How different is NG+?

[kameltoes]

Took me 25 hours to finally beat the game on PS5 and I achieved the "leave" ending. I thought the game was excellent, but I'm not sure if I wanna slog through it all again if it isn't different the next time. What determines the different ending, anyways?

[Chronicpirate]

Obvious SPOILERS BELOW!! I don't know why you'd click a post about changes in NG+ if you're worried about them, but some people are a mystery so just in case.

You get a chainsaw very close to the start that pretty much 1-hit kills most enemies, and all bosses in a handful of hits. So that's fun. Makes the melee only trophy/achievement super easy to get.

Then there's a bunch of random items that only appear in NG+ scattered about the game that you have to do various things with at the hotel during end game in order to get 5 of the 8 endings. I think 4 of those special endings you do something before you play the tape in room 314 and it ends the game right there, skipping the whole escape from the hotel and last 2 boss fights, which is nice when speed running and/or trying to get the "faster than fog" trophy/achievement.

The other 3, which are the normal endings you can get even on standard new game, are determined mostly by how much of the game you stay at low health instead of healing right away, and how friendly you are with Maria(going back to check on her when she's "napping" in the hospital, not letting enemies hurt her, etc), and a few other things like looking at certain inventory items a few times. There's plenty of guides telling you what you need for each ending that would give details.

Otherwise nothing in the game itself actually changes, other than the last 5 minutes going into, and post final boss cut scenes.

EDIT: Oh, worth noting you can get a good 4-5 endings at once if you have all the requisite items for the special endings since those are just triggered by using certain items right the end. You just save before going into 314 and then just reload and get a bunch in a row.