As with any survival horror games supplies are limited and it’s your one-stop for protection between you and The Lost when you need to craft bullets and med-packs. This makes it very important to search every environment you are in, every building you can walk into and every trashcan and draw you find.

There’s plenty of times crafting supplies, ammo and other useful items are out of plain sight, so don’t always think that just because you can’t see anything, something is not waiting to be found in the bushes, behind that dumpster on on the body of a rotting Mobius agent.

Leading off the last point of scavenging everything you see in sight as long as it’s not nailed down, another important element to remember, break open every box you find.

Usually, by breaking them open, you’ll find crafting materials such as weapon parts or gunpowder which can help beef up your weaponry or craft more bullets. On the odd occasion, if you are extra lucky, one of those wooden treasure chests could be hiding an explosive crossbow bolt or pack of sniper rifle ammo.

Just remember, melee to break them but just makes sure you might not need it to hide behind before you do, sometimes the monsters are right around the corner.

We are hardwired to try and win any situation we come across and in other titles, moving forward and progression is tied into standing your ground or spaying and praying. Unlike first-person shooters though, running away in The Evil Within 2 is just as good a strategy as a bolt into the head of an unsuspecting monster.

There will be moments when you are overwhelmed or plain just caught off guard and underequipped to deal with the threats directly in front of you. Just makes sure if you plan to run away you spend a couple of green gel in the stamina pool. The Lost can run quite fast and unlike Sebastian, they don’t have to worry about breathing so nothing worse comes from not being able to create some distance.

Pro tip: the moment the enemies lose sight of you and go into search mode (the slightly closed eye), duck into a bush or behind a dumpster and wait it out. Or if you are feeling brave, start using the opportunity to sneak kill a couple and even the odds.

It’s safe to run when you are surrounded by enemies but when you are safe and searching again for supplies, be wary of your environment. Some enemies like to spend their time waiting for a passerby underneath a vehicle or even sometimes between some breakable boxes. No kidding really, I once smashed some boxes to find a Lost sleeping there, luckily, I had an axe so just like the boxes he becomes split for parts.

Cars are an easy one to spot, as they usually shake a little to warn you something might be underneath them but the environment does not give such luxury. There’s not too much that can hurt you by Mother Nature but in some instances, it can be pretty fatal.

Another pro tip: some enemies like to hide on the ceilings of trains, houses and other buildings. Don’t always be looking down as sometimes not looking up could be your lethal error of judgement.

As you travel the streets of Union, just like in Japan there will be a number of brightly lit vending machines which are somehow still working. Unlike what you might expect, these are not just mere filler made by the designers of the game to cover some dodgy seems.

Hitting them which is usually frowned upon will reward you with a number of different items such as green gel, gun parts, ammo and sometimes the odd rat or smoke grenade which decides to go off in your face.

You should be able to wack the drinks machine up to three times before it decides that enough is enough and you’re getting nothing else without paying. Seriously though, you can’t buy from it…you are in a zombie apocalypse version of the Matrix (sort of). Eyes on the prize.

Okay, you can be a little scared, or downright s*itting your pants. The Evil Within 2 has been designed to explore with its semi-open world landscape which is different to The Evil Within which was much more linear than its younger sibling. The more you explore the better the chance you have finding additional supplies that help you continue your journey in one piece.

More exploration also means more narrative to find, unlike the first title, there are side quests you can undertake to learn more about Union and the small number inhabitants that are left in it. There is always the small risk though, that exploring might make you stumble across a horror you wished you never found…

Be careful of Jukeboxes, diaries and more…just saying.

Something I never knew you could do until I accidentally press both buttons at the same time but it is possible to aim your gun while you slowly open the door. Not to say that everything is always out to get you in Union (it is) but the extra layer of security might just save your life.

There are not many times I was jumped upon opening the door but enemies can be just outside so being prepared for them never hurts.

Another tip: You can also open the door while crouched which puts you into the positions of being harder to spot which can be useful when enemies have decided to camp near you. Those small moments where they can’t spot you will allow for some distraction manoeuvres.

Bottles are mainly used as diverting the attention of the Lost then you are in the early stages of the game or enabling you to beckon them closer for the stealth attack. Getting the skill will allow you to break bottles on enemies trying to lunge at you can save your health or even life if it’s low.

Do be careful though as Bottle Break will only work on the normal Lost and not any of the other bigger monster you’ll face. It’s useful though to mitigate the damage you would have taken, giving you momentary space to attack or run away (remember it is a fair strategy).

Quick turn has been in many games, most notably in Resident Evil another survival horror which can require quick getaways.  You can also pull off this move if you press R1/RB as you press back on the stick, flipping him round in a smooth motion.

The useful move can help you quickly escape enemies if you feel you need to get some distance. It can also be used for the opposite reason and if something sneaks up on your, this flip round can put you in prime position to pump some lead into what every lurks behind you.

New to The Evil Within 2 are environmental traps which can be activated by shooting them with different crossbow bolts or just your simple firearm. Lead enemies through an oil slick and fire a bullet at the ground to ignite it and watch your foes turn to ash. Open up the fire hydrant and lure The Lost into the pool of water and then set off a Shock Bolt to watch them fry by the electricity. When you are up against a number of enemies, these kinds of traps can help even the odds, sometimes even endings fight before it begins.

If you can prepare in advance you can also set up the different elemental bolts from the Warden Crossbow by using them as a trip wire and then either waiting for them to walk by or just lead them into it.

Be careful though, once the trap has been laid even Sebastian can set them off. If you do realise you placed one and did not need it, you can go back and collect the trap to use again.