Survival mode: Basics

Instinct and Accuracy: Survival Basics

Blocking enemy routes is a sign of good planning. Fight Infected fury with fire.

The following is a brief overview of Survival mode, which pits a team of four Survivors against the relentless Horde of Common, Uncommon, and Special Infected. This game mode is played with up to four human players. The Infected are always computer-controlled.

The odds aren’t in your favor; in fact, as long as you understand that you’ll eventually die at the hands of the putrid masses, you can figure out how to survive for as long as possible. This is achieved by playing repeated Survival matches and heeding the advice on the following pages.

In every match, there are certain elements that are constant:

1. You begin in a section of the map that usually has many items: ranged and Melee Weapons, Belt and Backpack Items, and additional ammunition. Remember, however, that items are distributed randomly.

2. In addition, there are usually explosive items (Fuel Cans and Propane Tanks). You should place them in the middle of the ground where the largest mass of enemies streams in from. Do this before the match starts.

3. Look for a radio, switch, or other device to activate: This begins the Match, but don’t start it yet! Instead, completely scour the map for additional supplies, throwing down items like Fuel Cans to further bolster your defenses. Be sure your entire team knows where there’s extra items in case the action takes you to that location.

4. Once the entire team is completely familiar with the map, and you’ve verbally agreed to a game plan, switch on the radio. Let the mayhem begin!

5. You are attacked continuously, with no respite, by Hordes of Common Infected that appear in waves. In addition, expect multiple and frequent attacks (sometimes simultaneous attacks) from Special Infected.

6. This combat continues until your entire team falls. The number of minutes you survive is clocked, and the match ends. A medal is awarded, depending on how long your team lasted:

Seek the Gold Medal standard to prove that your Survival prowess is impressive. Anything less is considered pitiful!

Heed the following general advice to strive for the Gold Standard:

• Tool up with the very best weapons for the job; as you’re under constant threats from charging foes, close-combat weapons (such as Shotguns), coupled with a Melee Weapon is considered advantageous over sniper or scoped rifles.
• Adrenaline or Pain Pills? If you need to heal and revive other players faster, Adrenaline is the way to go.
• Before the round starts, double-check the map doesn’t have enhanced ammunition of some kind; it is always much better to blast foes with incendiary or explosive rounds than normal bullets. Make sure all of your team loads up with this power-up.
• Locate major caches, and stay close to them. Many matches are lost attempting to return to grab an item, and not making it.
• Study Scavenge Mode for Infected wall runs, so you know where Special Infected may ambush or appear from.
• You should be well aware of the different attacks you can expect, and how to deal with them. The Survivors and Infected chapter details this. Read the Weapons and Equipment chapter too.
• Staying together has never been this important, if your team can remain within 20 feet of each other and not wander off, they can tackle larger or numerous foes together, instead of failing separately.
• The scenery is important; judge the locations (such as tables, vehicles, or pillars) you can use to dodge or waylay foes, or climb and hold out against the overwhelming odds.
• Consistent matches allow you to learn where the majority of the foes are rushing in from. If you can blanket that area with fire or projectiles, you can concentrate on other areas.
• Height is just as important as depth in your fighting; look for foes dropping down from above, but also climb to areas above if you wish, as foes take longer to reach you. Unfortunately, this is usually at the expense of accessing additional supplies.
• Being attacked from all angles is a nightmare. Pressing your backs against a wall, although not offering you as much movement potential, lessens rear ambushes, and the fighting plays out like a bad dream.
• A dead-end might seem like a death sentence, but if you can find a place where the Infected have to enter a narrow space to reach you, such as the gate to the helipad on the Bridge map, you can survive for a while. Until you run out of ammunition in fact.

Survival Achievements