The Sinking City puts you right in the middle of Lovecraftian Horror as you explore the city of Oakland through the eyes of Charles Reed. The game can be overwhelming at times and this is where this guide comes in. Below, we’ll explore 10 important tips every newcomer should know about The Sinking City.
We’ll cover its many mechanics, including the Sanity and Health bars, skill point distribution, and more!
1. Always carry ample Healing Items
In the Sinking City, you will be fighting off some fairly tough enemies, and more often than not, you’ll come out of battles with most of your health depleted. You cannot regenerate your health on your own so you must use first aid kits.
These are syringes that you are going to keep in your inventory. Be sure to take them if you do not want to die in the middle of it. To craft them, you need x2 Alcohol and x1 Coil Spring. You also get these as a reward for completing most of your cases.
2. Keep an eye on your Sanity
Apart from your HP, you also need to keep an eye on your Sanity. As your Sanity decreases, navigation becomes difficult and Reed starts hallucinating shadow creatures that can damage him.
To get your sanity back to normal, the game features Antipsychotics. These are also found in your inventory; taking a shot of them will restore your sanity. To craft them, you only need x1 Alcohol and x1 Coil Spring.
3. Open Loot Boxes multiple times
Throughout the game, you’ll find several loot boxes littered throughout the map. These boxes contain valuable items, including crafting materials, first aid kits, ammunition, and more.
The good part is if you open the boxes and leave the area, the next time you return you can open the box again. This is very beneficial in the early stages when you are short on most resources. So, make sure to open boxes whenever you see them.
4. Avoid fights where necessary
While Fighting Wylebeasts makes up a significant chunk of the Sinking City’s core gameplay loop, fighting them when it isn’t necessary will quickly deplete your supplies during the early game. This is because Reed gains access to better weaponry and skills as you progress through the main story.
Being low on supplies may prevent you from progressing through the narrative, where fighting Wylebeasts is pivotal, leaving you vulnerable. During the game’s early stages, only fight Wylebeasts where it is absolutely necessary.
5. Avoid swimming
If you drop into water bodies in the Sinking City, you’ll be attacked by eels immediately. There is no way to escape them; this mistake could cost your life. Try to avoid swimming whenever you can.
Make use of boats to reach the area where you’re trying to go to. Boats are found pretty much everywhere in the game.
6. Do not kill human NPCs
Do not go around killing everyone in the Sinking City. Killing humans will not give you any rewards or XP. However, it will affect Reed’s sanity, which will make traversing more difficult. Only kill Wylebeasts when necessary, and focus on your cases.
7. Explore the city
Explore the city as much as you can. Visit all the locations that have a ‘magnifying glass’ icon on them. Exploring the locations helps you pick up valuable resources scattered around the city. It also unlocks leads for your cases. Additionally, exploring locations also gets you 100% completion.
You will also interact with NPCs, gaining side cases that help you earn XP and reward you with trophies.
8. Make use of fast travel points
Throughout the game, you’ll come across many fast travel points. You need these to travel from one location to another when in a hurry. To use these portals, you need to unlock them first. To do so, all you have to do is follow your compass.
Once you are at a fast travel point, a notification will pop up on your screen with the name of the travel point. Next, make your way to a phone booth, open up the map, and select the desired location you wish to travel to.
9. Invest skill points strategically
In the Sinking City, you have three skill trees to choose from: Combat, Vigor, and Mind. While you can invest your skill points however you please, certain skills will be more beneficial to you during the early game.
The best skills to unlock early are; Smart Packing, Extra Clip, Sapper Charge, Unnatural Recovery, and Abnormal Endurance. The first three skills increase your combat prowess and carrying capacity while the last two skills grant you passive health regeneration.
10. Dial in your difficulty
The Sinking City allows you to set your combat and investigation difficulties separately. Several levels are available for both facets. Mix and match the difficulty options that best suit your play style.
If you want to primarily focus on the investigation side of things, dial up the investigation difficulty and turn down your combat difficulty. Alternatively, if you’re struggling with solving the many cases the game has to offer, try turning down the investigation difficulty.
