Released in October 2022, Endoparasitic has made waves among fans of horror games thanks to its original and clever take on the genre. Players take on the role of Cynte, a scientist at a secret, outer-space research facility, whose body has been invaded by a brain-eating parasite and who is struggling to save his research from the mutated monsters who ripped off three of his limbs.
Thanks to its innovative take on sci-fi horror and unique mechanics, Endoparastic has received plenty of praise since its release. However, it can also be somewhat tricky to master for newer players. This list covers some tips for those who are brand new to the title.
10 Be Patient
One of the primary factors that contributes to the tension and anxiety that builds as Endoparasitic's narrative progresses is how slow and clunky the game feels at times. Just as Cynte only has one arm, players have to perform every action with the mouse; while he moves fairly quickly, actions like reloading weapons manually can feel agonizing when the threat of enemies is around every corner.
Remaining as patient as possible in moments like these is crucial. Panicking will almost always result in struggling even more with the game's controls and, oftentimes, Cynte's early demise as a result.
9 Stay As Quiet As Possible
Much of Endoparasitic's short runtime has no soundtrack whatsoever. This is likely done with the intention of ratcheting up the game's intensity and sustaining the tense atmosphere that pervades almost from start to finish, without needing to rely on jump scares.
Another function that the lack of soundtrack has is that it makes it easier for players to understand how much noise they're making as they drag Cynte from A to B. This is actually important to be mindful of, because some enemies in the game respond to sound. So, players should be careful to make as little noise as possible when playing Endoparasitic.
8 Monitor The Parasite In Cynte’s Body
At the start of Endoparasitic, Cynte awakens to the gut-wrenching moment of three of his limbs having been torn off. He also has a parasite in his body trying to work its way into his brain, which, if the player allows to happen, will result in Cynte dying.
This is why it's crucial for players to keep an eye on the progress of the parasite in Cynte's body and use vaccines to halt its progress. Another telltale sign that the parasite is getting closer to Cynte's brain is when he starts coughing up blood, so players should be mindful of this, too.
7 Reload In Quieter Moments
As mentioned previously, reloading in Endoparasitic needs to be done manually, and, with only one hand, can be a pretty slow process. This is part of what makes the enemy encounters in the game feel so tense and dangerous, and is a clever mechanic that puts Endoparasitic on par with some of the greatest survival horror titles out there.
Players should do their best to reload in quieter moments whenever possible. There's nothing worse in Endoparasitic than being jumped by an enemy, only for Cynte's revolver to run out of rounds after firing once or twice. By reloading his weapons when he isn't actively being attacked, players are doing themselves a massive favour in the long run.
6 Handle Bosses As Quickly As Possible
The boss battles in Endoparasitic are mostly fast-paced, challenging, and incredibly intense, on par with some of the best boss encounters in other, classic horror titles. While one of them does require moving slowly and quietly in order to make it as manageable as possible, the others, for the most part, benefit from a faster-paced, more aggressive approach.
Players should do their best to defeat or otherwise deal with the bosses in Endoparasitic as quickly as they can. The longer the boss battles in the game get drawn out, the more resources players typically have to use, which can be very problematic in a title where resource management is so key.
5 Keep An Eye Out For Secrets And Resources
Endoparasitic provides a largely streamlined, straightforward gameplay experience, but this doesn't mean that the game is without its secrets and hidden areas. While few and far between, there are certain spaces in the game that the campaign won't necessarily lead you to, but are worth discovering all the same. These add to a strong sense of world building and immersion in Endoparasitic's space station setting (which fans of Dead Space are sure to love).
By this token, players should keep their eye out for secrets and resources more generally while playing Endoparasitic. While not always obvious, these small details can provide clues or lifesaving ammo and vaccines that might make all the difference to whether or not the player survives the campaign.
4 Master New Weapons
While Cynte first acquires a revolver in Endoparasitic, it's not too long before he comes across other weapons to add to his arsenal, each of which has its own strengths and attributes that make it better suited to certain kinds of enemies and environments.
Players should do their best to familiarize themselves with new weapons as soon as they get their hands on them in order to become more effective at using them. Learning which weapon to use in what kind of encounter can ultimately be the difference between life and death in Endoparasitic.
3 Resource Management Is Crucial
In a game like Endoparasitic, resource management is absolutely crucial (as it is in many other titles, too). Vaccines and firearm ammo are finite, so players need to be as careful as possible to conserve resources rather than wasting them.
This is perhaps one of the most important things that new players of Endoparasitic should take away from the game. Making every effort to acquire resources whenever possible and use them as sparingly as is viable will go a long way to making surviving the game easier, as well as eliminating a lot of the anxiety and stress that goes along with running out of resources in Endoparasitic.
2 Use The Best Possible Mouse
The only way players can control Endoparasitic's protagonist, Cynte, is through their mouse. As a result of this, the mouse that players use actually has a pretty major role in the experience players have of the game.
While this won't be a viable option for everyone, players should ideally use the best mouse they can get their hands on when playing Endoparasitic. Using a decent mouse makes the gameplay feel much smoother and moving Cynte around far more manageable. Using a trackpad alone for some of Endoparasitic's boss fights sounds like an absolute nightmare.
1 Make Space For Cynte
Plenty of the action in Endoparasitic takes place in cramped hallways and confined spaces (in fact, the game is a great example of a horror title that takes place in one location). When dragging Cynte away from monsters and hurriedly reloading his pistol, it can be easy to forget how little space the player often has.
However, players need to be aware of this as much as possible. It's actually fairly common for Cynte to get stuck up against a wall and not have enough space to draw his weapon or reload it. Every second counts during the enemy encounters in Endoparasitic, so players should do their best to keep Cynte clear of walls during combat, at the very least.
Endoparasitic is out now on PC, Mac, and Linux.