Sorry We’re Closed Combat Guide: Unleash The Hellhound

Sorry We’re Closed has a unique combat system that’s a blend of arcade action and first-person shooting that takes a bit to get used to. Once you have the hang of it though, it’s pretty satisfying, both mechanically and visually. Here is everything you need to know about the combat mechanics in Sorry We’re Closed.

Stun and Shoot

Combat in Sorry We’re Closed plays out in the first-person perspective. Whether you’re using an Axe, Pistol, or Shotgun, you’ll have to switch to first-person to use the weapons.

Switching to the first-person perspective locks you in place, which is why you’ll be switching back and forth between the perspectives to move around.

Once you have a demon in sight though, you can blast away at them, and do more damage by scoring headshots, but that’s not the intended way to approach combat.

Instead, while you’re in first-person mode, open your third eye, which reveals the weak points of the enemies. This also causes a momentary stun, and no matter how many times you close and re-open your third eye, the stun is applied. During this mode, only the weak points can be shot at, and not any other part of the enemy’s body.

Shooting the weak point will either kill the enemy right there or reveal their next weak spot. If you chain attacks successfully, meaning you don’t miss the next shot, you will build up the Heartbreaker bar.

This allows players to perform a devastating attack that does tons of damage, but it’s more useful against tougher enemies that can’t be dealt with completely with regular attacks. It’s also necessary to perform against bosses who have locked hearts that can only be shot with the heartbreaker attack.

Enabling the third eye also stuns bosses, which means that your follow-up attack can essentially finish the fight without much struggle.

This is the gist of the combat system, but to effectively work with it, we have a few tips as well.

Sorry We’re Closed Combat Guide Combat Tips

The following tips will make most fights trivial, and extremely enjoyable as well.

• When you’re up against smaller and singular enemies, switch to the Axe and unleash your inner Jack Torrance. This will allow you to save ammo, which is best used for group encounters, and stronger enemies. Just make sure you attack as soon as you stun them because their attack animation can be a bit unpredictable.

• Always reload before engaging the third eye. Once you’re in the first-person perspective, chances are that the enemies are practically in your face. You don’t have time to reload unless you switch perspectives and move out of the way. So instead of doing that, and potentially taking a hit, just reload before aiming.

• While Sorry We’re Closed is playable on a controller, the aiming benefits from a mouse. If you’re used to shooters, that’s the way to go. Don’t worry, the default movement controls are mapped to W, A, S, and D and are quite intuitive in practice especially when you don’t have to worry about the camera.
• Make sure you stun as much as possible. Don’t wait too long to hit the next weak point, but try to switch between targets as fast as possible. This is where the arcade design flourishes, and even if you don’t charge the Heartbreaker as fast, it’s worth the potential stun advantage either way.

How to Upgrade Combat Abilities and Weapons

Players can upgrade multiple aspects of their weapons and combat abilities by interacting with T.A.D at different points in the game. This is an NPC with a goat head (I know, not super helpful, but there’s a screenshot below) who will exchange upgrades and items with YOWZAS, which are acquired by selling artifacts to T.A.D as well.

I recommend buying the damage and stun upgrades first as these are the key pillars of the combat system.

Don’t waste your precious YOWZAS on ammunition, or healing items initially as you’ll get plenty during the campaign.

Accessibility Options for Combat

If you’re struggling to aim properly, especially with a controller, you can enable the “Enemy Lock On” setting, which essentially serves as an auto-aim. While this does take away a bit of the fun challenge of the game, it’s not a dealbreaker either.

Overall, the combat in Sorry We’re Closed is quite enjoyable thanks to visual feedback, the sound design surrounding it, and the arcade nature of rewarding skillful play. Combat isn’t the only thing we enjoyed about Sorry We’re Closed, and if you’re interested in our detailed thoughts, make sure to check out our review.