What is God Hard mode?

[♡ Katalina Aryze ♡]

I have finally beaten the game on Hard mode which took me 12 hours.

Is God Hard mode a mode that kills you after one hit? Is it worth playing the gsme on? Does it change A.I, enemy strength and player's strength?

[Klaxwave]

Not exactly "one hit", but your health is dramatically lower and many things can one shot you. There are far more enemies, they are far more aggressive (including bosses), your energy gauge depletes much faster when boosting or in AR mode, and you can't upgrade weapons. It's a totally different beast to every difficulty before it, and has no hesitation to utterly demolish you on the second level of the game. I'd highly recommend at least beating the challenges before you give God Hard a try.

[♡ Katalina Aryze ♡]

Thanks, I don't think I can do it lol U barely got through Hard Mode lol

[Royta15]

Enemy Health: x 1.3
Player Damage: x 1.5
Player's Health Recovery Speed: x 0.5
Active AR Mode Energy Consumption: x 200%
Auto AR Mode Energy Consumption: x 400%
Rocket Launchers no longer in fixed crates, only randomized
No upgrades available
Remixed enemies (some of the harder ones appear sooner)

It is without a doubt really hard, and there is no reward. The final two bosses alone will break most players, as will certain chapters like 1-3, 3-2 and 4-2. That said with M&K it is a lot easier, as the game was built around a controller (it being a console exclusive game for nearly 7 years). Give it a shot, it really teaches you to be better.

[Archon]

It may just be a lack of skill on my end, but I don't really care for God Hard. The shortening of the ARS gauge really forces you to use cover a lot more and the game feels like it loses a lot of its balance/unique gameplay because of it. But again, could just be me. I feel that Hard is the definitive difficulty for getting the full experience out of the game.

[Royta15]

Originally posted by Archon:

It may just be a lack of skill on my end, but I don't really care for God Hard. The shortening of the ARS gauge really forces you to use cover a lot more and the game feels like it loses a lot of its balance/unique gameplay because of it. But again, could just be me. I feel that Hard is the definitive difficulty for getting the full experience out of the game.

God Hard simply as a much higher skill requirement, just as lesser players will see Hard as 'cover only', God Hard's high damage and low ARS means players are quick to play it extremely safe. But the more you study the layouts, the mechanics etc, the more you notice you can play extremely agressive. I've done a No Cover run on God Hard and also a Shotgun only run on God Hard, and both were highly doable with a few chapters being a bit awkward.

But feel reassured, the feeling you share is one nearly everyone has at first. You first God Hard run is generally a disaster with hundreds of deaths and hugging cover for dear life. The more you play it though the easier it gets.

[Archon]

Originally posted by Royta15:

Originally posted by Archon:

It may just be a lack of skill on my end, but I don't really care for God Hard. The shortening of the ARS gauge really forces you to use cover a lot more and the game feels like it loses a lot of its balance/unique gameplay because of it. But again, could just be me. I feel that Hard is the definitive difficulty for getting the full experience out of the game.

God Hard simply as a much higher skill requirement, just as lesser players will see Hard as 'cover only', God Hard's high damage and low ARS means players are quick to play it extremely safe. But the more you study the layouts, the mechanics etc, the more you notice you can play extremely agressive. I've done a No Cover run on God Hard and also a Shotgun only run on God Hard, and both were highly doable with a few chapters being a bit awkward.

But feel reassured, the feeling you share is one nearly everyone has at first. You first God Hard run is generally a disaster with hundreds of deaths and hugging cover for dear life. The more you play it though the easier it gets.

Alright, thanks, may give it another try at some point! You have any video examples? I'd love to see and try to learn everything better. Also would give me a chance to accurately update my Steam review.

Edit: Seems the time I've spent in Hard difficulty has definitely improved my skill for God Hard. Didn't use much in the way of cover this time for 1-2. It'll be interesting to see how far I can go with this.

[Royta15]

Originally posted by Archon:

Originally posted by Royta15:

God Hard simply as a much higher skill requirement, just as lesser players will see Hard as 'cover only', God Hard's high damage and low ARS means players are quick to play it extremely safe. But the more you study the layouts, the mechanics etc, the more you notice you can play extremely agressive. I've done a No Cover run on God Hard and also a Shotgun only run on God Hard, and both were highly doable with a few chapters being a bit awkward.

But feel reassured, the feeling you share is one nearly everyone has at first. You first God Hard run is generally a disaster with hundreds of deaths and hugging cover for dear life. The more you play it though the easier it gets.

Alright, thanks, may give it another try at some point! You have any video examples? I'd love to see and try to learn everything better. Also would give me a chance to accurately update my Steam review.

Edit: Seems the time I've spent in Hard difficulty has definitely improved my skill for God Hard. Didn't use much in the way of cover this time for 1-2. It'll be interesting to see how far I can go with this.

Glad I could help!
I collected a selection of good videos here a while back, maybe they'll help you out:
http://forum.stingermagazine.com/t11-video-archive-high-level-vanquish-play

The run by me on Shotgun Only is fully with post-commentary, explaining a lot of mechanics and setups. Bick Benedict's run is also really good, he's not the best player but that is also really helpful as his tactics are thus a lot less complex. Zaarock's tutorial is also great viewing material, explaining a lot of ins and outs of elements like Boost Dodging, Firecanceling etc.
You can also view my written list here as well, which contains a few he ommited I believe:
http://forum.stingermagazine.com/t4-vanquish-advanced-tactics

The biggest fault of God Hard still is, imo, that there is no Very Hard to bridge the jump. God Hard really is a big step up, sometimes too big. Once you beat God Hard once, most tend to favor playing on that setting as the rest just feels like playing on auto-pilot.

If you want to talk about Vanquish some more, feel free to tag me/ quote me, or join the forum I linked above :) Good luck and have fun!

[Archon]

Originally posted by Royta15:

Originally posted by Archon:

Alright, thanks, may give it another try at some point! You have any video examples? I'd love to see and try to learn everything better. Also would give me a chance to accurately update my Steam review.

Edit: Seems the time I've spent in Hard difficulty has definitely improved my skill for God Hard. Didn't use much in the way of cover this time for 1-2. It'll be interesting to see how far I can go with this.

Glad I could help!
I collected a selection of good videos here a while back, maybe they'll help you out:
http://forum.stingermagazine.com/t11-video-archive-high-level-vanquish-play

The run by me on Shotgun Only is fully with post-commentary, explaining a lot of mechanics and setups. Bick Benedict's run is also really good, he's not the best player but that is also really helpful as his tactics are thus a lot less complex. Zaarock's tutorial is also great viewing material, explaining a lot of ins and outs of elements like Boost Dodging, Firecanceling etc.
You can also view my written list here as well, which contains a few he ommited I believe:
http://forum.stingermagazine.com/t4-vanquish-advanced-tactics

The biggest fault of God Hard still is, imo, that there is no Very Hard to bridge the jump. God Hard really is a big step up, sometimes too big. Once you beat God Hard once, most tend to favor playing on that setting as the rest just feels like playing on auto-pilot.

If you want to talk about Vanquish some more, feel free to tag me/ quote me, or join the forum I linked above :) Good luck and have fun!

Alright, thanks! I think the reason I may be having trouble is because I try to stay away from aiming and shooting through objects with that trick. https://www.twitch.tv/videos/210189184?t=02h58m45s You can tell from the way I play that a lot of my playstyle is built around the ARS gauge, and having that cut forces me to use the shoot-through trick (something I'd prefer not to do).

Do you have any advice on how to keep that particular "theme" of gameplay, but without using the shoot-through trick? If not, I may just stick to Hard, as it fits my preference more, and I totally agree. I wish there were a mode between God Hard and Hard that kept the damage and general enemy layout of God Hard, but the ARS gauge time of Hard. Hard mode for me, as it is, is just too easy, and God Hard's ARS limitations makes that difficulty a bit less fun. I'll keep trying to practice God Hard all the same!

Still, nice stuff, playing that way may just not be my kind of thing, so no offense! I do remember stumbling upon Zaarock's tutorial and gameplay, and was blown away by it. Honestly, this game is on my top 3 third-person shooters list. I love the concept of blitzing my enemies and gracefully moving about the battlefield as a one-man army.

Edit: Alright, been going at it a bit more and seem to be getting a good deal better at adapting my style into God Hard, it's a little more fun now, but I still prefer Hard.

[Royta15]

> Shoot through trick
I am not quite sure what you are aiming at? (ha, pun).

> built around the ARS bar
Yes, but your usage is - pardon the possible insult - inefficient. Your style is built around ARS and spending it royally, but to play God Hard you need to be a bit more efficient with your meter. Every drop you spend needs to be used. Every drop is your lifeblood. Few tips:
- you use the Assault Rifle, considered by many to be the worst weapon. Deals very minor damage, even with headshots. Boost Machine Gun and HMG far outshine it even at range in terms of damage.
- you dodge, not boost dodge. I highly recommend at least looking up a tutorial (it is really easy, and will become second nature quick).
- learn to fire cancel. Opening fire with a hmg and canceling into a shotgun is a great way to get quick damage and a stun on a Romanov for example, especially if you hit their weak spot at their back.
- exploit the weakspots, they do around 3x damage.
- style boosting like at 02:58:52 is fun, but a good example of wasted meter. Doing that will get you overheated and killed on God Hard.
- use more melee, using the flip is fun and all for the launcher but a good melee finish is all you need. God Hard really is about finding the opening you need, punish hard and use an EMP or shotgun stun to clear the recovery away.

If you want to keep this style of play exactly the way you posted it, you'll die a lot on God Hard at first because you have a severe handicap to adjust too. I could probably play that way now in that area, but I'd still not go through the middle or boost that much. You really need to learn stuff like EMPsliding, boost dodging, fire canceling, reload canceling and more to give you back some of that lost 'mobility' if you know what I mean.

[Archon]

Originally posted by Royta15:

> Shoot through trick
I am not quite sure what you are aiming at? (ha, pun).

> built around the ARS bar
Yes, but your usage is - pardon the possible insult - inefficient. Your style is built around ARS and spending it royally, but to play God Hard you need to be a bit more efficient with your meter. Every drop you spend needs to be used. Every drop is your lifeblood. Few tips:
- you use the Assault Rifle, considered by many to be the worst weapon. Deals very minor damage, even with headshots. Boost Machine Gun and HMG far outshine it even at range in terms of damage.
- you dodge, not boost dodge. I highly recommend at least looking up a tutorial (it is really easy, and will become second nature quick).
- learn to fire cancel. Opening fire with a hmg and canceling into a shotgun is a great way to get quick damage and a stun on a Romanov for example, especially if you hit their weak spot at their back.
- exploit the weakspots, they do around 3x damage.
- style boosting like at 02:58:52 is fun, but a good example of wasted meter. Doing that will get you overheated and killed on God Hard.
- use more melee, using the flip is fun and all for the launcher but a good melee finish is all you need. God Hard really is about finding the opening you need, punish hard and use an EMP or shotgun stun to clear the recovery away.

If you want to keep this style of play exactly the way you posted it, you'll die a lot on God Hard at first because you have a severe handicap to adjust too. I could probably play that way now in that area, but I'd still not go through the middle or boost that much. You really need to learn stuff like EMPsliding, boost dodging, fire canceling, reload canceling and more to give you back some of that lost 'mobility' if you know what I mean.

Alright, will keep that in mind. I knew about some of those things, like the emp sliding. I do seem to be getting a lot better and it's becoming second-nature to manage the ARS gauge for God Hard. Gonna' see how far I can go, thanks!

Edit: By "Shoot-through", I mean taking advantage of how the reticule directs your bullets, you can stand behind the edge of a solid object and literally fire your bullets through it, while enemies cannot hit you because of the angling. Kind of like taking cover without actually using the function.