In Vigor, you’ll need to survive, and these basic tips and tricks could very well help you along the way in this game that mashes up mechanics from titles like DayZ, Rust and Escape from Tarkov. Let’s get to survive.

Survival in Vigor is almost as easy as it sounds. You’ll go into a mission, take a limited number of supplies with you, and hopefully make your escape with plenty more. It sounds easy and it should be, but as this game does put a heavy emphasis on survival mechanics. This means you will need to survive and you will need to be able to fight back.

Vigor’s main goal is to survive, so pack light, and get only what you can carry

One of the main elements of Vigor is knowing how to survive. Bohemia is no stranger to survival and realistic touches that make games like this completely possible. This time around, you can be your own worst enemy, and it can bite you in the rear when you least expect it.

You’ll want to pack light, take as few necessary items as you can. You’ll want to make pack as little equipment as you can such as ammo and or medical supplies. You’ll want to make sure your weapons are also as best suited for the situation as you can make them. Just don’t forget, if you die, another player can take anything you take with you on the field.

This is a survival game with PvP elements after all and other players won’t hesitate to see if you have what they need to survive. This means take weapons that best suit your play style, take only a few medical items, and if need be, something to help you detect other players if you can. There will be players hunting other players down without hesitation.

What items do we recommend? Well here’s what has worked best for us:

• Medical items (bandages, disinfectant, painkillers, and antibiotics)
• Weaponry (ammunition for your rifle and or pistol)
• Loads of patience

As you might notice, the list is small, but it’s a critical one at that. You have to remember one key element: This is a stealth survival game, not a battle royale. You will not go in guns blazing in hopes to obliterate other players. Rather, this is about getting critical supplies and getting out before you fall victim to the hazards of the land or other players.

Stealth is key, but so is patience. If you think running around like a chicken with its head cut off is a great idea, think again. That can get you killed, wounded, or hurting for supplies.

Plot your route and stick to it – Just don’t rush into air supply drops

If you play as I do, you are going to play rather cautiously. You aren’t going to run in, flip the safety (not that you can) and start lighting other players up with a few dozen rounds. Instead, you are going in to get loot and only loot. You will need a weapon, but the more compact you are, the better.

One of the most important things you can do is plot your route. Figure out what’s best for you once you drop into the map itself. Think you can sneak up through a group of houses? That’ll work out great, but remember, you will want to watch to see where other players land as well. The closest to the extraction point can be the most dangerous point there is.

So keep a level head, look around, and go from there. It won’t hurt to look around, to see what other players are doing, and sneak about from there. Another indication that the area you are in is a bad idea is where airdrop zones are located. These areas indicate a hot spot that encourages players to head for, which means one thing: Kill or be killed.

If this is too much work for you, especially the sneaking about, watching the extraction zone for opposing players, then think of it this way: Camping is a tactic. You have the advantage and you can easily take away another player’s hard work in a matter of seconds.

Just remember. The hunter can become the hunted and other players will be looking for you if they get a glimpse of where you are hiding.

Pay close attention to your surroundings

While this one seems dumb in its very own right, it’s not, and I’ve been caught off guard a few times more than I would have liked. I’ve had other players sneak up on me, probably grinning from ear to ear as they unloaded a few rounds into my characters back, wiping out my five-to-ten minutes of dedicated work just because I wasn’t listening to my surroundings.

If players are moving about, you can hear their footsteps, you can hear them moving about as they try to hunt you down, loot the buildings you might be attempting to loot, or even heading for an extraction. Those players can hear you too, sometimes, just as much if you aren’t listening to what’s going on about you. Again, this is a survival game and the hunters are the hunted.

See footprints on the ground? Well, there’s a good chance that’s because another player just left the area. Hear someone shuffling about in a room above you? You can either avoid them or get the unsuspecting scavenger by simply taking advantage of the situation. The choice is yours, but remember, pay attention to your surroundings. I can’t stress this one enough.

Vigor does have a few advanced gameplay elements

As you already know, taking only what you need will already help you in the long run. You’ll have a weapon, ammunition, and medical gear. You don’t want to pack down as much as you can, again, others can take what you have if they kill you.

So what do we recommend? Well, let’s take a look.

• Customizations: Use camouflage and light colors to your advantage. You can blend in with trees, bushes, snow, and rocks a lot easier. This will keep other players guessing when it comes to your whereabouts.
• Wait on airdrops. There will always be other players keeping their eyes peeled for them as well. If you have a long-range weapon, don’t be afraid to pick them off, just remember to pay attention to your surroundings.
• If you are tracking players, remember, they can track you also.
• Pay attention to your map: The longer the route, the better, and it will keep you out of radiation and put you in place of a safer extraction zone.
• Remember to sneak: The less they can hear or see, the better.
• Vehicles can have just as good, if not better, items than houses.
• Make an exit plan if you are looting houses such as windows or doors.
• Extract when you think you have what you need
• Don’t stay for too long. Others will camp the extraction areas.

But we aren’t done here. You will need to stay tuned as we will have a guide for upgrading your base here in the very near future.

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About the Writer(s):

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the borders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook.