Moments like the end of "Bandits"

[Ǵ̶͓̂͑lí̴̤̀̄́tcĥ̸]

Do you guys playtest these "swarm" moments? Very similar to the defending Miller part near the end of 2033, shots are either not registering or enemies just randomly take 2-3 point blank rifle headshots (indicators show up) to die while they lay 5 hit combos nonstop - enemies spawn from everywhere so even if you manage to 1 hit kill every enemy as soon as you see them, you will still more than likely be swarmed and die from pecks here and there mainly due to how LONG this part is - even if you use a cheap hiding spot like standing on one of the wooden poles near the ferry bell, you still have enemies somehow jumping on top of you from behind and hitting you from directly under you, while still managing to have shots not hit them despite being point blank with red crosshairs, etc.

I mean c'mon, nobody likes these "survive the waves" parts in games anyway (some people do I guess but I imagine most people don't), unless the game is a tower defense thing like Dungeon Defenders or something. Due to how good your game is in every other aspect (cheers) it's easy to look past the fact that these moments happen in almost every chapter, but still WHEN they happen, they don't seem designed very well and it hurts the immersion a lot. I've died on this part a LOT of times because even if I feel I do everything perfect (I know where they generally spawn from and 1-hit kill them almost 100% of the time, like I said some simply don't die for no apparent reason even after TWO headshots but whatever, etc. etc.) I still get hit by some random rogue that doesn't die for some reason or they are just impossible to keep up with, with reloading and so forth (I even switch guns to shotty and such when I MUST due to reload swarm).

TL;DR - these moments suck. Anyone that needs a TL;DR doesn't care enough about the reasons behind the statement imo. Want them, read above.

EDIT:::
Will say the following moment was awesome!

[Pixel Peeper]

I like those parts, and medkits are so common that you should nearly always have 5 of them on you. I never had to use more than 2 in a single event and I was playing very poorly that time.

That said, I'm still on Normal difficulty and I realize it must be insanely hard on the highest difficulty levels. If there really is a bug with enemies not dying from multiple headshots (though I'm not certain how you know you got full headshots), then that's a valid concern.

First time I hear of this, though.

Ironically, you might want to try a harder setting; Metro games have this weird thing where everything's much harder to kill on Easy. On harder settings you kill mutants faster and thus can't get swarmed that easily.

[Ǵ̶͓̂͑lí̴̤̀̄́tcĥ̸]

I'm playing it on Hardcore (not Ranger Hardcore, I can appreciate the difficulty and no hud but some other decisions, like not knowing how much ammo you have and not having 100% control over knowing how to equip secondaries, neither of which makes any sense, prevented me from doing it). I know they are headshots because they generally run straight at you until they get into attack range, and I have a 4x scope that is putting shots right between their eyes before they get that close (like I said I generally know where they spawn from and shoot them off the walls), and a modded two barrel shotgun putting both shots through a condensed tube right into their skull (generally this kills them o.O) IF they do get that close.

When I say I died a lot on this part, I mean 6 or 7 times I had to retry - gets annoying because the part is long, and you also have to watch the bells ring and wait for the dude to talk etc. etc. before it even starts.

Like I said, rest of the game is awesome, like the whole bandit sequence right before this part. Medkits are also odd, I use them but they dont seem to heal instantly so I still die if I get hit 1-3 times right after using one (like they just increase health regeneration rate). Basically they are only effective after you kill the thing hitting you and have a moment where you're not getting hit, and the way I see it you should be dead if you can't do that anyway so that's not the problem. What annoys me is when the guys don't die after two shots, it means two other ones probably are on my ass by the third shot and by then, I'm also reloading. So the one buggy enemy amongst 30 of them can pretty much result in death, and there is almost always at least 1 of them.

I have also shot an enemy right after it landed, and it still had an attack animation go off just before it died that ACTUALLY HIT ME. Meaning -> Jumps off wall, I shoot it, it lands, attack animation results in hit, sudden ragdoll (I didn't shoot it again, it was as if the initial shots registered and DID kill it, but it didn't actually die until it finished it's land and pounce animation, which still registered damage to me). Happened twice during that sequence in my 7 or so tries.

[Pixel Peeper]

I don't know what to tell you, except that this is not normal game behavior. I haven't seen anything like that happen and I'm a pretty bad FPS player (I usually play strategy games).

As a workaround, I can only suggest trying different tactics. You can use medkits while sprinting, so some clever maneuvering should allow you to avoid blows. If opponents pile up you can try Incendiary Grenades.

Some bugs have obvious causes, but whatever's causing your issues sounds like it'd be terribly difficult to identify...

Edit: except that last one. That particular move must be scripted and not have a different path for the enemy receiving lethal damage before landing. That's a design flaw.

[Ǵ̶͓̂͑lí̴̤̀̄́tcĥ̸]

That's why I don't think it's a bug. I think it's just bad design - some people get through it fine. I don't want to say they got lucky, because they would get insulted for some reason - or maybe I get unlucky 6 or 7 times in a row somehow, but hey. I've been playing FPSs all my life so I have a fair idea of what just feels like not really well thought out scenarios or maybe the scenario wasn't tested on all difficulties to test the scaling, or whatevs. It's not a huge deal, but it definitely interrupts a moment of feeling how awesome the rest of the game is.

It's like sitting down with an awesome cake in front of you, and you even got to eat a few bites of it. Then you see a big Strawberry or Ice Cream or something else that's amazing in the cake, and that's your next bite. And just as you're about to take that bite, a fist shoots through the cake and punches you in the face.

In other words it sucks. =P

Edit :: Forgot to mention I tried your tactics already. Unless I feel I need to find a spot to hide in, I NEVER stand still while playing any FPS (during combat) unless I'm doing a scope shot, in which case I jut between them (even then sometimes I just run towards the enemy I'm scoping, since it doesn't really affect my aim and helps prevent me getting hit from the side). Kinda standard to play an FPS =P. During this scenario the best way to avoid damage hands down is to jump on a pole near the river where you ring the bell, because 80% of the enemies can't even get to you there (their AI/Pathing can't figure it out) - you can only get hit from 2 spots. Sometimes one of "those" enemies (the ones that need 2-3 that I was referring to) still pop up in those spots though, but it seems the safest. Running around in this area is a bit suicidal on higher difficulties, you die in 5 hits (which is like, 2.5 seconds with 1 enemy on you, almost instantly with 2 enemies). That pretty much means you're dead if you have to reload right when an enemy jumps on you, even if you switch weapons and shoot during reload as I definitely do.

[Jacob]

I've played through this part twice. First time, I died a couple times, second time through (second playthrough) I very nearly died but got saved by the apparently monster-repelling boat.

And yes, it sucks.

The only advice I can give you is try to keep every direction the could attack you from visible. I stood on the platform above the river sewer place, and it seemed like nothing spawned up there; they all ran up the stairs or hopped on the pillars. Of course, you have to get back down when the boat arrives. Keep trying.

[Wobb the Great and Terrible!!!!!]

This is the part waiting for the guy in the boat, right?
I am playing on ranger hardcore, died twice there, didn't have too much trouble with the standard shotgun (not the double barrel, the other one).
Just move around a lot, go up the stairs to get ammo as you use it, keep mobile, and it's not bad.
I am not normally a fan of these missions, but this was done very well I thought. I felt like a true warrior when I scrambled to the boat, and I loved the crazy guy with the goggles and moustache when he pulled me aboard. Great gaming moment that would have sucked in any other game.

[Ǵ̶͓̂͑lí̴̤̀̄́tcĥ̸]

I wasn't asking for advice guys, but thanks lol. Pretty much guarantee I don't need FPS advice, no offense =P. Just commenting on the part and the reasons I didn't like it.

[Martial.Lore]

I have just gotten to this point in my first Ranger Hardcore playthrough and I generally try to stand my ground and learn the direction and number of attacks through trial and error. It is difficult and I got so close to the end a couple of times. I just keep reloading at the wrong time (when I still have ammo chambered) and when you get hit by mutants (or humans) in RH difficulty, you go down fast (as you should).

[AtchoumBebop]

My answer is this,Quad Barreled buckshot shampoo to the enemies.

[Wobb the Great and Terrible!!!!!]

I used that stupid quad shotgun once. No, twice. Once to find out how useless it was, and how fast it burned through ammo, and once again to get the achievement for using all weapons in a later playthrough of the catacombs level.
It is a horrible weapon, with long reload just for 2 shots.
I was hoping you could fire 1 barrel at a time, and the secondary fire fired all 4. But no, primary fires 2 rounds, secondary all 4.
This is a complete waste of ammo, especially on ranger hardcore, where most mutants will go down with 1 good close range shotgun round in the chops