rush events, a liberal application of firepower is advised so either fire until empty then immediately reload or mentally count to seven. Alternatively, think of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star / Yankee Doodle Dandy / Baa Baa Black Sheep / The ABCs Song / Good King Wenceslas or any other 7-note verse song to help keep track of reloads. That can also help us maintain our cool during stressful rush events. Failure to conduct timely reload during combat events is a quick way to the grave.

Points will be linked to video time stamps for reference.

0:20 - Defense Event #1

We can wait until everything is close enough to guarantee a headshot here but it's not required and the dialogue will not progress until a certain number of rotters have been killed. Recommend making careful head shots until the final conversation with Emily triggers, as once the conversation is over it's possible to run past any remaining rotters on the left side. (This also sets the tone for how this is different from the other campaigns' Apocalyptic modes, as I would have restarted this immediately in them due to missing a few early shots).

Note: We can start moving after Emily says, "Right now, you're just a soldier who cost me truck," but we can't actually go past the school bus until we call her a ♥♥♥♥♥, so be careful.

2:03 - Ammo Pickup #1 & #2

Grab the two ammo pickups from the trunk and passenger side of the first two vehicles we encounter after leaving the tunnel, then skip past everything to the ladder. We can usually run past the rotters here before they become aggressive.

2:27 - Defense Event #2

Trigger the event then move back into the corner by the ladder and make sure we're fully loaded. None of the Defense events are challenging but this is the "hardest" of the three due to the number of runners coming at us from a relatively short distance. Go for the head but don't be afraid to dump mag into any runner that gets too close for personal comfort. Once our character says, "Phew... alright... elevator..." we can run past any remaining rotters head down the ladder.

3:50 - Ammo Pickup #3 & #4

Grab the mag from the ammo can by the sleeping back then try to run past the rotters on the ledge (not always possible, may have to kill them). Grab another mag behind the sleeping back & ventilation unit before heading up the ladder.

Note: A runner can spawn very close-by, so be wary at the top of this ladder.

4:11 - Ammo Pickup #5 & #6 + Keycard

There's a mag to the left of the blue van at the top of the ladder. Grab it then kill only those rotters we have to in order to get by safely. Run past the ramp and grab the sixth mag behind the next blue van before progressing. Quickly run over the ramp (nothing behind us can cross it), grab the keycard from the car on the left, then move in front of the door to trigger dialogue. Try to stand somewhere where killing additional rotters won't be required while we wait. If a rotter hisses, check to make sure it's not running at us.

6:24 - Ammo Pickup #7 + Keycard

This next bit is pretty straightforward. Head up the stairs and follow the linear path until reaching the offices. Check around the corner for a rotter, as one often spawns there, and kill any that may have spawned in the room directly in front of us when we enter. One often spawns around the first blind corner/hallway and we can either kill it or skip it. We want to be relatively quick here but not rushed. Kill anything in our way but ignore the rotters in the other rooms. At the end of the path, grab a mag from the ammo can on the shelf then quickly enter the keycard office and close the door behind us (a rotter can crawl out of the nearby vent). Grab the keycard, then the key on the wall, then unlock the door and head back up and use the keycard on the door.

7:50 - Ammo Pickup #8 & #9 + Pre-Event Setup

Optional: Before going inside here, we can kill any rotters meandering around the catwalk ahead and through the glass. This isn't required, and will almost certainly consume more ammo due to aiming from farther away in the dark (as we see here), but there's occasionally a surprise runner on the catwalk when we reach it so it's safer to thin them out a bit beforehand.

Head inside then down the stairs to find the next two mags. We can usually skip any rotters down here but they will sometimes block our path. Head back up and out onto the catwalk. Here, we take out time to kill all the rotters on the floor below us with all the piping and turbines.

10:50 - Rush Event #1

Once the floor is clear, reload and get ready to head down. Once on the floor, the longer it takes us to make it to the ladder at the end of this section, the harder and more dangerous this gets. Done correctly, this should take less than a mag and only require killing a few rotters, as we see here.

Note: Rotters can spawn with helmets/growths on here, so be prepared to double tap the head or the body as required. We can ignore shambling rotters we pass but if we see a runner, we may need to eliminate it as we go.

11:30 - Ammo Pickup #10-15

Once we drop down to where the checkpoint would be in normal mode, there are five mags in ammo cans to pickup before we head through the next door.

12:00 - Defense Event #2

This is a very easy "filler-esque" Defense event. Pull the lever then immediately head back down one set of stairs and in the back corner. From here, we can see all the rotters coming up at us in addition to climbing the stairs for a better view of when the cost is clear. As with the previous Defense event, aim for the head but don't be afraid to empty mag into anything that gets too close if we have to. Once the horde thins, it's possible (but not required) to kite the final group around the catwalk to save some ammo.

Note: Strongly encourage going up the stairs to ensure the coast is clear before progressing here, as the bottom of the next set of stairs leads directly to a blind corner where rotter's can sometimes get stuck. When we move down the next set of stairs, we want to immediately move forward again to be safe.

14:40 - Ammo Pickups #16-19 + Potentially Dangerous Spawns

The top of the stairs here is extremely dark and the rotters, which appear to be of the shambling variety, will sometimes actually be runners and start sprinting at us from a metre or two away. When we reach the top of the stairs, take the well lit side of the staircase and be ready to judiciously dispatch anything that proves to be a threat with body shots and kill confirmation. Grab the three mags on the shelf by the door and the mag by the key before proceeding.

16:40 - Ammo Pickup #20-24 + Keycard

There's a mag in the ammo locker just left of the door here before we grab the keycard from the desk. If desired, it's possible to lure the rotters after we clear the path to save ammo but it's not required. Down the first ladder here is pretty dark so I like to do a quick sweep of the room, though I've never seen a runner spawn here. There's usually a rotter at the very bottom of the next stairs blocking our path and one beside the staircase as we go down. We can generally skip everything else but be sure to look down the ladder before proceeding, as a rotter can sometimes spawn directly at the bottom of it. There are four mags in the ammo cans around the room before we take the keycard door.

18:00 - Ammo Pickup #25

Once through the keycard door, head up the stairs, kill the one rotter that spawns there (which is sometimes a runner) and grab the mag in the ammo can on the crate by the door. Head down the wooden catwalk. Reload before heading through the next set of doors, as there is always a growth-covered rotter waiting for us at the end of this section.

19:04 - Ammo Pickup #26 & #27

The next two mags are in the ammo locker by the barbecue and in the can on the couch. Casually clear out the visitor center during the scripted dialogue. This is relatively safe but there are usually a few runners in the mix so I suggest treating it as a soft-defense event and forcing them to come at us from a single direction.

20:35 - Dangerous Door & Ladder

Reload before opening the door at the end of the first room, as 2-3 rotters can spawn behind it. Immediately take a step back after opening the door to ensure nothing can cheese-kill us through the door/wall. Once clear, it's generally safe to skip everything else in the room.

Head up, outside, and around to the second ladder, killing anything that's blocking our path. There's a chance for a rotter to spawn directly on top of the ladder so get ready to either hose anything that's too close for comfort after we make our way up or to quickly move away. If we hear a runner, there's a good chance there's one above us as well, pre-aggroed. Skip/kill as required as we make our way down to the second visitor center chamber.

21:45 - Ammo Pickup # 28-35

Grab the four mags as we casually make our way around the room and the mag in the left-most bathroom door. Be careful entering the bathroom, as 1-2 rotters spawn there and they can be runners.

At the top of the stairs, eliminate the shambling rotters then move towards & quickly away from the elevator to spawn the two growth-covered rotters. Dispatch them, then clear the officers on the left through the windows before entering.

Enter the office and grab the key off the desk by the lunch bag. There is a mag in the weapons locker nearby. Use the key on the windowed office we previously beside the bathrooms to find another mag.

We'll find a second key on the computer under the desk before the elevator, which we can use on the room nearby to find the final mag in this section inside another weapons locker.

Note: This is the most dangerous section of the DLC. Strongly suggest reviewing this write-up to avoid any of the cheap gotcha kills that can occur here.

25:50 - Potentially Dangerous Door/Corner

Kill or skip as required here until making it to the doors at the bottom of the dark stairwell. After opening the second door, immediately teleport into the far right corner and turn around to dispatch any rotter that may have been hiding behind the door. Also, be sure to inspect the catwalk before climbing the ladder, as rotters can spawn there as well.

26:00 - Ammo Pickup #36-43 + Pre-Event

After climbing the ladder, clear the catwalks ahead before entering the door to pickup the mag in the ammo locker in the hallway. The reason we do this is because the rotters on the opposite pathwalk are generally targetable at first but tend to meander their way into the little alcoves if we wait too long, where they can become a threat when we open the doors further ahead. Kill them now to be safe. Once dealt with, head back for the ammo.

In the keycard room here, I find it's generally safe to skip everything (depending on where the rotters spawn in the room), but feel free to dispatch whatever needed to to feel comfortable. There are two more mags in the ammo cans by the card.

Open the card door, clear the path, then collect the three mags at the end of the hallways and the two makes at the bottom of the ladders before reaching the generator floor. Clear the floor entirely before proceeding.

27:40 - Rush Event #2

This is by far the most dangerous and skill-intensive event of the entire Apocalyptic campaign. If we ♥♥♥♥ around here at all, we will suffer. Here are the most common ways we can screw this up:

- Taking too long
- Not checking our corners
- Checking our corners too much (ie. taking moar too long)
- Failing to use ammo judiciously
- Failing to reload appropriately
- Last but not least, entering the exit chamber at bad/blind angle and putting ourself in a bad situation

Ultimately, all of the challenge here comes from the fact that fwe need a change of mindset. For the most part, everything before this has been a matter of being careful to score good headshots and conserve ammo. From here on out, forget about that entirely. If we played smart up until now, we should have enough ammo at this point that we can empty our mag into the body as required for maximum speed and stopping power.

We need to pull the lever on four generators. If we're looking at them from where we climbed down onto the floor, number them as 1-4 in the order in which we see them. Ideally, we want to activate them in the following order: 1 > 2 > 4 > 3. This is so that we're naturally approaching the exit in such a way that we can clearly see all the rotters inside; if we do 4 last, we tend to approach the exit from a blind angle.

We need to do this as quickly as possible, because rotters can spawn from basically everywhere, including above us, and they can climb onto and jump over all of the catwalks. It is very easy to get flanked here. Try to quickly eliminate runners but simply evade shamblers that aren't blocking our path and be smart about reloads. As a general note, if we see a rotter drop without its head exploding, get away from the corpse as it may become a crawler.

Note: A particularly nasty runner can spawn from the holes seen at exactly 27:58 which we may need to hose down.

Once we've activated all four generator and made it to the exit, we need to quickly close the door behind us. Do not fail to reload here, however, and quickly check to ensure a runner didn't make it in while the door was closing before we relax.

If we've done everything correctly, we should have well over 100 rounds left at this point.

29:30 - Ammo Pickup #44-64

Casually clear the rotters, from through the windows when able, and collect the two keys, the keycard, and the 21 mags lying around this area in preparation for the final event. We should have ~300 rounds leading into our escape.

31:44 - Rush Event #3

Despite being the finale, this is actually much easier than the previous Rush event when it's done correctly. As long as we don't sit around and follow the correct path, this is very straightforward.

Pull the three levers to activate the control system then move to the windows by the door on the right side of the room. Kill any rotters that appear, as they may end up being runners. When our character says "I'm not playing catch with these ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥," clear any rotters that haven't dropped down from the catwalk above yet, as we'll be running along it.

The instant the door opens, run out and up the stairs, turn around, and follow the catwalk all the way to the opposite set of stairs. This will force most spawns to come at us from behind, where we can ignore them. A runner will sometimes be able to cut us off on the stairs leading back down, as we see at 32:41, so hose it down then keep moving. Ignore anything that isn't blocking our path and beeline it to the floodgate. Don't waste time closing the door behind us, just head down the ladder.

In the floodgate, the correct path is right > right > left > left but I'll cover the best way to clear this safely:

1. Teleport to the first intersection and immediately look left. Put a few rounds into anything there before turning around and taking the right path.

2. At the next intersection, look left again before taking the right path. Quickly mow down everything in our path while moving forward. Do not get bogged down here, as rotters will climb over the gate in front of us here if we take too long.

3. At the third intersection, quickly check around the corner to the right, pump any rotter there full of lead, then head down the left path.

General Note: As seen at 33:12, kill confirm anytime we're forced to linger near a "corpse."

4. No need to check the opposite corner at the fourth intersection, as it's walled off. Quickly head left and maintain momentum. At this point, I like to turn around quickly to fire a few rounds into any runners behind us (this generally results in them body-blocking the tunnel for several seconds).

5. Just run past the final intersection until we reach the end of the pipe for the final standoff.

6. As seen at 33:33, at the angle at which we're firing from a sunlit area into the dark tunnel, it's basically impossible to aim down the sights and maintain an effective rate of fire due to our discharge. Adopt an effective hip-firing position and hose the horde indiscriminately with fast reloads until we leave the damn.

The achievement will pop after Emily's final dialogue.