best way to use the pulse rifle? (playing on hard mode)

[Nuclear Sorrow]

honestly this gun is terrible for cutting limbs and such. its like this gun wants to tell you to aim at the body shots but not at the limbs because its incapable to do it, because of it i run always run out of ammo for pulse rifle but not for the other weapons because enemies always drop it

edit: is it me? or the ammo for pulse rifle is rare compared to line gun and plasma cutter

im playing chapter 2 and i have flamethrower,plasma cutter,pulse rifle and line gun,,

[Twoflower]

I agree that the pulse rifle can be a struggle before you get a few damage nodes in it. I just love it because i think it's cool tbh. If you ever have an issue with getting enough ammo for your favourite weapon, take the other weapons out your inventory and put them in your storage at a shop: the game will then only spawn ammo for the weapon you're carrying.

[Nuclear Sorrow]

Originally posted by 魔從鍋誕生:

I agree that the pulse rifle can be a struggle before you get a few damage nodes in it. I just love it because i think it's cool tbh. If you ever have an issue with getting enough ammo for your favourite weapon, take the other weapons out your inventory and put them in your storage at a shop: the game will then only spawn ammo for the weapon you're carrying.

sorry flamethrower but i think its time that i remove you...

[Cujo]

Funnily enough, the pulse rifle is actually the most ammo efficient weapon in the game. You need to upgrade it a bit first, but the general consensus is that it's easy mode if you use the pulse rifle.

I personally prefer the plasma cutter because it's just badass, but if you stick with the plasma rifle, it is a great gun.

[fami]

plasma rifle is probably most boring way to play try something else

[Crypto Gamer]

Pulse rifle sucks big unupgraded,but upgraded to max 9 dmg and good clip will be one of the best weapons with cheap and inventory efficient ammo dmg+space wise,only few nodes are needed to upgrade.Secondary fire sucks too.....
It has less accuracy,more recoil then the cutter,but even body shots deal dmg(ableit much less)to necromorphs.

Like on impossible about 15-20 9dmg pulse rifle torso shots to a normal lurker will kill it,and it normaly takes 2 shots from a cutter to a sever a lurker's tentacle,so normally 2x2 shots to kill a lurker,about as efficient as the pulse rifle torso shot inventory and ammo cost wise.

However slicing limbs with a cutter to me are MUCH more enjoyable than just shooting,with good aim(and statis) starting cutter is one of the most efficient weapons in the game.With speed upgrades can kill faster then the rifle,IF you are good at shooting weakspots.Cutter sucks for torso shooting.

Flame thrower is trash on higher difficulties and can NOT be used in vaccums(much more useful in DS 2,3).Seems to auto aim for brute and drag tentacle yellow weakspots,good againts them,but not worth it imo.

Line gun once it reach 21 dmg can usually 1 shot "impossible" difficulty lurkers if it hits all 3 tentacles or if it hits slasher 2 arms.Secondary fire Time Bomb deal good dmg even unupgraded good with statis,deals insane self dmg if close by.

Can damage maximum of 3 limbs even if it hits more,can penetrate through enemies,projectiles are slow can and will be dodged by fast enemies.Very good killing tool with slight dmg upgrades,however ammo is expensive,less money and inventory space efficient to kill most necromorphs then upgraded cutter or rifle.Also useful just having it in the inventory so ammo likely drops for it and you sell it,can make good extra cash over cutter or rifle ammo drop.Will pay back the"invesment"long term.Many nodes to upgrade fully.

There are a few fixed ammo drops in the game for weapons you might not have,but majority of the random drops are for the guns you currently have equiped just like in RE 4.

[Mister Torgue Flexington]

Originally posted by Crypto Gamer:

Pulse rifle sucks big unupgraded,but upgraded to max 9 dmg and good clip will be one of the best weapons with cheap and inventory efficient ammo dmg+space wise,only few nodes are needed to upgrade.Secondary fire sucks too.....
It has less accuracy,more recoil then the cutter,but even body shots deal dmg(ableit much less)to necromorphs.

Like on impossible about 15-20 9dmg pulse rifle torso shots to a normal lurker will kill it,and it normaly takes 2 shots from a cutter to a sever a lurker's tentacle,so normally 2x2 shots to kill a lurker,about as efficient as the pulse rifle torso shot inventory and ammo cost wise.

However slicing limbs with a cutter to me are MUCH more enjoyable than just shooting,with good aim(and statis) starting cutter is one of the most efficient weapons in the game.With speed upgrades can kill faster then the rifle,IF you are good at shooting weakspots.Cutter sucks for torso shooting.

Flame thrower is trash on higher difficulties and can NOT be used in vaccums(much more useful in DS 2,3).Seems to auto aim for brute and drag tentacle yellow weakspots,good againts them,but not worth it imo.

Line gun once it reach 21 dmg can usually 1 shot "impossible" difficulty lurkers if it hits all 3 tentacles or if it hits slasher 2 arms.Secondary fire Time Bomb deal good dmg even unupgraded good with statis,deals insane self dmg if close by.

Can damage maximum of 3 limbs even if it hits more,can penetrate through enemies,projectiles are slow can and will be dodged by fast enemies.Very good killing tool with slight dmg upgrades,however ammo is expensive,less money and inventory space efficient to kill most necromorphs then upgraded cutter or rifle.Also useful just having it in the inventory so ammo likely drops for it and you sell it,can make good extra cash over cutter or rifle ammo drop.Will pay back the"invesment"long term.Many nodes to upgrade fully.

There are a few fixed ammo drops in the game for weapons you might not have,but majority of the random drops are for the guns you currently have equiped just like in RE 4.

^this

I actually got this strategy from a YouTuber named "Wolfwood824" several years back (back when YouTube still had annotations turned on) by maxing out the Line Gun and Stasis and quickly as possible, when he did his No Damage run on Impossible.

Sure I used the Power Node and Credits respawning exploits to a certain extent to speed up the process (due to a busy work schedule), but the way he explained it was top notch.