Hardcore Mode

**Hardcore Mode** is one of the game modes in *The Callisto Protocol*. The mode was added for free on all platforms in the 3.02 update on February 7th, 2023.

## Overview

One of the biggest changes for Hardcore Mode is that ammo and other items are much harder to come by than on the other difficulties in the game. All the enemies in Hardcore Mode take twice as much damage to kill, with the addition of all weapons not doing as high of damage in comparison, such as the Stun Baton. All the enemies also do more damage and mutate much faster than usual.

## Differences and Tips

* Do a playthrough on Maximum Security first to be better prepared for the challenges that Hardcore mode will represent.
* New Game + for Hardcore Mode can be unlocked upon completion of the standard Hardcore Mode.
* All contraband items sell for less Callisto Credits at REFORGE Stations.
* The Security Units take much more damage on Hardcore Mode, so fighting them at times is heavily discouraged as it can take twice as long to destroy one of them. Using stealth to sneak by them is the most recommended course of action.
* **Save your game** as often as possible before reaching challenging areas. As there is no manual save limit in Hardcore mode.
* **Conserve your ammo** as often as possible for some of the tougher Biophages like the Big Mouths and Two-Headed Brutes. As the Two-Headed Brute takes the most damage out of the two.
* If a Biophage mutates, use a high damaging weapon like the Riot Gun or Skunk Gun to dwindle down their health faster. The alternative is to sometimes throw them into an environmental hazard with the GRP to kill them instantly. But be aware that you may not be able to retrieve the loot if any drops after you kill them.

## Upgrade Tips

* The **Stun Baton** is the first upgradable weapon that Jacob receives during the chapter Outbreak. The first most important upgrade to unlock for the Stun Baton is the Riot Control Swing. As it can knock away multiple enemies at once, it is also essential for crowd control. It is also important to acquire the Block Break upgrade as it will be very helpful against certain enemies like Big Mouths, as it will break their arms and leave them vulnerable to follow up attacks.
* The **Hand Cannon** is a cheap weapon to upgrade early on in Hardcore mode. It's recommended to upgrade the damage and clip capacity for the weapon as it can help with destroying the exposed tentacles of most Biophages. It is also useful for destroying the head of the Big Mouth enemy as it will be forced to resort to using melee once the head is destroyed. Headshots will do the most damage for a majority of enemies.
* The **GRP** is quite expensive to upgrade throughout the game but it is very handy to help with dealing multiple enemies at one time. Focus on upgrading Energy and Recharge time as Jacob can have it ready when he needs it for large areas with environmental hazards. Another useful tip is to have a GRP Battery Pack on hand at all times to manually recharge the GRP if necessary. If you decide to upgrade the Velocity of the GRP, just be aware that the general damage is lower when throwing an enemy against a wall.
* The **Riot Gun** is a really strong weapon of choice for Hardcore mode as it is very cheap to upgrade upon acquisition. Once Jacob gets the gun during the chapter Lost, start focusing on upgrading the damage for it. As it is essential for helping him get through the toughest of fights in Hardcore mode, especially against the mutated Leon Ferris throughout different parts of the game. The alternate fire mode is really strong for crowd control once you obtain it but it is really expensive to get.
* The **Skunk Gun** is a solid weapon choice in Hardcore mode because of its high damage and early on during Habitat, this weapon works good against the Corruptor enemy type because of the wide spread of damage it deals. The two major drawbacks with the Skunk Gun is that the magazine capacity is quite low even upgraded as it can only be upgraded to a maximum of 4 shots per clip. The other drawback is that it's very expensive to upgrade. Once it is upgraded however, the weapon can fire Swarming Rounds which home on nearby enemies.